Rerun: Gate Array Workshop (electronics) 2017-02-07 19.00

[jonathanjo (Jonathan)]

Hi All … I’m meeting with Andrea @emuboy on Tuesday evening 2017-02-07 as a rerun of my earlier Gate Array Workshop, and others are welcome to join. Kind regards to all, Jonathan.

Edit your name here if you’re coming:

1. Andrea @emuboy
2. Michele Panegrossi @MichelePanegrossi
3. Third slot
4. Fourth slot

This is a rerun of Gate Array Workshop I did earlier in the week from my notes here:

Electronics: Gate Array Workshop Notes (Lattice iCE40)

Gate Array Workshop with the iCE40 from @jonathanjo 2017-02-01 Introduction We had a getting-started workshop 2017-02-01 for those interested in Field Programmable Gate Arrays. The easiest way is to use the Lattice iCE40 on the “Icestick” USB evaluation board, programming it in Verilog. To build a bridge you need a thread across the valley, and getting it there is often the hardest part of the endeavour. There are many other boards available, many other FPGAs, many other tools. This worksho…

[Esther_Gladstone]

I would be up for trying anything but I don’t know what gate arrays are! I looked it up online and still don’t know…

[tobyspark (Toby Harris)]

Bugger. I’ve just realised I can’t make the 7th.

I’ve seen applications of FPGAs through closed and open video hardware (ie. my adventures with http://sparklive.net/dfuser). But the motion control of http://tobyz.net/projects/tekton basically failed, and one of the thoughts I’ve had is a baby FPGA tied to the RPi to drive the step pulses (ie. probably riffing off http://fpga4fun.com/CNC.html). There are probably simpler routes, but I still haven’t found the obvious one.

[jonathanjo (Jonathan)]

HI Esther

Thanks for interest! Gate arrays are really quite a niche interest. Of maker-type people doing electronics, perhaps 75% are interested in doing things with Arduinos (controlling motors and LEDs and sensors), 10% various kind of audio … and so on. Probably 1% or less are interested in gate arrays, partially because they are a bit of a black art.

I can’t tell from your posts whether you’ve done much electronics (practical or theory or reading), because if haven’t I might easily put you to sleep in the first minutes! My talk won’t make any sense if you don’t know what logic gates are or why we might use a lot of them. And if you haven’t bumped into limitations of Arduinos, then gate arrays are probably not a going to solve anything for you that wouldn’t be much easier done another way.

Hope that doesn’t sound negative. Take a peek at my notes (linked above) and if slide 2 makes sense to you do please feel free to come along to session and leave if you find out it’s not for you – absolutely I won’t be offended.
Slide 2:

Topic at Wikipedia

Kind regards and hope to meet you soon.

Jonathan.

[Esther_Gladstone]

Thanks for explaining. I think it’s well beyond my skill level now but maybe one day…

See you soon!

[jonathanjo (Jonathan)]

Hi Andrea @emuboy and Michele @MichelePanegrossi – Just confirming this evenings workshop, look forward to meeting you both at 19.00. All best, J.