NOTE: This information is here for historical purposes and no longer reflects the current state of the Butterfly Platform which has been renamed to the "Papilio Platform".

Butterfly Platform

The Butterfly Platform is a reprogrammable and modular FPGA circuit design that is completely open source. The hardware is able to morph from one application to another as needed. The same hardware can be a Logic Analyzer one minute and then be reprogrammed to be a Flash Programmer the next.

The "Butterfly Platform" name

Much like Butterflies this modular Butterfly Platform hardware is able to transform from an inert form into a myraid of beautiful and useful applications. The Butterfly modules are referred to as Cocoon's because they provide the raw material needed to implement any desired application. Each module has a list of capabilities associated with it and applications will list the capabilities that are needed to function. For example,

• The S3E Cocoon has the following listed capabilities:
  • FPGA
• The USB Cocoon has the following listed capabilities:
  • Power
  • JTAG
  • USB
• The Logic Analyzer application has the following requirements:
  • FPGA
  • Power
  • JTAG
  • USB

If you match the requirements of an application to the capabilities of the modules you will have everything needed for an application. In the future when alternative FPGA modules, such as from Altera, are created support for an application should be accomplished by matching capability requirements.

Current Applications

Proposed Applications

• Logic Analyzer
  
  • This open source logic analyzer project is well suited to the Butterfly Platform and is a very important part of any electronics workbench.
• Flash Programmer
  • Another project that is well suited for the Butterfly Platform which will support programming 1.2V, 2.5V, and 3.3V parts that don't require high voltage for programming. There are plans to develop a module that includes a tsop socket and a ZIF socket.
•  Frequency Generator
  • Another useful application for the workbench.
• Frequency Counter
  • If you have a frequency generator then you should have a frequency counter.
•  12 Channel PWM controller
  
  • Very useful for robotic motor control.
• Oscilloscope
  • There are several open source Oscilloscope designs that can be adapted with an appropraite module that implements an A/D converter.
• PicoBlaze 8 bit microcontroller
  • Uses very little resources and is programmed in assembly.
• Microblaze 32 bit microcontroller
  • 32 bit microcontroller that supports Eclipse IDE for C programming. Has numerous hardware modules that can be implemented.
• Java Core
  • For those who prefer to program in Java.
• AVR Core
  • For those who want to use the AVR compiler or want to port an existing AVR design to FPGA.
• PIC Core
  • For those who prefer MicroChip tools or need to port an existing PIC design.
•  uCLinux
  • Implementing a Microblaze or LEON processor that can run uCLinux. A new hardware module that includes SRAM or SDRAM is required before this can become reality.

Current Hardware Modules

USB Cocoon

Capabilities:

• Power
• JTAG
• USB

S3E Cocoon

Capabilities:

• FPGA