Sipeed Tang Mega 138K Dock FPGA Development Board (GW5AST / RISC-V)

Specifications

• FPGA Chip: Gowin GW5AST-LV138PG484AC1/I0

• Logic Capacity: 138,240 LUT4 / 138,240 FF / 298 DSPs

• Hardcore Processor: 800MHz AE350 32-bit RISC-V SoC

• Onboard Memory: 1GB DDR3 RAM (512MB x 2)

• PCIe Interface: PCIe 2.0 x4 (Up to 20GT/s)

• USB Interface: USB 3.0 (5Gbps) via WCH CH569W

• Networking: 10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet

• Power Input: 12V DC Barrel Jack or USB-C PD (12V)

Key Applications and Projects

• High-Speed Communication Gateways: Prototyping custom networking routers relying on PCIe and Gigabit Ethernet bridging.

• Real-Time Computer Vision: Combining the DVP camera and HDMI outputs with the nearly 300 DSP units to build hardware-accelerated image filters and edge AI models.

• Hybrid Software/Hardware Execution: Deploying custom embedded Linux on the hard RISC-V AE350 processor while offloading math-heavy operations to the FPGA fabric.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The High-Speed PCIe Hardware Accelerator: Move past bottlenecked microcontrollers! By plugging the Tang Mega 138K directly into your desktop PC's motherboard PCIe slot (ensuring both are fully powered off first), you can design custom hardware accelerators for cryptography, video encoding, or AI inference. The 138K LUTs and 1GB DDR3 RAM will process heavy datasets, and the PCIe x4 interface will stream the processed results directly back to your PC's CPU at lightning speeds!

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x Sipeed Tang Mega 138K Dock GW5AST FPGA RISCV FPGA Development Board

• 1 x Acrylic Protective Case & FPGA Heatsink

• 1 x PMOD_LEDx8 Module

• 1 x USB-C Cable

• 1 x USB-C PD to 12V Adapter

• 1 x Pry Tool / Mini Screwdriver

• 2 x 8P Lead Wires

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What FPGA chip is used on this board? The board uses the 22nm Gowin GW5AST-LV138PG484AC1/I0 FPGA chip.

2. How many logic elements are available? It features 138,240 Look-Up Tables (LUT4) and 138,240 Registers (FF).

3. Does it feature a built-in processor? Yes, it integrates an 800MHz AE350 RISC-V hardcore SoC.

4. How much RAM is included? The module is equipped with 1GB of DDR3 RAM (two 512MB chips).

5. What is the PCIe connector rated for? It features a PCIe 2.0 x4 interface supporting data transfer rates up to 20GT/s.

6. What chip manages the USB 3.0 connection? The USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 5Gbps interface is provided by a WCH CH569W PHY.

7. Does the board support Gigabit Ethernet? Yes, it includes a 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port.

8. How should I power this board? The board requires a 12V DC input, utilizing either the DC barrel jack or a high-quality USB-C PD charger capable of 12V delivery.

9. Can I power it from a standard 5V USB port? No, this high-performance board requires the provided 12V adapter or a 12V PD source to operate safely.

10. Do I need an external JTAG programmer? No, the board features an onboard USB JTAG and UART debugger interface.

11. Are the GPIO pins 5V tolerant? No, the GPIO and PMOD pins use strictly 3.3V logic. Connecting 5V sensors directly will fry the FPGA banks.

12. Can I hot-plug the PCIe connector into my PC? No, hot-plugging is explicitly not supported. Ensure both the PC and the FPGA board are completely powered off before insertion to prevent damage.

13. What display outputs does the dock support? The board supports DVI/HDMI TX and RX, alongside an RGB LCD interface designed for RGB888 screens.

14. Does the board support camera inputs? Yes, it features a DVP camera interface multiplexed with the top 2x20P headers and PMOD.

15. What are the blue DIP switches for? The 6-position blue DIP switch is used for hardware configuration and setting specific FPGA boot modes.

16. Does the kit include a heatsink? Yes, a custom black heatsink is provided for the main FPGA SOM to manage thermals effectively.

17. What is the small module with LEDs included in the box? The package includes a standard PMOD_LEDx8 module for quick visual debugging of your digital logic circuits.

18. Where do I store the FPGA bitstream? The board utilizes an onboard 128Mbit Flash memory chip dedicated to storing the configuration bitstream.

19. Does it support battery power? Yes, the board includes a built-in charge/discharge management circuit designed for a 3.7V single-cell Li-ion battery.

20. What is the purpose of the 8P lead wires? These two 8-pin jumper wire harnesses allow you to easily connect the board's expansion headers to external logic analyzers or breadboards.