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Message
From: Tom Hawkins<tom@l...>
Date: Sat Jan 31 16:40:16 CET 2004
Subject: [oc] Potentially awesome open-source idea
On Saturday 31 January 2004 05:33 am, Bill Cox wrote:
> Tom Hawkins wrote:
> >On Wednesday 28 January 2004 10:49 am, Bill Cox wrote:
> >
> >[large snip]
> >
> >>Another idea is that the author of a core should be able to offer
> >>users configuration options, and then have the core customized.
> >>For example, did you want a 32 bit MAC, or a 16 bit MAC (probably
> >> a poor example). If we have a module-generation capability
> >> that's easy to work with, I think we can pull this kind of
> >> flexibility off.
> >>
> >>I think I can see at least three software projects here:
> >>
> >>- A Web based GUI
> >>- A tool to glue cores together, initially using wishbone
> >>- A module generation system (Confluence and/or OpenLPM and/or
> >>JavaHDL)
> >
> >A while back I offered up Confluence to the OpenCores community
> > for this very concept: flexible IP and web-based netlist
> > generation. The offer still stands.
> >
> >On a similar note, a Confluence user recently ported OR1200 to the
> >language. (Ken, are you going to post ORCF anytime soon?)
> >
> >Bill, it's a great idea. If there's anything I can do to assist,
> > let me know.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Tom
>
> Hi, Tom.
>
> I am very impressed with confluence. You've done something pretty
> cool there. My main strike against it is that it's not
> open-source. Of course, the other choices all seem to have
> draw-backs. Perlilog is Verilog-centric, and I recently found out
> just how much the VHDL users around here insist backing their
> language. JavaHDL requires the user to install the JVM. My old
> OpenLPM project is still buggy, and not as cool as Confluence, but
> it could probably be offered as open-source.
>
> I'm not against charging for software, and I think you deserve to
> make money on Confluence. However, I feel an SoC Builder will get
> more interest if it's an open-source front-to-back.
I agree. It would be ideal if OpenCores only depended on open-source
software. But the truth is every OC project requires commercial EDA.
(If I'm wrong, please show me the open-source path from RTL to GDSII.
;-))
If it eases one's mind, Confluence is delivered without license
protection. Once you have the executable, nothing's going to cut you
off; unless of course Linux falls out of existence. For legality, I
would have no problem signing agreements to ensure OpenCores keeps a
perpetual license.
Personally, I think CF fits well with OC; especially for design reuse.
If projects can be unified under a single CVS tree, cross project
instantiation is trivial. Need a processor? Just do:
OpenRisc = import "/processors/OpenRisc1000/OR1200.cf"
Regards,
Tom
--
Tom Hawkins
Launchbird Design Systems, Inc.
952-200-3790
http://www.launchbird.com/
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