Electronics > FPGA

New Gowin board

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dmendesf:

Bigger FPGA with hard cortex-m3 core:

https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/1005003152104886.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.38c2b90aOCx3I2

brucehoult:
Looks nice for the price. It's not listed on that page, but it seems the Cortex-M3 can run at 80 MHz (but maybe defaults to 30 MHz at reset).

Most people will want to remove the "pt." from the start of the URL :-)

dmendesf:
Yes, sorry for the "pt" (it's added by default because I'm in Brazil).

tszaboo:
Does this also require that PITA Gowin FPGA designer?
I have spent 2 hours trying to get the license work, and the online on demand license is just broken, the local one doesn't work either, and you have to request a MAC node locked one in email. No software to configure where the license file is, you have to add it to windows path. Downloaded 3 version number of the software because the 3rd party plugin doing implementation was missing from 2. And the download page is only in Chinese.
Honestly, I just gave up after a while, it is not worth my time trying to get some broken software working.

mon2:
Don't give up. Gowin is an amazing company for support. Their secret weapon is David (FAE) in the USA. Have emailed him countless times with prompt replies to all questions to date. We are designing with the csp49 packaged GW1NS-LV4C device. This device requires via-in-pad pcb layout. Also testing their new USB bridge for programming the FPGA. Have you received the license? Post more details but will see if we can help to get you started. Also Grant Jennings (formerly from Lattice) is now at Gowin. David has some great videos on how to get started with the device with the hard M3 CPU.

1) Create an account on the gowinsemi.com website. It is required to download almost anything and certainly for the IP & tool software.

English website:

https://gowinsemi.com/en/

Top right buttons will allow for viewing of the website in ENglish / Japanese / Chinese languages.

2) After login & captcha entry -> you can update your profile. Just skip this if you are ok with your password & username.

Menu -> Support -> EDA Home.

Apply License - required to use the tool and recommended for office / home use. Never tested the cloud account method but interesting.

Suggestion - consider a USB Ethernet dongle and request a license for it. Then take the dongle with you from office / home.

3) Download EDA toolchain -> Gowin V1.9.8 win. It is the latest. Not sure what the 'education' version is about so we selected the 2nd entry.

4) If you will be using either the SOFT or HARD micro -> then the compiler and tools will be required which is a separate download. We have confirmed that both KEIL and their Gowin IDE work well. Gowin is a GCC compiler. Cost is free so suggest this approach.

GOWIN MCU Designer_V1.1  must be downloaded. A SEPARATE license is required for this tool - please note this. Called the 'GMD' license. You can request this - it is free.

Download the related PDF for each of these tools to get started.

5) When you launch the EDA tool, a pop-up will be flashed to request for the missing license file -> BROWSE to where this was downloaded -> the tool will auto-link & launch. The flow is very similar to the Lattice toolchain.

Gowinsynthesis is the default tool for the tool.

6) Recommend to watch the assorted videos from Gowin. The following is a must watch from David (FAE):



and also from Jim:



Post any issues you may have here and will try to assist you. Also have alerted the crew in the USA about this thread. They have us convinced to invest the time and effort for their devices. We hope to prototype a few concepts very soon using their components on our SMT line.

On sourcing - really like Mouser but their pricing for the parts and kits are just not supporting of this line. Consider to work with Rob @ Edge Electronics. It will be worth the effort to do so. For Canadians, to avoid the Trump tax(es) -> buy the parts & kits directly from HK / Shenzhen to your location. Otherwise if the goods hit USA soil - the landed costs will be higher for no reason to Canadians or customers that are not in the USA.

Hope this helps to get you started.

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