Dispatch · FPGA

Pixels on the glass

The 12-bit DVI PMOD is soldered, flashed, and throwing color bars on HDMI. Abstract logic finally has a screen.

28 August 2026 · from the log

The PMOD 12-bit DVI V1.1b module finally arrived, and I went straight to work soldering the pins. This interface is designed to make VGA and HDMI output straightforward directly from the FPGA — bypassing those passive adapters that were giving me trouble earlier.

After soldering, I flashed a quick test pattern. It immediately worked: pure red, green, blue, and gray bars right up on the screen via HDMI.

Fig. 1 — First pixels640×480 color bars · HDMI

Nexys A7 with iCEBreaker 12-bit DVI PMOD on JC and JD, HDMI connected, DONE lit. — Fig. 2 — On the benchPMOD on JC + JD · DONE lit

Video peripheral is working again, so I can get back to HDMI testing. Next step is TomatoOS and the other GUI stuff already in the architecture. Color bars on a monitor beat staring at waveforms.

Earlier: the PMOD pivot when VGA adapters failed. Toolchain next: open-source synthesis on the Mac.