We live in exciting times where we can create masterpieces with the Arduino and marvels with the Raspberry Pi. Where we can use technology as a canvas to create things that amaze and amuse our friends and family. Wouldn’t it be great if we could take the same technology that has been the staple of rocket scientists and put it in our creative arsenal? Without the need tobecome a rocket scientist or the headache of learning a new programming language like VHDL/Verilog.
Why can’t we just draw up the circuits that we want to use? With the right software and circuit libraries we can! Let’s put a full circuit lab on a chip, pair it with an easy to use Arduino-Compatible chip, and sprinkle in a generous helping of debugging tools.
Our dream is to take the hardcore out of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and make it an amazing tool that anyone can use for creative technology projects.
Just like the Arduino team simplified C++ programming, we simplify FPGA design by providing easy to use drag and drop circuit libraries. We believe that drawing circuits will result in an amazing outpouring of creative FPGA projects!
We start with the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and supercharge it by adding circuits into the mix. We bring all of the pieces needed to draw and debug your very own circuits in one place. It’s an easy and seamless user experience that we call Papilio DesignLab for use with both Windows and Linux.
Want to get into more complex circuits? DesignLab includes the ZPUino Soft Processor with a Wishbone bus, providing greater speed and flexibility than the Arduino-Compatible chip. A Soft Processor runs inside the FPGA and uses the Wishbone bus to make it easy to connect peripheral circuits, such as UARTs, PWMs or SPI masters. Making your own Soft Processor with just the right mix of peripheral circuits is known as a SOC (System On Chip) design. With DesignLab you can draw your SOC designs in minutes!
Create SOCs with ten serial ports, or a PWM on every pin, or something exotic like classic Atari and Commodore audio chips connected at the same time. The sky is the limit, you can create things that don’t exist anywhere else!
DesignLab Circuit Library
Drawing circuits can only accomplish so much without a library of circuits (known as cores) to do the heavy lifting. Our goal is to provide the framework for anyone to write a core that can be wired into a circuit.
We want to seek out the best open source circuits on the interwebs and convert them to a dead simple schematic library. The internet is absolutely full of open source circuits; just take a look at sites like OpenCores.com. You will find everything from classic audio chips to stepper motor controllers. All of these amazing circuits are within our reach when converted to schematic form and included with DesignLab IDE!
Prerequisites
If you wish to edit circuits in DesignLab you will also need to install the free Xilinx ISE Webpack software.
Full Video Walkthrough
Download
Go to the Gadget Factory download page and download the latest version of DesignLab IDE.
Click image to watch video.
Run Installer
Give your web browser permission to run the downloaded setup file.
Click image to watch video.
Take Defaults Settings
Let the installer run and take all of the default settings.
Click image to watch video.
Install Drivers
Video Clip
(Press fullscreen button in Youtube video and select HD 720p for best quality.)
Run DesignLab
Finish the installation and allow the installer to Open DesignLab to verify that it works correctly.
Video Clip
(Press fullscreen button in Youtube video and select HD 720p for best quality.)
Next Steps
Be sure that you have installed the Xilinx ISE Webpack software along with DesignLab so you can use DesignLab to its fullest and edit circuits.