Re: [f-cpu] F-CPU vs. Itanium

[Yann Guidon <whygee@f-cpu.org>]

hello,

some answers only (the rest is probably already answered)

Martin Devera wrote:
> > mmm IIRC, Bochs is not GNU ?
> 
> hmm probably not - but it seems to be free enough ;)

"free enough" ? as a member of the French Chapter of FSF Europe,
i see some irony when these two words are together :-)

> > It makes the same problem as a plain C simulator : we already have to deal with
> > a VHDL source tree and there are too few contributors yet. we can't hire
> > anybody, you know : it's all volunteer work. when work is done.
> 
> true .. The biggest problem I see: is there any free tool to use
> for simulation cpu (or other logic) in VHDL ? If not it too hard
> to write one ?

We use both Simili and Vanilla.
These freeware VHDL simulation tools are explained in depths in the file
f-cpu/vhdl/VHDL-HOWTO.f-cpu provided in the f-cpu source package.
Look at a file named "stable"-something.tgz in http://f-cpu.seul.org/new
(300KO IIRC)

If you have a decent Linux box, installing one of them is pretty easy.
Installing both is recommended if you are developping code because one
tool can catch the other tool's weaknesses.

> > slow if we can't access full-custom technologies (like Intel and IBM do).
> > Beyond, another strategy must be used.
> 
> I'm not experianced here, what is difference between ASIC and full
> custom ? ASIC can use only predefined blocks ?

"Application Specific Integrated Circuit", it's a generic name for
ICs that you design for yourself with existing commercial tools.
"full-custom" is handcrafted, hand-optimised design with a lot of
chip and technology-specific tools and development. That's how
the "big irons" do their chips (Intel, IBM, ...) because they own
the factories and the research labs. When you can't, you have
to get a "design kit" from your fundry , it's a set of tools
or description files that hook to your commercial tool, they indicate
the tool how to make transistors and gates etc...

regards,
> devik
WHYGEE
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