SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-29T09:21:43-06:00SparkFun Electronicsdoddy on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIdoddyurn:uuid:21be9eb3-3a32-1111-0681-22d41c876cdd2012-10-09T08:44:59-06:00<p>I'm curious how sparkfun is able to sell these guys so cheap? I didn't think Altera sold merchandise in bulk with a discounted price.. From their site, these suckers cost about $20.</p>
MicroLAN on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIMicroLANurn:uuid:b4c75cc2-e15b-6617-c56c-5674e1dc40c92012-09-27T12:27:54-06:00<p>Actually, I use Quartus quite a bit and it's very easy once you understand it. Occasionally, Altera offers low-cost classes on it through distributors (Arrow Electronics does it, for instance). The Arrow classes cost about $100 and include a development kit (currently they are using Cyclone IV). I believe Altera also has some FREE online training videos available, as well.</p>
Balrog30 on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIBalrog30urn:uuid:8cf5b9b4-94f4-516c-b6be-29b48ccd3b4a2012-08-24T08:55:07-06:00<p>You're absolutely right, but I've found working on some projects that you can't always get all the parts you want from one place, and have to pay extra shipping charges to order parts from multiple places. Sometimes I would be willing to pay extra for one part because I'm already ordering other parts from the same place. For example, I wanted to order an XBee direct from Digi, but the cheapest shipping price they had was over $50, so I paid a little more to get it from a re-seller that I was already getting other parts from.</p>
jderrick on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIjderrickurn:uuid:00ebe77d-7622-97dc-1377-62988a39f8d12012-01-11T21:05:49-07:00<p>hah! I thought so at first too. But the deeper you get into development, you'll learn to appreciate Quartus over ISE</p>
EvilTwin on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIEvilTwinurn:uuid:b6604417-3208-a989-d745-3f13027b373c2011-06-21T20:56:42-06:00<p>I use the quartus program, I love it. There are starter kits out there with basic designs you can work with.</p>
KDP on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIKDPurn:uuid:52738a10-0e62-0d44-0beb-fbf60be5806b2011-06-21T09:46:16-06:00<p>72% markup over DigiKey's price for the same part. This is the most expensive place to buy this part by quite a lot.</p>
xberger on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIxbergerurn:uuid:ad23d6d8-023e-0784-1136-4c4f4eb0e8cd2011-06-20T13:52:52-06:00<p>"low-cost" ?<br>
I'm not really sure !</p>
eddy66t6 on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIeddy66t6urn:uuid:75a66ed4-1449-5da5-caea-6fd96cbe25a02011-06-19T22:24:44-06:00<p>http://youtu.be/jlwoOetHAkU<br>
This guys english is pretty good, but you can't see it too well, but it gave me the guts to get working on fine pitch components! a kind of 'huh, it's that easy??' moment! :D</p>
eXtenZy on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIeXtenZyurn:uuid:45bba732-c3c8-5ff4-84c9-ca3fbcde0e632011-06-18T08:16:31-06:00<p>The chip has some bent pins in the photo with the rulers :). On the bottom left corner.</p>
BB on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIBBurn:uuid:9b998ecf-edd0-918c-160f-c56540cc04e42011-06-18T02:08:39-06:00<p>What's the point of offering this bare chip without a breakout board, for more than you can buy it direct from Altera? A board on the order of the Spartan 3e board you have here is more suitable.</p>
HonestA on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIHonestAurn:uuid:dee416ba-04c9-390a-1b1a-1c0ca62166ac2011-06-17T18:38:00-06:00<p>Seriously? $35? for an 8k Cyclone II? You can get a 16k Cyclone III for $27 off Altera's website and it has 3x the number of multipliers, >3x the RAM, and runs faster. OR you can pick up that exact same Cyclone II part for $20. Why can't we get a decent FPGA for a decent price?</p>
Colin.I on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIColin.Iurn:uuid:f777f0cd-8fc7-c009-0006-8fb11ba5b5152011-06-17T17:24:50-06:00<p>The quartus web edition IDE is actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it, and incredibly powerful. I'm not sure how the licensing is (used it through school), but the "web" version was as simple as filling out a form.</p>
Sleahey on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IISleaheyurn:uuid:e2b13754-1cda-a9d5-3b73-ae6ee75a8a1e2011-06-17T16:23:00-06:00<p>I tell you whats even harder than soldering it,<br>
Using the altera quartus IDE, and getting a semi decent altera license to do so....</p>
wenjiun on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIwenjiunurn:uuid:aea0ca36-4dc5-1415-fc18-71347aa6a15f2011-06-17T16:13:47-06:00<p>agree, I would like to get a breakout board</p>
DMKitsch on COM-10750 - Altera Cyclone IIDMKitschurn:uuid:bc7b2104-3f7c-5115-3491-e44c40acf1532011-06-17T11:20:34-06:00<p>one would have a hard time soldering that</p>