fpga board ?

[Phil]

On Tue, 19 Dec 2006 11:49:04 +0000, Finlay Dobbie wrote:
> On 19/12/06, Shaun Wexler <dev at macfoh.com> wrote:
>> Programming via USB can be performed externally, and then you can re-
>> socket the programmed device in its PCI card.  You'd probably have to
>> write your own kext driver of course.
>> 
>> $595, 15k gates:
>> 
>> <http://www.xilinx.com/xlnx/xebiz/designResources/
>> ip_product_details.jsp?key=DO-SP3E1600E-DK-UNI-G>
> 
> The Xilinx toolchain Windows-only though, of course. Depends what you
> mean by "work with a Mac"... :o)

Szia János,

If you _can_ get access to a PC to use I'd recommend the Xess boards 
<http://www.xess.com>.
I have their Spartan-3 board with 1M gates but they have an entry level 
model (200K gates) that is available that uses the Spartan-II XC2S200. 
This is now on offer at only $89! <http://xess.com/prod034.php3> it 
comes with a PS2 keyboard socket, DRAM, LEDs and a VGA port that you 
can drive from the FPGA.

You could even use the money you'd save (buying the Xess board over a 
Xilinx dev kit) on a cheap PC box and install Win 98 or 2K, connect 
your Mac to the PC with VNC or terminal services and use the free 
vhdl/verilog synthesizers that are available for download on the web.

Not the perfect answer I know, but as Finlay mentioned the FPGA design 
tools are really only Microsoft based.

Köszi.

-- phil.