SoC Platforms Comparison
Caravel
- 10 mm² user project area
- RISC-V processor
- 38 programmable GPIOs
- Supports digital, analog and mixed signal designs
Caravan
- 10 mm² user project area
- RISC-V processor
- 27 programmable GPIOs, 11 high speed IOs
- Supports only analog designs
OpenFrame
- 15 mm² user project area
- No RISC-V processor
- 44 configurable GPIOs
- Supports digital, analog and mixed signal designs
When to Use Each SoC Platform
Choosing the right SoC platform is crucial for the success of your project. Here's a guide to help you decide:
When to Use Caravel
Caravel stands as our flagship reference design, distinguished by its widespread adoption and proven reliability. It is engineered for user-friendliness and broad applicability.
- Silicon Proven & Production Ready: Caravel has been taped out thousands of times and is silicon proven on a vast number of chips. This makes it our primary recommendation for production runs, ensuring robust and reliable performance.
- Ease of Use: It is designed to be easily worked with, requiring no complex custom configurations for GPIOs or other peripherals, making your development process smooth and efficient.
- Design Support: Caravel supports digital, analog, and mixed-signal designs, making it suitable for a wide array of projects from initial prototyping to final product development.
- Educational & Initial Prototyping: Its accessible nature also makes it an excellent choice for educational purposes and for quickly prototyping new ideas before committing to larger, more complex platforms.
When to Use Caravan
Caravan is tailored specifically for projects with a focus on analog circuitry and offers a unique set of features ideal for specific educational explorations.
- Analog Design Focus: Caravan is primarily made for analog designs, providing a suitable environment for intricate analog circuit integration.
- Educational Exploration (High-Speed IOs): It's particularly well-suited for educational purposes, featuring 11 high-speed IOs. These high-speed IOs come without ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection, which is important to consider for experimental or learning environments.
When to Use OpenFrame
OpenFrame provides maximum flexibility for advanced designers who prioritize space and customization, offering a blank canvas for unique architectural choices.
- Extra Space & More GPIOs: This design is specifically made for designers who require more user project area and a higher count of configurable GPIOs for larger or more complex implementations.
- Custom Processor Implementation: OpenFrame is ideal if you do not require the integrated RISC-V processor found in Caravel/Caravan, or if you intend to implement your own custom processor or specific instruction set architecture.
- IO Configuration: Unlike Caravel and Caravan, OpenFrame will require logic to handle the IO configuration, done automatically by the RISCV processor in Caravel and Caravan