14 Jul
2015
14 Jul
'15
10:35 a.m.
On 7/14/2015 11:17 AM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
I'm missing something in this discussion, I
think.
HDL's (take your pick) are just programming languages like FORTRAN or C
with different constraints. What's the point of going to all the
trouble of doing an FPGA implementation of a slow old architecture, when
pretty much the same result could be obtained by running a software
emulator? Neither accurately reflects the details of the real
thing--and there will always be the aspect of missing peripherals.
For the moment you can still get FPGA boards with expansion conectors.
The $39 card the trend nowadays. Hard to get real I/O of any kind as we
know.
Perhaps the worst aspect of using FPGA is that this is
a rapidly moving
field, so that the part you used to do your implementation 10 years ago
will no longer be available. I've done a few designs using 5V CPLDs
(XC95xx series) not *that* long ago. Now they themselves are quaint
examples of obsolete hardware. You can't win.
Since when was that new in electronics. Mind you New Electrostaic speakers
and OLD Quad II's go well together.
You can move software-only simulators quite easily,
but I'm not as
sanguine about FPGA designs.
And you still don't have the peripherals. I suppose one could emulate a
Univac Solid State machine in FPGA, but what would one do about the
all-important drum coupled to the card reader and printer. Has anyone
rolled out a design for a DIY 1403 printer?
Don't look at me, I lost the bid some old IBM equipment years ago.
I've run the Cyber emulator as well as various
SIMH emulators from time
to time, but it's just not the same as the real thing--it's not even
remotely the same.
You can still the old computer blinking lights movie props.
--Chuck
Ben.