The field programmable gate array (FPGA) boards currently used in
E15, E25 and E90 projects are clumsy and slow to program. They
use a parallel port interface and must be separately powered.
The boards have limited input and output functions, and include
functionality rarely used for projects at Swarthmore. I propose
to design a new board with features more closely tied to departmental
needs. The goal will be to offer an easy to use, compact, and
robust board that can be cheaply replicated and used for a variety
of projects.
One goal of the project will be to make the boards as
portable and easy to use as possible. The parallel port interface will be replaced
by a USB programming interface. The USB interface may use existing wireless technologies
so that each computer in the lab would have a transmitter and the boards themselves
would not need to be plugged into the computer, depending upon capabilities of
USB chip sets already on the market. To eliminate the power cable for the board,
the board will be powered off of the USB and/or use rechargeable batteries. A
device driver will need to be written to allow Max-Plus II to program across
the USB interface.
Input and output functionalities will be chosen based
on departmental needs. Current ideas for input devices include dipswitches, an
on-board clock, and easy to use external pins. Output devices may include a small
LCD screen, LEDs, and external pins. The boards will have an Altera FPGA which
can be swapped easily.
The project will include the complete design process,
from product research to final production. I will need to select a USB chip set,
chose I/O functionality based on departmental needs, desires, and constraints,
design a PCB, write a USB device driver, and fully test the product. The final
design will need to be well documented so that a full set of boards can be built
for use at Swarthmore. The final product will be a fully functional and thoroughly
tested prototype with complete documentation.
