STEbus FPGA board

2021-05-21

I've been putting this off because it looked like a chore. But it is not going to go away, so I'm biting the bullet...

First of all I went here to collect the software and manuals:

https://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?Language=English&CategoryNo=139&No=593&PartNo=4

Looks like I need Quartus II Software 13.0 from Altera.

The 'Pro' and 'Standard' editions need a paid licence, the 'Lite' version is free.

I downloaded the Linux version from here: https://fpgasoftware.intel.com/?edition=lite

Installed easily, I managed to open Benoit's project file and found the user interface is very similar to the Xilinx software, so I should be able to get going with my own projects pretty quickly. Wonderful!

2018-05-13 Started this project as a placeholder. 

2021-02-12 benoit Informs me of his design, which uses an Altera DE-nano board. This saves me the job of designing such a board, and I shall simply use his design for the Ideas I wish to develop.

I am keeping this project private for now, because it is his project more than mine until I make a design of my own. I am using his images as eye-candy for the front page.

2021-02-23 FPGA board ordered from Digi-key.

2021-02-25 FPGA board arrived. Yay!

2021-04-07 Parts from Digi-Key ordered.

2021-04-09 Parts from Digi-Key arrive.

2021-05-03 Soldered SOIC buffers onto one board.
Not as nice to do at home as at work which has a microscope and better soldering iron. But it is just for prototyping work. 

2021-06-03 Soldered many components, mostly surface mount. I used imperial 0603 size, as that was standard stock. Nearly complete.