PolarFire SoC Icicle Kit

As Featured In

Together at Last: FPGA + RISC-V

The Icicle Kit is the first development board for the groundbreaking, the world’s first FPGA and Linux-capable RISC-V system in a single chip.

Whether you are developing cutting-edge applications in embedded machine learning, wired networking, or industrial automation, or simply exploring RISC-V and FPGAs, the Icicle Kit and its robust Mi-V ecosystem of tools are the perfect way way to get started.

Features & Specifications

• PolarFire SoC ()
  • 1 x RV64IMAC core
  • 4 x RV64GC core
  • 254K logic elements non-volatile fabric
  • 784 x math block (18 x 18)
  • 4 x 12.7 Gbps SERDES
  • Secure boot
• Memory
  • 2 GB LPDDR4 x 32
• Storage
  • 1 Gb SPI flash
  • 8 GB eMMC flash or SD card slot (multiplexed)
• Networking
  • 2 x Gigabit Ethernet
• Expansion Interfaces
  • Raspberry Pi-compatible 40-pin header
  • mikroBUS socket
  • PCIe gen2
  • Micro USB 2.0 Hi-Speed OTG
  • 4 x UART (via single micro USB)
  • 2 x CAN
  • SPI
  • I2C
• Power
  • 12 VDC / 5 A barrel jack input
  • On/off switch
  • I2C power monitor measuring four power rails
• User Interfaces
  • 4 x User push button
  • 4 x User LED
  • 4 x Power status LED
• Programming & Debugging
  • UART via micro USB
  • onboard JTAG connector or embedded FlashPro6 (multiplexed)
  • 52 x test points

Icicle Kit Block Diagram

PolarFire SoC

The Icicle Kit is based on Microchip’s PolarFire SoC (MPFS250T-FCVG484EES), which is a system-on-chip that combines the state-of-the-art PolarFire FPGA with a five-core RISC-V microprocessor subsystem.

To quote the official PolarFire SoC documentation:

The PolarFire® SoC FPGA family delivers an unparalleled combination of low power consumption, thermal efficiency and defense grade security for smart, connected systems.
It’s the first system on chip (SoC) field-programmable gate array (FPGA) with a deterministic, coherent RISC-V CPU cluster and a deterministic L2 memory subsystem enabling Linux and real-time applications.
Built on the award-winning, mid-range, low power PolarFire FPGA Architecture, PolarFire SoC devices deliver up to 50% lower power than alternative FPGAs, span from 25k to 460k logic elements (LEs) and feature 12.7G transceivers.

The unique architecture of the PolarFire SoC combines the power of RISC-V and Linux with the determinism needed for real-time hardware applications . See Microchip’s PolarFire SoC brochure and overview for more information.

PolarFire SoC Block Diagram

Support & Documentation

• Kit overview
• User guide
• Schematics
• Layout
• PolarFire SoC brochure
• PolarFire SoC overview
• Latest Linux builds, bare-metal libraries, and documentation
• Technical support portal

Icicle Kit (Top)

Icicle Kit (Bottom)

Development Tools

The Mi-V ecosystem brings together tools and vendors tailored for the PolarFire SoC, including:

• OS : Yocto, BuildRoot, FreeBSD
• RTOS : FreeRTOS, Zephyr, and others
• Compilers : GCC, IAR, and others
• Tools : Renode, Libero

Free Libero Silver License

Developing on the PolarFire SoC Icicle kit requires a Libero Silver license , which is free of charge and valid for one year.

Manufacturing Plan

After several iterations of prototypes, full production is currently underway and the first units are on schedule to ship in August 2020.

Fulfillment & Logistics

All PolarFire SoC Icicle Kits will be shipped to backers from the Crowd Supply warehouse in the United States. For more information on fulfillment, see the Crowd Supply Guide page on ordering, paying, and shipping . The retail price (without shipping) of the PolarFire Icicle Kit is $489. The $499 price in this Crowd Supply campaign includes $10 for US domestic shipping.

Risks & Challenges

Since this product has been thoroughly tested and production is already underway, there is minimal risk to backers. The biggest risk is that the COVID-19 pandemic may delay some aspect of the delivery schedule, in which case we will notify backers via project updates.

PolarFire SoC Icicle Kit is part of the Microchip Get Launched design program.