Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#1

Post by monsonite » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 5:12 PM UTC

Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table
folknologylabs.wordpress.com

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#2

Post by joshu » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 5:53 PM UTC

This would be better if there was a link to the actual product.

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#3

Post by papower » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 6:01 PM UTC

joshu wrote: post #2

This would be better if there was a link to the actual product.

They have an intro to the myStorm board at https://folknologylabs.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/a-perfect-st...:

"myStorm is the perfect combination of a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero, a $1, 32-bit ARM microcontroller and a $5 versatile low power FPGA – an open hardware platform – brought to life with innovative open source software."

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#4

Post by zombees » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 6:05 PM UTC

I love all the FPGA boards coming out but I really wish the software was better. Lattice uses the same synthesizer as Xilinx which is well known to be completely user hostile (will silently optimize huge swaths of code because it doesn't like them). The least headaches come from Altera but that's not a high bar...

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#5

Post by zerohp » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 7:19 PM UTC

zombees wrote: post #4

I love all the FPGA boards coming out but I really wish the software was better. Lattice uses the same synthesizer as Xilinx which is well known to be completely user hostile (will silently optimize huge swaths of code because it doesn't like them). The least headaches come from Altera but that's not a high bar...

This chip from Lattice is supported by icestorm. It is the only open source FPGA tool chain.

http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#6

Post by ElaineB » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 7:21 PM UTC

zombees wrote: post #4

I love all the FPGA boards coming out but I really wish the software was better. Lattice uses the same synthesizer as Xilinx which is well known to be completely user hostile (will silently optimize huge swaths of code because it doesn't like them). The least headaches come from Altera but that's not a high bar...

You might consider Clifford Wolf's Project Ice Storm - an open source tool chain for several Lattice devices - consisting of YoSys Synthesiser and Arachne Place and Route.

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#7

Post by ElaineB » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 7:24 PM UTC

papower wrote: post #3

joshu wrote: post #2

This would be better if there was a link to the actual product.

They have an intro to the myStorm board at https://folknologylabs.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/a-perfect-st... : "myStorm is the perfect combination of a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero, a $1, 32-bit ARM microcontroller and a $5 versatile low power FPGA – an open hardware platform – brought to life with innovative open source software."

In response to Joshu - I don't think this is a Kickstarter Campaign - I get it's two guys in the UK doing this off their own backs - and in record time - design on laptop to working board prototype in less than 2 weeks - with the pcbs made in Shenzhen China, in under a week. There on Twitter under #myStorm - if you want to check them out

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#8

Post by ElaineB » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 7:27 PM UTC

joshu wrote: post #2

This would be better if there was a link to the actual product.

In what way would it be better? Two guys doing something cool - what do you want? It's all opens source - you go make one in 10 days!

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#9

Post by CamperBob2 » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 8:03 PM UTC

ElaineB wrote: post #8

joshu wrote: post #2

This would be better if there was a link to the actual product.

In what way would it be better? Two guys doing something cool - what do you want? It's all opens source - you go make one in 10 days!

If a tree grows in the forest but no one sees it, is it there at all?

Re: Brewing Up a myStorm FPGA board on the kitchen table

#10

Post by wott » Sat, Jul 30, 2016, 8:06 PM UTC

ElaineB wrote: post #7

papower wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They have an intro to the myStorm board at https://folknologylabs.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/a-perfect-st... : "myStorm is the perfect combination of a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero, a $1, 32-bit ARM microcontroller and a $5 versatile low power FPGA – an open hardware platform – brought to life with innovative open source software."

In response to Joshu - I don't think this is a Kickstarter Campaign - I get it's two guys in the UK doing this off their own backs - and in record time - design on laptop to working board prototype in less than 2 weeks - with the pcbs made in Shenzhen China, in under a week. There on Twitter under #myStorm - if you want to check them out

> - and in record time - design on laptop to working board prototype in less than 2 weeks

Well, it looks like there are 3 chips, a usual DC-DC converter, and that's all :-)