PYNQ is an open-source project that makes it easy for you to design embedded systems using the Xilinx Zynq-7000 SoC using the Python language, associated libraries, and the Jupyter Notebook, which is a pretty nice, collaborative learning and development environment for many programming languages including Python. PYNQ allows you to exploit the benefits of programmable logic used together with microprocessors to build more capable embedded systems with superior performance when performing embedded tasks such as:

High frame-rate video processing

Hardware-accelerated algorithms

Real-time signal processing

High-bandwidth I/O

Low-latency control

Nearly every embedded system needs to run one or more such tasks. The programmable hardware on the Zynq SoC just makes this job a lot easier.

The PYNQ-Z1 based on the Xilinx Zynq Z-7020 SoC is the first dev board to support PYNQ and it just showed up on the Digilent Web site, listing for $229. (Digilent’s academic price for the PYNQ-Z1 is only $65!)

Digilent PYNQ-Z1 Dev Board

Here’s what’s on the PYNQ-Z1 board:

Xilinx Zynq Z-7020 SoC with a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor running at 650MHz

512Mbytes of DDR3 SDRAM running at 1050MHz

16Mbytes of Quad-SPI Flash memory

A MicroSD slot for the PYNQ environment

USB OTG host port

USB programming port

Gigabit Ethernet port

Microphone

Mono audio output jack

HDMI input port

HDMI output port

Two Digilent PMOD ports

Arduino-format header for Arduino shields

Pushbuttons, switches, and LEDs

That’s a lot of board for $229—and it’s pink!

Here’s what PYNQ is, really: It’s for software developers and students who want to take advantage of the improved embedded performance made possible by the Zynq SoC’s programmable hardware without having to use ASIC-style (HDL) design tools to design hardware.

For even better performance, you can also program the PYNQ-Z1 with C or C++ using the Xilinx SDK software development environment, available in the no-cost Xilinx Vivado HL Design Suite WebPACK.

The PYNQ-Z1 and the PYNQ project make it possible to create a lot of really interesting systems, so just what are you waiting for?

Please contact Digilent directly for more information about the PYNQ-Z1 dev board.