[Coco] FPGA VS Software Emulators

[James Ross]

I share your desire to learn FPGA programming, Zambotti!!

I've read enough articles and blogs that I think I have a good grasp of the top level "understanding" of FPGA's.  But now I want to learn and understand the low-level stuff and how it all works at the logic signal / clock / gate level.  Sort of like learning to program in BASIC first and then picking up assembly language later. 

I was introduced to the concept back in 1998 when I worked w/ a hardware engineer on a project that I was doing the software for and he used GALS and/or PALS - the programmable logic chips of the day.  Which I think today have been mainly replaced w/ CPLDs.

Now I want to learn the underlying digital theory and building blocks of what makes up complex digital circuits.  I'd like to understand the schematics and operation starting at the level of 74xx series and common block operations that can be built from them.  

I would like to actually build the simple circuits w/ real physical chips  / understand the logic of what is going on, how to read the schematics of the circuits and then implement the same simple circuits in FPGA code (both Verilog and VHDL).  Then which enough of these,   

If I ever find the time -- I would like to create a series of blogs / lessons that start w/ the very basics and progresses up to the complexity of emulating the CoCo.  

________________________________________
From: Coco <coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com> on behalf of Walter Zambotti <zambotti at iinet.net.au>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2017 6:54 AM
To: 'CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts'
Subject: Re: [Coco] FPGA VS Software Emulators

Where did all of you learn your FPGA programming skills?

You have really sparked my interest!

I've been coding and developing for nearly forty years and I'm wondering if this is something I could pick up .

Would the code (do you call it so?) for the FPGA projects be understandable to a regular coder like myself?

Or would I need to start on something much simpler and work up to something like these CoCo FPGA projects.

Walter