Zybo Z7

The Digilent Zybo Z7 is a development platform for the Xilinx Zynq-7020 All Programmable SoC, which combines a dual-core Arm Cortex-A9 processor with programmable logic fabric in a single device. With 1 GB DDR3L memory, HDMI input and output, an Analog Devices SSM2603 audio codec with headphone and microphone ports, Gigabit Ethernet, USB OTG, and a microSD slot, the Zybo Z7 provides a complete hardware-software co-design platform for embedded Linux, real-time processing, and video/audio applications.

The Zynq architecture allows engineers to run Linux or an RTOS on the Arm cores while offloading compute-intensive tasks, image processing, motor control, signal processing, custom protocol handling, to the FPGA fabric. The HDMI input and output ports enable video pass-through pipelines with real-time FPGA processing, which is used for computer vision prototyping, video analytics, and display controller development.

Zybo Z7 Specifications

Feature	Specification
SoC	Zynq-7020 (Zybo Z7-20), dual Cortex-A9 @ 667 MHz
Programmable Logic	85K logic cells, 220 DSP slices (Zybo Z7-20; the Z7-10 uses XC7Z010)
Memory	1 GB DDR3L
Video	HDMI input + HDMI output (1080p)
Audio	SSM2603 codec, line in, headphone, mic
Ethernet	Gigabit
USB	USB 2.0 OTG
Storage	microSD, 16 MB Quad-SPI flash
Expansion	6 Pmod connectors
Sensor	N/A
Toolchain	Vivado, Vitis, PetaLinux
Power	USB or external 5V

Watch the Zybo Z7 introduction

The Zybo Z7 targets engineers and researchers building embedded Linux systems with FPGA acceleration, hardware-software co-design projects, and real-time video/audio processing applications. Compared to pure FPGA boards like the Arty A7, the Zynq SoC eliminates the need for a separate processor board by integrating Arm cores alongside the programmable logic, simplifying system architecture and reducing board count. GSAS Micro Systems provides the Zybo Z7 with guidance on Zynq SoC design workflows, Pmod accessory selection, and PetaLinux integration for embedded development and academic teams across India.