3 ms·

So can I use this hack to use open source tools on these FPGAs?

• firmnoodle 7y ago
  No. It means people will be able to copy FPGA's like was possible in the 2000's. It also means that the design in an FPGA could be altered by an unauthorized 3rd party without having to physically replace the device.
  • londons_explore 7y ago
    Some FPGA's require bitstream encryption. On those devices, breaking this encryption is the first of many steps to making an opensource toolchain
    • floatingatoll 7y ago
      And is also the first of many steps to making a rootkit toolchain that can infect your devices when they’re in the possession of an attacker. Any device that allows an anonymous third party to modify it is a device that cannot be trusted once it’s been handed to a third party. Would you be willing to register for an identity certificate to make use of an open source toolchain with your registered device, so that you could be certain others had not silently rootkit’d it and were spying on your work?
    • eqvinox 7y ago
      This is not the case for the FPGAs targeted here. Encryption is optional on Xilinx 7-Series. Also there already is an open source toolchain coming up for them. http://www.clifford.at/yosys/ http://www.clifford.at/yosys/