Real Time Video Processing FPGA board


DOCS
PYNQ is an open-source project from Xilinx® that makes it easy to design embedded systems with Xilinx Zynq® Systems on Chips (SoCs).
 Using the Python language and libraries, designers can exploit the benefits of programmable logic and microprocessors in Zynq to build more capable and exciting embedded systems.  The System on Chip has both an ARM processor based Linux system and a Xilinx Zynq FPGA.

PYNQ uses CPython which is written in C, and integrates thousands of C libraries and can be extended with optimized code written in C.

The PYNQ-Z1 board is an academic version of a Xilinx evaluation board, it is almost identical to the standard product, but the board is colored pink, and had been offered with academic discounts.

 It has HDMI input and output, the available libraries include OpenCV, but there are only 2 functions that have been translated to the FPGA, that run at full frame rate.  One could tackle creating an overlay to accelerate the functions you need performed, but programming PFGAs is challenging, said to be 10x more difficult than an ordinary programming language.
 
A demo, giving a taste of the  FPA accelerated convolution.
It's a little disappointing to see it only achieves 1.5 to 3 fps in Yolo object recognition (depending on screen size).

It's designed to be controlled by Python, (actually Cpython), small blocks of C code may be inserted as well.  To get "Hardware Acceleration" from the FPGA, there has to be an Overlay created for that function in an FPLA dev system.

The PYNQ™ Z2 version, which adds a Raspberry Pi Hat Connector (Upper-right) and better sound processing, this board can be bought from China for $119.

There is some community activity (probably slowed since 2017)

Small list of PYNQ projects and ports 

AVNET Ultra96 Zynq UltraScale+ ZU3EG Development Board $249  (Displayport out only)
 (A cheaper source of the higher end FPGA)

Slideshow: Implementing Deep Learning Algorithms on the PYNQ

Tutorials from Napal


The main stream, non Python product the PYNQs are based on:

Digilent  Z7-10 $149.00   Z7-20 $209.00,   Z7-20 w Zylink Access Voucher. $219.00
"Digilent recommends the Arty Z7-20 with SDSoC voucher for those interested in video processing applications"

https://blog.digilentinc.com/programming-python-on-arty-z7-20/0


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