OpenFrame Overview
The OpenFrame Project provides an empty harness chip that differs significantly from the Caravel and Caravan designs. Unlike Caravel and Caravan, which include integrated SoCs and additional features, OpenFrame offers only the essential padframe, providing users with a clean slate for their custom designs.
Key Characteristics of OpenFrame
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Padframe Compatibility:
- The padframe design and pin placements match those of the Caravel and Caravan chips, ensuring compatibility and ease of transition between designs.
- Pin types are identical, with power and ground pins positioned similarly and the same power domains available.
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Flexibility:
- Provides full access to all GPIO controls.
- Maximizes the user project area, allowing for greater customization and integration of alternative SoCs or user-specific projects at the same hierarchy level.
- No integrated SoC or additional circuitry.
- Only includes the padframe, a power-on-reset circuit, and a digital ROM containing the 32-bit project ID.
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Flexible I/O:
- Pins that previously connected to CPU functions (e.g., flash controller interface, SPI interface, UART) are now repurposed as general-purpose I/O, offering flexibility for various applications.
- IO configuration is more complicated than Caravel, user must configure the IOs as their design requires.
The OpenFrame harness is ideal for those looking to implement custom SoCs or integrate user projects without the constraints of an existing SoC.
Features
- 44 configurable GPIOs.
- User area of approximately 15mm².
- Supports digital, analog, or mixed-signal designs.
Resources
For more information about the GPIOs and how to configure them, visit Skywater's documentations
