Designing with the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the hard block capabilities for the AMD Zynq™ UltraScale+™ RFSoC family with a special emphasis on the RF Data Converter and Soft-Decision FEC blocks. The focus is on:

  • Introducing the RFSoC DFE IP cores

What's New for 2025.2

The focus is on:

  • Describing the RFSoC family in general
  • Identifying applications for the RF Data Converter and SD-FEC blocks
  • Configuring, simulating, and implementing the blocks
  • Verifying the RF Data Converter on real hardware
  • Reviewing power estimation to help identify the power demands of the RFSoC device in various operating modes
  • Identifying proper layout and PCB considerations since the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC is both a high-speed and an analog and digital device
  • Covering Gen 1, 2, and 3 devices
  • All labs have been updated to the latest software versions

Course Details

  • Level – Connectivity 3
  • Price – $2,400 or 24 AMD Training Credits
  • Course Part Number – CONN-RFSOC
  • 5 demos
  • 46 lectures
  • 7 labs

Who Should Attend?

Hardware designers interested in understanding the architecture and capabilities of the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC data converter and SD-FEC hard blocks.

Prerequisites

  • Basic familiarity with data converter terms and principles
  • Basic familiarity with forward error correction terms and principles
  • Describe the architecture and functionality of the RF-ADC and RF-DAC
  • Utilize the RF-ADC and RF-DAC via configuration, simulation, and implementation
  • Identify typical applications for the RF data converters
  • Identify the requirements and options for data converter PCB designs

Software Tools

  • Vivado™ Design Suite 2025.2
  • Vitis™ Unified IDE 2025.2

Course Outline

  • Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC Overview: Overview of the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC architecture, including brief introductions to RF, RF data converter solutions, SD-FEC solutions, driver support, and tool support. {Lectures, Demo}
  • RF-ADC Hardware: Provides an overview of the ZCU111 board and describes board setup. {Lectures}
  • Data Converter Design: Describes common features, the design flow, utilizing the example design by simulation and implementation, and verifying RF data converter functionality on real hardware. Includes practice of using a software driver to modify RF data converter parameters. {Lectures, Labs}
  • Data Converter Practice: Provides practical RF data converter experience using the ZCU111 board evaluation tool and RF analyzer tool. Demonstrates a PYNQ-based application to validate QPSK streams. Describes RF data converter frequency planning. {Lectures, Practices}
  • RF-DAC Hardware: Covers the basics of RF-DACs. Reviews RF-DAC architecture, functionality, interfaces, configuration, and driver support. {Lectures, Demo, Lab}
  • RFSoC Hardware: Provides an overview of the ZCU111 board and describes board setup. {Lectures}
  • PCB Design for RFSoC Devices: Describes power requirements, performing power estimation, and utilizing the power design. Analog signal requirements, PCB materials and layer stackup options, and analog trace design are also covered. {Lectures, Demo, Lab}
  • Soft-Decision FEC Hardware: Covers the basics of forward error correction. Reviews the SD-FEC architecture, functionality, interfaces, configuration, and driver support. {Lectures, Demo, Labs}
  • RFSoC DFE: Utilizes DFE hard IPs.