FPGA programming using Quartus CAD

Abstract

In any production — industrial, radio equipment, construction, or agricultural one, the design of various kinds of objects is carried out. Computer-aided design systems ensure the performance of functionally completed design tasks with the receipt of appropriate design solutions and design documents. Programs of this class solve the tasks of automating all stages of system design of varying degrees of complexity: from the production technology of a single part to the design of an entire production line. The article describes the FPGA programming algorithm. The practical significance of the work is the study of the basics of FPGA programming in the Verilog language and familiarity with the Quartus II compilation program, the main FPGA design environment by Intel FPGA, which is easily adaptable to the requirements of a specific project. The Quartus II package includes all the utilities needed to work with FPGA chips. The light version of CAD is free and is publicly available, which is very convenient for learning the basics. However, Quartus free version is often quite sufficient even for professional work. This paper will help beginners to get acquainted with the FPGA and its structure. The DE10-Lite Board with the MAX10 10M50DAF484C7G FPGA and other peripheral modules that allow doing quite complex projects is considered. Based on it, the article shows how to create an empty project for a specific FPGA and add new files to the project. A simple code is written in the Verilog language, using the basic concepts and commands of the language, to control the LEDs on the board when the corresponding buttons are pressed. It is demonstrated how to check the correctness of the written code, compile and download the firmware to the existing board through the built-in programmer. Familiarization and study of this programming language are conducted within the walls of one of the leading engineering universities of the Russian Federation, the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.