Analog Discovery home (link) (see bottom of page for some support documents) Analog Discovery Pin-Out Diagram (link) Waveforms™ software (link) Real Analog teaching materials (link) for Analog Discovery Real Analog teaching materials (link) for Analog Explorer ASEE 2012 (link) Analog Discovery Presentation (over DP max file size) by John Robertson (link) ASEE 2012 (link) Analog Discovery Workshop (link) by John Robertson (link) ASEE 2012 (link) Analog Discovery Hands-on Practice by John Robertson (link) (see below) Digilent and Analog Devices Unveil Portable Analog Design Kits For Engineering Students (link) Analog Discovery QuickStart #1 (video): Getting Started (link) Analog Discovery QuickStart #2 (video): Voltage Tool (link) Analog Discovery QuickStart #3 (video): Voltmeter Tool (link) Analog Discovery QuickStart #4 (video): Arbitrary Waveform Generator (link) Analog Discovery QuickStart #5 (video): The Oscilloscope (link) EE Times ~ 02May12 ~ Disruption in the engineering classroom (link)
For more information, search
YouTube for "Digilent Analog Discovery" or "Digilent Real Analog"[/list] [/list] Analog Devices (link)
Analog Devices course material for Analog Discovery device (link) Analog Devices course material wiki (link) Analog Devices University Program (video) (link) Analog Devices University Program for Students (video) (link) Arizona State University and Analog Devices University Program (video) (link)
For more information, search
Analog Devices for "Analog Discovery"[/list] [/list] Xilinx (link)
This review was originally written in mid-August 2012, but I got distracted by the needs of one of my clients before it could be released. Sorry about the delay. One measure of how well I liked this design is that I ordered two more Analog discovery devices with my own dime for development purposes.
[hr:][/hr:] Product Rationale
Digilent kindly allowed me to borrow one of their new Analog Discovery devices for review after it was announced last spring.
Once upon a time, many moons ago, I used to a teaching assistant for the laboratory portion of a digital design class. The curriculum for electrical engineering students typically includes a laboratory component that consists of building actual circuits, performing experimental assignments, and obtaining measurement results. The objectives of this laboratory component include the following:
to teach some practical skills for building circuitry to teach how to use measurement instruments such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and signal generators to teach the difference between theoretical and actual results
Traditionally this laboratory component uses relatively expensive measurement instruments bought from (or donated by) well-known instrument manufacturers and takes place in a specific laboratory environment. The measurement equipment and the laboratory environment are shared, so access is limited to specific times. At the end of the term, competition for scarce resources can be difficult.
Suppose that each student has their own oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and arbitrary waveform generator. Suppose that each student can perform their experimental assignments where (dorm room, library, study hall, laboratory, etc.) and when convenient. Suppose that each student doesn't have to compete with other students for scarce resources. Suppose that each student can take their measurement equipment with them at the end of the term.
Digilent (link) recently announced the Analog Discovery device (link) (designed in cooperation with Analog Devices and Xilinx) that enables the electrical engineering educational model described above. The Analog Discovery device provides oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and arbitrary waveform generator functionality in the form of a USB 2.0 peripheral for your laptop that is supported by free WaveForms™ software. The cost of the Analog Discovery device ($99 for students) is less than the cost of a typical engineering text book.
Comment: The Analog Discovery device has a big brother in the form of the Electronics Explorer board (link) which costs four times as much ($399 for students) as the Analog Discovery device. The Electronics Explorer board was designed in cooperation with Texas Instruments and is also supported by free WaveForms™ software. The Electronics Explorer board offers capabilities similar to the Analog Discovery device, but integrated with a breadboard interface, an external power supply, an analog parts kit, and more demonstration lessons.[/list]
Fully differential inputs (1 MΩ, 24 pF), ±20 Volts max
Up to 100 MSPS, 5 MHz bandwidth, up to 16k samples/channel record length
250 μV to 5 V/division with variable gain settings
Real-time FFTs, X-Y plots, complex math and measurements
Two-Channel Waveform Generator (Analog Output)
AD9717 (link), 14-bit, 125 MSPS, 1.8 to 3.3 Volt supply, dual digital-to-analog converter
Single-ended outputs, up to ±4 Volts max
Up to 100 MSPS, 5 MHz bandwidth, up to 16k samples/channel record length
Standard and user-defined waveforms
Sweeps, envelopes, AM and FM modulation
Bode plot feature using standard, Nyquist, and Nichols coordinates
Digital I/O
16 signals shared between logic analyzer (input), pattern generator (output), and discrete I/O
100 MSPS, buffer size is 4k transitions per pin
Supports cross-triggering with scope channels
Power Supplies
Fixed +5 V @ 50 mA
Fixed –5 V @ 50 mA
Software
Waveforms™ software: full-featured GUI for all instruments
Requires Windows® XP® or newer
[hr:][/hr:] Kit Contents
The Analog Discovery kit includes the following items:
Analog Discovery device ~ 84 mm by 68 mm by 20 mm ~ 3-5/16" by 2-5/8" by 3/4"
Signal cable ~ 30-pin (2x15) (0.1" grid) (25 mil) female connector (with tab) to 30 individual (25 mil) female connectors color-coded wires roughly 7" long (relatively short to improve signal integrity)
Five male headers ~ 6-pin (1x6) (0.1" grid) (25 mil)
USB 2.0 cable ~ "A" connector to "micro-B" connector ~ one meter long
Plastic product package carrying case ~ 7-3/8" by 6" by 1"
The Analog Discovery kit digital interface doesn't include mini-grabber test clips (probably to save money), but the individual receptacle connectors mate with ordinary 25 mil square pins. The Analog Discovery kit analog interface doesn't use BNC connectors, include oscilloscope probes, or use 50 ohm connections (probably to save money). The Analog Discovery kit doesn't include a CD-ROM, but the latest Waveforms™ software can be downloaded directly from the Digilent website.
Comment: Color-coded mini-grabber test clips are available ($12.95 for a package of six) from Digilent. For those on a budget, try searching eBay (link) for "mini-grabber".
Comment: An analog parts kit is available ($59.99) from Digilent.
Comment: A student version of the TINA design suite (link) is available ($6.95 when purchased with an Analog Discovery device) from Digilent.
Comment: The markings on the Analog Discovery case attempting to identify the pin usage of the signal connector are terse to the point of being cryptic. A colorful stick-on label with better pin usage descriptions is sorely needed. Digilent has started to recognize this need and have produced a pin-out drawing (link).
Comment: Perhaps there should be an Analog Discovery-specific URL included with the product kit that points directly to an always up-to-date web page that explains how to setup and install the product. This would assure first time users that they are not overlooking something and alert experienced users about any new problems found. This minor change would greatly improve the initial product user experience. The current URL on the Analog Discovery product package points to the general Digilent analog products page.
Later versions of the Analog Discovery packaging point directly to an Analog Discovery specific product page.[/list] [/list] [attachment=3] [hr:][/hr:] Product Installation
The Waveforms™ software is required to use the Analog Discovery device. The Waveforms™ software unfortunately does not seem to support either Mac OS X or Linux. Assuming that you have Microsoft Windows XP or newer, Waveforms™ software installation is fairly straight forward.
Download the
Waveforms™ software from the Digilent website (link).
This will leave a file
Digilent.Waveforms_v2.0.19 (or whatever is the latest version) on your desktop. [/list] [/list]
Double-click on the
Digilent.Waveforms_v2.0.19 to install.
User Account Control (System 7) => Yes Welcome to the Digilent WaveForms Setup Wizard => Next License Agreement => I Agree Choose Components => Next Short Cut Options => Next ~ {select options} Choose Install Location => Install Installing ... Installation Complete => Next ~ {check out "Show Details"} Completing the Digilent WaveForms Setup Wizard => Finish ~ {select options}
[/list]
Establish communications between
WaveForms™ and the Analog Discovery device.
The default for the last step of the Setup Wizard is to start the
WaveForms™ Software (and to open the local Help web page). Several overlapping windows will appear. On top will be a "No supported device detected" window. Connect the Analog Discovery device to your laptop using the provided USB 2.0 cable. As the laptop loads FTDI drivers, it will respond with a "Installing device driver software" message and, after few moments, with a "USB serial converter" message . Click "OK" to dismiss the "No supported device detected" window. The Analog Discovery device with serial number will be highlighted in the "Device Manager" window. Click "Select" to select the Analog Discovery device and to dismiss the "Device Manager" window. The DigilentWaveForms™ Main Window will be shown. [/list] [/list] [attachment=2] [attachment=0] [attachment=1]
Comment: The installation and uninstall processes went very smoothly on my Dell XPS 15z laptop running Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit with Service Pack 1). But I wish the contents of the "Show Details" window during the Waveforms™ installation process had been captured in a log file somewhere in case there had been a problem.[/list]
Comment: The local Waveforms™ Help web page would benefit from adding more Analog Discovery-specific information.[/list]
Comment: Given the number of cross-platform electrical engineering tools and programs, one hopes that Waveforms™ will eventually be ported to run under Mac OS X and Linux.[/list]
[hr:][/hr:] See (link) for Analog Discovery ~ Review (Part Two)
Digilent kindly allowed me to borrow one of their new Analog Discovery devices to review.
[hr:][/hr:] Product Rationale
The curriculum for electrical engineering students typically includes a laboratory component that consists of building actual circuits, performing experimental assignments, and obtaining measurement results. The objectives of this laboratory component include the following:
to teach some practical skills for building circuitry to teach how to use measurement instruments such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and signal generators to teach the difference between theoretical and actual results
Traditionally this laboratory component uses relatively expensive measurement instruments bought from (or donated by) well-known instrument manufacturers and takes place in a specific laboratory environment. The measurement equipment and the laboratory environment are shared, so access is limited to specific times. At the end of the term, competition for scarce resources can be difficult.
Suppose that each student has their own oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and arbitrary waveform generator. Suppose that each student can perform their experimental assignments where (dorm room, library, study hall, laboratory, etc.) and when convenient. Suppose that each student doesn't have to compete with other students for scarce resources. Suppose that each student can take their measurement equipment with them at the end of the term.
Digilent (link) recently announced the Analog Discovery device (link) (designed in cooperation with Analog Devices and Xilinx) that enables the electrical engineering educational model described above. The Analog Discovery device provides oscilloscope, logic analyzer, and arbitrary waveform generator functionality in the form of a USB 2.0 peripheral for your laptop that is supported by free WaveForms™ software. The cost of the Analog Discovery device ($99 for students) is less than the cost of a typical engineering text book.
Comment: The Analog Discovery device has a big brother in the form of the Electronics Explorer board (link) which costs four times as much ($399 for students) as the Analog Discovery device. The Electronics Explorer board was designed in cooperation with Texas Instruments and is also supported by free WaveForms™ software. The Electronics Explorer board offers capabilities similar to the Analog Discovery device, but integrated with a breadboard interface, an external power supply, an analog parts kit, and more demonstration lessons.[/list]
Fully differential inputs (1 MΩ, 24 pF), ±20 Volts max
Up to 100 MSPS, 5 MHz bandwidth, up to 16k samples/channel record length
250 μV to 5 V/division with variable gain settings
Real-time FFTs, X-Y plots, complex math and measurements
Two-Channel Waveform Generator (Analog Output)
AD9717 (link), 14-bit, 125 MSPS, 1.8 to 3.3 Volt supply, dual digital-to-analog converter
Single-ended outputs, up to ±4 Volts max
Up to 100 MSPS, 5 MHz bandwidth, up to 16k samples/channel record length
Standard and user-defined waveforms
Sweeps, envelopes, AM and FM modulation
Bode plot feature using standard, Nyquist, and Nichols coordinates
Digital I/O
16 signals shared between logic analyzer (input), pattern generator (output), and discrete I/O
100 MSPS, buffer size is 4k transitions per pin
Supports cross-triggering with scope channels
Power Supplies
Fixed +5 V @ 50 mA
Fixed –5 V @ 50 mA
Software
Waveforms™ software: full-featured GUI for all instruments
Requires Windows® XP® or newer
[hr:][/hr:] Kit Contents
The Analog Discovery kit includes the following items:
Analog Discovery device ~ 84 mm by 68 mm by 20 mm ~ 3-5/16" by 2-5/8" by 3/4"
Signal cable ~ 30-pin (2x15) (0.1" grid) (25 mil) female connector (with tab) to 30 individual (25 mil) female connectors color-coded wires roughly 7" long (relatively short to improve signal integrity)
Five male headers ~ 6-pin (1x6) (0.1" grid) (25 mil)
USB 2.0 cable ~ "A" connector to "micro-B" connector ~ one meter long
Plastic product package carrying case ~ 7-3/8" by 6" by 1"
The Analog Discovery kit digital interface doesn't include gripper probes (probably to save money), but the individual receptacle connectors mate with ordinary 25 mil square pins. The Analog Discovery kit analog interface doesn't use BNC connectors, include oscilloscope probes, or use 50 ohm connections (probably to save money). The Analog Discovery kit doesn't include a CD-ROM, but the latest Waveforms™ software can be downloaded directly from the Digilent website.
Comment: Perhaps there should be an Analog Discovery-specific URL included with the product kit that points directly to an always up-to-date web page that explains how to setup and install the product. This would assure first time users that they are not overlooking something and alert experienced users about any new problems found. This minor change would greatly improve the initial product user experience. The current URL on the Analog Discovery product package points to the general Digilent analog products page.[/list] [attachment=3] [hr:][/hr:] Product Installation
The Waveforms™ software is required to use the Analog Discovery device. The Waveforms™ software unfortunately does not seem to support either Mac OS X or Linux. Assuming that you have Microsoft Windows XP or newer, Waveforms™ software installation is fairly straight forward.
Download the
Waveforms™ software from the Digilent website (link).
This will leave a file
Digilent.Waveforms_v2.0.19 (or whatever is the latest version) on your desktop. [/list] [/list]
Double-click on the
Digilent.Waveforms_v2.0.19 to install.
User Account Control (System 7) => Yes Welcome to the Digilent WaveForms Setup Wizard => Next License Agreement => I Agree Choose Components => Next Short Cut Options => Next ~ {select options} Choose Install Location => Install Installing ... Installation Complete => Next ~ {check out "Show Details"} Completing the Digilent WaveForms Setup Wizard => Finish ~ {select options}
[/list]
Establish communications between
WaveForms™ and the Analog Discovery device.
The default for the last step of the Setup Wizard is to start the
WaveForms™ Software (and to open the local Help web page). Several overlapping windows will appear. On top will be a "No supported device detected" window. Connect the Analog Discovery device to your laptop using the provided USB 2.0 cable. As the laptop loads FTDI drivers, it will respond with a "Installing device driver software" message and, after few moments, with a "USB serial converter" message . Click "OK" to dismiss the "No supported device detected" window. The Analog Discovery device with serial number will be highlighted in the "Device Manager" window. Click "Select" to select the Analog Discovery device and to dismiss the "Device Manager" window. The DigilentWaveForms™ Main Window will be shown. [/list] [/list] [attachment=2] [attachment=0] [attachment=1]
Comment: The installation and uninstall processes went very smoothly on my Dell XPS 15z laptop running Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit with Service Pack 1). But I wish the contents of the "Show Details" window during the Waveforms™ installation process had been captured in a log file somewhere in case there had been a problem.[/list]
Comment: The local Waveforms™ Help web page would benefit from adding more Analog Discovery-specific information.[/list]
Comment: Given the number of cross-platform electrical engineering tools and programs, one hopes that Waveforms™ will eventually be ported to run under Mac OS X and Linux.[/list]
[hr:][/hr:] See (link) for Analog Discovery ~ Review (Part Two)
[quote author="IPenguin"]Expensive German 8-layer board is still cheaper than cheap Chinese 4-layer board?[/quote] The short answer is that the cost depends on your specific situation...
Low-volume multiple-design-aggregation PCB fabrication vendors make their living by being easy to use, not by providing low high-volume pricing. High-volume traditional PCB fabrication vendors are typically harder to use, but provide low high-volume pricing.
The weird cost-volume connection that IPenguin and dsm have documented is fairly typical of the PCB fabrication industry. There are a bunch of other considerations [1] about number of layers, substrate material, dimensions, accuracy, solder-masks, silk-screens, hole-size pallet, pad pallet, blind vias, buried vias, plating options, RoHS, wiring rules, CAD formats, but fabrication volume and setup costs often predominate the board cost. Think of the market opportunity this situation represents if the demand for your design is high enough.
I know of quite a few relatively low-volume medical products with multi-layer boards (typically to control emissions) that cost roughly $1.00 to $1.25 per square inch of board.
You're absolutely right about both
cost-volume connection
cost comparisons with low-volume multiple-design-aggregation fabrication vendors [2] [3] [4]
For example, the estimated board cost comes down with volume pretty quickly...
hh8g3 ~ 345.81 GBP per 3 ~ 115.37 GBP each hh8g10 ~ 355.60 GBP per 10 ~ 35.56 GBP each hh8g50 ~ 411.50 GBP per 50 ~ 8.23 GBP each hh8g100 ~ 489.00 GBP per 100 ~ 4.89 GBP each hh8g500 ~ 905.00 GBP per 500 ~ 1.81 GBP each hh8g1000 ~ 1460 GBP per 1000 ~ 1.46 GBP each hh8g5000 ~ 4000 GBP per 5000 ~ 0.80 GBP each
Thanks for your time.
dsm
[0] GBP = $1.5522 @ 23Jul2012 [1] hh8gxxx means SO-DIMM size Hardware Haiku with eight layers and gold flash at xxx volume. [2] Seeed Studio's Fusion PCB Service [3] OSHPark [4] Itead Studio'sPCB Prototyping Service[/font:]
[quote author="arhi"]5 gbp per board, are you sure there are no hidden cost?[/quote] I've never used the firm referenced by the above link. I found their site after an extensive 60 second search of the internet using Google and the search key "multilayer PCB board cost estimates". The 497 GBP per 100 estimate in my last posting assumed 1.6 mm thick boards, but SO-DIMMs are 1.0 mm +-0.1mm thick according to JEDEC MO-268C. The revised cost estimates are
hh2g100 ~ 141 GBP per 100 hh4g100 ~ 264 GBP per 100 hh6g100 ~ 393 GBP per 100 hh8g100 ~ 489 GBP per 100 hh10g100 ~ 597 GBP per 100
As a sanity check, how many products (that are not subsidized like cellular telephones) with multi-layer boards do you know of that are sold for $50 (1/2 of your initial $100 estimate for multi-layer OBLS-size bare boards) or less?
Thanks for your time.
dsm
[0] GBP = $1.5522 @ 23Jul2012 [1] hh8gxxx means SO-DIMM size Hardware Haiku with eight layers and gold flash at xxx volume.[/font:]
[quote author="arhi"]we're talking more then $100 for a board the size of OBLS at 100+ quantity [/quote] The OBLS board is 3.65" x 1.90" ~ 92.71 mm x 48.26 mm. The Hardware Haiku SO-DIMM size board is 67.6 mm x 31.75 mm. So the OBLS board is roughly 2x the size of the Hardware Haiku board.
I requested some online cost estimates from a European PCB vendor (link) for eight-layer SO-DIMM size boards with an electroless gold finish and was quoted 497 GBP for 100 boards (before VAT and shipping).
[quote author="IPenguin"]Here is a memory-Spartan-6 haiku - Trenz Electronic TE0630 Series ... a "little" short on memory/width for what you are looking for (it's only 128MB/16-bit) :P Don't check the price ;)[/quote] Interestingly enough, the same site has a (link) to the ZedBoard that was announced in early June. The ZedBoard is based on the XilinxZynq-7020 and is nominally a "community-based" design effort (link) available from Avnet Electronics and Digilent. Quite a bit of documentation is already available online (see previous link). The ZedBoard (6.3" x 5.3" ~ 160 mm x 135 mm) is quite a bit larger (10x) than the SO-DIMM (67.6 mm x 31.75 mm) proposed for the Hardware Haiku. The student price from Digilent is roughly $299. Keep in mind that this design is one of the first XilinxZynq-70x0 products announced, that it currently has no real competition, and that it contains a bunch of circuitry that would not be on the Hardware Haiku design.
[font=Georgia:]Multi-layer Board Design and Fabrication Issue
[quote author="arakis"]Even if you have enough pins to interface the SDRAM to a Spartan 6 tqfp 144, and the ft2232, you are still left with the problem of designing the memory lines on a 2 sided board..[/quote] I suspect that you're right about using a two-layer board, but PCB layout tools that can handle multi-layer boards are readily available. For example, KiCad.orgKiCad (link) is probably capable enough to handle board designs with dense routing. I also don't think open source hardware should only be limited to freeware [1] PCB layout tools. For example, AltiumDesigner can be rented on a month-by-month basis at a low cost.
[quote author="arhi"] it's probably going to require 4 layer board, bga chip .. so might be a perfect opportunity to switch from eagle to kicad :D (or design the thing in Altium or Cadence and then redraw in kicad/eagle)[/quote] I suspect six-layer [2] or eight-layer [3] boards might be needed for many designs with leading edge components.
multilayer PCB => control emissions small physical size => to make multilayer PCB economical
[hr:][/hr:] Boards with BGAs Assembly Issue
[quote author="arhi"]What I concluded is that BGA present 3 problems 1. positioning - solvable 2. soldering - I was unable to solve (maybe with a reflow oven with proper heat profile..) 3. routing - anything with more then 16 pins becomes unroutable on the 2 sided board + most of the chips have number of power pins that all need to be connected and that draw a lot of current so routing 3mil traces between bga pins to them ain't going to cut it .. you need at least 2 power layers if not some signal layers apart from the top and bottom one ...]
1+2+3 = I gave up on bga[/quote] [quote author="IPenguin"]We need to keep up with advancing packaging and assembly technologies :)[/quote] [quote author="IPenguin"]Maybe it's time for a simple high-precision Mini-PnP project bare auto-feeding. One that can place single BGA packages...[/quote] I once proposed an improved imaging processing architecture for an X-ray machine intended to automatically inspect dense boards with BGAs for soldering defects at the beat-rate of a PCB assembly line. One of my personal lessons from this exercise was that I was quite happy to let professional assembly operations assemble my boards that needed BGAs. Companies have made large investments for equipment and do an amazingly good job performing board assembly for remarkably little money.
< rant on >
Am I the only one willing to let a professional assembly operation build dense boards with BGAs for me?
I like designing stuff (which pays relatively well), but I am more than willing to let someone else assemble my boards (which pays relatively poorly). Further, if my designs are successful, the designs will have to be move to a professional assembly operation anyway. Economic "comparative advantage" arguments aside, designing stuff and programming stuff is generally more fun than applying paste, positioning parts, and running a reflow oven to assemble stuff.
The SO-DIMM board with a XilinxZynq-70x0 BGA described previously in this forum thread could be professionally assembled and tested. This processor-memory-FPGA hardware haiku could then be plugged into relatively simple motherboards that you would be able to design and build in your home lab.
We use parts every day that we could not build by ourselves. For example, given that there are multiple companies that will build multi-layer boards for me at a reasonable cost, I no longer build my boards in my bathtub. Given that there are companies that build 7400 quad-nand-gate devices (and other other rumored devices of even greater complexity), I no longer build computers out of transistors, resistors, diodes, switches, and miniature incandescent bulbs. Interesting FPGAs in BGA packages are just the latest example.
< rant off >
Thanks for your time.
dsm
[1] The freeware version of CadSoftEagle (link) is limited to
board area smaller than 100 mm by 80 mm two signal layers one sheet of schematics
[2] four wiring layers, two power layers
[3] two outside ground layers (for lower emissions), four wiring layers, two power layers[/font:]
[quote author="arakis"]Papilio one 500k uses the xc3s500e hence the name papilio one 500k :)[/quote] Sigh... Serves me right for not proofreading closely enough. Corrected above.
Just for reference, both the OBLS and the Papilio One 250K designs appear to use the XilinxSpartan-3E XC3S250E-VQG100-4C device, while the Papilio One 500K design appears to use the XilinxSpartan-3E XC3S500E-VQG100-4C device.
[hr:][/hr:] [quote author="arhi"]184pin ddr1 sticks? that would be superb :D[/quote] About one quarter of the pins on a 184-pin DIMM are either power or ground. Of the remaining pins, 72 are either data or parity/ECC. That leaves roughly 66 control or NC pins. I suspect that it's hard to effectively support 184-pin DIMMs with non-BGA FPGAs.
Thanks for your time.
dsm
[hr:][/hr:] [quote author="nexus"]Jack is working on a spartan 6 Papilio board with sdram[/quote] The Papilio Plus design (link) appears to use the XilinxSpartan-6 XC6SLX9-TQG144 [1] device with
large serial Flash memory 16-bit wide SRAM [2] memory interface [4] 32MHz clock FT2232D + EEPROM various connectors
The Papilio Pro design (link) also appears to use the XilinxSpartan-6 XC6SLX9-TQG144 [1] device with
large serial Flash memory 16-bit wide SDRAM [3] memory interface [5] 32MHz clock FT2232D + EEPROM various connectors
[1] Xilinx (link) ~ speed/temperature range undetermined [2] ISSI (link) IS61WV25616BLL (link) 16x256K (4Mb) SRAM or Cypress (link) CY7C1041D (link) 16x256K (4Mb) SRAM [3] Micron (link) MT48LC16M16A2 (link) 16x16M SDRAM [4] 40-pin memory interface (16 data + 19 addr + 5 ctl) out of 102 user IO pins [5] 39-pin memory interface (16 data + 13 addr + 10 ctl) out of 102 user IO pins
Suppose you want a common high-performance hardware platform for a variety of projects. You might consider a common daughter-board that plugs into a variety of easy-to-design two-layer project-specific motherboards (which only have connectors, buffers, phys, power supplies, etc.). In this case, you might design a daughter-board with the following features:
inexpensive reliable high-pin count connector scheme => SO-DIMM used in laptops multilayer PCB => control emissions small physical size => to make multilayer PCB economical high-performance processor with a variety of useful integrated peripherals local SDRAM and Flash memory => minimize wire length to control emissions high-speed FPGA fabric available silicon micro SDcard => to simplify firmware development clock and reset JTAG power supply and sequencing
The XilinxZynq 70x0 series were announced a couple years ago, but Xilinx only just started shipping silicon. These parts are complicated products to develop. They will take awhile to come down in price, but that will happen. If only because Altera is designing competing products.
If you decide to go to a BGA package, I suggest you skip the XilinxSpartan 6 and go directly to a XilinxZynq 7010 or 7020 (link). That way you get a dual Cortex-A9, a bunch of useful peripherals, and a Xilinx Series 7 FPGA fabric. The price of the XilinxZynq 7010 is expected to be roughly $15 in volume.
How about combining the following items on an SO-DIMM card?
XlinixZynq 7010 two wide SDRAM devices two wide Flash devices micro SDcard clock and reset JTAG power supply and sequencing [/list] Thanks for your time.
[quote author="bearmos"]It's great that the bus pirate is getting a case. I also checked out the wiki link - the idea of creating standardized PCB outlines for ready-made enclosures is great, I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate this.[/quote] The changing Dangerous Prototypes board sizes / component locations was a big concern for me. I think your observation is spot on.
In order to support a variety of enclosure schemes for the new Dangerous Prototypes board sizes (link), the size and position of the corner mounting holes needed to be carefully controlled. As you might imagine, it's easier for a variety of venders to deliver an accurate non-PTH hole size than for a variety of venders with different plating and tolerance specifications to deliver an accurate after-plating PTH hole size.
