Microchip Technology, a key player in the semiconductor industry, has unveiled the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit to meet the growing demand for open-source RISC-V-based processor architectures within the embedded industry. This initiative aims to address the existing constraints in commercially available silicon or hardware, providing a budget-friendly option to make RISC-V and FPGA design more accessible for a broader range of embedded engineers.
The PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit comes equipped with a quad-core RISC-V application-class processor, supporting Linux and real-time applications. With a rich set of peripherals and 95K low-power, high-performance FPGA logic elements, this kit serves as a comprehensive yet cost-effective development solution. It facilitates rapid testing of application concepts, firmware development, and efficient programming and debugging of user code.
Shakeel Peera, Vice President of Marketing for Microchip’s FPGA business unit, expressed the company’s commitment to supporting low-power, high-performance FPGA fabrics. Peera stated, “The PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit is a significant step in our journey towards creating accessible, smart, secure, and high-performing computing solutions for a wide range of applications.”
Targeting both experienced and new design engineers, as well as university students, the Discovery Kit provides a low-cost RISC-V and FPGA development platform for learning and innovation. As part of Microchip’s Academic Program, the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kits will be available at a reduced price to universities in the second half of 2024. This initiative is designed to ensure that the next generation of engineers has direct access to cutting-edge technology, aligning academic studies with the latest industry trends.
Steven Osburn, Professor at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, highlighted the kit’s value in enhancing practical learning experiences. Osburn commented, “The students are gaining hands-on experience with new technology, working on real-world engineering projects, and finding innovative solutions to real-world problems.”
Built around the PolarFire MPFS095T SoC FPGA, the Discovery Kit features an embedded microprocessor subsystem with a quad-core, 64-bit CPU cluster based on the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture. Supporting Microchip’s Mi-V ecosystem, the kit includes a MikroBUS expansion header for Click Boards, a 40-pin Raspberry Pi connector, and a MIPI video connector. Protocols like I2C and SPI control the expansion boards, while an embedded FP5 programmer facilitates FPGA fabric programming and debugging, along with firmware applications development.
