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https://github.com/emeb/ice-dongle

USB-C Dongle with ice40 UP5k FPGA
https://github.com/emeb/ice-dongle

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USB-C Dongle with ice40 UP5k FPGA

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README 

        
# ice-dongle

USB-C Dongle with ice40 UP5k FPGA






## Abstract

This is a small USB connected FPGA board in a "dongle" form-factor. Note that

it's not a true dongle since it doesn't have a USB plug (USB-C plugs are not

practical for DIY assembly at the time this was designed) - instead it has a

USB-C jack and you can use an inexpensive M-M adapter to achieve dongle-like

function.



For I/O it provides an 18-pin FPC connector that conforms to the Eye-SPI

standard found on some Adafruit products. This standard includes 3.3V power

as well as 16 GPIO for things like SPI or I2C device, most often TFT LCD

displays and user interfaces.



The FPGA is directly connected to USB and is pinned-out similarly to the

1bitsquared Icebreaker Bitsy so the NO2FPGA bootloader and user designs for

that ecosystem should port over with minimal changes. It includes 8MB of flash

and 8MB of PSRAM, as well as an RGB LED and a user button.



Initial programming of the FPGA bitstream takes place through a 1.27mm SMD

header footprint on the back of the board. The original intent was to access

this temporarily via the Adafruit "Pogo Pin Probe Clip" which should have

attached easily over the pads. Unfortunately the pogo pin row spacing is too

narrow for the SMT header pads so I ended up soldering on a header and using

a normal cable. This may be fixed in future revisions, but for now an actual

header + cable is probably more reliable for long-term development.



## Status

### 22-10-15

Boards are back from OSHpark and so far things are working.

* USB power, regulators and clock oscillator are running properly.

  * Minor silkscreen error was discovered - reference designators for R14 and C10 swapped.

* FPGA configures via programming header and from SPI flash.

* SPI flash can be written from the programming header.

* RGB LED works.

* EYESPI bus works with ST7789 TFT LCD

* PSRAM works.






### 22-10-16

USB FS interface is fully functional with the NO2 Bootloader. I've forked it to

add a custom BOARD target for ice-dongle but I'll submit a PR to the main project

when things settle down a bit. For the time being here's my fork:



[NO2 Bootloader](https://github.com/emeb/no2bootloader)



To build, clone that and follow the directions in the README. A few additional

notes:

* Don't forget to `git submodule update --init` to get all the related material

from the NO2 ecosystem.

* To build use `make BOARD=ice-dongle bootloader`

* The `riscv_lcd` gateware project has a `make dfu` target that shows how to use

the bootloader.



### 22-10-17

Ordered some helper boards to make interfacing easier:

* ice-fpc-pmod

* ice-prog-adapt



find out more about them in the [Hardware](Hardware) directory.



### 22-11-20

* Sylvain Munaut (@tnt) has built up a couple ice-dongle boards and confirmed that

they work outside my lab. He did spot another silkscreen error - R10 and C5 reference

designators are swapped. This doesn't significantly affect the board operation but

should be corrected.

* Updated NO2 board definition to put serial pins on programming

header and sent a PR which has been accepted. You can now use the mainline

NO2 bootloader repo instead of my fork.

* Added a LiteX gateware design. This works but even a minimal demo uses > 80% of

the FPGA resources.



### 22-11-21

Corrected silkscreen errors and bumped revision to V0.1a