Solve the Signal Processing Challenge with Digilent Eclypse Z7 Ecosystem

Introducing the Digilent Eclypse Z7 Ecosystem

Digilent’s latest FPGA board, the Eclypse Z7 Ecosystem is ideal for high-speed instrumentation, control, and measurement systems for edge-computing, medical, and communications applications. The Eclypse Z7 ecosystem includes Eclypse Z7 Xilinx Zynq SoC Platform, Zmod ADC 1410 and Zmod DAC 1411.

The Digilent Eclypse Z7 Development Board is a powerful prototyping platform that has been designed to enable systems that are modular and high-speed. The first host board in the Eclypse platform, it offers modular functionality, high-speed Input/Output, and an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) SoC (system on a chip). Design flow is accelerated and streamlined with the Eclypse platform ensuring that productivity and flexibility are optimised.

The Digilent Eclypse Z7 features:

1. Zynq-7000 APSoC (XC7Z020-1CLG484C) 

• 667 MHz (Megahertz (million times per second)) dual-core Cortex-A9 processor
• DDR3L memory controller with 8 DMA channels and 4 High Performance AXI3 Slave ports
• High-bandwidth peripheral controllers: 1G Ethernet, USB 2.0, SDIO
• Low-bandwidth peripheral controllers: SPI, UART, CAN, I2C
• Programmable from JTAG, Quad-SPI flash, and microSD card
• Programmable logic equivalent to Artix-7 FPGA 

2. Memory

• 1 GiB DDR3L with 32-bit bus @ 1066 MT/s
• 16 MB (Megabyte) Quad-SPI Flash with factory programmed 128-bit random number and 48-bit globally unique EUI48/64™ compatible identifier
• MicroSD card slot

3. Power

• Powered from external 12V 5A supply
• Platform MCU for configuration of adjustable power supplies and temperature management

4.  USB and Ethernet

• Gigabit Ethernet PHY
• USB-JTAG programming circuitry
• USB-UART bridge
• USB micro AB port with USB 2.0 PHY with Host/Device/OTG capabilities

5.  Zmod Ports

• 2 ports following the SYZYGY Standard interface specification
• Compatible with a variety of SYZYGY pods, allowing for a wide variety of applications
• Dedicated differential clocks for input and output
• 8 differential I/Os per port
• 16 single-ended I/Os per port
• DNA interfaces connected to Platform MCU allowing for various auto-negotiated power supply configurations

6.  Pmod Ports

• 2 twelve-pin ports for a total of 16 FPGA-connected I/Os
• High speed voltage translation and protection circuitry 

7.  User GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output)

• 2 push-buttons
• 2 RGB LEDs

A New Standard for High Speed Communications

The Eclypse Z7 features two high-speed connectors using Opal Kelly’s new SYZYGY standard. Zmods, are newly created SYZYGY-compatible modules that provide high-bandwidth connections to an FPGA enabling very compact and cost-effective high performance Input/Output.

There are currently two Zmods available:

The Zmod ADC 1410

• Channels: 2
• Channel type: single-ended
• Resolution: 14-bit
• Input range: ±1V (High Gain) or ±25V (Low Gain)
• Absolute Resolution 0.13mV (High Gain) or 3.21mV (Low Gain)
• Sample rate (real time): 100MS/s
• Input impedance: 1MΩ||18pF
• Analog bandwidth: 70 MHz+ @ 3dB, 30 MHz @ 0.5dB, 20 MHZ @ 0.1dB
• Input protected to: ±50V

The Zmod DAC 1411

• Channels: 2
• Channel type: single-ended
• Resolution: 14-bit
• Absolute Resolution (amplitude ≤1.25V): 167μV
• Absolute Resolution (amplitude >1.25V): 665μV
• Output impedance: 50Ω
• Sample rate (real time): 100MS/s
• AC amplitude (max): ±5 V
• Analog bandwidth: 40 MHz @ 3dB, 20 MHz @ 0.5dB, 14 MHz @ 0.1dB
• Slew rate (2V step): 180V/μs

Eclypse Platform Software

The Eclypse Z7 combines Digilent’s open software API with its Eclypse hardware. Petalinux is supported out of the box and pre-built Linux images are accompanied by the API, enabling bulk data transfer. With this system, users can plug in their chosen Zmods and start prototyping new measurement, instrumentation and control systems without needing to interface with the FPGA. This open and easily customised software is ideal as developers can benefit from the power of FPGA even if they lack hardware expertise.

Accelerating your design flow

Why Eclypse?

As more RF communications, test, software defined radio (SDR) and other similar applications press the technology further, Digilent, An NI company, has been hard at work to not only keep up the pace but also explore ways to influence the direction of this evolution. These trending applications employ high speed analog inputs and/or outputs where real-time signal processing is required, driving the need for higher precision and higher speed solutions.
                            
By combining one Zmod DAC and one Zmod ADC with Eclypse, the challenge of adding instrumentation-grade analog I/O to an FPGA-based system is simplified. This speeds up the development, research and prototyping processes as users are offered a range of options that can be easily customised without needing to create new designs from scratch.

These expansion capabilities enable users to invest more time on the analytical and system-level aspects of the solution rather than focusing on component-level interactions.

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