FPGA Prototyping Platforms

ARM Processors meet Hardware Programmability
Zynq™-7000 All Programmable SoC is a new class of platform which combines an industry-standard ARM® dual-core Cortex™-A9 MPCore™ processing system with Xilinx 28nm programmable logic. This processor-centric architecture delivers a comprehensive processing platform that offers academics ASIC levels of performance and power consumption, the ease of programmability of a microprocessor and the flexibility of a FPGA.

More than Silicon: A Comprehensive Platform Offering
The value of Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoC is amplified by all the elements supporting the Zynq-7000 family which includes hardware (HW) and software (SW) development tools, operating systems, and much more.

A Flexible Scalable Platform Addressing a Wide Range of Applications
The flexible nature of programmable logic and its tight integration to the ARM based processing system offers academics the possibility to add virtually any peripheral they want and create accelerators to extend the performance of the Zynq-7000 devices. This makes Zynq-7000 devices the ideal solution for a variety of academic projects.

• Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoCs
• All Zynq Boards and Kits
• Xilinx Zynq + DS-5 Getting Connected Guide 

 Actel SmartFusion Cortex-M3 Kits

Actel's SmartFusion™ Development Kit offers a full-featured development board so you can try the world's only FPGA with hard ARM® Cortex™-M3 and programmable analog. The device contains on-chip flash and SRAM memory, as well as additional off-chip memory on the board. The board can communicate via Ethernet and HyperTerminal. The board also contains LEDs, switches, OLED, and extensive analog experimentation, including voltage rail monitoring, current POT, temperature diodes and voltage sweeping using active bipolar prescalers (ABPS). Networking interfaces include Ethernet PHY, EtherCAT, CAN, UART, and RS485. See board details below for more information.

• Actel's SmartFusion™ Cortex-M3 Evaluation Kit
• Actel's SmartFusion™ Cortex-M3 Development Kit
• Keil μVision and Actel SmartFusion Application Note 

 

Actel Cortex-M1 and CoreMP7 IP

Developed by ARM in collaboration with Actel and Altera, the 32-bit ARM Cortex-M1 processor is the first ARM processor designed for FPGA implementation. With a balance between size and speed, the Cortex-M1 processor operates at up to 72 MHz, implemented in as few as 4,300 tiles. Actel's CoreMP7 is a soft IP version of the popular ARM7TDMI-S. Please consult Actel and Altera for pricing and availability.

 

• ARM Cortex-M1 from Actel
• Actel's CoreMP7

                      
ARM has now made it possible to evaluate the Cortex-M1 IP. The Low Power Reference Platform (LPRP) is a low-cost means of implementing the ARM Cortex-M1 inside the Altera Cyclone III FPGA.  

The ARM Cortex-M1 Development Kit offers a targeted solution for the development of ARM embedded systems on Altera Cyclone III FPGAs. A free evaluation download specifically for use in an Altera Cyclone III FPGA is available from Arrow's website.

• Altera Cortex-M1 Low Power Reference Platform
• Cortex-M1 Development Kit for Altera Cyclone III

 

                

 
A separate, compatible debug adapter is sometimes needed for development with ARM-based platforms. However, more ARM-based platforms are being made available with integrated, on-board debugging capabilities eliminating the need for such external hardware.

Some platforms have real-time data access and instruction trace capability for systems that that must be debugged in real-time without stopping the system and a physical trace interface will likely be needed for this purpose. 

These interfaces can be purchased directly from ARM (an ARM company), or through a variety of ARM partners and distributors.

• Obtaining a University Price Guide
• Keil ULINK Family (for MCUs)
• RealView ICE and RealView Trace (for ASICs and ASSPs)
• DSTREAM (for Linux and OS applications)
• Where to Buy

Low-cost debug adapters are also available for purchase from third-party companies such as Olimex, as well as a variety of others. 

Be sure to check the compatibility between your boards, software tools, and debug adapter.