Ben implements FPGAs and CPLDs to brighten up LED displays on element14’s “The Ben Heck Show”
element14, the first
collaborative community and electronics store for design engineers, and modding
guru Ben Heck, showcase the benefits of using Field Programmable Gate Arrays
(FPGAs) and Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs) to enhance
LED-illumination on past projects on the latest episode of “The Ben Heck Show.
Ben demonstrates how the use of CPLDs simplifies the design process by
incorporating Verilog hardware description of integrated circuits instead of
wiring them by hand. After installing the software for his Altera Max V
development board, Ben creates the logic inside the CPLD from his computer
before applying the program to his initial Super Alarm Clock build. Ben then
assigns circuit board pins and applies Binary mathematics to the circuit
connection to increase the level of brightness on the Super Alarm Clock’s LED
backlit display.
“This episode was a fun opportunity to deconstruct the complex
language of programmable logic devices as a means to help my fellow designers
expedite their current builds as efficiently as possible,” said Ben. “Not only
that, but I always enjoy revisiting previous projects, in this case the Super
Alarm Clock, to implement the latest technologies to enhance ease-of-use and
functionality.”
Ben wraps things up by offering viewers a look at how FPGA is
utilized on a new DMD display on a pinball machine build. Using a Verilog
programming structure and an Altera Cyclone II FPGA, Ben transposes a picture of
a cat onto the DMD display and demonstrates that the new
conversational-structured language increases the LED brightness, something not
possible with a standard microcontroller.
“element14 is committed to providing
engineers and enthusiasts with the most innovative, up-to-date design solutions
to effectively streamline the design process and facilitate ingenuity and
creativity,” said Kevin Yapp, chief marketing officer, Premier Farnell. “In this
particular episode Ben’s improved LED-backlit design merely scrapes the surface
of the vast array of resources and components available to design engineers
through the online community.”
Show fans are invited to join the element14
community to send Ben a challenge for a future build, engage with community
members, and enter for a chance to win one of Ben’s builds featured on the show.
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201201100627.1.2012Учебное ВидеоFARNELL