FPGA? [scanned]

Robert Michel openmoko at robertmichel.de
Wed Dec 6 15:41:42 CET 2006


Salve Markus!

Markus Stehr schrieb am Mittwoch, den 06. Dezember 2006 um 12:47h:

> Hi!
> 
> Robert Michel:
> >Ahmm but doesn't a FPGA bare the risk that beside open source
> >important parts of the device stay close source?
> 
> Nope, how should?
> The FPGA is, normaly, programmed trough VHDL and VHDL is plain text.

I know, but could I read out how a FPGA is programmed?
So when the hardwareproducer use a programmed FPGA inside a GNU/Linux
phone he has not to publish the VHDL code - right?

> Besides that, a big enough FPGA could even implement the CPU, the
> display controler and possibly the radio unit *g*

Sun published the sparc for free, right?
And on this CPU inside FPGA could run GNU/Linux again.

> But if board one is in pre-production state, then leave that as a note
> for board two.
:)

But when the v1 has a SPI connector, we could solder in a FPGA for
ourself - right? Are there FPGA with power mangement options - internal
timer to let the FPGA sleep for a while? Wake on signal?

> BTW: I had the idea because i looked at my Commodore-One and though "Why
> isnt that technology more widely used?"
Could it be that when you produce > 500 000 devices even 1 Euro/device would
mean 500 000 Euro?

Could FPGAs work with analog audio?

rob





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