Really low-cost XS95 development tools
Q:
I have a problem with the software that was included with my XS95 v1.3. I have done the setup program and everything but I have no way to create a circuit to download to the board. I am a student at Devry Columbus and I bought this through their book store. They have the program I need on their network. They however have not figured out that networking a program that was not meant for it causes a ton of problems when more than one person wants to ue it. Is there any way I can get this program from you directly. Via the internet or is there some place that I can buy it from, and how much would it be?
A:
I am assuming you want to get the Xilinx Student Edition Foundation software that will generate configuration files for logic circuits which you can load into your XS95 Board. You can buy this from us (product code is XSE-1) or from amazon.com or fatbrain.com (just search for "xilinx student edition"). Cost is around $100.
There is a cheaper route you can take. Xilinx has a freeware program (called WebPACK) on their website which lets you design circuits using VHDL or Verilog or ABEL. This program is not exactly like the Student Edition so it may not work exactly like what your instructors show in class. And it doesn't have schematic entry so you can't draw your circuits on the screen. But it works well and it is free. We have a tutorial at /webpack-3_1.pdf which shows how to download, install, and use the WebPACK software. If you have any classmates who are in the same boat, you may want to tell them about this as well.