HardLabs

Sphinxmoth

dantidote·sphinxmoth·board/ipod-cf-udma.kicad_pcb

Sphinxmoth PCB layout, top view — open source FPGA board by dantidote
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About the Sphinxmoth PCB

Sphinxmoth is an open source FPGA PCB design by dantidote, published on GitHub under the MIT license. It is a 2-layer board measuring 53 × 72 mm, with 31 components from 15 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the LCMXO2-2000HC-4TG100C, from the FPGA family. Other key parts include the AP2112K-3.3TRG1. By type, the board carries 18 capacitors, 5 connectors, 5 resistors, 2 ICs and 1 diode.

It belongs with the retro computing designs in this gallery.

From the project

FPGA interposer that makes flash storage fully work in FireWire iPods (1G/2G): CF or SD, restore, sync, playback. The UDMA-CRC ASIC/PLD that TI's TSB43AA82 reference design called for in 2001.

An active FPGA interposer that lets flash storage (CF, or SD behind an adapter) fully replace the 1.8″ hard drive in a 1st/2nd-generation iPod: boot, standalone playback, and full-speed FireWire restore + iTunes sync.

This is the first time in the ~25 years since these iPods shipped that all of that works at once on flash storage. Passive adapters never could, and it turns out they never could have. The reason was documented by Texas Instruments in 2001.

Sphinxmoth, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Sphinxmoth

LCMXO2-2000HC-4TG100CAP2112K-3.3TRG1

Sphinxmoth bill of materials (BOM)

31 components, 15 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
LCMXO2-2000HC-4TG100C
U1
1
AP2112K-3.3TRG1
AP2112K-3.3
U2
1
SPECIALTY-iPod-1.8in-50pin
iPod 1.8in 50-pin
J1
1
N7E50-E516PK-30
CF socket
J2
1
USB4125-GF-A-0190
USB-C
J4
1
DNP-optional-header
UART
J5
1
DNP-solderjumper
PWR_SEL
J6
1
150060GS75000
LED
D1
12
CL05B104KO5NNNC
100nF
C1, C2, C3, C4, C6, C7, C8, C9 +4
1
CL10A475KO8NNNC
4.7uF
C5
2
C2012X5R1E106K125AB
10uF
C10, C16
3
CL05A105KA5NNNC
1uF
C15, C17, C18
2
CRCW040210K0FKED
10k
R1, R2
1
RC0402FR-07330RL
330R
R7
2
RC0402FR-075K1L
5.1k
R8, R9

Sphinxmoth design files

The KiCad project lives in the dantidote/sphinxmoth repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Sphinxmoth: common questions

What microcontroller does the Sphinxmoth use?

The Sphinxmoth is built around the LCMXO2-2000HC-4TG100C, from the FPGA family.

How big is the Sphinxmoth PCB?

The Sphinxmoth measures 53 × 72 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Sphinxmoth?

31 components, from 15 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Sphinxmoth design files?

From the dantidote/sphinxmoth repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Sphinxmoth design in my own project?

Yes, under the terms of its MIT license, which dantidote chose for the repository.

Can I test firmware for the Sphinxmoth without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug FPGA firmware against it before you order a PCB.

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