Spartan 6 dev board is a development board for designing and making prototypes of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). You can use the board to also learn more about the processes involved in the production or manufacturing process of configurable devices.
In this article, you are going to find out the top seven (7) features of the Spartan 6 dev board.
1. Minimal Power Option
The Spartan 6 dev board is powered by a mini–Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. It comes in handy becomes you don’t have to source for a bigger or higher powering function to get the board working.
2. Multiple Communication and Networking Components
There is no limit to the number of components you can use to configure the network and communication functions of the board.
For example, the Spartan 6 dev board features the CMOS camera modular interface, which can be connected to a Monocular Camera Module.
It also features the following communication and networking components:
- VGA Video Display interface
- USB-to-UART Bridge Connector
3. Expansion Connection Components
Your Spartan 6 dev board also includes relevant components and interfaces that make the board’s expansion possible. An example is the 40-pin Expansion Port x2. It also has a Digital Tube.
Let us talk more about the pin expansion. It features a 2-port 0.1-inch spacing 40-pin expansion headers.
These spacing expansion connectors can be expanded with the ALINX Modules, ranging from the LCD Module to the AD/DA Data Acquisition Module. Other modules to use for the connection expansion are Audio Module, and the Camera Module.
4. Clocking Performance
The Spartan 6 dev board uses a Fixed Oscillator with differential 50 MHz output. It is primarily used as the “system clock” for the Spartan 6 dev board.
5. Configuration Peripherals
The Spartan 6 dev board uses an Onboard JTAG Header, which provides the board with peripherals compatible with the ALINX Brand Xilinx download cables.
To that end, the Onboard JTAG Header can be used with the download cables, including the Platform Cable USB II.
6. Memory Options
The memory options available on the Spartan 6 dev board range from a Storage Device (SD) Card Slot and a 16Mbit SPI Flash.
It also features an IIC EEPROM 24LC04: 4Kbit (2 x 256 x 8bit). The 256Mbit SDRAM (16M x 16bit) and a 16bit bus are also included in its memory.
7. Study Materials
Get started almost immediately with the Spartan 6 dev board configuration by getting ideas from the study materials provided by the manufacturer.
The study materials include a User Manual that shows how the board is to be used, and a set of Schematic/Verilog HDL Demos.
Conclusion
The Spartan 6 dev board is the ideal development board for beginners looking to try their hands in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) configuration. You can also take advantage pf the board to learn how to get around with using some advanced components and peripherals to get around FPGA configuration.
If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact EBICS to guide you and even help you configure the board to the desired applications.
