Spartan-3 Starter Kit

Introduction

This page contains the essential "how-to" guides and support tools to help you be productive with the Digilent Spartan-3 Starter Kit, an FPGA prototyping board based on the Xilinx Spartan-3 XC2S200-FT256 FPGA.

Step-by-step guide to enter your Verilog circuit description, verify it by simulation, and synthesize to an FPGA bitstream file for the Spartan-3:

	Print version (PDF)
	Video version

Verilog Module Builder (vmb)

Verilog System Builder (vsb) and examples

UCF generator for Spartan-3

ECE130 Verilog module library:

	130d.v (right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As") -- Verilog file to be included in your Xilinx design folder (current as of 18 Oct 2005)
	130d.v instantiation templates and documentation spreadsheet

Installation instructions for the essential software tools:

	Xilinx ISE WebPACK version 9.2
	Cadence NC-Simulator (NCLaunch) version 5.4
	Digilent Adept Suite version 1.10 -- Required for the "ExPort" bitstream loader application and the device driver for the JTAG-USB cable.
	LabVIEW Run-Time Engine version 8.5
	Verilog Module Builder version 1.1
	Verilog System Builder version 1.2

Board tester bitstream files:

Spartan-3 pushbuttons, switches, and LEDs (right-click and the link and choose "Save Target As") -- Expected Results: All LED segments are illuminated by a repeating "chase sequence," pressing a pushbutton displays the pushbutton number, sliding a switch forward displays the switch number (note that higher numbers are given higher priority when multiple switches are pressed), and pressing Pushbutton #3 lights all LEDs simultaneously.

Diagrams:

	Spartan-3 board planning diagram
	Grid paper for timing diagrams (includes clock waveform): portrait, landscape
	Plain grid paper: portrait, landscape

Video tutorials:

From Concept to Bitfile: Step-by-Step Instructions -- Basic techniques for Xilinx and Cadence CAD tools, Verilog Module Builder (vmb), UCF generator spreadsheet, and ExPort (previous version is available here)

Additional references:

	Spartan-3 Starter Board Reference Manual and Schematics (or go to www.digilentinc.com, select the "Products" tab and then the "Documentation" subtab, then look for the docs associated with the "S3 Board" product)
	Spartan-3 FPGA Data Sheet (or go to www.xilinx.com, select the "Products & Services" tab, select the "Spartan-3" device, then select "Data Sheet")
	Configure the Spartan-3 FPGA from Platform Flash Memory -- The Spartan-3 board can operate in a stand-alone fashion (no computer and JTAG cable required) by storing the FPGA configuration bitfile in external nonvolatile memory; this document explains the step-by-step procedures required.

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Last updated: 03/13/08.