PolarFire® SoC Discovery Kit - Making RISC-V Accessible to All Embedded Engineers

Summary

The Microchip PolarFire SoC FPGA Discovery Kit is designed for quick development of embedded systems, especially in industrial IoT, smart embedded vision, and edge communications. Powered by the MPFS095 TC FPGA with a quad-core RISC-5 and 95,000 logic elements, it offers high computing performance with excellent power efficiency and security. The kit includes 1GB DDR4 memory, a microSD slot, Gigabit Ethernet, and multiple expansion options. It also features an onboard programmer and a pre-loaded DSP filter to demonstrate the FPGA's capabilities. The Libero SoC design software is available for download, with a free Silver license for new users.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The Microchip PolarFire SoC FPGA Discovery Kit is designed for rapid development in various applications such as industrial IoT, smart embedded vision, and edge communications.
• 💻 The board is built around the PolarFire MPFS095T FPGA, featuring an embedded quad-core 64-bit RISC-5 core complex and 95,000 high-performance logic elements for powerful computing.
• 🔋 It offers best-in-class power efficiency and security, making it suitable for compute-intensive applications.
• 🧠 The board is equipped with 1 GB of DDR4 memory, ensuring ample capacity for complex tasks.
• 🔌 It includes a Micro SD card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and other interfaces for connectivity and data storage.
• 📡 Hardware expansion options are available through headers for Microchip Click boards, Raspberry Pi hats, and MPPy video, facilitating fast prototyping.
• 🛠️ The kit comes with an onboard flash Pro 5 programmer for easy programming and development.
• 📚 A pre-loaded DSP filter is provided in the kit to demonstrate the embedded math block capability of the PolarFire FPGA fabric.
• 🔍 The Libero SoC design software is available for download from Microchip's website, essential for kit users.
• 🆓 New users can register for a free Silver license of the Libero SoC design software to begin their development journey.
• 🔗 Additional information about the Discovery Kit and getting started can be found by following the provided onscreen link.

Q & A

What is the purpose of Microchip's PolarFire SoC FPGA Discovery Kit?

The PolarFire SoC FPGA Discovery Kit is designed for rapid development of embedded systems in various applications such as industrial IoT, smart embedded vision, edge communications, and other compute-intensive applications.

Which FPGA is the board based on?

The board is based on the PolarFire MPFS095T FPGA, which is known for its powerful computing performance, power efficiency, and security features.

What kind of CPU core complex does the MPFS095T FPGA have embedded?

The MPFS095T FPGA features an embedded quad 64-bit RISC-5 Core complex.

How many high-performance logic elements does the PolarFire MPFS095T FPGA have?

The PolarFire MPFS095T FPGA has 95,000 high-performance logic elements.

What type of memory does the board include?

The board includes 1 GB of DDR4 memory.

Does the board have a storage slot for expandable memory?

Yes, the board includes a Micro SD card slot for expandable storage.

What kind of networking capabilities does the board offer?

The board offers a Gigabit Ethernet port for networking capabilities.

What are the hardware expansion options available on the board?

Hardware expansion options include headers for microelectronics, click boards, Raspberry Pi hats, and mPy video for rapid prototyping.

What programmer is onboard the discovery kit?

The discovery kit includes an onboard Flash Pro 5 programmer.

What kind of software is provided with the kit to showcase the FPGA fabric's capabilities?

A pre-loaded DSPF filter is provided with the kit, showcasing the embedded math block capability of the PolarFire FPGA fabric.

Where can the Libero SoC design software be downloaded from?

The Libero SoC design software can be downloaded from Microchip's website.

Is there a special offer for new users of the Libero SoC design software?

Yes, new users can register for a free Silver license to get started with the Libero SoC design software.

How can one find additional information about the PolarFire SoC FPGA Discovery Kit?

Additional information can be found by following the onscreen link provided in the video script.