Learn Gate-Array Programming In Python and Software-Defined Radio

Bruce Perens writes Chris Testa KB2BMH taught a class on gate-array programming the SmartFusion chip, a Linux system and programmable gate-array on a single chip, using MyHDL, the Python Hardware Design Language to implement a software-defined radio transceiver. Watch all 4 sessions: 1, 2, 3, 4. And get the slides and code. Chris's Whitebox hardware design implementing an FCC-legal 50-1000 MHz software-defined transceiver in Open Hardware and Open Source, will be available in a few months. Here's an Overview of Whitebox and HT of the Future. Slashdot readers funded this video and videos of the entire TAPR conference. Thanks!"

Comments

Re:Not a fan of procedural languages syntax for HD

[Bruce Perens]

Chris can explain this much better than I, but we are definitely conscious of the gate-array resource use. Currently we are running within the space of the least expensive SmartFusion II chip, which I think you can get for $18 in quantity. Smartfusion 1 was more of a problem as it didn't have any multiplier macrocells and we had to make those out of gates. SmartFusion II provides 11 multipliers in the lowest end chip, and thus the fixed-point multiply performance of a modern desktop chip for a lot less power.

We are also aware of algorithmic costs. For example we were using Weaver's third method and will probably go to something else, maybe a version of Hartley.