Avnet’s “UltraZed-EV Starter Kit” for embedded vision features an UltraZed-EV module with a Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC EV. The EV variant adds a 4K-ready H.264/H.265 codec and a more powerful FPGA to the quad -A53 SoC.

Avnet has followed up on its Linux-driven UltraZed-EG SOM compute module with a new UltraZed-EV SOM version that moves to Xilinx’s embedded vision savvy EV version of the Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC. The UltraZed-EV SOM is now available on a $1,595, sandwich-style carrier called the UltraZed-EV Starter Kit.

UltraZed-EV Starter Kit with UltraZed-EV SOM
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The Linux-supported kit is designed for prototyping and evaluating embedded video processing systems on the hybrid Arm/FPGA Zynq SoC. Specific applications include situational awareness, surveillance, smart vision, image manipulation, HMI, graphical overlay, automotive ADAS, video processing, and interactive displays.

 
UltraZed-EV SOM

The UltraZed-EV SOM moves from the Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC EG to an EV model that retains the 1.2GHz, quad-core, Cortex-A53 Arm block, 500MHz, dual-core Cortex-R5 MCU, and 600MHz Mali-400 MP2 GPU of the EG, but adds a video control unit (VCU) and a more powerful FPGA. The VCU provides a “hardened” H.264 / H.265 codec for up to 4K2K@60fps simultaneous encode and decode.

UltraZed-EV SOM (left) and Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC EV block diagram
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The UltraZed-EV SOM has fewer user PL IO’s than the EG model — 152 compared to 180 — but as detailed in the spec comparison below, it provides the superior FPGA power of the UltraScale+ MPSoC EV. FPGA specs include 504K logic cells, 461K Flip Flops, and 1,728 DSP slices, and adds PL based transceivers with PCIe Gen 3. The FBVB900 package also supports EG SoC models.


UltraZed-EV SOM processing features compared to UltraZed-EG SOM (left) and UltraZed-EV SOM I/O specs
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The module is larger than the EG version at 4.0 x 2.0 inches instead of 3.5 x 2.0 in.. You get 4GB of PS DDR4 (twice the amount on the EG module), as well as 1GB of PL DDR4, 64MB QSPI, and 8GB of eMMC. Other features are listed in the diagram above at right.


UltraZed-EV SOM with fan (left) and block diagram
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UltraZed-EV Starter Kit

The UltraZed-EV Starter Kit carrier integrates the UltraZed-EV SOM module via two 200-pin headers. Coastline ports include USB 3.0, DisplayPort, 2x micro-USB UART, and HDMI in and out ports. For communications, you get a GbE port and dual SFP+ optical cages. Other features include a microSD slot, a SATA interface, an LVDS touch-panel connector, and a USB-based JTAG module.

UltraZed-EV Starter Kit (left) and detail view
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The UltraZed-EV Starter Kit is further equipped with a PCIe root port, 3x 3G-SDI connections, 2x PL PMOD headers, and various PL DIP switches, push switches, and LEDs. You also get boot-mode and power switches, a PMBus interface, and a 12V power connector.

The kit ships with the UltraZed-EV SOM, presumably defaulting to the extended temperature version as opposed to the wider-range industrial-temp model. You also get a 12V AC/DC supply, an 8GB microSD card, and cables.

 
Further information

Now available to customers in the Americas, EMEA, Asia, and Japan, the UltraZed-EV Starter Kit is priced at $1,595 with the extended temp version of the UltraZed-EV SOM. The UltraZed I/O Carrier Card can be purchased separately for $649 without the UltraZed-EV SOM, and the module is available separately for $999 (extended temp) and $1,199 (industrial temp). More information may be found in Avnet’s UltraZed-EV announcement, as well as its UltraZed-EV SOM and UltraZed-EV Starter Kit product pages.