Learning Resources

External tutorials, videos, and documentation for learning OpenPOWER, Microwatt, and FPGA development.

Microwatt

Official Repository

Microwatt GitHub

• Main repository by Anton Blanchard
• Comprehensive README with build instructions
• VHDL 2008 source code
• Simulation and FPGA synthesis guides

PowerCommons Microwatt VCU-118 Fork

• VCU-118 specific support
• DDR4 integration
• Debug LEDs and pin constraints

Prof. Peter Hofstee’s Microwatt on Arty A7-100T

• Complete tutorial for Arty A7-100T
• Ubuntu 22.04 setup guide
• Simulation with GHDL
• Linux kernel compilation with buildroot
• SSH over Ethernet configuration
• By IBM Distinguished Research Staff Member & TU Delft Professor

Videos & Presentations

YouTube - Prof. Peter Hofstee’s Educational Series:

• Introduction to OpenPOWER ISA

  • OpenPOWER instruction set architecture
  • Foundation concepts
  • Educational overview

• Microwatt Microarchitecture Overview

  • Detailed microarchitecture walkthrough
  • Design decisions
  • Implementation details

• Microwatt Walkthrough and Background

  • Project background
  • Step-by-step guidance
  • Practical implementation

YouTube - Anton Blanchard’s Microwatt Talks:

• Microwatt and GHDL - Open Hardware CPU in VHDL

  • Open source VHDL synthesis
  • Building with GHDL

• Microwatt Overview

  • Architecture introduction
  • Design philosophy

• Microwatt Deep Dive

  • Implementation details
  • FPGA considerations

• Microwatt FPGA CPU Core

  • Running on FPGA boards
  • Linux boot demonstration

Conference Presentations:

• OpenPOWER Summit 2019: Microwatt - Make Your Own POWER CPU

  • Michael Neuling & Anton Blanchard
  • OpenPOWER Summit Europe 2019

• Open POWER Cores Presentation

  • SlideShare presentation
  • Architecture overview

Articles & Tutorials

• LWN.net: OpenPOWER Opens Further

  • Announcement coverage
  • Technical analysis

• Hackaday: Microwatt Coverage

  • Project updates
  • Community builds

• Hackster.io: OpenPOWER Microwatt

  • Feature announcement
  • Getting started guide

OpenPOWER & POWER ISA

OpenPOWER Foundation

Official Website:

• OpenPOWER Foundation
• OPF HUB Resources
• OpenPOWER Foundation Videos

GitHub:

• OpenPOWER Foundation GitHub
• General information & repository listing

POWER ISA Specifications

Official Documentation:

• POWER ISA Specifications

  • Official ISA specifications
  • Current and historical versions

• Power ISA v3.0B (PDF)

  • Full specification document
  • Book I, II, III architecture

• Power ISA v3.1 (PDF)

  • Latest specification (May 2020)
  • New features and extensions

Learning Materials:

• POWER ISA Introduction (SlideShare)

  • Overview presentation
  • What’s new in v3.1

• Raptor Computing Systems Wiki: Power ISA

  • Community documentation
  • Specification downloads
  • Implementation notes

OpenPOWER Presentations & Talks

Prof. Peter Hofstee (IBM & TU Delft):

• OpenPOWER Summit Europe 2019

  • Presentations and talks
  • Lyon, France (Oct 30 - Nov 1, 2019)

• OpenPOWER Update (SlideShare)

  • Industry updates
  • Technology roadmap

• OpenPOWER Seminar at IIT Madras

  • Educational presentation
  • Academic collaboration

LiteX SoC Framework

Official Resources

GitHub & Documentation:

• LiteX GitHub

  • Main repository
  • Build your hardware, easily!

• LiteX Wiki: Tutorials & Resources

  • Official tutorial index
  • Getting started guides

• LiteX-Hub GitHub

  • Community cores and boards
  • Additional resources

Tutorials & Workshops

Written Guides:

• From Zero to SoC in LiteX

  • Comprehensive tutorial
  • Step-by-step walkthrough

• Building a SoC with LiteX

  • Practical guide
  • Real-world examples

• Fomu Workshop: LiteX and Renode

  • Hands-on labs
  • Simulation and co-simulation

Workshop Materials:

• LiteX: SoC Builder Workshop Slides (2019)

  • OSDA Workshop, Florence
  • Architecture overview

• LiteX: Free Silicon Congress (2019)

  • Paris presentation
  • SoC builder and cores

Academic Papers:

• LiteX: An Open-Source SoC Builder (arXiv)
  • Technical paper
  • Migen Python DSL

Video Tutorials

• Renode Website: Video tutorials section
  • Simulation with LiteX
  • Hardware-software co-verification

FPGA Development with Vivado

Official Xilinx/AMD Resources

Getting Started:

• Xilinx: Getting Started with Vivado IDE

  • Official video tutorial
  • IDE walkthrough

• AMD Self-Paced Tutorials

  • Comprehensive tutorial library
  • All skill levels

• Vivado Design Tutorials (GitHub)

  • In-depth tutorials
  • Design methodology
  • Best practices

YouTube Courses

Beginner-Friendly:

• Xilinx Vivado Beginners Course (YouTube)

  • 1.5 hours comprehensive
  • VHDL and Vivado basics
  • Topics:
    • Installing Vivado Design Suite
    • Creating projects and simulating VHDL
    • Implementation and pin planning
    • Block RAM and MicroBlaze

• Xilinx FPGA Programming Tutorials

  • Beginner to intermediate
  • Practical projects:
    • Blinking LEDs
    • 7-segment displays
    • Counters and PWM

Written Tutorials (2024)

• Master Xilinx Vivado Guide (Medium, Aug 2024)

  • Recent comprehensive guide
  • RTL design to FPGA programming
  • Verilog-based examples

• Digilent: Getting Started with Vivado

  • Board-specific guides
  • Arty A7 tutorials

• Surf-VHDL: Vivado Project Tutorial

  • VHDL workflow
  • Project management

• RealDigital: Creating First Project

  • Step-by-step beginner guide
  • Educational focus

VHDL & Hardware Design

Language References

• VHDL 2008 Language Reference

  • Standard reference
  • Syntax and semantics

• Free Range VHDL Book

  • Free downloadable book
  • Beginner-friendly

Simulation Tools

• GHDL - Open Source VHDL Simulator

  • Used with Microwatt
  • Free and open source

• GTKWave Waveform Viewer

  • Waveform analysis
  • Works with GHDL

PowerPC & Linux

Cross-Compilation

• Buildroot

  • Complete embedded Linux
  • PowerPC support

• Linux Kernel: PowerPC Documentation

  • Kernel-specific docs
  • Platform support

Emulation & Testing

• QEMU PowerPC
  • PowerPC emulation
  • System testing before hardware

Community & Forums

Discussion Platforms

• Matrix: #powercommons:matrix.org

  • Real-time chat
  • Community support

• Hacker News: Microwatt Discussions

  • Technical discussions
  • Community insights

Mailing Lists & Forums

• LiteX Mailing List: Google Groups

  • Design discussions
  • Troubleshooting

• OpenPOWER Foundation: LinkedIn, Facebook

  • Industry updates
  • Events and workshops

Books & Academic Resources

Recommended Reading

• “POWER ISA Architecture Specification”

  • Official reference
  • Comprehensive coverage

• “FPGA Prototyping by VHDL Examples”

  • Pong P. Chu
  • Practical VHDL design

• “Computer Organization and Design: RISC-V Edition”

  • Patterson & Hennessy
  • Computer architecture fundamentals

Stay Updated

News & Blogs

• Phoronix: OpenPOWER Coverage

  • Linux and open hardware news
  • Performance updates

• The Register: OpenPOWER Articles

  • Industry news
  • Architecture announcements

• Hackaday: FPGA & OpenPOWER

  • Project showcases
  • Community builds

Events

• OpenPOWER Summit (Annual)

  • Presentations and workshops
  • Networking opportunities

• FOSDEM (February, Brussels)

  • Open source hardware track
  • Community presentations

Contribute Resources

Found a great tutorial or video we missed?

Submit suggestions:

1. Open issue: PowerCommons Documentation
2. Submit PR with link and description
3. Join discussion on Matrix

Last Updated: November 2025