Choosing and Using the Right Boards


How to Choose the Right Boards

To identify the right board for your application see the tables below, browse the online catalog at www.digilentinc.com, or contact sales@digilentinc.com for more information.

Several boards have been designed specifically for educational needs, while others target rapid prototyping. All boards use standard, low-cost expansion connectors so users can readily create new expansion boards.

Educational boards, which contain several I/O devices in addition to the Xilinx chip, are used by practicing engineers and students to gain hands-on experience with programmable devices and modern CAD methods.

Prototyping boards contain only the Xilinx chip and minimal supporting circuits (such as power supplies, clocks, programming ports, and ROMs or ROM sockets). They are most appropriate for circuit development applications.

Below are tables summarizing Digilent's products and offerings. Not all boards are listed in the tables and new boards are constantly being added to the catalog.

System Boards
 
BOARD Xilinx Device Features Target Use
XUP-V2Pro Virtex 2-Pro Ethernet, USB, 2Gbyte RAM, etc Education and Prototype
Pegasus Spartan 2-50 Lots of on-board I/O, protected I/O Education
Spartan 3 Spartan 3-200 Lots of on-board I/O and SRAM Education and Prototype
D2FT Spartan 2E-300 Large FPGA w/ 256 pins Prototype
D2SB Spartan 2E-200 Large FPGA, Flash ROM Prototype
CMOD Various CPLD Low cost 40-DIP module Education and Prototype
XCR / XCRP XPLA3 CPLD Lots of I/O – good for students Education

 


Peripheral Boards
 
Board Features
DIO4/5 Buttons, switches, LEDs, VGA port, PS/2 port, 16x2 character LCD (on DIO5)
AIO1 1MS A/D and D/A, op-amps, solderless breadboard
DBB Plug-in solderless breadboard
DWR Plug-in wire-wrap board
TPH Test point headers (for attaching test equipment)
USB2 USB2.0 port (also used for programming)
NET1 10/100 Ethernet port (also used for programming)
MEM1 RAM/Flash plug-in module
HB1/2 H-Bridge boards for motor drive
Ceres Host for C-mod boards

 

Ensuring That Xilinx CAD Tools Work on Your Computer
Because the system boards are compatible with all versions of Xilinx CAD software, including the free WebPack software, Digilent does not distribute CAD software. Several front-end tools can be used to design, simulate, and synthesize circuits, including the free Xilinx ISE/WebPack tools. Whichever front-end tools are used, the Xilinx ISD/WebPack CAD tools are required to place, route and download designs. Digilent does not provide technical support for ISE/WebPack installation or use.

Before you purchase a Digilent board, you should ensure that the ISE/WebPack CAD tools work with your computer.

Download and install ISE or WebPack (the full ISE must be purchased; WebPack is the free version of ISE, and it is suitable for all Digilent boards except the XUP-V2Pro.

Download the "board verification" project for the board you are considering (see the reference section of this website).

Unzip the board verification project, start ISE/WebPack, and load the project in the Project Navigator.

If everything is working, you can open the source files, modify them if desired, and rebuild the project from "synthesize" through "create programming file" (if you are new to ISE/WebPack, you can use our tutorial).

You can't fully test the iMPACT programmer until you have a board, but if the CAD tools are working through the creation of a programming file, then board programming should proceed without difficulty.

You are now ready to purchase your board, and any peripheral boards or accessories that you may need.

Using Your Digilent Boards
Unpack the board, power supply, and programming cable. Plug in the board and make sure the power-on LED illuminates. Attach the programming cable to your PC and to the board.

Start the ISE/WebPack program, load the board verification project, and run the iMPACT programming tool (it is available under the "generate programming file" process in the ISE/WebPack project navigator.)

From the board verification project directory, select the .bit file (for FPGAs), .jed file (for CPLDs), or .mcs file (for programming ROMs) and then right-click on the chip icon and select "Program" (the first selection at the top of the list). For CPLDs, be sure to check the "erase before programming" box before programming, and for FPGA's, be sure to uncheck the "Verify" box.

Verify that iMPACT shows the blue "Programming Successful" box, and that the board behaves correctly (e.g., onboard input devices drive onboard output devices).

If you experience software difficulties, contact Xilinx support. If you experience hardware difficulties, or if you are not sure whether hardware or software is malfunctioning, see our support page or contact Digilent technical support.

If you need tutorial or educational support, see our education page for written and video tutorials, and several self-paced teaching modules.

Digilent, Inc. | P.O. Box 428 Pullman, WA 99163-0428 | (509) 334-6306 (Voice & Fax)