AX7020: Zynq-7000 SoC XC7Z020 FPGA Development Board

Great FPGA development board for beginners to learn FPGA Programming. The tutorials that can be downloaded for this board are good, but the syntax is not always correct. The spacing is incorrect in the PDF files so a little understanding of code syntax is helpful. Also, the code for the included sample files differs from the code in the tutorial but can be used as a starting point. A CR1220 battery is not included but can be installed to save data and time when the board is not powered on. This board has a good selection of onboard components that can be and are used in the tutorials to get started. Additionally, there are plenty of add on boards that can be used as well as user-built devices. The board contains 6 LEDs, 2 of which are PS (Processing Subsystem, Arm Cortex) and 4 of which are PL (Programable Logic, FPGA) controlled. It also contains 7 buttons, 1 reset buttons, 2 PS controlled buttons, and 4 PL controlled buttons. For add-on boards or usable IO there are expansion pins to include a 2-way 40 pin expansion port. The board is powered by an included 5-volt wall wart and is converted to 3.3v, 1.8v, 1.5v, and 1.0v using onboard DC/DC chips and can handle up to 3 amps. A nice option that Alinx has included are test points on each of the 4 DC voltages. Another great feature is the FTDI FT232HL chip allowing programming through the JTAG port directly to the board with the included mini USB cable. This option means that you do not have to buy a separate JTAG programmer. The board has a UART port and can be connected for serial communications with the board through a terminal program. Included with the kit is a pre-loaded Micro SD card with Linux installed and instructions to reload the card if needed. This is a great beginner board to learn FPGA programming and has all the features to get started. All parts on this board are genuine parts and the board itself is really good quality. The Vivado suite had no issues recognizing the board and programming it. The only issue that I have is that the DropBox link to download the tutorials and sample files is quite long. Also, as previously stated, the code in the pdf is not always correct requiring either knowledge of code syntax or further research to work out the issues. The Micro SD card reader that came with the kit worked but is not that great.

I picked this up for a hardware dev project along with 2 other boards just like this one. Over the last months I have barely used any of the 3 of them due to the complexity of the boards and the very minimal documentation that is provided. After trying to email the company multiple times for information on the boards or possibilities of building the boards out more through collaboration; I received nothing back and as such I have stowed the cards / boards away for the future. I understand that there are mfg shortages at this point in time and maybe the company is not as interested in doing anything special but it would be nice to have full and proper documentation for those of us that aren't electrical engineers / scientists with unlimited time. I am a low level software engineer and was able to figure out some things on my own but because these boards are from a smaller company that doesn't seem to want to work with anyone; the myriad of FPGA software that is out there on github doesn't typically work on any of these boards / cards. If something changes in the future I will update this review but otherwise I cannot recommend these for anyone other than the most hardcore engineer / scientist who wants to figure it all out on their own.

I'm interested in experimenting with FPGA development more and this board seems to fit all my needs. The link to the included materials in a zip are fantastic and comprehensive, there's a LOT of material there to get you going and learn. GBs worth. Someone uploaded all of it onto GitHub a while back if you want to search for it there and see what you're getting. For the chipset, I've seen some other boards that do not have this level of quality. The box and packaging for this board were immaculate and the board itself is quite beautiful almost, encased nicely in its acrylic frame. I have played around with it at the basic level and everything works, once I gain more experience with it I may update my review. Everything was as advertised and is functional.

This board is well made. It came with plastic plates above and below the board to protect it. Good durable quality. The connectors are strong and well made. Good performance. Good connection. My husband very happy with this board to developed on. Highly recommend.

I have a hope and vision of a different way of processing data, and this board answers my needs. It is surprisingly versatile. ALINXs’ FPGA has les me create in a way that really got my creative juices flowing. One of the features I like best, is that the 7020 can push massive Mhz. I love it! I like the versatility it offers me for the many projects I have floating around in my brain. I would even recommend this to someone who is new to logic blocks. Not to sound like a commercial but, from excellent tutorials for beginners, to a challenge for those already attempting mastery, the AZ7020 lays it down on the table in a way that allows a nice base freedom and performance, at an affordable price.

This simple looking board can do so much, you will never look at a Pi again! It comes with a lot of built-in software, and it has near limitless expansion possibilities. Working with it is simple enough, reviewing it is much harder! It can do so much that it is hard to work out what to write about! Not a problem I often have. So let's start with the basics. The board is well made. It comes with clear plastic plates above and below it to afford the board some protection. The connectors on the board are strong and well made. No loose parts! It works at a very fast speed, developing on it is a joy. Connecting to the device is easy, with USB and network connections. But the best part of this is the documentation. I cannot describe how well documented this beast is. Everything you need is clearly written up, understandable, and searchable! Fantastic!