Julian Loiacono’s zynqPCB is a published, eight-layer KiCad board design for an FPGA-accelerated audio-and-video synthesizer. It is available for inspection and community continuation, but it is not a finished commercial instrument: the repository says most interfaces remain untested, boot software and a Vivado design still need work, and builders should review the board before production.
What zynqPCB is
The project is a hardware platform built around the Xilinx Zynq xc7z020clg484 device. Loiacono describes it as the current status of a four-year effort to make an “FPGA-accelerated audio+video synthesizer” and says he published the complete PCB design while taking a hiatus.
The repository contains KiCad schematics and board materials rather than a plug-and-play synthesizer image. To open the design correctly, the README instructs users to clone two supporting footprint and library repositories into the same directory. The bill of materials also identifies a VL53L1CXV0FY/1 rangefinder and the Zynq package used by the design.
Its goal is broad: combine programmable-logic audio and video processing with Linux-capable processing, memory, storage, display output and sensors on one board. That ambition should not be confused with demonstrated end-user functionality.
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- ZYNQ-7000 ARM+FPGA SoC: Powered by Xilinx ZYNQ XC7Z010/020 with dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 and programmable logic—ideal for embedded and FPGA development.
- Integrated Interfaces for Versatile Applications: Features HDMI, USB 2.0 Host, UART, JTAG, Gigabit Ethernet (PS & PL), SD card, and 40-pin expansion for AD/DA, LCD, and camera modules.
- Robust Memory & Storage: Equipped with 512MB/1GB DDR3, 128Mb QSPI Flash, 64Kbit EEPROM, and boot selection via JTAG/QSPI/SD for flexible design setups.
- Industrial-Grade Design: Compact 90x60mm board with immersion gold finish, suitable for industrial environments. 5V/1A power input supports stable operation.
- Support for Linux and Hardware Demos: Supports embedded Linux system, MIPI CSI camera input (7020 only), and comes with HDL demos—perfect for research and education.
Connections the board is designed to provide
The design lists the following major connections. The status column reflects the project’s own README, not independent testing.
| Subsystem | What the design lists | Repository status |
|---|---|---|
| JTAG | Programming and debug interface | Functional! |
| SPI flash | Nonvolatile boot storage | Untested |
| MicroSD | Storage for a Linux kernel and other software | Untested |
| DDR3 PS memory | External memory for the Zynq processing system | Untested |
| TLV320 audio codec | Audio input/output hardware | Untested |
| HDMI | Digital video connection | Untested |
| USB host and USB device | Peripheral and device connectivity | Both untested |
| Rangefinders, accelerometer and IMU | Sensor inputs for interactive control | Untested |
| Arduino Uno-style header | Connection for a screen or compatible accessory | Listed feature; operation not established |
“Untested” means the repository does not establish that the connection works on assembled boards. It is not a performance rating or a statement that the circuit is impossible to bring up.
What remains before general use
Boot firmware
The README identifies boot firmware for the SPI flash as unfinished. The intended job is to load a Linux kernel from the SD card, so a reproduction needs a reliable boot path before Linux-based control software can be treated as usable.
Vivado hardware design
A basic Vivado shell block diagram was also listed as remaining work. Until that FPGA design is completed and validated, the Zynq programmable logic has no documented, general-purpose synth implementation to load.
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- Flexible FPGA Core Options:Supports XC7Z035 XC7Z045 and XC7Z100 SoCs with up to 444K logic cells—suitable for scalable AI, SDR, and industrial designs.
- Rich Expansion Interfaces:Equipped with PCIe x4, SATA, dual SFP, FMC HPC, USB 2.0 x4, CAN/RS485, and 40P GPIO—perfect for system integration and customization.
- Robust Memory & Storage:Includes 2GB DDR3, 256Mb QSPI Flash, and 8GB eMMC for OS boot and application storage—ideal for embedded computing tasks.
- Industrial-Grade Reliability:Wide temperature support (-40°C to +85°C), onboard cooling fan connector, and robust power design (12V/3A input) ensure high reliability.
- Developer-Friendly Design:Built-in JTAG, UART, SD card, LEDs, and keys for easy debugging and testing—streamlines embedded development and rapid deployment.
Hardware bring-up
Aside from JTAG, the project status list marks the principal storage, memory, audio, video, USB and sensor interfaces untested. Bring-up therefore requires checking power, clocks, signal integrity, device configuration and software drivers for each subsystem rather than assuming the schematic translates directly into a working instrument.
The README includes this warning: “I make no guarantees as to device funtionality. Please review the board carefully before production.” The misspelling appears in the original text. Hackster’s contemporaneous coverage likewise described an incomplete boot loader and interfaces awaiting tests.
How the Zynq choice is described
In a March 3, 2021 Hackaday comment, Loiacono compared the XC7Z020 with the device used by the Milkymist project. He attributed 85K programmable-logic cells, 53,200 LUTs, 106,400 flip-flops, 4.9 Mb of block RAM and 220 DSP units to the XC7Z020. Those are the author’s comparison figures, not independent benchmarks or measurements of zynqPCB performance. The project sources provide no validated latency, audio-quality, video-throughput or reliability results.
The BOM’s xc7z020clg484 identifier is a design-selection fact. Anyone ordering parts should verify the complete ordering code, package, temperature grade and availability against the current BOM before fabrication.
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- Board, FPGA, development, EBAZ4205, ZYNQ
License and reuse considerations
The current repository page displays an MIT license. An earlier Hackster article said no license had been chosen when it was published. Those statements describe different points in time; reuse decisions should be based on the license file currently present in the repository, along with the terms of any separately cloned footprint or library repositories.
Publishing the KiCad files makes inspection, modification and community continuation possible, but it does not certify the design for manufacture. Loiacono’s March 2021 comments mention PCBWay as the manufacturer of a previous board run. That historical reference does not establish present availability, endorsement or a current commercial relationship.
What reproducing the board would involve
- Collect the exact source set. Obtain the current KiCad project and clone both supporting library repositories into the location specified by the README.
- Audit the design. Check the schematic, PCB stack-up, constraints, power rails, component footprints and the full BOM, paying particular attention to the Zynq package and DDR3 routing.
- Resolve supply and assembly risks. Confirm that every part is available in the specified package and that the fabricator can build the eight-layer board and fine-pitch devices.
- Plan a staged bring-up. Start with power verification and JTAG, then validate clocks, SPI flash, DDR3, SD storage, FPGA configuration, audio, HDMI, USB and sensors one subsystem at a time.
- Finish the software path. Implement the boot firmware and Vivado block design identified by the author, then document the Linux image, drivers and FPGA bitstream required for repeatable startup.
- Record evidence. For each interface, publish the board revision, test method, software versions and observed result so a derivative build can be compared without implying unverified capability.
What zynqPCB is—and is not
zynqPCB is best understood as an open hardware starting point for developers interested in FPGA audio/video systems, embedded Linux and custom physical interfaces. Its combination of Zynq logic, a processing system, memory, codec, HDMI, USB, storage and sensors could support an ambitious instrument after substantial engineering.
It is not currently documented as a finished synthesizer that a musician can buy, power on and use. There are no independent performance benchmarks, validated audio measurements or completed-variant comparisons in the available project coverage. A reproduction or derivative should therefore be evaluated by its own bring-up results, not by the feature list alone.
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