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w w w . d ig i l en t inc . c om
Revision: July 11, 2011
215 E Main Suite D | Pullman, WA 99163
(509) 334 6306 Voice and Fax
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved
12 pages
Doc: 502-134
Overview
The Nexys2 circuit board is a complete,
ready-to-use circuit development platform
based on a Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA. Its on-
board high-speed USB2 port, 16Mbytes of
RAM and ROM, and several I/O devices and
ports make it an ideal platform for digital
systems of all kinds, including embedded
processor systems based on Xilinx’s
MicroBlaze. The USB2 port provides board
power and a programming interface, so the
Nexys2 board can be used with a notebook
computer to create a truly portable design
station.
The Nexys2 brings leading technologies to a
platform that anyone can use to gain digital
design experience. It can host countless
FPGA-based digital systems, and designs
can easily grow beyond the board using any
or all of the five expansion connectors. Four
12-pin Peripheral Module (Pmod) connectors
can accommodate up to eight low-cost
Pmods to add features like motor control, A/D
and D/A conversion, audio circuits, and a host
of sensor and actuator interfaces. All user-
accessible signals on the Nexys2 board are
ESD and short-circuit protected, ensuring a
long operating life in any environment.
The Nexys2 board is fully compatible with all
versions of the Xilinx ISE tools, including the
free WebPack. Now anyone can build real
digital systems for less than the price of a
textbook.
Power Supplies
The Nexys2 board input power input bus can be driven from a USB cable, from a 5VDC-15VDC,
center positive, 2.1mm wall-plug supply, or from a battery pack. A shorting block loaded on the
“power select” jumper selects the power source. The USB circuitry is always powered from the USB
cable – if no USB cable is attached, the USB circuitry is left unpowered.
•
500K-gate Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA
•
USB2-based FPGA configuration and high-speed data
transfers (using the free Adept Suite Software)
•
USB-powered (batteries and/or wall-plug can also be used)
•
16MB of Micron PSDRAM &16MB of Intel StrataFlash ROM
•
Xilinx Platform Flash for nonvolatile FPGA configurations
•
Efficient switch-mode power supplies (good for battery
powered applications)
•
50MHz oscillator plus socket for second oscillator
•
60 FPGA I/O’s routed to expansion connectors (one high-
speed Hirose FX2 connector and four 6-pin headers)
•
8 LEDs, 4-digit 7-seg display, 4 buttons, 8 slide switches
•
Ships in a plastic carry case with USB cable
Figure 1: Nexys2 block diagram and features
