Mouser New Product of the Week: Xilinx Kria KD240 Drives Starter Kit

By Embedded Computing Design Staff

February 12, 2024

Control system architects and embedded software developers are often tasked with initiating and advancing systems, each with diverse requirements in demanding environments. To streamline the development process, developers can make use of an out-of-the-box solution that provides simplified workflows, easy integration and functionality, hardware inclusion, accessibility, and more.

The Xilinx Kria KD240 Drives Starter Kit is an FPGA-based motor control kit with a form factor that includes the non-production version of the K24 SOM, a carrier card, and a passive heat sink thermal solution. Designed for motor control and DSP applications, the kit further supports applications such as autonomous industrial robotics, electrical vehicles and chargers, handheld medical devices, power generation systems, public transportation, and more.

The Xilinx Kria KD240 Drives Starter Kit in Action

The K24 SOM-based development platform includes Python support, and the Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC (XCK24), which provides heterogenous processing by integrating an application processing unit (APU) and programmable logic on a single chip.

The Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC also enables real-time processing with 154K system logic cells for general-purpose digital logic implementation, and 360 DSP slices for DSP-intensive tasks and algorithms.

The memory resources on the kit include 216 traditional Block RAM for data storage, with no UltraRAM Blocks, and 2 GB of LPDD4 memory with two independent channels with a capacity of 256 megabits and a data bus width of 16 bits.

The Kria KD240 kit further supports simplifies communication with a total of three 1Gb Ethernet, one PS (GEM1) Gb RGMII Ethernet, and two PL Gb RGMII Ethernets — one for time-sensitive networking (TSN) and one for control automation technology (EtherCAT) support. Additional interfaces include CAN, RS-485, and USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 as 2-port hub.

The Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC also supports security features like hardware root of trust (RoT) for secure boot, as well as encrypted storage, and secure key management, and Infineon TPM2.0 for measured boot. The kit also includes PMOD expansion and access to the Pmod ecosystem for the option to incorporate compatible sensors for versatility within different applications.

Getting Started with the Xilinx Kria KD240 Drives Starter Kit

The carrier card included with the Kria KD240 contains a comprehensive set of features such as a power solution, three network interfaces, a microSD card, a three-phase power inverter, and multiple analog-to-digital converter channels.

In addition to the aforementioned form factor, the kit also includes a getting started document for users, as well as developer stickers.

The kit is available through AMD and distributors worldwide. For more information about the development kit, check out the video below: