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P1Vs - More RAM, fewer COGs (new iCE40 UltraPlus) ? — Parallax Forums

P1Vs - More RAM, fewer COGs (new iCE40 UltraPlus) ?

jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
edited 2016-12-13 18:54 in Propeller 2
I see Lattice have just added more members of their ICE40, called UltraPlus
UP3K : 2800 LUT, 1024Mbit , 4 DSP MMac, 80kb EBR 100 + $4.46
UP5K : 5280 LUT, 1024Mbit , 8 DSP MMac , 120kb EBR 50+ $5.75.

http://www.latticesemi.com/iCE40UltraFamily?pr1212

Package choices are QFN48, with 39io (UP5K only?) and ~ 2mm BGA with 21io
48MHz internal Osc, and 1 PLL , 2 x i2c and 2 x SPI

That would allow more RAM (4x), and fewer COGs than a P1, and the DSP cells would support some MAC opcodes.

Single Port RAM is 4 blocks of 16k x 16, Logic Fabric is 100MHz.16b Counter and 40MHz.64b Counter

See also this thread about very small micro-sequencer MCU cores. ( ie a Speed/Size trade off)

http://forums.parallax.com/discussion/164468/mcl86-now-mcl51-micro-sequencer-fpga-cores-308-312-lut

Other clock and PLL specs
fMAX_GBUF Frequency for Global Buffer Clock network All Devices   <= 185 MHz
PLL:
fIN   Input Clock Frequency (REFERENCECLK, EXTFEEDBACK)      10  ~  133 MHz
fOUT Output Clock Frequency (PLLOUT)                         16  ~  275 MHz
fVCO PLL VCO Frequency                                      533  ~  1066 MHz
fPFD3 Phase Detector Input Frequency                         10  ~  133 MHz

On a per-COG basis the price is highish, but tolerable, and paired on a PCB with a P1 could give an interesting system.
A boost to 4x RAM, and DSP extensions, could extend the life-time of P1 whilst P2 gels into reality.

Of those specs, the Counter MHz indicates useful targets. With 16b to 100MHz, and 64b to a modest 40MHz, 32b is not spec'd but will be somewhere between those. 80MHz to at least match P1, would be desirable.

Comments

  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
    .. and they have a breakout board, for QFN48 :
    (one of my peeves was the lack of a QFN48 Ice40 board, seems they were waiting on this part for that )

    No price? but hopefully similar to their MachX0n boards ? ( uses the same FT2232H link device )


    iCE40UltraPlusBreakoutTop.png?h=540&mh=540&mw=980&w=980
  • QFN48 and internal osc, more RAM, and a few more I/O! Even with less cogs it won't take much to create some simple UARTs etc. I'm interested.
  • Oddy findchips shows a price of $65 at mouser - perhaps the price was up for a while before disappearing?

    Looks interesting. Plenty of RAM and a 7x7mm QFN.


    1044 x 182 - 23K
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
    Tubular wrote: »
    Oddy findchips shows a price of $65 at mouser - perhaps the price was up for a while before disappearing?
    Well spotted - Now up at Mouser, 2 Eval boards...(no stock yet)

    iCE40UP5K-B-EVN 1 $65.0000
    iCE40UP5K-MDP-EVN 1 $281.0000

    EVN Price is higher than I'd hoped, given these existing Lattice EVN price points
    ICE40HX1K-STICK-EVN $21.86
    LCMXO2-7000HE-B-EVN $26.23


    The MDP-EVN has a LCD display, and the link
    http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/Lattice_12132016_FPGA-UG-02009.pdf
    is for iCE40 UltraPlus Display Frame Buffer Demo , with MIPI DSI TX Module

    Seems these iCE40 parts could also give P2 a MIPI interface ? ( and maybe even a P1 ?)

  • AribaAriba Posts: 2,682
    edited 2016-12-15 02:08
    jmg wrote: »
    ...
    UP3K : 2800 LUT, 1024Mbit , 4 DSP MMac, 80kb EBR 100 + $4.46
    UP5K : 5280 LUT, 1024Mbit , 8 DSP MMac , 120kb EBR 50+ $5.75.

    JMG: where did you find these prices?

    These FPGAs are really interesting with the big RAM blocks, just ideal for processors in FPGAs.
    But the ICE40-Ultra is a bit slow, about half the speed of a Cyclone 4 or a MachXO2/3 in my tests.

    My observation is that Lattice ICs take about 6 month from the announcement until you can really buy the chips. For example the MachXO2-1k in QFN32, I waited a long time and now it's much too expensive to be interesting. So I hope the above prices are right, also for the QFNs.

    Andy
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
    Ariba wrote: »
    jmg wrote: »
    ...
    UP3K : 2800 LUT, 1024Mbit , 4 DSP MMac, 80kb EBR 100 + $4.46
    UP5K : 5280 LUT, 1024Mbit , 8 DSP MMac , 120kb EBR 50+ $5.75.

    JMG: where did you find these prices?
    Prices show at Digikey, I think only on BGA30 atm - part code is ICE40UP5K-UWG30ITR50
    Ariba wrote: »
    These FPGAs are really interesting with the big RAM blocks, just ideal for processors in FPGAs.
    But the ICE40-Ultra is a bit slow, about half the speed of a Cyclone 4 or a MachXO2/3 in my tests.
    The counter MHz numbers were not stellar, be interesting to see what MHz P1V he Lattice tools spec.

  • AribaAriba Posts: 2,682
    Thanks
    I remember I've seen them listed as new products, 2 month ago, but could not find any information about UltraPlus devices then. Later they disapeared from the new products list.

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