K1 Controller Board with Video Capture

[MichaelM]

No I understood that, and it would be possible anyways since that programmer will only use the SPI pins associated with the FPGA configuration pins.

My suggestion, based on cost, is to use only the 16Mb (or 32Mb) chips for both your configuration and application flash array. In this way, you can debug your SPI interface for your application Flash array with small, low cost parts, and then swap them out for the more expensive, 1Gb parts after everything is working. At about $1 for the 16Mb parts, the 16x Flash array would not be particularly expensive to fully populate.

[ElEctric_EyE]

Thanks Michael, that is a good suggestion however the cost vs. risk is still abit prohibitive.

The risk comes from a lack of confidence mounting any BGA, let alone the 676-pin beast this design has worked up to. On a project this large and this expensive, one has to have maybe a little experience mounting smaller devices. I don't even have this experience, my fault. It had started from the 256-pin XC6SLX25.
Before I attempt this K1 controller board, I'll need to backtrack a bit and redesign the PVB and gain some insight into a SOP for mounting smaller BGAs in-house, then I'll come back here, hopefully, and continue progress.

[MichaelM]

I don't have the ability any longer to mount BGAs. The BGA rework station that we own will not get hot enough to mount lead-free BGAs otherwise I'd offer to mount your BGA for you. I generally have an outside specialist mount BGAs on any of my prototype boards. I am looking into acquiring a new BGA/SMT rework station to handle some of this work in house.

That being said, I can probably refer you a low volume assembly house in your area that can place the BGA for you at fairly reasonable cost. Let me know if that's an option that you'd like to explore.

[ElEctric_EyE]

MichaelM wrote:

I don't have the ability any longer to mount BGAs. The BGA rework station that we own will not get hot enough to mount lead-free BGAs otherwise I'd offer to mount your BGA for you. I generally have an outside specialist mount BGAs on any of my prototype boards. I am looking into acquiring a new BGA/SMT rework station to handle some of this work in house.

That being said, I can probably refer you a low volume assembly house in your area that can place the BGA for you at fairly reasonable cost. Let me know if that's an option that you'd like to explore.

Sure, I appreciate the offer! This way I can bring 2 parts of the project together reasonably quick, but I'll still have to wait a month or 2 to afford the K1 part of the project...

Currently I'm on the path to complete the board design for PVBV2 where it can fit 2 SyncRAMs, a 256-pin BGA, 2 SPI FLASH's for error free FPGA multi-config, a high speed 24-bit videoDAC, and 96-pin connector on a 3.5"x2.8" 4-layer board. This is the ExpressPCB MiniBoard service that costs $98 for 3 boards. This will allow me to spend minimally, as the expensive parts (2x SyncRAM) I can salvage from 2 original PVB's, and spend $98 for 3 boards and an XC6SLX25 for $44. Also it is the leaded version, still in stock. Should be easier to mount with the lead in there from what I've read.

[MichaelM]

Will do. Will send you the contact information by PM tomorrow or over the weekend.