# Open FPGA Toolchains at 35c3

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2019-01-02
- Length: 48m
- Episode: 423
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/423-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3/

## Summary

Piotr Esden-Tempski, Clifford Wolf of Yosys/NextPNR, and Dave Shah discuss the state of open FPGA toolchains at 35c3, highlighting the release of NextPNR and support for Lattice ECP5. They detail the Icebreaker and ULX3S development boards, explaining how open-source tools enable complex designs like RISC-V soft cores and low-latency video processing that were previously difficult or impossible. The speakers emphasize the advantages of open toolchains, including automation, cross-platform compatibility, and the ability to build commercial products without vendor lock-in.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=0) Introduction: Open FPGA Toolchains at 35c3
- [1:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=67) Speakers and Project History: Yosys, NextPNR, and ECP5
- [4:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=270) Dispelling Myths: PCI Express, DDR3, and Commercial Adoption
- [10:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=604) Getting Started: Icebreaker, ULX3S, and Community Support
- [16:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=990) Xilinx Support, VPR, and SymbiFlow Competition
- [27:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=1663) RISC-V Soft Cores and Linux on FPGAs
- [39:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=2341) Applications: LED Matrices, WS2812, and Low-Latency Video
- [44:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-02-open-fpga-toolchains-at-35c3#t=2688) Upcoming Boards and Conclusion

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- NextPNR (tool)
- Yosys (tool)
- ArachnePNR (tool)
- Lattice ECP5 (chip)
- ICE40 (chip)
- Icebreaker (product)
- ULX3S (product)
- SymbiFlow (tool)
- VPR (tool)
- Vivado (tool)
- Quartus (tool)
- RISC-V (other)
- Western Digital (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep002: Curious Gadgets and the FPGA Brain Trust](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-01-15-ep002-curious-gadgets-and-the-fpga-brain-trust) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [024 - Cars, Servers, and FPGAs!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-07-15-024-cars-servers-and-fpgas) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [Ep044: Special Supercon Edition](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-11-22-ep044-special-supercon-edition) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [044 - Scots Army Knife](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-01-03-044-scots-army-knife) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [274: Swiss Knife of Embedded Systems](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-01-18-274-swiss-knife-of-embedded-systems) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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