Opal Kelly Blog

Press Release

Portland, Oregon – April 14, 2016 – Opal Kelly, a leading producer of powerful FPGA modules that provide essential device-to-computer interconnect using USB or PCI Express, announced the ZEM5305 USB 3.0 FPGA Module, combining a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface and an Altera Cyclone V E FPGA into a compact sub-business-card sized form factor suitable for prototyping, testing, and production-ready integration. The ZEM5305 USB interface delivers real-world transfer rates exceeding 340 MB/s and integrated DDR3 memory.

The ZEM5305 measures only 64mm x 42mm x 6.81mm (2.52″ x 1.65″ x 0.27″), includes the Altera 5CEFA2U19 FPGA, USB 3.0 interface, 32 Mb SPI Flash, 100 MHz low-jitter clock oscillator, and 512 MB DDR3 SDRAM. The ZEM5305 fully supports Opal Kelly’s popular cross-platform FrontPanel SDK for FPGA configuration and host communication using a comprehensive API in C/C++, C#, Python, Java, and Ruby programming languages. The ZEM5305 may also be configured to boot the FPGA in non-tethered mode from the on-board SPI Flash.

Designed without on-board switching power supplies, the ZEM5305 must be powered from the customer’s peripheral through the two 80-pin Samtec BSE-040 connectors. This arrangement reduces cost and is particularly well suited to noise-sensitive applications where switching power supplies could introduce undesired electromagnetic interference. Engineers may design a power supply system that is appropriate to their application peripheral and the ZEM5305 combined and optimize the parameters critical to the application.

FrontPanel SDK

Opal Kelly integration modules include the indispensable FrontPanel SDK, a powerful trio of firmware, software, and programmable hardware blocks that connect the engineer’s software application and FPGA firmware. The FrontPanel SDK dramatically reduces development time and risk and accelerates time to market. The multi-platform, multi-language FrontPanel programmer’s interface (API) accommodates most development environments and provides a consistent, easy-to-use architecture supporting Opal Kelly’s USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices. The FrontPanel SDK has over a decade of demonstrated success, proven and refined in thousands of customer deployments worldwide, across diverse applications and industries.

Availability

The ZEM5305 is available now with the Altera Cyclone V E A2 device density. The ZEM5305-A2 is in stock and available now through Opal Kelly’s online web store at $324.95 (qty 1) with volume discounts starting at 10 pieces. An optional breakout board (BRK5305) is also available as a reference design and to provide prototype access to the high-density connectors. The BRK5305 is $59.95. Additional device densities are available for orders starting at 100 pieces. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

About Opal Kelly

Opal Kelly, founded in 2004, offers a range of powerful, off-the-shelf, USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 FPGA modules, including the easy-to-use Opal Kelly FrontPanel software interface and robust API. Opal Kelly products provide the essential device-to-computer interconnect for fast and efficient product prototyping, testing, development, and OEM integration. Development engineers, researchers, teachers, and serious hobbyists, worldwide, use Opal Kelly modules for a versatile and economical interconnect solution that shortens development time, fills expertise gaps, and dramatically accelerates time to market. For more information, or to purchase Opal Kelly products, please visit www.opalkelly.com.