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Retro-Computing with FPGAs
zoid.com writes "I ran across a couple of really interesting projects using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) processors. First is the C-ONE project that is a reconfigurable computer. The default mode is a C64 compatible one, but the machine just boots the FPGA from an IDE device at
power on, so it could theoretically be pretty much anything. The second one is the FPGA Arcade. This site is about recreating gaming hardware from the past in modern programmable devices. They currently have Pacman, Space Invaders and Galaxian implemented in FPGAs."
MAME uses software to simulate arcade hardware using general purpose computing hardware.
FPGA's are a different beast altogether. An FPGA is similar to a ROM in that patterns can be burned into it but they are far more versatile. FPGA's can have logic burned into them which makes them malleble hardware. An FPGA with a 6502 processor and supporting logic burned into it is NOT emulating say Pac-Man. It is a re-implementation of Pac-Man.
This guy is implementing an Atari 2600 on an FPGA:
http://www.mindspring.com/~2600onachip/
If he pulls it off, one could do neat things like make a super battery efficient handheld. The FPGA is for all intents and purposes a 2600 so there isn't the overhead a StrongARM chip running at 200Mhz would have.
An FPGA is similar to a ROM in that patterns can be burned into it but they are far more versatile. FPGA's can have logic burned into them which makes them malleble hardware
Close. You're actually describing a PAL. An FPGA is more similar to RAM. Think of it as the high speed memory of programmable logic devices. When it loses power, it loses it's programming. An FPGA usually reads it's configuration on power-up from ROM or a PC's parallel port if you're prototyping. There's really no "burning" involved.
The site is currently slashdoted, but as far as I remember, it uses a WDC 65C816 instead of the C64's 6510 CPU. The FPGA is used only for emulating the peripherals such as the IDE interface, 6581 SID sound chip, 2x6526 CIA chips, VIC chip emulation, etc.
Yep, if SETI@Home cared to release such code.
Open Core's project list gives a list of cores you can download *right now* under the *GPL* and do stuff with. Shows you the kind of things you can do. (I believe you can combine multiple cores onto one FPGA as well, if they'll fit, and they can intercommunicate.)
I have heard of people talking about a PCI card with a few FPGA's on it; so dedicated programs could download their own accellerator programs to them. It's just an idea at the moment, AFAIK, but hey.