Alchitry Cu FPGA Development Board
Best entry-level board for aspiring hardware programming beginners.
Embark on your FPGA journey with the Alchitry Cu, an economical and user-friendly development board. Featuring the Lattice iCE40 HX FPGA with 7680 logic cells and 79 versatile IO pins, it's ideal for beginners. Power and configure the board easily via USB-C, and integrate sensors effortlessly with the included Qwiic connector. Expand its capabilities with stackable "Elements" boards, adding prototyping space and more. The board also boasts an on-board 100MHz clock and eight general-purpose LEDs for immediate feedback, making it a great starting point for hardware programming.
$53.50
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
407
/ 1545
#407 in Development Boards
Price vs Category Average
-39%
Below average
FPGA
4087680
/ Lattice iCE-HXK with logic elements
Who it's for
- Developers avoiding expensive proprietary software licensing fees
- Makers leveraging existing Arduino shield hardware ecosystems
- FPGA novices needing guided learning paths and accessible tools
Who should skip it
- Engineers building complex designs requiring significant logic resources
- Users preferring complete independence from proprietary software workflows
- Professionals developing high-speed data processing or memory-intensive applications
Performance breakdown
Beginner Accessibility
The intuitive design and open-source toolchain lower the barrier to entry.
Hardware Expandability
Stackable Elements and Qwiic integration allow for rapid, modular project growth.
Logic Capacity
The iCE40-HX8K provides ample room for learning and intermediate logic designs.
Connectivity Versatility
Seventy-nine IO pins offer significant flexibility for diverse peripheral interfacing.
Build Ergonomics
USB-C power and compact dimensions make for a clean, modern workspace.
Toolchain Support
Project IceStorm compatibility ensures a robust, community-driven development experience.
Key Specs
FPGA
Lattice iCE40-HX8K with 7680 logic elements
Total IO Pins
79 pins operating at 3.3V logic level
Clock Speed
100MHz on-board clock
Power Input
5V via USB-C, 0.1" holes, or headers
Programming Interface
USB-C
Serial Interface
USB to serial (up to 12Mbaud)
Dimensions
65mm x 45mm
Onboard Peripherals
Eight LEDs, one reset button, Qwiic connector
Features
- Economical entry point for FPGA development
- Supports open-source Project IceStorm toolchain
- Easy I2C sensor integration via Qwiic connector
- Expandable hardware capabilities with stackable Elements
- On-board 100MHz clock source
- Powered and configured using modern USB-C
- Includes eight general purpose LEDs
- Ideal for beginners in hardware programming
What customers say
The Alchitry Cu FPGA Development Board is highly praised as an accessible and effective tool for learning hardware design. Customers consistently highlight the beginner friendly design and the robust ecosystem provided by Alchitry Labs, which simplifies the transition from microcontrollers. The included tutorials and documentation are considered exceptional resources, making the learning curve smooth. Users appreciate the board's compact size and sturdy quality, finding it reliable for educational and hobbyist projects. While advanced users sometimes seek more resources for complex designs, the overall consensus is that the Alchitry Cu offers outstanding value. It successfully demystifies FPGA development, making it a strongly recommended platform for students and newcomers serious about digital logic.
Know before you buy
Yes, the board is fully compatible with the Project IceStorm toolchain, which allows you to develop for the Lattice iCE40 FPGA using entirely open-source software.
Absolutely. The Alchitry Cu is designed to be modular and supports stackable 'Elements' boards, which allow you to easily add prototyping space or additional hardware capabilities to your setup.
The Qwiic connector provides a simple, solderless way to integrate I2C sensors and peripherals, making it much faster to prototype and connect external hardware components.
You can power the board directly through the USB-C port, which also handles configuration. Alternatively, you can provide 5V power via the 0.1" holes or headers if your project requires a different power configuration.
The board features the Lattice iCE40-HX8K FPGA, which offers 7,680 logic cells. This provides a solid amount of capacity for beginners to implement moderate-sized digital logic designs and hardware experiments.
All 79 general-purpose IO pins operate at a 3.3V logic level. Ensure your external components are compatible with this voltage to avoid damaging the board.
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$54