While working with Olimex GateMateA1-EVB, we realized that there was only one push-button at user disposal, whereas our TetriSaraj game needed five. Similarly the number of user LEDs is inadequate for debugging (@TsvetanUsunov, take note).
We believe that many other examples would also benefit from a richer complement of LEDs and buttons, and recommend providing a PMOD with an 8-bit bank of each.
Given that this problem is due to GateMate somewhat lower I/O count compared to FPGAs in the same category (@DadoCCAG, take note), these 16 additional lines should come from a GPIO expander based on 1-Wire protocol, and would therefore consume only one FPGA I/O pin for the gain of 16 (or more) slow user I/Os.
To enable this new PMOD hardware, we shall within this project develop RTL for 1-Wire Controller.
While working with Olimex GateMateA1-EVB, we realized that there was only one push-button at user disposal, whereas our TetriSaraj game needed five. Similarly the number of user LEDs is inadequate for debugging (@TsvetanUsunov, take note).
We believe that many other examples would also benefit from a richer complement of LEDs and buttons, and recommend providing a PMOD with an 8-bit bank of each.
Given that this problem is due to GateMate somewhat lower I/O count compared to FPGAs in the same category (@DadoCCAG, take note), these 16 additional lines should come from a GPIO expander based on 1-Wire protocol, and would therefore consume only one FPGA I/O pin for the gain of 16 (or more) slow user I/Os.
To enable this new PMOD hardware, we shall within this project develop RTL for 1-Wire Controller.