Re: RFC : SOME IDEAS FOR THE APPLE II FPGA'ers

[Mark McDougall <markm@vl.com.au>]

Michael J. Mahon wrote:

> More literally, I love the actual experience of the Apple II, and
> that even extends to using it's somewhat limited (but not too
> limiting) toolset.

Yes, which is why, even after developing on an emulator, there's nothing 
quite as exciting as seeing it run on the *real* hardware that first 
time! :)

> Yes, and we have become more than a little addicted to that speed.
> For example, we recompile after changing a comment!

LOL! I thought *I* was the only one that had ever done that!

> Speedy development cycles--twice a minute instead of twice a day--can
>  have a corrosive effect on a programmer's discipline, and his grasp
> of the program.  Having to wait allows time to think, and re-think,
> until a clearer understanding emerges.

True, though FPGA development has gone some way to curing that for me at 
least! When you've got 1-2 hour build times, you tend to spend a lot 
more time doing simulation and staring for days at those wiggly little 
coloured lines! In fact, there's generally a *lot* more code (and time 
and effort) in the testbench than the actual design under test. I wonder 
how many software engineers can claim the same?

Regards,

--
Mark McDougall, Engineer
Virtual Logic Pty Ltd, <http://www.vl.com.au>
21-25 King St, Rockdale, 2216
Ph: +612-9599-3255 Fax: +612-9599-3266