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State Machine
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Joined: Apr 17, 2006
Posts: 2810
Location: New York
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 Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:48 pm Post subject:
The Mediatronix pBlaze IDE for Picoblaze Softcore
Subject description: .. anyone used this IDE in place of the Xilinx assembler ??? |
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Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone has used the Mediatronix pBlaze IDE for Picoblaze Softcore for use with the Spartan 3E ??? If anyone has experience with it, please give me some feedback on this development tool.
http://www.mediatronix.com/pBlazeIDE.htm
If so, it refers to a Picoblze 1,2 and 3. Which assembler is used for the Spartan 3 series FPGA's ??
Reference from Mediatronix site:
| Quote: | | This tool can be used for the PicoBlaze™-I, PicoBlaze™-II, Picoblaze™-3 and CoolBlaze™ cores as selected by a menu or tool button. Slight differences exist in the syntax for each, like using s00 for register 0 instead of s0. |
Thanks for any feedback you can give me ......... 
Bill |
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JovianPyx
Joined: Nov 20, 2007
Posts: 1988
Location: West Red Spot, Jupiter
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| Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:40 am Post subject:
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I'm an old assembly guy. Started with the 6800. IMO, it's easy to use the command line assembler.
The object I instantiate is called kcpsm3, the assmembler file name is kcpsm3.exe, so I'm thinking that I have the III version. |
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State Machine
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| Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:21 pm Post subject:
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| Quote: | I'm an old assembly guy. Started with the 6800. IMO, it's easy to use the command line assembler.
The object I instantiate is called kcpsm3, the assembler file name is kcpsm3.exe, so I'm thinking that I have the III version. |
Yes, I use to use command line assemblers for the 8051 and the older PIC devices but now I get spoiled using IDE's. Mainly because the editors are so much better than simple TEXT editors and support basic debugging such as variable "WATCH" windows for example.
Anyhow, OK, I tend to agree with you in that the version I should be using would be "III" for the Spartan 3 series using this IDE from Mediatronix.
Oh, BTW, I will assume you used the "Picoblaze" for the MIDI processor in the GATEMAN synthesizers you developed? That would most likely be the most logical thing to do. The processor I/O ports can then be mapped to all the function generators in the design. Is this correct?
Thanks for your feedback Scott ..... |
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JovianPyx
Joined: Nov 20, 2007
Posts: 1988
Location: West Red Spot, Jupiter
Audio files: 224
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:41 am Post subject:
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| State Machine wrote: | | Yes, I use to use command line assemblers for the 8051 and the older PIC devices but now I get spoiled using IDE's. Mainly because the editors are so much better than simple TEXT editors and support basic debugging such as variable "WATCH" windows for example. |
I've never used IDE based assemblers, I do my debugging the old fashioned way - assemble, run and curse... just kidding. For me, an IDE just seems to be overkill. The KCPSM3 assembler gives plenty of information regarding syntax/structure errors. Does this IDE you use emulate the PB to implement the watch windows? I also would never use a high level language with a microcontroller, but that's just me.
| Quote: | | Anyhow, OK, I tend to agree with you in that the version I should be using would be "III" for the Spartan 3 series using this IDE from Mediatronix. |
New instructions were added in some of those I think. One thing about PB is that it's designed to be tiny, so those enhancements were placed there because people begged for them and they weren't huge hits on slice count.
| Quote: | | Oh, BTW, I will assume you used the "Picoblaze" for the MIDI processor in the GATEMAN synthesizers you developed? That would most likely be the most logical thing to do. The processor I/O ports can then be mapped to all the function generators in the design. Is this correct? |
You bet, and for the reasons you cited. the PB uC is so tiny there's no point in using an 8051 or whatever with an FPGA. And PB on the S-3Esk runs at 25 MIPS, which is way overkill horsepower for the job. No such thing as a missed interrupt. I wrote the code for those from scratch as opposed to porting from another processor. Another advantage to an embedded PB is that the ROM doesn't need to be a separate part to be burned every time the code changes.
| Quote: | | Thanks for your feedback Scott ..... |
Certainly.  |
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