Thread: [myhdl-list] Conference Plans: Perspective, Flyer, Sign, Classroom classes, Python Classes, Success

Brought to you by: jandecaluwe

myhdl-list

[myhdl-list] Conference Plans: Perspective, Flyer, Sign, Classroom classes, Python Classes, Success Stories, Hardware Demo

From: Christopher L. <loz...@fr...> - 2011-04-01 16:07:55

       I have been reading the myhdl.org website.  It is superbly done.  
Very carefully written.  Looks great.  It is not even his native 
language, but I could not tell.  It makes me expect the software will be 
as carefully done.   It looks like a labor of love.

      My perspective on this is that it is an obvious way to rapidly 
design and thoroughly test new hardware designs. But somehow the rest of 
the world does not see it this way.  It needs some marketing push.

      I think the most important thing for the trade show is the flyer.  
Let everyone get a page of material to take home, they can read it 
later, download the software, and read the website.  There is great 
content on
http://myhdl.org/doku.php/start

and
http://myhdl.org/doku.php/why

The next most important thing is a sign.  I think it is easy to print up 
a big black and white sign across multiple sheets of paper

MyHDL = Python -> FPGA

Then I can scotch tape them together, and put them up on the wall.

     But it is always good to make money off things.  It means it is 
alive.  What do people need to get started.  Well the best thing would 
be a class.  Go to the show, get a flyer, go home read it look at the 
web site, go sign up for a class.  I read that some of these design 
tools cost $100,000 for 1 seat for a year.  Amazing.  Surely they could 
spring $1,000 for a class.  Does anyone want to teach a class in this 
stuff.  We could say 5 student minimum.

    As for python classes, I am glad to see there is now a data 
structure class.  That is a step in the right direction. There was 
recently a discussion on floating point classes.  The hardware engineers 
said it is too inefficient, just define the range for your application.  
The software engineers like myself, say just give us the floating point 
classes.  I do not know the ranges.   Some of the FPGA devices have 
floating point multipliers.   How do I talk to them?  By writing my own 
class.  Ridiculous.  Give me the class please.

    A rich class library is a sign of a mature python library.  They 
talk about ip cores in this industry.  Yes I would like python designs 
for ethernet interface, usb interface, etc.  And certainly for floating 
point, and for a whole bunch of other stuff.

    Thank you for the offer of the hardware demo.  I have not sent 
Christopher Felton my mailing address.  I think that demo targets the 
wrong market.  It uses a FPGA to generate some sounds.  I think it 
targets the hobbyist market.  The money is in the major corporations.  
What they want to do is minimize their risk.  They want to see large 
complex designs that have been produced with this tool suite.  They want 
us to argue that python allows for complex test suites, further reducing 
their risks.

    So does anyone have some complex designs, preferably that went to 
silicon that we can show and simulate?  Is anyone interested in offering 
a MyHDL class?

-- 
Regards
Christopher Lozinski

Check out my iPhone apps TextFaster and EmailFaster
http://textfaster.com