23 Oct
2005
23 Oct
'05
3:06 p.m.
Subject: Re: FPGA VAX update
From: woodelf <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca>
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 15:10:44 -0600
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>
Michael Sokolov wrote:
An 8080 could not do it and graphics has little to do with it.
FPGA P&R is a really large array problem that eats memory and cpu.
The PC is a common choice as it's become fast enough and common
as houseflies. After PCs what s the next most common hardware?
A vendor of hardware (FPGAs) really only provides software so they
can sell the part, I doubt that software is a money maker for them.
So with that in minds if you not running a PC then likely the
alternate hardware is from the small list:
VAX or Alpha running UNIX
AS400?
Something PowerPC based?
SUN?
What else is out there that's not wintel, fast enough and can address
a large memory that runs a fairly current UNIX. That also assumes
the software that can P&R the FPGA is available as source.
Allison
Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
FPGA software requires a pee sea sadly enough. I suspect a 8080 could do
PCB or CUSTOM
IC design if you could use a programable character set on a terminal.
When you think about it
it is the hidden documentaion in closed hardware that is the problem. I
open source FPGA
could be done as a custom chip but getting around the hardware patents
is the problem.. If PC-based emulators are fast enough, why bother
with the IC version?
1. I don't want an emulator, I want The Real Thing (tm).
2. A pee sea based emulator requires a pee sea. I refuse to contaminate
my house with a pee sea.