The Virtex 7 VC707 is an FPGA evaluation board, dedicated to the testing of components to be used in making Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices. You need to get some insights about the board before you consider using it to test or evaluate any of the components.
This guide puts you through the steps to getting started with FPGA component testing with the Virtex 7 VC707 evaluation board.
What is Virtex 7 VC707?
It is an FPGA evaluation board or kit. You need it to test the different components that would later be used to make or reconfigure Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs).
It is highly-flexible and includes a set of full-featured components. It also boasts of a high-speed serial base platform, which makes the testing process faster.
Targeted Applications
Although the Virtex 7 VC707 is not designed for specific applications, it can be used for some cases. Its primary designation is the FPGA system designs requiring advanced memory interfacing and high-performance.
The Virtex 7 VC707 evaluation kit also comes in handy when testing/evaluating the components of system devices that require serial connectivity.
Set the Balls Rolling
Kick-off the component testing almost immediately with the provision of basic components of hardware, design tools, Intellectual Property (IP) and pre-verified reference designs.
Improved Features
The overall design concept of the Virtex 7 VC707 includes an improved design. These includes important components, such as the enablement of serial connectivity via the IIC, PCIe Gen 2×8 and the SMA Pairs. The serial connectivity options also include SFP+ and UART.
Excellent Control
Maintain an excellent control over the Virtex 7 VC707 with the available components. These range from the 8x DSP switches, the 5x push buttons, Rotary Encoder Switch (3 I/O) and the AMS FAN Header (2 I/O).
Power Options
The Virtex 7 VC707 uses a wide range of power options. On the list are the Voltage and Current measurement capability and the 12-Volt wall adapter or ATX.
Clocking Features
The two primary clocking functionalities of the Virtex 7 VC707 are the Programmable Oscillator and the Fixed Oscillator.
The Programmable Oscillator features a 156.250 Megahertz (MHz) that serves as the primary/default output and frequency. It is also ideal for Ethernet-based applications.
Nevertheless, you may be able to reconfigure the Programmable Oscillator to fit into a wide range of other applications.
The Fixed Oscillator used by the Virtex 7 VC707 has a differential 200-Megahertz (MHz) output. This output is used as the “system clock” for the targeted Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
What Can I Make out of the Virtex 7 VC707 Evaluation Board?
The board is primarily designed for use when testing the components of the specific system devices that can be made out of it.
However, you can also use the Virtex 7 VC707 evaluation board to develop network applications that can work with the 10-100-1000 Megabyte per second (Mbps) Ethernet. The categories of Ethernet solutions offered with this include SGMII, GMII and RGMII.
Conclusion
Contact EBICS to help you make the best evaluation of your FPGA components.
