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PERF-V FPGA BASED RISC-V DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Summary of PERF-V FPGA BASED RISC-V DEVELOPMENT BOARD


The Perf-V is an FPGA-based development board by PerfXLab tailored for the RISC-V open-source community. It features a Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA, offering extensive flexibility for custom instruction sets and multi-architecture support. The board integrates diverse peripherals like PMOD, Arduino headers, and high-speed interfaces for HDMI, VGA, USB, and Bluetooth. It serves as a cost-effective platform for education, research, and project development, supporting smart car applications and RISC-V processor design experiments.

Parts used in the Perf-V Development Board:

  • Xilinx Artix-7 XC7A35T-1FTG256C FPGA (or optional XC7A100T)
  • 256MB DDR3 System Memory
  • 8MB FPGA FLASH
  • 8MB RISC-V Flash
  • PMOD connector
  • Arduino compatible headers
  • JTAG/UART debugging interface
  • High-speed expansion interface (HDMI, VGA, USB2.0/3.0, camera, Bluetooth)
  • Power barrel jack
  • USB burner / FPGA USB cable (included in $79 kit)

The Perf-V is an FPGA based development board designed for RISC-V opensource community by PerfXLab. It incorporates various peripheral chips and offers many interfaces. Perf-V has great flexibility and transplant multiple architectures. Some RISC-V development boards with silicon featuring RISC-V instruction set already exist, such as SiFive’s HiFive1 or Kendry KD233 board. One good thing about RISC-V is that it allows a user to customize the instructions set, and if you are up for that, an FPGA board provides the flexibility you need. The board uses Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA, Vivado software development, and it is designed for the RISC-V open source community and FPGA learning enthusiasts design development board.

The Perf-V incorporates a variety of outlying chips to enable a rich set of peripheral interfaces, including PMOD, Arduino, JTAG, UART interfaces, and high-speed interfaces for expansion of HDMI, VGA, USB2.0/3.0, camera, Bluetooth, expansion boards, etc. Strong flexibility. Due to its self-developed smart car, the Perf-V can use mobile phone Bluetooth to control the movement of the car and can realize automatic tracing and obstacle avoidance functions. This is quite an impressive function for me. Perf-V successfully ports a variant of RISC-V architectures, enabling a solid experimental platform for RISC-V processor design and FPGA product development, and is the preferred hardware for learning, scientific research, project development, and DEMO solutions.

The Perf-V provides a variety of modules available for selecting powerful, rich learning materials, complete experimental routines which are cost-effective. If you will like to purchase the board, you can do so by getting a $79 kit with the board and a USB burner / FPGA USB cable. A download page is available, but only with hardware documentation like datasheets and PCB layout (PDF), but nothing entirely about RISC-V.

The specification listed for the Perf-V board include

  • FPGA – Xilinx Artix-7 XC7A35T-1FTG256C with 33280 Logic Cells, 90 DSP, 41600 CLBs, 1800 Kbit Block RAM, and 5 CMTs; Optional FPGAs up to Xilinx XC7A100T with 101,440 logic cells
  • System Memory – 256MB DDR3 (16Megx16x8Banks)
  • Storage – 8MB FPGA FLASH, 8MB RISC-V flash
  • Expansions: Arduino compatible headers, 1x PMOD connector, “High-speed interface” for expansion of HDMI, VGA, USB2.0/3.0, camera, Bluetooth, expansion boards, etc
  • Debugging — User JTAG/UART interface
  • Misc – Power & user LEDs; 6x soft-touch buttons; power key
  • Power Supply – Via power barrel jack

Read more: PERF-V FPGA BASED RISC-V DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Quick Solutions to Questions related to Perf-V Development Board:

  • What is the Perf-V board designed for?
    It is designed for the RISC-V open source community and FPGA learning enthusiasts.
  • Which FPGA chip does the Perf-V use?
    The board uses the Xilinx Artix-7 XC7A35T-1FTG256C, with an optional upgrade to the XC7A100T.
  • How much system memory does the Perf-V have?
    The specification lists 256MB of DDR3 memory.
  • Can the Perf-V control a mobile phone via Bluetooth?
    Yes, the self-developed smart car feature allows users to control movement using mobile phone Bluetooth.
  • What interfaces are available for expansion on the Perf-V?
    It includes PMOD, Arduino headers, JTAG, UART, and high-speed interfaces for HDMI, VGA, USB, camera, and Bluetooth.
  • Is Vivado software required for this board?
    Yes, the board utilizes Vivado software for development.
  • What is the price of the starter kit including the board?
    You can purchase a kit with the board and a USB burner/FPGA USB cable for $79.
  • Does the download page contain complete RISC-V documentation?
    No, the download page only provides hardware documentation like datasheets and PCB layout PDFs, not specific RISC-V guides.

About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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