Student Resources For Fpga Development Free Software Simulators And Affordable Hardware Options

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are powerful hardware circuits that users can program to carry out logical operations. They are beneficial for prototyping application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or processors and offer advantages such as energy efficiency, flexibility for reprogramming, support for parallelism, and decreased latency. However, the flexibility of FPGAs comes with challenges, particularly for students who often face budget constraints and limited access to physical hardware. This article explores the various resources available to students for accessing FPGA technology, including free software tools, online simulation platforms, affordable hardware options, and free project resources.

Free Software Tools for FPGA Students

One of the most significant barriers to FPGA education for students is the cost of professional design and simulation tools. Fortunately, several companies offer free or discounted software specifically for educational purposes. Aldec, for example, provides the Active-HDL Student Edition, a mixed language design entry and simulation tool offered at no cost for students to use during their coursework.

The Active-HDL Student Edition includes a "load and go" license, which means students can begin using it immediately after installation without complex licensing procedures. This tool supports multiple hardware description languages including VHDL, Verilog, and SystemVerilog, making it versatile for different educational needs and project requirements.

Key features of the Active-HDL Student Edition include:

• Mixed language simulator supporting both VHDL and Verilog
• Multi-FPGA & EDA Tool Design Flow Manager
• Graphical design entry and editing capabilities
• Code2Graphics and Graphics2Code functionality
• Pre-compiled FPGA vendor libraries
• IEEE language support
• Waveform Viewer and List Viewer interfaces
• Integration with MATLAB®/Simulink®
• HTML and PDF design documentation capabilities

The availability of such tools reduces the financial barrier to entry for students interested in FPGA development, allowing them to gain practical experience with industry-standard software without incurring significant costs. Educational institutions often provide access to these tools as part of their engineering curricula, but even individual students can download and use them independently for learning purposes.

Online FPGA Simulation Platforms

For students who lack access to physical FPGA hardware or prefer to start with software-based learning, online FPGA simulation platforms offer valuable alternatives. The Virtual FPGA Lab project, developed as part of the Google Summer of Code 2021 under the FOSSi Foundation, represents an innovative solution to this challenge.

The Virtual FPGA Lab aims to address the difficulties students face in accessing physical FPGA hardware, particularly during situations like the pandemic when on-campus laboratory access may be limited. By leveraging the VIZ Visualization feature in the Makerchip platform, this project provides visualizations of FPGA's basic peripherals, thereby mimicking the physical lab experience.

Makerchip, which serves as the foundation for this virtual lab, is available both as a free web-based IDE and as a virtual desktop application (makerchip-app). It allows users to code, compile, simulate, and debug Verilog designs directly from their browser. The platform tightly integrates code, block diagrams, and waveforms, providing a comprehensive development environment.

A significant advantage of Makerchip is its support for Transaction-Level Verilog (TL-Verilog), which represents an advancement over traditional Verilog by eliminating legacy language features and introducing simpler syntax. At the same time, TL-Verilog adds powerful constructs for pipelines and transactions, making it both simple and powerful for FPGA development.

Key features of the Virtual FPGA Lab include:

• Visual debugging capabilities with integrated waveform viewing
• Organized waveforms with an inbuilt clock and random value assignments for unassigned signals
• Organized diagrams for better visualization of FPGA operations
• Browser-based access, eliminating the need for specialized hardware

These online platforms are particularly valuable for students who want to learn FPGA concepts before investing in physical hardware or for those who may not have the resources to purchase development boards. They provide a risk-free environment for experimentation and learning.

Affordable FPGA Hardware Options

While software simulations and online platforms offer valuable learning experiences, hands-on experience with physical hardware remains important for comprehensive FPGA education. Fortunately, several affordable options exist that make FPGA development accessible to students with limited budgets.

One popular option among hobbyists and students is the EP2C5T144C8 mini board, which can be obtained for approximately $13 from Chinese suppliers. These boards are small and inexpensive enough to be integrated into finished projects if desired. Despite their low cost, they provide a practical platform for learning FPGA fundamentals and developing simple projects.

For students who require more extensive hardware resources, the DE2 board represents another option. Although also based on the older Cyclone II technology, the DE2 board is larger and includes numerous LEDs and switches, making it suitable for more complex projects. However, larger boards like the DE2 can be challenging for simple projects due to the large number of pins that need to be assigned and managed.

When purchasing affordable FPGA boards, students should consider several factors:

1. Source reliability: While platforms like AliExpress offer inexpensive options, students should be prepared to test functionality upon arrival and potentially file disputes for defective products. The low cost of shipping makes it impractical for merchants to return items, so they generally avoid sending broken products.

2. Board capabilities: Not all affordable boards are equal in capability. Students should verify that a board supports the specific features they need for their projects. For example, running RISC-V or Linux typically requires more powerful (and expensive) boards priced at £100 or more.

3. Documentation and support: Some affordable boards, particularly those from manufacturers like Tang or Gowin, may have limited documentation and support. Students should verify the availability of resources and whether the board requires proprietary tools.

4. Pin availability: Smaller, less expensive boards often have limited pin availability, which may restrict the complexity of projects that can be implemented.

Despite these considerations, the availability of affordable FPGA boards has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for students interested in hands-on FPGA development. With careful selection and realistic expectations about capabilities, students can acquire functional hardware for learning purposes without substantial financial investment.

Free FPGA Project Resources

In addition to free software tools and affordable hardware, students can access a wealth of free FPGA project resources to support their learning and development. These resources include downloadable source code for various projects ranging from beginner to advanced levels.

One example is the Frequency Hopped Radio project, which involves designing, simulating, and developing a transmitter and receiver for a frequency-hopped system using VHDL. This project provides practical experience with secure digital communications techniques used in commercial, industrial, and military applications. The completed project code is available for free download, allowing students to study and modify the implementation.

Another example is the Radar Signal Processor project, which implements several radar signal processing algorithms on FPGA. This includes the Radar Equation, pulse compression algorithm, Doppler shift implementation for target velocity detection, and pulse-Doppler waveforms. The project demonstrates how FPGAs can be used for high-performance digital signal processing in applications like airborne precipitation radar measurement devices.

The availability of such project resources offers several benefits to students:

1. Learning opportunities: Students can study well-documented implementations of practical applications, understanding how theoretical concepts are applied in real-world scenarios.

2. Starting points: Free project code can serve as a foundation for students to build upon, enabling them to focus on learning and experimentation rather than starting from scratch.

3. Industry relevance: Projects like frequency hopping radios and radar signal processors demonstrate applications of FPGA technology in commercial and industrial settings, helping students understand the practical value of their studies.

4. Code diversity: Access to projects at various difficulty levels allows students to progress from basic implementations to more complex designs as their skills develop.

These resources are typically hosted on educational websites, forums, and open-source platforms, making them easily accessible to students worldwide. The combination of free software tools, affordable hardware, and open-source project code creates a comprehensive ecosystem for FPGA education that minimizes financial barriers while maximizing learning opportunities.

Conclusion

For students interested in FPGA technology, numerous resources are available to overcome the traditional barriers of cost and accessibility. Free software tools like Aldec's Active-HDL Student Edition provide professional-grade design and simulation capabilities without financial investment. Online platforms such as the Virtual FPGA Lab offer browser-based alternatives to physical hardware, allowing students to learn FPGA concepts without specialized equipment.

Affordable hardware options, including inexpensive development boards from Chinese suppliers, make hands-on experience accessible to students with limited budgets. Meanwhile, free project resources with downloadable source code provide practical examples and starting points for learning and experimentation.

The combination of these resources has democratized FPGA education, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to gain expertise in this valuable technology. Whether through software simulation, online learning platforms, or affordable hardware, students today have multiple pathways to develop FPGA skills that can lead to academic success and career opportunities in the electronics industry.

Sources

1. FPGA Projects and Free Source Code
2. FPGAs in your browser
3. Active-HDL Student Edition
4. Total beginner at FPGA
5. FPGA for beginner