Proposal for

"Empowering Academics with Digilent FPGA Platforms"

in collaboration with DigiToad Technologies

Digilent's FPGA platforms offer cutting-edge solutions for academic and research
institutions, enabling students and researchers to explore the growing field of digital
design, embedded systems, and reconfigurable computing. As a leading provider of
affordable and accessible FPGA development boards, Digilent ensures that users at all
levels—from undergraduate students to advanced researchers—have the tools necessary to
innovate and excel. By integrating these FPGA platforms into their curriculum, institutions
can cultivate an environment that fosters hands-on learning, creativity, and real-world
problem-solving skills, thereby preparing the next generation of engineers and
technologists.
Objective of the FPGA Lab Program:

Provide hands-on training in FPGA-based digital design and development.

Develop proficiency in hardware-software co-design, logic synthesis, and simulation.
Bridge the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application.
Enable participants to work on practical projects using industry-standard FPGA tools and
platforms.
Equip students and faculty with skills in HDL programming and digital system prototyping.
Foster innovation and problem-solving through structured experiments and guided learning
experiences.

DigiToad Technologies - An authorized distributor of Digilent

Why FPGAs?

PARALLEL: FPGAs can be programmed as parallel processing devices, whereas CPUs execute
operations in a sequential manner.
ACCURACY: FPGAs can perform consistent time critical processing.
FLEXIBILITY: FPGAs can be configured for a specific application, and then changed again after
installation.
POWER: FPGAs have high performance per watt.
EFFICIENT: No overhead of an Operating System, such as you would have with a CPU.
CUSTOMIZABLE: The programmer decides what is accomplished with each clock cycle.
Our offerings in FPGA for Academic &
Research:

Basys 3
Artix-7 FPGA Trainer Board:

As a complete and ready-to use digital circuit development platform, it includes enough switches, LEDs, and other I/O devices to
allow a large number of designs to be completed without the need for any additional hardware. There are also enough
uncommitted FPGA I/O pins to allow designs to be expanded using Digilent Pmods or other custom boards and circuits, and all of
this at a student-friendly price point.

Features:
Features the Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA: XC7A35T-1CPG236C
33,280 logic cells in 5200 slices (each slice contains four 6-input LUTs and
8 flip-flops)
1,800 Kbits of fast block RAM
Five clock management tiles, each with a phase-locked loop (PLL)
90 DSP slices and Internal clock speeds exceeding 450 MHz
On-chip analog-to-digital converter (XADC)
Digilent USB-JTAG port for FPGA programming and communication
Serial Flash and USB-UART Bridge
12-bit VGA output , USB HID Host for mice, keyboards and memory sticks
16 user switches , 16 user LEDs, 5 user pushbuttons and 4-digit 7-segment
display
4 Pmod ports: 3 Standard 12-pin Pmod ports, 1 dual purpose XADC signal /
standard Pmod port

NEXYS A7
Artix-7 Development Board:

The Nexys A7 is an incredibly accessible, yet powerful, FPGA development board. Designed around the Xilinx Artix®-7 FPGA family,
the Nexys A7 is a ready-to-use digital circuit development platform that brings industry applications into the classroom
environment. Students can start learning right away with the Nexys A7 thanks to its versatile selection of interfaces, such as 10/100
Ethernet, USB, UART, JTAG, and VGA. With a built-in temperature sensor, microphone, and accelerometer, students can work on a
variety of projects without needing any additional hardware. Of course, 5 Pmod ports are available for additional customizability
and applications.

Features:

Internal clock speeds exceeding 450MHz

On-chip analog-to-digital converter (XADC)
Programmable over JTAG and Flash
USB-JTAG programming circuitry
16 MB QSPI Flash
Powered from USB or any 7V-15V source
microSD card connector
10/100 Mbps Ethernet and USB-UART Bridge
3-axis accelerometer, Temperature Sensor and PDM microphone
PWM audio output and 2 four-digit seven-segment displays
USB HID for mice, keyboards, and memory sticks
16 Switches, 16 LEDs and 2 tri-color LEDs
12-bit VGA output
4 Pmod connectors and Pmod for XADC signals
Nexys Video
Artix-7 FPGATrainer Board for Multimedia Applications:
The Nexys Video is a powerful platform for audio/video applications. Built around the Artix®-7 XC7A200T, the most powerful chip
from the Xilinx® Artix-7 FPGA family, the Nexys Video has all the performance and FPGA real estate needed for high-bandwidth and
low-latency A/V processing. Utilizing A/V signals is made easy with an on-board Mini DisplayPort, three high-speed digital video
ports, and a 24-bit audio codec. One can conveniently scale their design with Ethernet, UART, and USB interfaces and integrate it
into larger systems. There is no limit to customizability with the 160-pin FMC LPC connector and four additional Pmod ports.

FPGA Features:
Xilinx Artix®-7 XC7A200T-1SBG484C
33,650 logic slices, each with four 6-input LUTs and 8 flip-flops
13 Mbits of fast block RAM (3x more than the Nexys 4 DDR)
10 clock management tiles, each with phase-locked loop (PLL)
740 DSP slices & Internal clock speeds exceeding 450MHz
On-chip analog-to-digital converter (XADC) & Up to 3.75Gbps GTP transceivers

Board Features:
Programmable over JTAG, Quad-SPI Flash, microSD, and USB flash drive
512MB 400MHz (800MT/s) DDR3 & 32MB Quad-SPI flash
microSD card slot for nonvolatile storage (card not included)
Dedicated onboard USB port for JTAG programming and data transfers
Powered from any 12V source (36W wall supply included)
HDMI sink and HDMI source & Mini DisplayPort source
24-bit Audio codec w/ four 3.5mm jacks
10/100/1000 Ethernet PHY with included unique MAC address
User EEPROM & USB-UART bridge
Digilent parallel transfer interface (DTPI) for high-speed data transfers over USB
Digilent serial peripheral interface (DSPI) for medium-speed data transfers over USB
Onboard user interfaces: 128x32 monochrome OLED display, 5 user push buttons, 8 user switches, 8 user LEDs
USB HID host for mice and keyboards
Fully-populated 160-pin FMC LPC connector & Four Pmod ports, Pmod for XADC signals

Genesys 2
Kintex-7 FPGA Development Board:

The Genesys 2 is a high-performance, ready-to-use FPGA development board built around the Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA. The Genesys 2 is
a powerhouse for data and video processing applications, but offers a variety of peripherals making it a great solution for a wide
array of projects. Everything needed for robust multimedia applications is already available on the board: DisplayPort connectors,
HDMI sink and source, 16-bit VGA, 128x32 pixel OLED screen, and an audio codec with four 3.5mm jacks. One can quickly get started
with A/V, image processing, or other multimedia applications without needing additional hardware.
Features:
Fully-populated 400-pin FMC HPC connector w/ ten GTX lanes
USB-UART Bridge, 128x32 pixel OLED & 16-bit VGA connector
Pmod connector for XADC signals & two four-lane DisplayPort connectors
HDMI Sink and HDMI Source & 10/100/1000 Ethernet PHY
1 GB 1800 MT/s on-board DDR3 & USB 2.0 Host/Device/OTG PHY
Dedicated USB port for JTAG programming and data transfers
Micro SD card connector & Audio codec w/ four 3.5mm jacks
Serial Flash & Five Pmod ports
USB HID Host for mice, keyboards and USB MSD Host for storage
On-board FPGA: Xilinx Kintex-7™ FPGA (XC7K325T-2FFG900C)
50,950 logic slices, each with four 6-input LUTs and 8 flip-flops
16 Mbits of fast block RAM & 840 DSP slices
Ten clock management tiles, each with a phase-locked loop (PLL)
Internal clock speeds exceeding 450MHz & on-chip analog-to-digital
converter (XADC)
Up to 10.3125Gbps gigabit transceivers
1800Mbps DDR3 data rate with 32-bit data width
Support and Services from DigiToad Technologies

As the authorized distributor of Digilent products in India, DigiToad Technologies offers

unparalleled support and services to academic institutions. Our offerings go beyond just providing
FPGA boards:
Comprehensive Training Programs: We provide detailed training sessions on FPGA
development, digital design, and embedded systems using Digilent platforms. These sessions
are designed to cater to both students and faculty, ensuring all participants are well-versed in
FPGA technology.
Curriculum Development and Experiment Lists: We offer tailored experiment lists and lab
manuals to seamlessly integrate FPGA learning into the academic curriculum, providing a
structured approach to hands-on learning.
Certification Programs: Participants in our training programs will receive certificates, which
can enhance their academic and career prospects.
Future Collaboration Opportunities: We actively seek collaboration with institutions for joint
research projects, workshops, and internships, fostering long-term relationships that benefit
both academia and industry.

Our other lab program offerings

Edge AI: This lab offering is built around ARM Cortex based
STM32 microcontrollers and ST Edge AI Suite, provides a
comprehensive learning ecosystem for students as well as
educators for the designing and developing their own
embedded AI (edge AI) prototypes.

AIOT: This lab offering is built around ARM Cortex based

STM32 microcontrollers and ST Edge AI Suite, provides a
platform for students and educators to explore the world
of embedded systems, AI and IoT in a single hardware and
to be able to build low cost and power efficient edge AI
prototypes with IoT capabilities.

E-Learning Platform

Virtual Lab: Hands-on experience with edge AI and IoT technologies on embedded systems using real-time sensor data.

Certification Programs: Industry-recognized certifications that connect students with professionals and enhance career
prospects.

Industry Readiness: Upskill students to meet the demands of modern AI and IoT industries.

Comprehensive Learning: Gain practical knowledge and credentials through our e-learning portal.