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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Julian Loiacono’s zynqPCB is a published, eight-layer KiCad board design built around a Xilinx Zynq chip for an FPGA-accelerated audio-and-video synthesizer. It is available for inspection and collaboration on GitHub, but it is not a finished, verified instrument: the repository says boot and FPGA software work remained and marks most hardware interfaces untested.
What is zynqPCB?
zynqPCB is a hardware platform intended to support audio and video synthesis, rather than a ready-to-use synthesizer. The project repository describes an eight-layer KiCad board built around a Xilinx Zynq system-on-chip; its bill of materials identifies the chip as xc7z020clg484. The design files and schematics are published in the GitHub repository, which also asks builders to clone two supporting footprint and library repositories into the same directory.
Loiacono described the project as a four-year effort and said he was taking a hiatus while making the PCB design available. He also invited collaboration. That publication makes the design inspectable and potentially reproducible; it does not establish that a completed product is available or that the board works as a complete instrument.
What connections and components does the board design include?
The repository lists a broad set of planned connections and components. Their inclusion in the design should not be mistaken for confirmed operation.
#1 Best Overall
- Designed for students and beginners looking to understand Digital Logic, fundamentals of FPGAs
- Features the Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA compatible with Vivado Design Suite WebPACK Edition (free download available from Xilinx)
- On board user interfaces include 16 user switches, 16 LEDs, 5 user pushbuttons, and a
- Expansion opportunities with four Pmod ports including 3 standard 12-pin Pmod ports and 1 dual
- Does NOT ship with micro USB cable
| Design feature | What the repository establishes |
|---|---|
| Audio | TLV320 audio codec is listed; interface status is “Untested.” |
| Video | HDMI is listed; interface status is “Untested.” |
| Memory | DDR3 is listed, with DDR3 PS memory marked “Untested.” |
| USB | USB host and device connections are listed; both are marked “Untested.” |
| Sensors | The design includes rangefinders and lists an accelerometer and IMU; their status is “Untested.” The BOM names a VL53L1CXV0FY/1 rangefinder. |
| Screen connection | An Arduino Uno-style header is listed for a screen. |
| Debug | JTAG is the only interface explicitly marked “Functional!” in the repository’s status list. |
| Storage and boot | SPI flash and microSD are listed; both are marked “Untested.” |
These status labels are the clearest available guide to the design’s maturity. The repository does not provide independent performance results, audio-quality measurements, latency figures, or reliability testing.
What remains before it can be used as a synthesizer?
The README identifies software work needed before the design could be generally usable: boot firmware for SPI flash to load a Linux kernel from SD, and a basic Vivado shell block diagram. Hardware bring-up also remains unresolved for most listed interfaces, including audio, HDMI, USB, memory, sensors, and storage.
Rank #2
- Arty A7 comes in two FPGA variants: Arty A7-35T features Xilinx XC7A35TICSG324-1L. Arty A7-100T features the larger Xilinx XC7A100TCSG324-1.
- Internal clock speeds exceeding 450MHz, On-chip analog-to-digital converter (XADC), Programmable over JTAG and Quad-SPI Flash
- 256MB DDR3L with a 16-bit bus @ 667MHz, 16MB Quad-SPI Flash, USB-JTAG Programming circuitry, Powered from USB or any 7V-15V source
- 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, USB-UART Bridge
- 4 Switches, 4 Buttons, 1 Reset Button, 4 LEDs, 4 RGB LEDs, 4 Pmod connectors, shield connector
Hackster’s report from the project’s publication period likewise described an incomplete boot loader and interfaces awaiting testing. That account is historical, not evidence of current development activity. In a March 3, 2021 Hackaday comment, Loiacono also named boot firmware and a basic Vivado block design as remaining work; the comment records his status at that date, not a current update.
The repository cautions: “I make no guarantees as to device funtionality. Please review the board carefully before production.” Anyone attempting a build should treat the design as an advanced hardware project requiring independent review and bring-up, not as a validated board ready for fabrication and use.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRank #3
- [FPGA Chip] GW2AR-18 QN88 FPGA Chip containing 20736 LUT4 logic cells and 15552 Filp-Flops.There are 2 PLL in this FPGA chip, and many DSP units supporting 18 bit x 18 bit multiplication
- [Onboard Debugger ] Sipeed Tang Nano 20K Development Board support JTAG for FPGA, USB to UART for FPGA,USB to SPI for FPGA communication, Control MS5351 generate frequency
- [USB2.0 HS interface] The 27MHz crystal generates the clock for HDMI display, onboard MS5351 clock generating chip also provides mutiple clocks.Support Serial communication, high-speed SPI reception.
- [Application scenarios] Tang Nano 20K Open source Development Board supports game console emulators, drives RGB screens, multiple display outputs, 20K LUT4, RISC-V soft-core experiments.
- [Wiki] "dl.sipeed.com/shareURL/TANG/Nano_20K/1_Datasheet";Any after-Sales Privems, Please Contact us by click "Waypondev" store and ask a question or leave the message in our forum by "forum.youyeetoo .com/".
What does the project’s open-hardware status mean?
The current GitHub repository page displays an MIT license. Hackster’s earlier coverage said that no license had yet been chosen at the time of its report, so the two statements refer to different points in the project’s history. Before copying, modifying, or distributing any part of the design, inspect the current license file and confirm which files and contributions it covers.
Publication of the PCB materials is useful to people who want to study or continue the design, but it does not guarantee that a reproduction will work. A careful review should check the exact board revision and BOM selections, then track boot, FPGA-shell, and interface status separately. No validated finished zynqPCB variants are established in the available project sources.
Rank #4
- The best way to get started with FPGAs: Using a simple board with projects that build on eachother, now anyone can get started with FPGA development!
- Fun peripherals available: With 4 LEDs, 4 push-buttons, 7-segment display, USB connector, a VGA connector, and a PMOD (for expansion) you can have dozens of fun projects available to you out of the box!
- Works with Verilog and VHDL: No matter which programming language you want to get started with, the Go Board will work for you!
- No extra device required: Simply plug the Go Board into a USB port and go! Getting started with FPGAs has never been easier.
- Works with all operating systems: Windows, Mac, Linux
What is known about the Zynq chip’s capabilities?
In a March 3, 2021 Hackaday comment, Loiacono compared the XC7Z020 with the Milkymist XC6SLX45 and attributed 85K programmable logic cells, 53,200 LUTs, 106,400 flip-flops, 4.9 Mb of block RAM, and 220 DSP units to the XC7Z020. Those figures are his dated comparison, not independent measurements or results from a working zynqPCB board. The repository’s BOM identifies the specific part as xc7z020clg484; verify the exact package and ordering code against the BOM before sourcing components.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who should consider the design?
zynqPCB is most relevant to experienced hardware and FPGA developers interested in examining or continuing an unfinished synthesizer platform. It is not a consumer synth recommendation or a plug-and-play build. A prospective reproducer would need to assess the board files, BOM, software work, interface bring-up, and licensing before committing to fabrication.
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Best Value
- Digilent Basys 3 Artix-7 FPGA Trainer Board: Recommended for Introductory Users
Loiacono mentioned PCBWay in a March 4, 2021 comment about a previous board run. That dated reference does not establish current availability, endorsement, or an ongoing relationship with the manufacturer.
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