iW-RainboW-G58M is a compact module based on the Intel Agilex 5 SoC FPGA series

iWave Systems, an embedded systems solutions company based in India, has announced the launch of the iW-RainboW-G58M system-on-module (SoM). The module is based on Intel’s Agilex 5 SoC FPGA E-series family, a lineup of affordable, midrange FPGAs for intelligent edge and embedded applications.

The Agilex 5 E-series is optimized to deliver better performance-per-watt than its predecessors at a smaller form factor. They feature an asymmetric applications processor system comprising two Arm Cortex-A76 cores and two Cortex-A55 cores for optimized performance and power efficiency. The Arm cores in the Agilex 5 SoC FGPA family are more powerful than the Cortex-A53 cores in the Intel Agilex 7 and 9 products, but those have faster high-speed interfaces and more logic elements.

The Agilex 5 SoM is suitable for development in fields like wireless communications, video/broadcast, and industrial test and measurement sectors. The last iWave module we covered, the iW-RainboW-G55M, was based on a Texas Instruments SoC.

iW-RainboW-G58M specifications:

SoC FPGA – Intel Agilex 5 E-series in the B32A (32mm x 32mm) package
- Device Variants
  - Group A: A5E 065A/052A/043A/028A/013A SoC FPGA
  - Group B: A5E 065B/052B/043B/028B/013B/008B SoC FPGA
- Hard Processing System (HPS)
  - Dual-core Arm Cortex-A76 up to 1.4 GHz
  - Dual-core Arm Cortex-A55 up to 1.25 GHz
- Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)
  - Up to 656,080 Logic elements
  - 24 x transceivers up to 28Gbps
Memory:
- 32Bit 4GB LPDDR4 (Hard Processor System)
- Dual 32Bit 4GB LPDDR4 (FPGA)
Storage – 32GB eMMC (expandable), 1GB QSPI configuration flash
On-module features:
- Up to 2.5Gbps Ethernet
- 24x transceivers up to 28Gbps
- USB 2.0 ULPI Transceiver
Board-to-board connectors
- From HPS block
  - 1x 2.5G Ethernet (through on-SOM Ethernet PHY)
  - 1x USB 2.0 OTG (through on-SOM USB2.0 transceiver), 1x USB 3.0
  - 1x RGMII
  - 1x SPI, 1x Debug UART, 1x Data UART, 1x JTAG
  - 1x SD (Optional)
  - 1x I2C, 1x I2C/I3C
- From FPGA block
  - 24 x transceivers up to 28Gbps
  - FPGA HSIO (Up to 48 LVDS/96 SE)
  - FPGA HVIO (Up to 100)
Power Input – 5V through board-to-board (B2B) connector
Board Support Package – Linux BSP for ARM Cortex CPU
Operating Temperature – -40°C to +85°C
Environment Specification – RoHS & REACH Compliant
Dimensions – 60mm x 70mm

iW-RainboW-G58M Agilex 5 Dev Kit Top View — iW-RainboW-G58M Agilex 5 development kit

iWave provides an evaluation kit to their customers to expedite development and time to market. The development board supports the following connectors and interfaces:

2.5Gbps Ethernet RJ45 MagJack
Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 MagJack
PCIe Gen4 x4
20-Pin PS Header: UART, SPI, GPIOs
USB3.0 + USB2.0 through Type-C
DP (2 lane)
FMC+, PMOD & QSFP+ Connector
HDMI OUT/IN & SDI IN/OUT
Type-C USB connector for USB and JTAG
JTAG Connector

Documentation for the product is available for download including a Quick Start Guide, carrier board schematics, and a Linux user manual, but you need to register and fill in some details to download them. The module supports Linux on the ARM Cortex cores.

As with their other SoM products, iWave assures long-term availability of the iW-RainboW-G58M for 10+ years. Additional information about the product can be found on the product page. You’ll need to request a quote on the website to get the price for the module, development kit, and thermal solution.

Tomisin Olujinmi

Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.