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Groups > comp.lang.forth > #40943

Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain

From rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.forth, comp.arch.fpga
Subject Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain
Date 2015-07-30 01:40 -0400
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <mpcd92$nf5$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <f77972f7-c94d-4aa2-8394-f494adbbb382@googlegroups.com>

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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On 7/29/2015 8:57 PM, foxaudioresearch@gmail.com wrote:
> This is a very nice testimonial to some Forth hacking.
>
> http://hackaday.com/2015/07/28/open-source-fpga-toolchain-builds-cpu/
>
> Youtube video is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdLgLCIDSk0

Not intending to rain on anyone's parade, just asking a question.  Why 
does the forth community care if the FPGA development tools are open 
source?  The commercial tools don't really restrict the design of a CPU 
in any way does it?  The only real issue I've ever had with the 
commercial FPGA tools is the license which is a PITA to deal with once a 
year when it has to be renewed or when moving to a new machine.

Is it more a conceptual thing than a practical thing?

BTW, there is a very small board with the smallest FPGA on it which fits 
the pinout of a 8 pin DIP version of a CPU.  Here is the post I made 
about this in the FPGA related groups with a couple more links...

>> I am very impressed.  I was reading about Antti's incredibly tiny FPGA
>> project board and saw a mention of a FOSS FPGA toolchain.  Not just the
>> compiler, but the entire bitstream generation!
>>
>> http://hackaday.com/2015/07/03/hackaday-prize-entry-they-make-fpgas-that-small/
>>
>>
>> Several people have built on each other's work to provide "a fully open
>> source Verilog to bitstream development tool chain for the Lattice
>> iCE40LP with support for more devices in the works."
>>
>> http://hackaday.com/2015/05/29/an-open-source-toolchain-for-ice40-fpgas/
>>
>> https://github.com/cseed/arachne-pnr
>>
>> I haven't tried any of it yet, but I am very impressed that they are
>> reverse engineering the devices so that they can generate bit streams
>> and not rely on the vendor.
>
> I found another link relating to the tools called "IceStorm".
>
> http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/

Cross-posting to the FPGA group to get some cross-pollination.

-- 

Rick

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Open source CPU+open source toolchain foxaudioresearch@gmail.com - 2015-07-29 17:57 -0700
  Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain mentificium@gmail.com - 2015-07-29 18:36 -0700
    Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain foxaudioresearch@gmail.com - 2015-07-29 19:15 -0700
  Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-07-30 01:40 -0400
    Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain foxaudioresearch@gmail.com - 2015-07-30 07:11 -0700
    Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain Jecel <jecel@merlintec.com> - 2015-07-30 09:39 -0700
    Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-30 21:22 -0400
      Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2015-07-30 20:56 -0500
        Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-30 22:05 -0400
          Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2015-07-31 09:47 -0500
            Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-31 23:57 -0400
              Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2015-08-01 13:07 +0000
              Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2015-08-01 10:37 -0500
  Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain mfanyikazi@gmail.com - 2015-08-02 01:46 -0700
    Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain foxaudioresearch@gmail.com - 2015-08-02 07:55 -0700
      Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-02 12:06 -0400
        Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain foxaudioresearch@gmail.com - 2015-08-04 08:10 -0700
          Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-04 12:05 -0400
            Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain foxaudioresearch@gmail.com - 2015-08-04 14:21 -0700
              Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-04 18:24 -0400
      Re: Open source CPU+open source toolchain Jan Coombs <Jan-54 <jenfhaomndgfwutc@murmic.plus.com>> - 2015-08-06 09:12 +0100

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