The folks at Opal Kelly specialize in creating small modules that include an FPGA and USB 2.0 connectivity. When you are designing a system, using one of these modules to connect your product to a host PC reduces your design costs, reduces your risks, and speeds time-to-market (and time-to-profit).

Opal Kelly's wide range of FPGA USB 2.0 modules provide the essential device-to-computer interconnect for efficient and fast product prototyping, testing, development, and OEM integration.

So, I was excited to hear that the guys and gals at Opal Kelly have just announced the volume availability of their new XEM5010 module. Based on the mega-powerful Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA, the XEM5010 delivers 256-MB DDR2, 36-Mb SSRAM, 32-Mb Flash, and up to 200 high-speed user I/Os. In fact, I was so excited that I felt moved to create the following video:

The XEM5010 provides developers, such as early adopter Samplify Systems, with access to a tremendous amount of programmable hardware logic, using only a few simple API calls from Opal Kelly's FrontPanel software and API.

The XEM5010 is the fastest FPGA USB 2.0 integration module in the Opal Kelly product line.  Based on an XC5VLX50 Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA, the XEM5010 packs power into its small footprint of just:  3.35" x 2.40" x 0.69".

The XEM5010 FPGA USB 2.0 integration module.

In addition to a high gate-count, high-performance FPGA, the XEM5010 utilizes the high transfer rate of USB 2.0 for configuration downloads, enabling an almost instant reprogramming of the FPGA.

Opal Kelly's FrontPanel software interface, included with the module, is an easy-to-use and robust API for communication, configuration, and interfacing to the PC. FrontPanel handles all the interaction between the PC software and the FPGA internals, dramatically reducing the time and effort required to interface to a design. In addition, the Virtex-5 device on the XEM5010 is fully supported by the latest Xilinx WebPack toolchain, available at no charge from Xilinx.

The XEM5010 is the most powerful module in the range of Opal Kelly's FPGA USB 2.0 modules.  In a small footprint the XEM3050 is packed with oodles of yummy features as follows:

• 256 MiB DDR2 SDRAM using two completely independent 128-MByte DDR2 SDRAMs (Total Memory bandwidth 2.128-GB/s or 17.024-Gb/s)
• 32 Mbit Serial Flash  
• Small form factor – 85mm x 61mm x 17.6mm (3.35" x 2.40" x 0.69")
• High-speed USB 2.0 interface for downloading and control
• Self-powered by external DC source
• Opal Kelly's unique FrontPanel software (provided at no charge), handles all the interaction between the customer's software and the customer's FPGA design;  
• Multi-platform API (available for Microsoft Windows XP/Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux, with a variety of languages including C, C++, C#, Ruby, Python and Java);
• DLL support for a variety of third-party tools including Matlab and LabVIEW
• Fully supported by the latest Xilinx WebPack toolchain available at no charge from Xilinx. 

The guys and gals at Opal Kelly tell me that the XEM5010 modules are available immediately, off-the-shelf, from their Online Store.  Prices range from $1499.95, with volume discounts available.