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Re: fast divider?

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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On Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:36:43 +1100, Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org>
wrote:

>On 20/03/2026 4:05 am, john larkin wrote:
>> On Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:30:01 +0000, someone
>> <cffbf4deb9142bce48974efc0e64dede@example.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> I assume these are up-counters, so the thing overflows at all 1's. Then you only have the one fast carry TPD for the MS18b overflowing to all 1s when a 1 is clocked into its LSB.  One whole clock period to clock the 1 out of the DFF and meet the setup times for what I assume is a synchronous LD and its setup for the counters. So that particular timing criticality is a DFF TPD and a LD setup TSU to reliably capture the register data. The LD TPD to CLK TSU for the LS18b counter shouldn't be a problem. This must be very speedy logic for 150MHz. Do you have a simulator that displays how much margin you have on this timing, or is it just a bunch waveforms?
>> 
>> Yes, loadable up-counter with carry chain.
>> 
>> This would be in an FPGA, so the diagram is just a concept. The
>> reality will be VHDL code. And the FPGA boys use the Wishbone
>> architecture and want the counter to be 32 bits, which is OK with me.
>> 
>> We are already doing a DDS at 250 MHz on this chip, an Efinix T20, so
>> I expect we could do a divider in that ballpark.  The T20 is in the
>> *slow* Efinix family.
>> 
>> I think the T20 has 18-bit fast carry chains.
>> 
>> After the boys code this, the tools can verify timing.
>> 
>> FPGAs are great, but there's a cultural gap between people who draw
>> and people who type.
>
>Can't say I've noticed that, but since I can do both, and most of the 
>engineers I've hung out with could too, John Larkin may be projecting here.

Gosh Bill, you are wonderful. You are great at everything. What are
you designing now?

I designed some PLDs, from PALS to PEELS to the antifuse Actel FPGAs,
but it's mostly grunt work, so I give requirements to kids to type the
VHDL for me. I have an ex-physicist doing that for us now.

What was interesting about the otp Actel parts is that the design was
schematic entry, and it had to be right the first time.

Modern FPGA design is like cpu coding: hack it fast and run it and see
what happens and when it doesn't work, fix it.


John Larkin
Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center
Lunatic Fringe Electronics

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Thread

fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-15 11:47 -0700
  Re: fast divider? someone <cffbf4deb9142bce48974efc0e64dede@example.com> - 2026-03-17 22:30 +0000
    Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-19 10:05 -0700
      Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-21 16:36 +1100
        Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-21 07:52 -0700
          Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-22 03:00 +1100
            Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-27 11:39 -0700
              Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-28 16:44 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-28 14:38 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-29 15:52 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-29 08:18 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-30 16:42 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-30 08:00 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-31 16:35 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-31 02:40 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-31 22:30 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-31 08:14 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-04-01 15:54 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-04-01 01:06 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-04-02 02:13 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-04-01 09:12 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-04-02 14:41 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-04-02 07:53 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-04-03 02:21 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-04-02 08:57 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-04-03 04:05 +1100
          Re: fast divider? someone <cffbf4deb9142bce48974efc0e64dede@example.com> - 2026-03-26 23:30 +0000
        Re: fast divider? Ross Finlayson <ross.a.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2026-03-21 09:38 -0700
          Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-21 10:29 -0700
            Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-23 23:49 +1100
              Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-23 08:20 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-24 23:04 +1100
                Re: fast divider? john larkin <jl@glen--canyon.com> - 2026-03-24 05:56 -0700
                Re: fast divider? Bill Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> - 2026-03-25 02:47 +1100

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