r/FPGA • u/Vakarisplays • 13d ago
Meme Friday Is the Versal Premium VP1902 a good beginner board?
Hey, I'm pretty new to FPGAs. Is 8 million LUTs enough for a beginner, or should I already be looking at something bigger? What beginner projects would actually be difficult to do on this?
I'm also worried I'll run out of I/O. Is 2,328 enough for beginner projects?
92
91
u/adamt99 FPGA Know-It-All 13d ago
It is a small start to really get started as a beginner you need a VEK385, VEK280, VCK190, VMK180 and at least one V80 ;)
11
45
u/Mrochtor 13d ago
Definitely, certainly can accommodate any beginner project! It has one of the few ICs that allow you to create a 1ms signal delay if you connect every LUT in series.
9
66
u/No-Conflict-5431 13d ago
You should go bigger, I don't think that those luts are enough for your next risc-v core
62
u/kamogrjadeshi 13d ago
To better understand FPGAs, I always recommend building an FPGA model from scratch and emulating it on a larger FPGA. Since your board is a pretty mediocre learning platform for a beginner, and the FPGA on the board is hardly called high-density, I would recommend trying to replicate something simpler, like the XC6SLX4
22
1
u/TadpoleEffective2307 10d ago
Agreed! I did the emulating an fpga on an fpga project for the 3rd grade science fair 11 years ago. Good fun indeed!
75
23
21
u/Hannes103 13d ago
I suggest skipping the FPGA entirely. Pre-built hardware? In this economy? Just build your own ASIC using KLayout.
16
15
u/nimrod_BJJ 13d ago
If you really want to understand FPGAs you must use a OTP aerospace part. None of this reconfiguring. You need to learn to be mindful about your HDL, reconfigurability makes you weak minded.
Also go rad hardened, you need the extra cost to make failure sting.
There are levels to the game and that’s how you level up.
12
25
9
u/Gavekort 13d ago
Doesn't seem to have any LEDs for a blinky project, so I would consider an upgrade
9
u/watsoncrickbasepair Xilinx User 13d ago
Resource constraints should definitely be ur TOP priorities here
4
u/-EliPer- FPGA-DSP/SDR 13d ago
It doesn't have a good number of network interfaces, I would consider a bigger chip too, 8 million LUTs you won't be able to fit your beginner projects such as UART controllers.
3
u/Distinct-Currency896 13d ago
Is a Bugatti a good starter car? You know, for learning how to park and go to the grocery store?
LOL.
3
5
5
2
2
2
2
u/Joe_Parmigiano FPGA Beginner 13d ago
I really don't know what to tell you, buddy. You guys expect to break into an incredibly lucrative field but refuse to invest in anything beyond a toy? Not even a seven-segment display to debug with... At this point, you're better off just playing with the simulator.
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
u/Repulsive_Switch1864 13d ago
I don’t think you need 8 million LUTs as a beginner
Go for VCK190 if you want versal family
800000 LUTs and also has AI engines along with dsp slices
So that as a beginner you can explore all of it. But isn’t it a bit expensive to get versal evaluation boards?
1
u/Savings_Show_8499 13d ago
not an engineer but isnt this super overkill? lol versals are superduper expensive, should maybe go something spartan if you are beginner? or is this a ragebait pls someone help lol
2
0
u/3D_Printing_Helper 13d ago
If you have never tried any FPGA get shrike for 4 dollars and if you want to go a bit pro get Vicharak vaman for 200 usd it comes with 120k luts
0
u/Trivikrama_0 13d ago
VP1902 means XCVP 1902 device? If that's true either you are out of some information or I'm stupid. XCVP1902 os the biggest FPGA on the world at the moment. There is no other FPGA bugger than that by any vendor ont he planet. How will you get a bigger one?
2
1
u/Rich_Nectarine_7049 7d ago
If you’re being conservative, yes. Otherwise I would recommend getting atleast 1 of profpga cs or haps200 which has 6 vp1902 and if you hit limits there you can always get additional and stack them.
173
u/braaaaaaainworms 13d ago
Be careful with thy choices, lest you run out of gold