Yes it would be great... instant design support on any one of a billion different end-user applications. This sounds wonderful, and wonderfully expensive.
I propose an alternative: schedule online interactive troubleshooting sessions on specific topics or disciplines, scheduled in advance.
For instance, we know from experience that Austin Lesea is the guru of ASIC emulation. There aren't enough Austin Lesea's around 24/7 for world-wide on-demand access. However, if Austin could select 1 or 2 'typical' design problems on a weekly or monthly, and work through the problems online while anyone and everyone can watch and listen in, and then remain available for 20 minutes of Q(uestion) and A(nswer) from the audience, this could be a powerful and effective training tool. Austin would be, in effect, multiplied.
Lots of companies take this very approach for in-house training. This is taking the approach one step further... extending the audience worldwide.
An extra-credit bonus option is to record the session for retrieval and playback on demand, much like the forum PLD blog.
The interactive Q & A session might be useful to very few, or useful to many. It depends on the questions asked, the expertise level of the designer, and any language barriers which might arise. Much of Xilinx' customer base is in parts of the world where English is -- at best -- a secondary language.
As for scheduling topics or disciplines, I can think of two distinct approaches:
1. Regular schedule of topics (e.g. clock enables, PLLs/DCMs, configuration, memory controllers, cooling, etc.)
2. Survey of recent forum posts for most 'popular' problem areas, and schedule sessions which target one of those recently popular problem areas.
Just an idea...
-- Bob Elkind
SIGNATURE:
README for newbies is here: http://forums.xilinx.com/t5/New-Users-Forum/README-first-Help-for-new-users/td-p/219369
Summary:
1. Read the manual or user guide. Have you read the manual? Can you find the manual?
2. Search the forums (and search the web) for similar topics.
3. Do not post the same question on multiple forums.
4. Do not post a new topic or question on someone else's thread, start a new thread!
5. Students: Copying code is not the same as learning to design.
6 "It does not work" is not a question which can be answered. Provide useful details (with webpage, datasheet links, please).
7. You are not charged extra fees for comments in your code.
8. I am not paid for forum posts. If I write a good post, then I have been good for nothing.
