[Coco] Multi Core FPGA ?

[Dave Philipsen]

I don't think I'm the person who commented on multiple cores. However, 
in theory any FPGA dev board could support multiple cores. An FPGA is 
just a bunch of logic elements with the ability to connect them up any 
way you want.  If you want to write the code for an eight-core 6309 then 
you just choose an FPGA with enough logic elements to instantiate all of 
the cores.  Of course there are other considerations such as timing 
constraints and the logic that glues the cores together.

In effect, Gary Becker's CoCo3FPGA is a dual core system in that it 
contains two processor cores.  One is a 6809 (for the CoCo synthhesis) 
and the other is a 6502 (for fdc/drivewire).  Last time I checked, the 
CoCo3FPGA required around 10,000 logic elements and the DE1 development 
board has an FPGA chip with about 20,000 elements.  I personally have 
used the 6809 core (designed by John Kent) to create a 6809 computer 
with various peripherals (vga text, serial ports, keyboard port & 
various other custom devices) but without the numerous gfx modes of a 
CoCo 3 and I was able to fit it into and FPGA with only 4600 logic elements.

Dave


On 7/23/2018 12:32 PM, coco at jechar.ca wrote:
>
>  To: "John Doe"
>
>  There was someone on the list who said that they knew of a FPGA board 
> that supports multiple cores.
>  And was considering setting up a Multiple 6309 System.
>
>  I can not remember the name and can not find the email any more.
>  If you are out there I think people on the list would like to know 
> how it is going ?
>
>  Charles
>