Sipeed Tang Primer 20K FPGA Development Kit with Dock Baseboard

Specifications

• Core FPGA: Gowin GW2A-LV18PG256C8/I7

• Logic Capacity: 20,736 LUT4

• On-board Memory: 128MB DDR3 SDRAM (SKhynix H5TC1G63EFR)

• Video Outputs: 1x Full-Sized HDMI Port

• Network Port: 1x 10/100M Ethernet Jack (HanRun HR911105A)

• Display/Camera Interfaces: RGB LCD FPC, DVP Camera FPC, Touch Panel FPC

• Audio Output: 3.5mm Stereo Out

• Onboard I/O Controls: 5x Tactile Switches, 5-Position Red DIP Switch, 6x User LEDs

• Expansion IO: 4x Standard PMOD headers (Dual row pitch blocks)

• Programming Port: Integrated USB Type-C JTAG/UART (BL702)

• Power Inputs: DC Barrel Jack (6V-12V) or USB Type-C (5V)

Key Applications and Projects

• Vintage Hardware Emulation: Re-creating classic 8-bit or 16-bit computer processors (like the 6502 or Z80) inside the FPGA logic to play classic computing systems natively over HDMI.

• Softcore RISC-V SoC Prototyping: Programming and instantiating custom open-source RISC-V processors inside the logic fabric, complete with attached DDR3 memory control.

• Edge Machine Vision Processing: Connecting a DVP camera module to capture frames, processing pixel arrays natively inside custom hardware pipelining, and displaying bounding boxes over an attached RGB display.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution) The AIoT Ethernet Video Gateway: Stop running your real-time object detection models over slow serial links! By combining the Tang Primer 20K with a DVP camera and the 100M Ethernet port, you can design a standalone, low-latency industrial network camera. Write custom hardware image pipelines in Verilog to perform edge detection or frame compression inside the FPGA fabric. The board will capture high-framerate raw video through the camera interface, cache it inside the fast DDR3 RAM, and stream the custom telemetry packets directly over the hardwired Ethernet port straight to a localized storage server.

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x Sipeed Tang Primer 20K System-on-Module (SOM)

• 1 x Sipeed Tang Primer 20K Dock Baseboard

• 1 x USB Type-A to Type-C Power/Data Cable

• 1 x Custom 8-Pin Ribbon Jumper Wire Harness

• 1 x USB Type-A to Type-C Compact Adapter Plug

• 2 x Standard 2.54mm Shorting Jumpers

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What specific FPGA chip powers the Tang Primer 20K module? The system runs on the Gowin GW2A-LV18PG256C8/I7 FPGA processor.

2. How many total Look-Up Tables (LUTs) are available for my logic designs? The system features 20,736 total LUT4 logic elements.

3. Does the module feature any dedicated onboard dynamic RAM? Yes, the SOM includes a high-speed SKhynix 128MB DDR3 memory chip.

4. How does the core FPGA module mount onto the Dock board? It installs into a centralized, robust multi-pin card edge socket with retaining side arms.

5. What is the network speed of the physical Ethernet port? The HanRun network jack supports standard 10M/100M fast Ethernet connections.

6. Do I need an external hardware programmer like a USB Blaster to load my code? No, the board features a built-in JTAG & UART system powered by a BL702 chip, allowing direct programming over standard USB-C.

7. How many individual PMOD interfaces are broken out on the headers? The hardware exposes 4 standard PMOD-compatible connection headers along the board edge.

8. Can I plug a camera directly into this development kit? Yes, the board features an integrated FPC connector specifically labeled "CAMERA" for DVP video inputs.

9. What display interfaces are directly accessible via the onboard ribbon slots? The board includes separate FPC slots labeled for an RGB Display interface and a Touch Panel (TP) interface.

10. What type of video connection is available for standard monitors? The board provides a single, full-sized physical HDMI video output jack.

11. What logic levels apply to the exposed GPIO/PMOD pins? The expansion connections operate at standard 3.3V logic levels (3V3), as indicated on the rear silkscreen maps.

12. What are the two distinct USB Type-C ports on the side used for? One port is labeled "USB-JTAG" for code compiling/debugging, while the other is labeled "USB-OTG" for connecting generic USB peripherals via a USB3317 controller.

13. What voltage can I supply to the dedicated DC barrel jack port? The DC barrel input accepts external inputs ranging safely from 6V to 12V DC.

14. What are the functions of the buttons labeled S0 through S4? These are generic user-assignable tactile push-switches linked straight to the FPGA pin fabric for layout input.

15. How many manual input toggles are provided on the red switch bank? The manual red switch module provides a 5-position slide array labeled 1 through 5.

16. Does the board feature any onboard visual indicator LEDs? Yes, it incorporates an array of 6 independent user-programmable diagnostic LEDs.

17. Can I plug headphones or a regular speaker directly into the kit? Yes, a standard 3.5mm stereo analog audio jack is provided right next to the red DIP switch.

18. What software is used to compile code for the Tang Primer 20K? You can use the official Gowin EDA software suite to write, synthesize, and flash your Verilog or VHDL designs.

19. What is the custom white 4-pin port next to the camera jack for? It is a dedicated extension header optimized for custom microphone array sub-boards.

20. What are the shorting block headers included in the accessory pack for? The small black jumpers can be placed onto specific configuration headers to alter power routing or select specific boot modes.