Digilent Nexys A7-100T: FPGA Trainer Board Recommended for ECE Curriculum

Description

Students can start learning right away with the Nexys A7 thanks to its versatile selection of interfaces, such as 10/100 Ethernet, USB, UART, JTAG, and VGA. With a built-in temperature sensor, microphone, and accelerometer, students can work on a variety of projects without needing any additional hardware. Of course, 5 Pmod ports are available for additional customizability and applications.

Guides and demos are available to help you get started quickly with the Nexys A7, which can be accessed through Digilent’s website.

The Nexys A7 (previously known as the Nexys 4 DDR) is an incredibly accessible, yet powerful, FPGA development board. Designed around the Xilinx Artix®-7 FPGA family, the Nexys A7 is a ready-to-use digital circuit development platform that brings industry applications into the classroom environment. Please note: The Nexys A7-50T variant was discontinued and is no longer available for purchase.

The Nexys A7-100T features the XC7A100T-1CSG324C.

The Nexys A7 is supported by Xilinx’s Vivado Design Suite, along with the free WebPACK edition, which helps keep costs down for students.

Guides and demos are available to help you get started quickly with the Nexys A7. These can be found through the Support Materials tab.

Featues

• FPGA Features
  • Internal clock speeds exceeding 450MHz
  • On-chip analog-to-digital converter (XADC)
  • Programmable over JTAG and Flash
• System Features
  • USB-JTAG programming circuitry
  • 16 MB QSPI Flash
    • Due to supply chain constraints, either the S25FL127S or S25FL128S Flash Memory may be loaded on your board. These parts are not functionally equivalent, but flash programming through Vivado and the QSPI boot mode are not affected. More information can be found in the Nexys A7 Reference Manual, available in the Support tab.
  • Powered from USB or any 7V-15V source
  • microSD card connector
• System Connectivity
  • 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
    • Note: Xilinx-provided software support for the Nexys A7’s ethernet interface is limited in versions of Vivado 2019.2 and newer. For more information, see the Ethernet PHY section of the Nexys A7 reference manual, which can be found through the Support tab.
  • USB-UART Bridge
• Interaction and Sensory Devices
  • 3-axis accelerometer
  • PDM microphone
  • PWM audio output
  • Temperature Sensor
  • 2 four-digit seven-segment displays
  • USB HID for mice, keyboards, and memory sticks
  • 16 Switches
  • 16 LEDs
  • 2 tri-color LEDs
  • 12-bit VGA output
• Expansion Connectors
  • 4 Pmod connectors
  • Pmod for XADC signals

• Product Compliance:
  • HTC: 8471500150
  • ECCN: 5A992.c

What is Included

• • Nexys A7 development board
  • Digilent custom packaging with protective foam
  • Micro USB cable

Software

The Nexys A7 can be programmed with Digilent’s Adept software. Digilent Adept is a unique and powerful solution which allows you to communicate with Digilent system boards and a wide assortment of logic devices.

To create and modify designs for your Nexys A7, you can use Xilinx’s Vivado Design Suite. Vivado is a software designed for the synthesis and analysis of HDL designs. Both variants of the Nexys A7 are supported by the free WebPACK edition of the Vivado Design Suite.

Note: Xilinx software tools are not available for download in some countries. Prior to purchasing the Nexys A7, please check the supporting software’s availability, as it is required for the board’s use.

Power and Software Compatibility

Powering the Nexys A7

The USB port can deliver enough power for the vast majority of designs. In order to power the board from USB port set jumper JP3 to “USB”. Our out-of-box demo draws ~400mA of current from the 5V input rail.

A few demanding applications, including any that drive multiple peripheral boards, might require more power than the USB port can provide. In these instances, an external power supply can be used by plugging into to the power jack (J13) and setting jumper JP3 to “WALL”. The supply must use a coax, center-positive 2.1mm internal-diameter plug, and deliver 4.5VDC to 5.5VDC and at least 1A of current (i.e., at least 5W of power). Many suitable supplies can be purchased from Digilent, through Digi-Key, or other catalog vendors.

Software Compatibility

Nexys A7 can be programmed with Digilent’s Adept software. Digilent Adept is a unique and powerful solution which allows you to communicate with Digilent system boards and a wide assortment of logic devices.

To create and modify designs for your Nexys A7, you can use Xilinx’s Vivado Design Suite. Both variants of the Nexys A7 are supported by the free WebPACK edition of the Vivado Design Suite.