The Shrike-lite is one of the most affordable FPGA development boards ever made — priced at just $4. Despite the ultra-low cost, it brings together a Renesas ForgeFPGA (SLG47910V) with 1120 LUTs and a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, creating a compact hybrid platform for digital logic experimentation, embedded systems learning, and hardware acceleration projects.
Compact Design, Big Learning Potential
At first glance, the Shrike-lite is minimal by design. It includes just the essentials:
- a USB-C port for power and programming,
- Boot and Reset buttons,
- two 18-pin I/O headers, and a 12-pin PMOD-compatible header for external expansion.
Despite its simplicity, it provides a fully functional bridge between microcontroller firmware and FPGA-based logic design, opening up a wide range of applications for students, makers, and embedded developers.
Shrike-lite Specifications
FPGA – Renesas ForgeFPGA (SLG47910V)
- 1120 × 5-bit LUTs
- 1120 D flip-flops
- 5 KB distributed memory
- 32 KB block RAM
- Non-volatile configuration memory (NVM)
- SPI interface for programming
- Package: STQFN-24
Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2040
- Dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ @ 125 MHz
- 264 KB SRAM
- QSPI flash storage for firmware and FPGA configuration
- 6-bit high-speed bridge for MCU↔FPGA communication
I/O and Connectivity
- USB Type-C for power and programming
- 2× 18-pin headers for RP2040 and FPGA I/Os
- 12-pin PMOD-compatible header for peripheral modules
- 2× user LEDs, Boot and Reset buttons
Board Dimensions: 60 × 25 mm
Weight: ~30 g
A $4 Board That Teaches Both Firmware and Hardware Design
The real magic of the Shrike-lite lies in its dual-domain programmability:
- You can program the RP2040 using C/C++ or MicroPython.
- You can design and upload Verilog or VHDL code to the ForgeFPGA.
This setup lets users build hybrid projects where the RP2040 handles firmware logic, while the FPGA accelerates parallel or timing-critical operations — perfect for learning co-processing concepts or developing custom digital peripherals.
Example projects and reference designs are available on GitHub, including examples that showcase RP2040-to-FPGA communication and logic co-design.
Shrike-lite vs Shrike
The Shrike-lite is a cost-down version of the upcoming Shrike board, which will pair the same ForgeFPGA with the new Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU.
While the Shrike (RP2350 version) will launch soon on Crowd Supply, the Shrike-lite is already up for pre-order via Vicharack’s online store. The “lite” version is stripped down for affordability but retains the same learning potential — ideal for anyone wanting to experiment with Renesas’ ForgeFPGA without investing in expensive dev kits.
The Return of the Sub-$1 FPGA Dream
When Renesas first introduced the ForgeFPGA family back in 2021, they promised sub-$0.50 FPGAs and open-source toolchain support (via Yosys).
Until now, those chips were mostly limited to expensive evaluation boards — some costing over $180.
The Shrike-lite changes that. For the first time, developers can buy a fully usable FPGA board with MCU integration for under $5, bringing accessible FPGA learning back to the maker and education communities.
- Price: $4 (board only)
- Shipping: ~$28 worldwide (flat rate, cheaper for bulk orders)
- Availability: Pre-orders open now on Vicharack Store
- Shipping starts: November 15, 2025
For those looking to save on shipping, it may be worth waiting for the Crowd Supply launch of the Shrike (RP2350-based) version, which is expected to offer lower shipping costs but at a slightly higher board price.
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