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Lattice iCE40 UltraLite DIPSY - what happened?

I was digging around for info on the iCE40 UL and found info on the DIPSY from 2015 when it was breaking news. Not sure how I missed it, but this is a very small unit with a very tiny FPGA (likely the smallest FPGA package ever - 2 mm^2) and an LDO for the core power and of course some connectors.

I found a github page with various design details and an Indiegogo page. There I found a video from Lattice that says this unit along with a programming board (over 100 times larger) is sold for $5. It looks like they received 140% of their goal. What I don't find is any way to buy this. The video says to go to the lattice web site for more info, but I don't find even a mention there.

Maybe that's why I missed this unit. It may have sold a few copies to the original contributors and then been dropped.

Anyone know anything about this? The guy behind it is Antti Lukats who has been seen here from time to time.

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Rick C
Reply to
rickman
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rickman:

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Antti still lives and breathes and hangs out a little on Farnell's Element14 site.

I think he is currently working for Trenz Electronics who are at

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MK

Reply to
Michael Kellett

Yes, I've seen signs of Antti in various places, but he never seems to be terribly thorough about documenting his work. I just looked at the Gerbers for this design and there is a list of the files in a file with an EXTREP suffix as if that would be remotely obvious... Then the drill file isn't listed. After opening nearly all the possible files it turned out to be the .txt file. Go figure.

Anyway, now that I can see the Gerbers, the PCB design rules are 2/2 mil trace/space (0.05 mm) and 6 mil drills (0.15 mm). I've never made a board like this before. It will require professional assembly as well I expect.

Anyone hand built a prototype with 0.35 mm center uBGAs before?

While the Indiegogo page has a video from Lattice Semi saying you can buy assembled boards from them for $5, I see no trace. It appears the $5 price gets you a PCB directly from Antti according to a home page

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Hard to tell really. Lots of hype and little real info. I guess it's all there if you can find it and figure it out. I just don't know where I can get PCBs with 2/2 design rules made.

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Rick C
Reply to
rickman

I just reread my post. I think my comments about Antti's Gerber files sound worse than I intended them. I greatly appreciate the projects Antti does. This is not the first project Antti has made available. He tends toward very minimalistic projects which are very inexpensive. Sometimes that is exactly the right way to go.

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Rick C
Reply to
rickman

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I've had very mixed results with hand build and, as it turned out not professional enough build of Lattice's tiny FPGAs. I've had really good results with the iCE5LP4k in 48pin QFP - it is a little larger but fairly easy to hand work on senisble design rule boards. I'm looking forward to the UP5K in the same package when Lattice can actually supply any.

MK

Reply to
Michael Kellett

I would *love* to use QFP/QFN packages, but I need an ultra lite part. The bulk of the power consumption will be the quiescent power and the UL parts are half the UP parts.

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Rick C
Reply to
rickman

Then the drill

Protel and derivatives (Tango, Altium) have used .txt for the drill (Excellon) file for some time.

Yikes!

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

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