efinix bit stream question

On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 21:06:03 UTC, whit3rd wrote:
> On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:28:04 AM UTC-8, John Larkin wrote: 
> 
> > If we do a product line around raspberry pi, we could piggyback on the 
> > enormous physical and people culture. I've never seen anything like 
> > it. 
> > 
> > https://www.raspberrypi.org/ 
> > 
> > We might sponsor 5 or 10 smart poor high school or college kids, steer 
> > their paths a bit, give them summer projects or jobs, hire a couple of 
> > the best when they graduate. 
> > 
> > Pi has enormous momentum so should be around for a while.
> Momentum isn't the correct model for something that can become 
> nonexistent. The persistent availability of Broadcom SOC chips is 
> not like the mass of a juggernaut. It is not a physical constant. 
> 
> Where is a second source? 
> Banana pi, anyone?
The Pi that JL is using isn't based on Broadcom.  Its a really
nice ARM M0+ dual core microcontroller, the RP2040 with 
some excellent i/o capabilities.

"Obsolescence statement
Raspberry Pi understands the value to customers of long term availability
of product and therefore aims to continue supply for as long as practically
possible. We expect RP2040 to remain in production until at least January 2041."

https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-product-brief.pdf
https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-datasheet.pdf
https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/filter/microcontrollers/685?s=N4IgTCBcDaIE4AcwAYAsyQF0C%2BQ

The board that JL is looking at is the Pico, a small pcb with the RP2040
processor, flash memory and a USB interface.  There is a version which also has WiFi.
Multiple suppliers are making boards which are either clones or in the general
spirit of the Pico.  JL has already pointed out that he could make his own board
if necessary.

I am planning to use an RP2040 for switching power supply
management among other things.  Availability is excellent and its a really
nice micro-controller at a good price.

John

On Tue, 6 Dec 2022 08:41:02 -0800 (PST), John Walliker
<jrwalliker@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 21:06:03 UTC, whit3rd wrote:
>> On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:28:04 AM UTC-8, John Larkin wrote: 
>> 
>> > If we do a product line around raspberry pi, we could piggyback on the 
>> > enormous physical and people culture. I've never seen anything like 
>> > it. 
>> > 
>> > https://www.raspberrypi.org/ 
>> > 
>> > We might sponsor 5 or 10 smart poor high school or college kids, steer 
>> > their paths a bit, give them summer projects or jobs, hire a couple of 
>> > the best when they graduate. 
>> > 
>> > Pi has enormous momentum so should be around for a while.
>> Momentum isn't the correct model for something that can become 
>> nonexistent. The persistent availability of Broadcom SOC chips is 
>> not like the mass of a juggernaut. It is not a physical constant. 
>> 
>> Where is a second source? 
>> Banana pi, anyone?
>The Pi that JL is using isn't based on Broadcom.  Its a really
>nice ARM M0+ dual core microcontroller, the RP2040 with 
>some excellent i/o capabilities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

Broadcom is involved somehow.

Who manufactures the RP2040? That's not obvious.


>
>"Obsolescence statement
>Raspberry Pi understands the value to customers of long term availability
>of product and therefore aims to continue supply for as long as practically
>possible. We expect RP2040 to remain in production until at least January 2041."
>
>https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-product-brief.pdf
>https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-datasheet.pdf
>https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/filter/microcontrollers/685?s=N4IgTCBcDaIE4AcwAYAsyQF0C%2BQ
>
>The board that JL is looking at is the Pico, a small pcb with the RP2040
>processor, flash memory and a USB interface.  There is a version which also has WiFi.
>Multiple suppliers are making boards which are either clones or in the general
>spirit of the Pico.  JL has already pointed out that he could make his own board
>if necessary.
>
>I am planning to use an RP2040 for switching power supply
>management among other things.  Availability is excellent and its a really
>nice micro-controller at a good price.
>
>John

The culture and infrastructure around Pi is unprecedented. A million
kids must be using it. Schools center courses on it.

I was looking at an Analog Devices RF synthesizer chip. The eval kit
uses a Pi.

On Tuesday, 6 December 2022 at 18:39:31 UTC, John Larkin wrote:
> On Tue, 6 Dec 2022 08:41:02 -0800 (PST), John Walliker 
> <jrwal...@gmail.com> wrote: 
> 
> >On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 21:06:03 UTC, whit3rd wrote: 
> >> On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:28:04 AM UTC-8, John Larkin wrote: 
> >> 
> >> > If we do a product line around raspberry pi, we could piggyback on the 
> >> > enormous physical and people culture. I've never seen anything like 
> >> > it. 
> >> > 
> >> > https://www.raspberrypi.org/ 
> >> > 
> >> > We might sponsor 5 or 10 smart poor high school or college kids, steer 
> >> > their paths a bit, give them summer projects or jobs, hire a couple of 
> >> > the best when they graduate. 
> >> > 
> >> > Pi has enormous momentum so should be around for a while. 
> >> Momentum isn't the correct model for something that can become 
> >> nonexistent. The persistent availability of Broadcom SOC chips is 
> >> not like the mass of a juggernaut. It is not a physical constant. 
> >> 
> >> Where is a second source? 
> >> Banana pi, anyone? 
> >The Pi that JL is using isn't based on Broadcom. Its a really 
> >nice ARM M0+ dual core microcontroller, the RP2040 with 
> >some excellent i/o capabilities.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi 
> 
> Broadcom is involved somehow. 
> 
> Who manufactures the RP2040? That's not obvious.
> > 
> >"Obsolescence statement 
> >Raspberry Pi understands the value to customers of long term availability 
> >of product and therefore aims to continue supply for as long as practically 
> >possible. We expect RP2040 to remain in production until at least January 2041." 
> > 
> >https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-product-brief.pdf 
> >https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/rp2040/rp2040-datasheet.pdf 
> >https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/filter/microcontrollers/685?s=N4IgTCBcDaIE4AcwAYAsyQF0C%2BQ 
> > 
> >The board that JL is looking at is the Pico, a small pcb with the RP2040 
> >processor, flash memory and a USB interface. There is a version which also has WiFi. 
> >Multiple suppliers are making boards which are either clones or in the general 
> >spirit of the Pico. JL has already pointed out that he could make his own board 
> >if necessary. 
> > 
> >I am planning to use an RP2040 for switching power supply 
> >management among other things. Availability is excellent and its a really 
> >nice micro-controller at a good price. 
> > 
> >John
> The culture and infrastructure around Pi is unprecedented. A million 
> kids must be using it. Schools center courses on it. 
> 
> I was looking at an Analog Devices RF synthesizer chip. The eval kit 
> uses a Pi.

I don't think there is any connection between the RP2040 and Broadcom.
The chips are designed by Pi and made by TSMC.
All other Raspberry Pi products do use Broadcom chips.  The RP2040
is a very different animal however.

From this article:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/now-you-can-by-giant-reels-of-raspberry-pis-rp2040-chips/

"However, Upton assures people with microcontroller projects that the RP2040
shouldn't suffer the same shortages, with enough wafers to make 20 million chips.&nbsp;
RP2040 is built on a more modern semiconductor process (TSMC 40LP) than
most other microcontrollers. As a result, it makes extremely efficient use of scarce
silicon wafer supply: each die occupies just 2mm2, and each 300mm wafer yields
roughly 21,000 dice. We have sufficient wafer stock on hand to produce 20 million
chips, with more on the way," says Upton.&nbsp;
If you want to build your product on a microcontroller you can actually buy in 2022,
RP2040 is your friend."

John