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Chris,
1. It might be hundreds of bits for a input string.
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Then you definitely need a FPGA.
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2. Is it must to use external controls (push buttons, PLC or MCU outputs)? Can I input the string simply from the master (laptop)?
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Using buttons or generic I/Os was only an idea for a very simple solution.
Sure you can do it with a laptop!
For example you can send the pattern and control the generator with the RS232 serial port.
The jtag interface solution suggested by Dave is also good, but this can be used if you only need the pattern generator connected to your laptop. If you plan to deploy the design in a commercial board, you must provide a standard widely used interface:
in this case, besides RS232 you can implement virtually everything with fpga, from PCI to Ethernet, USB and so on.
Honored Contributor
