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Graphics gremlin

schlae·graphics-gremlin

Graphics gremlin PCB layout, top view — open source FPGA board by schlae
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About the Graphics gremlin PCB

Graphics gremlin is an open source FPGA PCB design by schlae, published on GitHub under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. It is a 2-layer board measuring 106.4 × 95 mm, with 94 components from 31 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the ICE40HX4K-TQ144, from the FPGA family. Other key parts include the SST26VF080A-104I/SN, 74ALVC164245, ADA4891-3, IS61C5128AL-10KLI and AP2114HA-3.3. By type, the board carries 41 resistors, 31 capacitors, 11 ICs, 6 connectors, 2 crystals and 1 fuse.

It belongs with the retro computing designs in this gallery.

From the project

Open source retro ISA video card

The Graphics Gremlin is an FPGA-based ISA video card specifically designed to emulate certain old video standards. This initial release emulates the original IBM PC monochrome graphics adapter (MDA) as well as the original IBM color graphics adapter (CGA). Since the logic is defined by the bitstream loaded into the FPGA, new emulations may be available in the future to support other video standards.

Graphics gremlin, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Graphics gremlin

ICE40HX4K-TQ144SST26VF080A-104I/SN74ALVC164245ADA4891-3IS61C5128AL-10KLIAP2114HA-3.3AP2114HA-1.2APX803S00-29SA-774HCT125

Graphics gremlin bill of materials (BOM)

94 components, 31 distinct parts.

QtyPartRefs
1
ICE40HX4K-TQ144
U1
1
SST26VF080A-104I/SN
U2
3
74ALVC164245
U3, U4, U5
1
ADA4891-3
U6
1
IS61C5128AL-10KLI
U7
1
AP2114HA-3.3
U8
1
AP2114HA-1.2
U9
1
APX803S00-29SA-7
U10
1
74HCT125
U11
1
10MHz
X1
1
14.318MHz
X2
1
PROG
J1
1
DE15
J2
1
NTSC
J3
1
DE9
J4
1
Conn_ISA_8bit
J5
1
RFMOD
J6
1
1A
F1
1
MNT_KEYSTONE_9200
MH1
1
SW_DIP_x04
SW1
Show 11 more
QtyPartRefs
23
1u
C1, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, C13, C14 +15
8
4.7u
C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C12, C18, C19
13
10K
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R8, R9, R14 +5
5
10
R6, R7, R10, R25, R26
1
DNI
R11
3
100
R12, R21, R22
1
1K
R13
5
75
R16, R17, R18, R19, R31
3
237
R28, R29, R30
6
604
RN1, RN2, RN3, RN4, RN5, RN6
4
300
RN7, RN8, RN9, RN10

Graphics gremlin design files

The KiCad project lives in the schlae/graphics-gremlin repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Graphics gremlin: common questions

What microcontroller does the Graphics gremlin use?

The Graphics gremlin is built around the ICE40HX4K-TQ144, from the FPGA family.

How big is the Graphics gremlin PCB?

The Graphics gremlin measures 106.4 × 95 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Graphics gremlin?

94 components, from 31 distinct parts. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Graphics gremlin design files?

From the schlae/graphics-gremlin repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Graphics gremlin design in my own project?

Yes, under the terms of its CC-BY-SA-4.0 license, which schlae chose for the repository.

Can I test firmware for the Graphics gremlin 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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