FPGA vs. CPU?

MurphS · Joined: Mar 20, 2010 Posts: 41 Location: Asheville, NC

Hi,

I've been having a very productive discussion in a different forum which evolved into a discussion of FPGA's, so I thought I'd try to continue it here. To leave out irrelevant details, I am a newbie when it comes to FPGA's: I don't even know what I need to know in order to work with them, etc., so a very steep and long learning curve is assumed.

What types of things are you guys using them for? I guess building and programming your very own DAW would be a mis-use Very Happy

? But I understand from previous discussions that specific functions of such a program could be designed to be carried out on a FPGA connected to a computer...would that be monstrously hard to do (for someone with moderately decent skills in the proper areas- like I'll have in 10 years Shocked

)? Or worth trying even? (I do not plan to attempt this, I just want to get an idea).

Setting aside the benefits of having control of your project essentially 'from the ground up', what musical / audio types of things can the FPGA potentially do better (in any sense) than an appropriate computer setup?

Thanks, Scott

Inventor · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:57 am Post subject:

The FPGA route is for experts only, not beginners IMHO. I programmed FPGAs for two years as an engineer and it was a big hassle to get anything accomplished. The FPGA can do some calculations far faster than a CPU which is great for people like JovianPyx who are already experts at it.

For what you said you want to do, an FPGA is not only completely unnecessary, it's got a steep and difficult learning curve to boot. FPGAs, though very interesting and capable of making great music, are not for you man.

Les

MurphS · Joined: Mar 20, 2010 Posts: 41 Location: Asheville, NC

Thanks, Les. I am in danger of flying off in too many directions at once... Oh what I would give, to be able to run in parallel myself. Hey, if I could get someone to program ME into an FPGA, then how great would that be?

BTW, LISa's a bombshell, she's made for me... (but that's what I always think).

Thanks !

-Scott

Inventor · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:45 pm Post subject:

np Scott, just my two cents worth...

Les

JovianPyx · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:36 pm Post subject:

I use FPGAs to implement full MIDI synths. This includes the MIDI UART, a microprocessor to manage MIDI and sysex, DAC "driver" and all the synth stuff. I've designed several monophonic and polyphonic digital synths using FPGA development boards. These projects are additive, subtractive, physical model and FM technologies. DSP.

In my opinion, even rather small FPGAs are a great base for digital synthesizers. Rather small to me is 400,000 "equivalent gates". I've designed at least one 16 voice polysynth in such an environment.

I create state machines that perform ordered functions for me. Any required math is implemented within the state machine.

To use an FPGA, in my opinion, one must grasp some digital design. That is, to be able to cobble together complex logical systems using a clock with CD4000 series (or other) logic. An FPGA is not a CPU - but you can make it one - or more. Or design you're own CPU, or multiprocessing unit.

This is not meant to scare the reader off Smile

I think FPGAs are wonderful devices for making synths or effects or ??