Getting started with FPGAs and hardware description languages can be tough. There’s quite a steep initial learning curve; not only do you have to learn how HDLs work, you also need to learn a whole new toolchain and build process, and possibly an entire new IDE. So it’s good to make things simpler for yourself by picking up a development board that’s known to work and has a good community around it, and the IcyBlue FPGA Feather v2 is exactly that.
The new version uses the same chip as the original, a Lattice ICE5LP4K with 3520 LUTs and lots of I/O, including hardware I2C and SPI blocks. The additional benefit of having on-board programming facilities which work both with open-source toolchains like icestorm and the Lattice tools like Diamond.
The Feather form factor (designed by Adafruit) is a really nice size for smaller development boards. Like almost all Feathers, a Li-Ion battery connector and charge circuitry are included onboard, making it extremely easy to take your project out for test runs on battery power! There are tons of add-on boards compatible with the Feather form factor, so you can quickly add sensors, motor drivers, ADCs/DACs, and just about anything else you need. And a USB-C connector tops it off — we’re glad to see more and more projects switching to USB-C.
If you’ve been wanting to get started in the world of programmable hardware, check out the product page and be sure to check out the other products made by Oak Development Technologies!
