An FPGA is like a giant virtual breadboard or Lego for electronics: if you can imagine it, you can probably build it. So why isn't everyone designing with FPGAs? Why aren't there thousands of interesting systems built by hobbyists and hackers? There are good dev boards and development tools, but we're missing accessible and exciting resources to learn from and build on.

In 2025 I began work on 🏝️ Isle FPGA Computer. Isle is a simple, modern computer — an open design that encourages tinkering, experimentation, and doing your own thing. By simple, I mean that one person can understand the whole system. Modern in that we use contemporary components, development tools, and standards. Read Isle FPGA Computer for an introduction and check out the Isle git repo for designs.

Back in 2020, I started working on Project F to provide these missing FPGA resources. The project has since expanded to cover RISC-V, as simple open-source CPU designs complement other hardware. The Project F blog has grown to over 50 original posts, covering Isle and two other major series. FPGA Graphics allows everyone to create sophisticated graphics while improving their Verilog design skills. RISC-V Assembler covers all the core RISC-V instructions to help you get the most from the many FPGA RISC-V designs and Pi Pico 2 (RP2350 microcontroller).

The Project F explore git repo includes a Verilog library for everything from memory controllers to circle drawing, from video output to square root. The Verilog designs are simple to understand, open source, and include real-world examples.

I also write for the SystemTalk blog on computer systems design, initially focused on the early history of the Macintosh.

Developing, testing, and writing about hardware requires significant time and resources. By sponsoring me, you'll give me the resources to build and maintain designs and tutorials for everyone.

Sponsors also get early access to my new projects and blog posts, including source code.

Thank you,
Will (Flux)