The embedded industry’s growing demand for open-source RISC-V®-based processor architectures is met with limited options for commercially available silicon or hardware. To bridge this gap and foster innovation, Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) has unveiled the PolarFire® SoC Discovery Kit. This user-friendly, feature-rich development kit is designed to make emerging technology more accessible to engineers of all levels, facilitating embedded processing and compute acceleration.
Empowering Innovation with PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit
The PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit is equipped with a quad-core, RISC-V application-class processor that supports Linux® and real-time applications. Additionally, it boasts a rich set of peripherals and 95K of low-power, high-performance FPGA logic elements. This comprehensive yet affordable kit enables rapid testing of application concepts, firmware development, and seamless programming and debugging of user code.
Shakeel Peera, vice president of marketing for Microchip’s FPGA business unit said, “We are dedicated to helping support the growth of embedded systems that require low-power, high-performance FPGA fabrics. The PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit is a pivotal step in our journey towards creating more accessible, smart, secure and high-performing computing solutions for a wide range of applications. With the new Discovery Kit, experienced and new design engineers, as well as university students, will have access to a low-cost RISC-V and FPGA development platform for learning and rapid innovation.”
Microchip’s Academic Program: Shaping Future Engineers
In the second half of 2024, PolarFire SoC Discovery Kits will be available through a pilot project as part of the Microchip Academic Program. By offering these kits at a reduced price to universities, Microchip ensures that future engineers have direct access to cutting-edge technology. This initiative enhances practical learning experiences for students and aligns academic studies with industry trends, fostering innovation and skill development.
Steven Osburn, professor at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, highlights the impact of the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit on students’ learning experiences, “Preparing students for the work world, a capstone project is a unique opportunity for students to develop practical applications. Several ASU students are using the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit in their projects this year and it’s been an invaluable experience for them to have access not only to development boards, but also the amazing mentorship provided through Microchip’s academic program. The students are getting hands-on experience working with new technology to complete real world engineering projects, finding innovative solutions to real-world problems.”
Features of the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit
The Discovery Kit is centered around the PolarFire MPFS095T SoC FPGA, featuring an embedded microprocessor subsystem with a quad-core, 64-bit CPU cluster based on the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture. It offers a large L2 memory subsystem configurable for performance or deterministic operation, supporting asymmetric multi-processing (AMP) mode. The board includes support for Microchip’s Mi-V ecosystem, a MikroBUS™ expansion header for Click Boards™, a 40-pin Raspberry Pi® connector, and a MIPI video connector. Expansion boards can be controlled via protocols like I2C and SPI, with an embedded FP5 programmer included for FPGA fabric programming, debugging, and firmware applications development.
Pricing and Availability
The PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit is available starting at $132 for the general public and $99 through Microchip’s Academic Program. For purchases, customers can contact a Microchip sales representative, authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip’s Purchasing and Client Services website.
Also read – Pebble Unveils Stylish Smartwatches for Modern Indian Women
Join our WhatsApp News Channel for quick updates – FYI9 News WhatsApp Channel
 has unveiled the user-friendly, feature-rich development kit, PolarFire® SoC Discovery Kit.){kind=link}