AUP-ZU3 Reference Manual: Revision: A1
AUP-ZU3 Reference Manual: Revision: A1
Revision: A1 www.realdigital.org
The AUP-ZU3 board features four or eight gigabytes of high-speed DDR memory, onboard ROM, audio and
video interfaces, general-purpose I/O, and multiple expansion connectors compatible with Raspberry Pi,
PMOD, Grove, and standard camera modules. This makes it a versatile solution for rapid prototyping and
embedded system development across a wide range of applications.
AUP-ZU3 Reference Manual Page 2 of 12
The board supports AMD-Xilinx’s Vitis and Vivado toolchains, along with the Python-based PYNQ framework,
offering flexibility for both software and hardware development. Programming can be done directly via USB
2.0 or through SD card boot, giving developers a convenient and adaptable workflow.
PYNQ
PYNQ (Python Productivity for Zynq) is an open-source framework that streamlines the development process
on AMD-Xilinx platforms by providing a high-level, Python-based interface for interacting with programmable
logic. Built on Jupyter notebooks, PYNQ allows developers to load hardware overlays and control custom logic
without the need for traditional, hardware-centric design tools.
By abstracting the complexity of hardware design, PYNQ makes it easier for software developers, data
scientists, and system engineers to leverage the power of hardware acceleration in their applications. This
greatly expands access to custom hardware capabilities, enabling rapid prototyping and development in a
more familiar software environment.
When combined with high-performance platforms like AMD’s MPSoC, PYNQ unlocks advanced visualization
and signal analysis capabilities - making it a powerful tool for many compute-intensive applications and real-
time data processing.
The MPSoC board is centered around the ZYNQ UltraScale+ XCZU3EQ device in the SFVC784 package. The
XCZU3EQ includes:
The ZU3 board surrounds the ZYNQ device with everything needed to build complex digital systems, including
high-speed memories, highly stable power supplies, clean and fast clocks, and high-speed data offload. Major
board features include:
• Multiple USB ports, including a USB2 port for UART/JTAG and two USB3 dual-role ports
• Up to 8GBtyes of 32-bit, 3200MTPS DDR4 connected to the Processing System (PS)
• Mini DisplayPort and I2S audio codec
• MicroSD card reader
• Raspberry PI, Grove, and Pmod+ expansion connectors
• GPIO devices including pushbuttons, slide switches, LEDs, RGB LEDs.
The figure below shows theZU3 board with callouts for major features and interfaces.
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Boot Power
MIPI camera Switch switch
connector
Reset button
& DONE LED Joystick
input
Audio Servo
Jacks ZYNQ DDR4 connectors
Ultrascale+
Fan MPSoC 10K pot
XC ZU3EG DDR4 Connected to ADC
Pmod+ Raspberry Pi
expansion expansion
connector connector
Programming
The ZU3 board features a USB2-based JTAG port for programming and debugging. This interface supports
direct hardware configuration from within the Vivado design suite, and enables software development,
execution, and debugging through the Vitis environment. An independent UART/COM port is also always
available over this same USB2 connection.
Alternatively, the board can boot from a MicroSD card loaded with hardware and software configuration files
produced by Vivado and Vitis. A BOOT mode switch located near the SD card slot selects between USB-JTAG
and SD card boot modes. On power-up, if a properly formatted SD card is inserted, the ZU3 device will
automatically load its configuration and programming files from the SD card. These files can be generated
using AMD-Xilinx tools such as Vivado and Vitis, and written to an SD card using any of several freely available
SD card writing programs.
The ZU3 board also supports the PYNQ framework. To use PYNQ, the board must be booted from a MicroSD
card preloaded with a PYNQ image specific to the ZU3. Any branded 16GB or larger MicroSD card (with a
minimum write speed of 10MB/s) can be used, and a compatible SD card is included with the optional ZU3 kit.
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The latest PYNQ image from AMD can be downloaded from www.pynq.io and written to an SD card using any
of several freely available SD card writing programs.
A system Reset button is available to restart the board and trigger a new configuration cycle. A status LED
labeled “Done” will illuminate once configuration is complete.
Clocks
The ZU3 uses two primary clock sources: a 33.3333MHz oscillator that provides the primary clock source for
the PS, and a 25MHz crystal that drives a TI CDCE6214 Clock Generator. The TI clock generator is factory
programmed to produce five clock signals: two single-ended 24MHz clocks that drive the two on-board
Microchip USB2 transceivers; a dual-ended 100MHz clock that provides the main PL clock source; and two
dual-ended 100MHz clocks that drive the Gigabit transceiver (GTR) blocks that interface with the USB3 and DP
blocks.
While the clock generator is in-system programmable, reconfiguration is not recommended for most users.
However, it can be controlled via three GPIO pins (GPIO1, GPIO4, and HW_SW_CNTL) and an I²C interface, all
routed from the PS. For detailed guidance on modifying clock settings, please refer to the CDCE6214 datasheet
available on the Texas Instruments website.
100MHz LVDS
OUT3 PL SYS_CLK (D6, D7)
PL
SCL
MIO36
SECREF_P SDA
MIO37
25MHz CLK_GPIO1 Clock
Xtal J19
SECREF_N CLK_GPIO4 Control
J20
CLK_HW_SW_CTRL
L21
100MHz LVDS
OUT2 GTR_REK_CLK_DP (F23, F24)
100MHz LVDS
OUT4 GTR_REK_CLK_USB3 (E21, E22)
Power Supplies
The AUP-ZU3 board is powered via a USB-C adapter connected to the onboard USB-C port labeled “EXT PWR.”
A TPS25730 USB Power Delivery (PD) controller negotiates with the power source to request 9V at up to 3A.
Once negotiated, the input power is routed to three downstream switching regulators, which generate all
required system voltages.
The board supports any USB-C power source that complies with the USB PD standard and that can deliver 9V
at 3A. A compatible USB-C power adapter is included in the board kit.
Under typical operating conditions, the ZU3EG MPSoC may dissipate up to about 12W. To manage this thermal
load, a passive heatsink is pre-installed. However, during sustained high-performance workloads, heat
dissipation may exceed the capacity of passive cooling. In such cases, an active fansink can be added for
improved thermal management. The board includes a built-in fan controller and a 2-pin fan connector,
allowing easy integration of a standard off-the-shelf, clip-on 23mm x 23mm fansink. As examples, the Radian
“FJ23/1.3+Y+T725” fansink is available from radianheatsinks.com, and the HF23 with an added fan is available
from Malico.
If the fan controller detects an over-temperature condition, it will automatically reset the ZU3 MPSoC device
to prevent thermal damage. During this condition, the controller will hold the ZU3 in reset and illuminate a red
LED located near the fan connector to indicate the fault. The board will remain in this state until the
temperature drops below a safe threshold. Once normal thermal conditions are restored, the board will
automatically attempt to reboot from the selected configuration source. To address persistent over-
temperature issues, consider using a modified design that reduces the processing load on the MPSoC, or install
an active fansink to improve cooling performance.
All required board voltages are generated by a series of onboard switching regulators, as illustrated in the
figure below. Two power status LEDs, located in the upper-right corner of the board, indicate the operational
state of the PD controller and the main regulator.
USBC
CC1
EXT CC2 5V/3A Power supply enables,
PWR VBUS
TPSM863257 RGB LEDs, Raspberry PI,
Regulator Servo, USB, fan
TVS2200
Clamp
0.85V/5A
VccINT
100K
100K
100K
100K
ADCIN1 TPS65256
ADCIN2 3.3V/3A LEDs, Pmods, PI & Grove
ADCIN3 Regulator
ADCIN4 Strap connectors, audio, DP,
115K
5.1K
5.1K
5.1K
For ON
USB, SD Card, clock
9V/3A
RSRV26 1.8V/2A Audio codec, FTDI,
10K
10K
10K
RSRV27
RSRV36 VCC_IO, VCC_AUX
2.5V/1A
10K
10K
10K
TPS65295
TPS25730 Regulator DDR
1.2V/8A
USBPD controller USB
PWR
Memories
The AUP-ZU3 board is available with either 4GB or 8GB of 3200
MT/s DDR4 memory. The 4GB configuration uses two Micron
Or MT40A2G8T (16Gb)
Timing & 23
MT40A2G16 (32Gb)
MT40A2G8T devices, while the 8GB version uses two dual-die Control
MT40A2G8T devices. Both configurations implement a 32-bit data Addr
14
Micron
bus, with address, control, and timing signals routed in parallel to 16
both DDR devices. Data lines and data strobes are routed Data 16
separately to ensure signal integrity and performance. PS
Pin assignments for the memory interface can be found in the AMD XCZU3EG
schematic.
Figure 5: ZU3 DD4 Memory
In addition to the external DDR4 memory, the ZU3EG MPSoC
integrates several internal memory resources, including 7.6 Mb of
UltraRAM, 1.8 Mb of distributed RAM within the programmable
logic, and a 256 KB SRAM memory block within the processing system.
These internal memory blocks provide fast, low-latency storage for real-time tasks and can be used to optimize
memory hierarchies in performance-critical applications.
Data Ports
The AUP-ZU3 board features multiple high-speed data interfaces for flexible connectivity and development.
It includes two dual-role USB 3.0 user ports, a USB 2.0 port for JTAG programming and UART communication,
and a MicroSD card socket for booting and storage.
All data interfaces are fully supported by drivers included in the Linux distribution provided with the PYNQ
boot image. This image is available for download from both the Real Digital and PYNQ websites, enabling out-
of-the-box support for USB peripherals, serial communication, and SD-based file systems.
USB2/UART port
The AUP-ZU3 board includes a USB-C connector labeled “PROG UART” along the top edge, providing both JTAG
and UART (COM) functionality over a single cable. This interface is powered by an FTDI2232 USB 2.0 controller,
which appears to the host computer as two separate devices: a JTAG programming interface recognized by
AMD-Xilinx development tools, and a standard COM port accessible from Windows and Linux systems.
The JTAG and COM functions operate independently and are always available when the board is connected to
a host via the PROG UART port.
The COM port uses a two-wire UART interface, with signals connected to the ZU3EG processing system on pins
J16 (RXD) and L16 (TXD). Two onboard LEDs labeled RX and TX, located near the USB-C connector, indicate
UART activity for easy monitoring during development and debugging.
USB3 Ports
The AUP-ZU3 board's two USB 3.0 user ports support SuperSpeed (5.0 Gb/s), High-Speed, Full-Speed, and Low-
Speed modes in all configurations. USB 2.0 signaling is handled by USB3320C transceivers, while Multi-Gigabit
Transceivers (MGTs) on the ZU3EG MPSoC handle the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed signals. Both USB host ports can
supply up to 2A of current to connected devices.
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To protect against overcurrent conditions, each port includes a Texas Instruments TPS25200 electronic fuse (e-
fuse). If the current draw exceeds approximately 2.5A, the e-fuse will disconnect power from the USB port. In
such an event, a red LED labeled “USB FLT” near the corresponding port will illuminate, indicating that current
flow has been interrupted.
The USB device (slave) port supports up to 12 endpoints and can operate at speeds of up to 5.0 Gb/s, making it
suitable for high-speed data transfer and peripheral emulation.
SD Card
AF18 SD_DQ3
A MicroSD card socket located along the top edge of the AE18 SD_DQ2 SD Card
AUP-ZU3 board supports standard MicroSD cards for boot AG18 SD_DQ1 Socket
MIO Pins AH18 SD_DQ0
images, file systems, and general-purpose data storage. Bank 500
P18
AB20 SD_CLK
This provides a convenient and flexible option for AC21 SD_CMD
embedded Linux systems and custom applications AB19 SD_CD_IN
PS
requiring removable storage.
AMD XCZU3EG
Mini DisplayPort
The AUP-ZU3 board includes a Mini DisplayPort interface capable of driving high-resolution external displays.
This interface is driven directly by the Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, which includes an integrated DisplayPort
controller capable of operating high-speed serial transceivers at up to 6 Gb/s. No additional interface
components are required.
The DisplayPort implementation conforms to the VESA DisplayPort Standard Version 1, Revision 2a, and
supports multiple data paths for streaming or memory-based audio/video feeds from both the Processing
System (PS) and the Programmable Logic (PL). It supports dual audio/video pipelines, enabling simultaneous
rendering with features such as alpha blending, chroma resampling, color space conversion, and audio mixing.
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CONFIG
G16 OE
HPD
Differential DP_TX_AUX_P
J15 DOUT Transceiver DP_TX_AUX_N AUX
F16 DIN FIN1019
PS K15 DP_HPD
AMD XCZU3EG
Figure 8. DP Interface
The DisplayPort interface can derive its pixel clock either from one of the PS PLLs or from a clock provided by
the PL, giving developers flexible clocking options for custom display applications.
To protect the 3.3V power rail on the DisplayPort connector, a Texas Instruments TPS25200 e-fuse is used. If
more than approximately 2.5A of current is drawn, the e-fuse will cut power to the connector. In this case, an
LED labeled “DP FLT” will illuminate, indicating a fault condition.
Audio Codec
The ZU3 board features a TLV320 stereo audio codec, capable of recording and playback at sample rates
ranging from 8 kHz to 96 kHz. Audio input can be sourced from either a microphone connected to the MIC_IN
jack or a line-level signal via the LINE_IN jack. The codec includes advanced signal processing features such as
programmable filters, programmable gain amplifiers (PGAs) with automatic gain control (AGC), and noise gate
functionality, enabling flexible input conditioning for a variety of audio applications.
Audio output is provided through the LINE_OUT jack, which can drive resistive loads ranging from 600 ohms to
10 kΩ, making it suitable for use with amplified headphones or external powered speakers.
The TLV320 codec communicates with the system over the I²C bus using 7-bit addressing, and supports both
standard-mode (100 kbps) and fast-mode (400 kbps) I²C operation for configuration and control.
AUP-ZU3 Reference Manual Page 9 of 12
Pmod+ Port
The AUP-ZU3 board includes a single 30-pin
GND
GND
3V3
3V3
JB1_P (E12)
Pmod+ connector, providing a versatile JA1_P (J12)
functions. GND
Servo Ports
The ZU3 board includes four Jump to use Cable to use
OR
board power external supply
3-pin headers designed for
compatibility with standard GND GND Servo SIG
hobby servo motors. These VS VS Cable PWR (VS)
5V0 5V0 GND
connectors provide signal,
power, and ground lines,
supporting direct
SPWR
connection to commonly
SEL
used servos. Because servo SERVOS SERVO0 W14
motors can draw several GND GND SERVO1 Y14
VS VS SERVO2
hundred milliamps each, SIG
W13
5V0 SERVO3
power availability must be Y13
S3
S1
S0
S2
considered carefully. FPGA
expansion. One connector is routed to the Processing System (PS), making it ideal for I²C-based
modules that can be managed entirely through software. The remaining two connectors are
connected to the Programmable Logic (PL), allowing for more flexible use. These can interface with
EMIO-connected I²C or UART buses, or be controlled through custom logic blocks implemented in the
FPGA fabric.
A wide variety of low-cost Grove modules—ranging from sensors and relays to displays and wireless
communication modules—are readily available from Seeed Studio and other vendors. These modules
provide a simple and efficient way to extend the functionality of the ZU3 platform with minimal
development overhead.
CLK_N(8) AD4
CLK_P(9) AD5
PWUP(11) J14
LED(12)
X
SCL(13) K14
MIPI Camera SDA(14_ L14
module
AMD XCZU3EG RPI
Raspberry Pi
Hat connector
(Pinout in Appendix A)
MIPI Connector Interface
Figure 14. Raspberry Pi and MIPI Interfaces
AUP-ZU3 Reference Manual Page 12 of 12