Chinese FPGAs sold by LCSC, has anyone tried those? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Axk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2018, 11:08:28 pm
content: LCSC has these FPGAs/CPLDs from 2 chinese companies: AGM Microelectronics and An Road, Shanghi Info Tech.https://lcsc.com/products/CPLD-FPGA_492.htmlHas anyone tried using these?Is there programmers for these available? Tools?

author: ale500
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 06:22:18 am
content: I can't read chinese but they have a TQFP-44 part !, with like 300 LUTs that is interesting !. Regarding tools and programmers... I'll have to look a bit more for those...

author: Bassman59
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 05:37:38 pm
content: Quote from: Axk on December 03, 2018, 11:08:28 pmI question the longevity and reliability of these companies if you're considering using the devices in production.

author: kony
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 05:44:17 pm
content: IIRC, they are Lattice clones (by ex-employees?) and I doubt they are not yet after them for IP rights infringement. Wouldn't dare to use it.

author: colorado.rob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 06:03:38 pm
content: If they are indeed Lattice clones then there is an open source toolchain available that may work with them.http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/http://www.alta-gate.com/support.aspx?lang=&p=16Should probably see if they have tools available in English.I will also note that Google is indexing the hell out of lcsc.com now. Searching for "AGM fpga" turns up lcsc.com links and images near the top for me.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 06:52:51 pm
content: I also noticed they have some Altera and Xilinx parts for very nice prices.But i would assume this is just something they happen to get there hands on and likely disappears once the stocks are up.

author: Axk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 08:39:57 pm
content: Searching for "anlogic" on ebay finds some development boards with one of these compaines' chips:https://www.ebay.com/itm/64Mbit-SDRAM-Onboard-FPGA-Downloader-Dual-Flash-Core-Board-RISC-V-Development/362486473357?epid=6008289069&hash=item5465e0a28d:g:HGYAAOSw3T5b64kU:rk:2:pf:0https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anlogic

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 08:54:01 pm
content: Quote from: colorado.rob on December 04, 2018, 06:03:38 pmIcestorm works only with one line of Lattice FPGAs - the iCE40 series. Lattice makes a lot of other things (e.g. the Mach family), so if something is a "Lattice clone", it doesn't imply that this toolchain will work with it.

author: Axk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 09:34:14 pm
content: Anlogic development software:http://www.anlogic.com/down.aspx?TypeId=23&fid=t14:23:14Looks like a ripoff of some other FPGA tool?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 10:22:54 pm
content: Although the installer and manual are Chinese, the software is clearly Western, all good English. Also some other languages in some files.Looking through files now for clues..Has anyone found any example projects ?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 10:59:57 pm
content: So some more poking around.Very few copyright messages, those that are are all Anlogic ( sometimes dated 2011-2021!)There is no way this was developed by Chinese developers - the English is too good, and there is a LOT of it.VERY small compared to other FPGA software - couple of ~32M executablesThey have a github pagehttps://github.com/AnlogicInfoAccording toThisfrom a year ago they're shipping millions. To who I wonder?

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2018, 11:12:44 pm
content: The ebay listing provided by Axk above includes the following blurb:"Lichee Tang uses Anlogic Technologies' EG4S20 as the core unit, 20K logic unit (LUT4/LUT5 hybrid architecture), approximately 130KBS RAM, built-in 32bit bit width 64MBit SDRAM, rich LVDS pin, built-in 12-bit 1MSPS ADC. "Offhand that does not resemble any lattice product does it? especially the LUT4/LUT5. I am however not that familiar with the full breadth of the lattice line.

author: colorado.rob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 04:38:06 am
content: I don't see Anlogic FPGAs being sold by LCSC.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 08:08:04 am
content: Quote from: colorado.rob on December 06, 2018, 04:38:06 amhttps://lcsc.com/products/CPLD-FPGA_492.html?q=fpgaFor some reason the manufacturer is listed as "An Road, Shanghai Info Tech"

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 10:33:23 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on December 06, 2018, 08:08:04 amTheir Chinese name is 安路科技 (an lu ke ji, which you can read as Anlogic with only minor twisting)安 == something like peaceful or safe路 == road科技 == technology

author: colorado.rob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2018, 06:45:39 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on December 06, 2018, 08:08:04 amAh... that explains my confusion. You can clearly see the "Anlogic" name on their chips.I just found this on Github:https://github.com/mmicko/prjtang--Project Tang enables a fully open-source flow for Anlogic FPGAs using Yosys for Verilog synthesis and nextpnr for place and route.

author: up8051
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2018, 01:27:11 pm
content: Chinese FPGA startup opens European office in UKhttp://www.eenewseurope.com/news/chinese-fpga-startup-opens-european-office-ukRegards,up8051

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2018, 05:05:28 am
content: Maybe I should call them up and ask for samples...?

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2018, 06:11:25 am
content: Quote from: up8051 on December 12, 2018, 01:27:11 pmI had a look trough the website and they do some nice stuff.Going to one of the distributors you can get a small QFN package FPGA with built in 64Mbit of SDRAM for $3.79 in singles:https://www.edgeelectronics.com/fpga/gw1nr-lv4qn88c5-i4/Okay the FPGA is pretty poor in terms of LUTs but the large built in memory could really come useful in some simple video applications where you need a framebuffer but don't actually need to do heavy processing on the image. Some DSP applications also come to mind.

author: a59d1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2019, 11:35:09 pm
content: Quote from: Berni on December 13, 2018, 06:11:25 amThat's exactly the application I tried (and failed) to use an ICE40 for - practically ran out of pins fitting an external RAM on.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2019, 05:30:30 pm
content: how to get access to that software ? i keep running in circles, they need chinese mobile number . registrations doesnt work , download doesnt work...

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2019, 07:38:31 pm
content: https://github.com/Lichee-Pi

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2019, 11:40:54 pm
content: Anlogic softwarehttps://drive.google.com/file/d/11TuOQpTJqdApgf-Q_WpMp1bdXBS4LhX4/view64bithttps://drive.google.com/uc?id=1rfrjo8Hd9Q_g1j1CS5hjPMDlDrXCCzCn&export=downloadEnglish Manualhttps://github.com/kprasadvnsi/Anlogic_Doc_English/blob/master/TD_User_Guide_V4.2_english.pdf

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 25, 2019, 05:16:28 am
content: Seeedstudio has the same board as the eBay seller for the Anlogic FPGA, but cheaper:https://www.seeedstudio.com/Sipeed-TANG-PriMER-FPGA-Development-Board-p-2881.htmlI got one, will do some experiments with it.But where do I get the Anlogic chips for my own products? Looks like they are available in hobby friendly TQFP packages:https://lcsc.com/product-detail/CPLD-FPGA_An-Road-Shanghai-Info-Tech-EG4D20EG176_C134201.htmlbut I just requested a quote for this chip, and they answered with "unavailable".Recently I tried to ask gowinsemi.com for their chips, and it was very difficult to get even a price quote, which was about $9 for a similar chip, and minimum order quantity of 200 ICs, and I couldn't get samples. I guess they want to trade with big companies only. But their support was good, I got a license for their Gowin_YunYuan IDE, because the apply for license button on their website didn't work. Probably as well based on some western IDE, all good English dialogs. Could blink an LED with this board:https://shop.trenz-electronic.de/en/TEC0117-01-FPGA-Module-with-GOWIN-LittleBee-and-8-MByte-internal-SDRAM

author: alvieboy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 31, 2019, 06:53:38 am
content: All Anlogic parts at LCSC show as "discontinued" now. Unsure about what that means, though.Alvie

author: martinayotte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2019, 01:30:23 pm
content: Quote from: alvieboy on May 31, 2019, 06:53:38 amAlvie, are you the ZPUino author ?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 03, 2019, 02:11:35 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on December 04, 2018, 10:59:57 pmOne farting novelty gadget order win could get that volume. It's China.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2019, 03:49:18 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 03, 2019, 02:11:35 pmThey wouldn't start on the development of silicon without some high volume lead customers lined up ready to go. Very few chips are developed as generic catalogue parts. Even the most generic looking MCUs have actually been designed with some specific high volume applications in mind.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2019, 01:05:17 am
content: Quote from: coppice on June 03, 2019, 03:49:18 pmAgain, its China. They are being paid big grants for development, not sales.https://press.trendforce.com/node/view/3025.htmlhttps://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2161387/investor-warns-day-reckoning-90-pc-chinese-ai-start-ups-funding-dries

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 17, 2019, 07:58:08 pm
content: All Gowin FPGAs are discontinued at LCSC. And all Gowin parts I checked athttps://www.edgeelectronics.com/fpga/are 0 in stock. So much for reliably sourcing. Maybe for hobby projects it is better to buy only parts which are available at Digikey, and maybe at least 1,000 in-stock, as it is the case for many not much more expensive Lattice FPGAs. Looks like Gowin is not interested in small customers.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2019, 10:31:44 pm
content: Quote from: FrankBuss on September 17, 2019, 07:58:08 pmInteresting. I asked LCSC why but they may not have any information.Theremightbe some on Taobao, it takes more effort to buy than LCSC though:https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.13.702e7b4cvOlOUf&id=593353980683Alibaba also has listings but they've copied the photos from LCSC...

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2019, 08:57:50 pm
content: Here is LCSCs response:QuoteMaybe issues with the company/payments/supply? who knows.