NanoEVB & PicoEVB – Xilinx Artix Developemtn kits

The Xilinx Artix dev kits that fit in your laptop. A convenient, affordable way to explore Xilinx PCIe IP.

NanoEVB & PicoEVB – Xilinx Artix Developemtn kits

PicoEVB is an affordable, open source, development board which can be used to evaluate and prototype PCI Express designs using a Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA on Windows or Linux hosts. The boards are designed around the Artix 7 (XC7A50T).

Use Cases

While the main intent of PicoEVB is PCIe design prototyping, it can be used as an integrated part of your laptop (or desktop) computer. Use a board as an encryption co-processor for security, or as a hardware-level encoder/decoder for speedy workflows. It’s your FPGA, design what you like.

Features & Specifications

Feature PicoEVB
FPGA Xilinx Artix XC7A50T
Form Factor M.2 (NGFF) 2230, keyed for A and E slots
Dimensions 22 x 30 x 3.8 mm
Host Interface PCIe x1 gen 2
Host Tools Vivado 2016, 2017
MGT Loopback Yes
Built-in JTAG Yes
External Interface 4 digital channels OR 1 analog (differential) and 2 digital, OR 2 analog (differential)
User-controllable LEDs 3

Open Source Software & Hardware

The board schematics in their final form (PDFs) will be published under a permissive license. In additon, major software components are open source:

  • The “cable driver”, is already CC0 licenced.
  • All of the host code (PCIe drivers) used in the prototype comes from Xilinx under GPL.
  • The FPGA project is derived from a freely available Xilinx sample project.

Files are being published in the project GitHub repository.

PicoEVB Block Diagram

Compact Size

Current FPGA development boards are large. Almost all development kits require a desktop PC, or are designed to sit on a lab bench. NanoEVB aims to change this – the entire development kit fits inside a laptop! In addition, the JTAG cable is built-in, no external cables needed- just plug it into a PCIe slot and go.

Affordable

Furthermore, to explore PCIe designs, currently you need to spend over $1,000. NanoEVB and PicoEVB have PCIe connectivity to the host computer, and as such, you can design PCIe-based solutions and explore Xilinx’s IP for PCIe solutions without spending a grand and without taking up a ton of space.

Manufacturing Plan

The manufacturing process for NanoEVB and PicoEVB is pretty straightforward:

  1. Select a PCB fabrication house capable of producing this PCB (done)
  2. Select an assembly house capable of placing/soldering all the parts on the PCB (quote in-hand, with more to come)
  3. Kit the PCBs and board components and ship to assembly house for assembly
  4. Final test of assembled boards to verify all power supply voltages, all LEDs, all external ports, and USB and PCIe connectivity.

Read more: NanoEVB & PicoEVB – Xilinx Artix Developemtn kits


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer with a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan University. I have written for various industries, mainly home automation and engineering. My writing style is clear and simple, and I am skilled in using infographics and diagrams. I am a great researcher and am able to present information in a well-organized and logical manner.

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