Dracon: An Open-Hardware Based Platform for Single-Chip Low-Cost Reconfigurable IoT Devices

The development of devices for the Internet Things (IoT) requires rapid prototyping different hardware configurations. In this paper, a modular platform allowing to prototype, test and even implement IoT appliances on low-cost reconfigurable is presented. proposed platform, named Dracon, includes Z80-clone microprocessor, up 64 KB RAM, 256 inputs/outputs (I/Os). These I/Os can be used connect additional co-processors within same FPGA, external co-processors, communications modules, sensors actuators. Dracon also as default peripherals UART programming accessing Real Time Clock, an Interrupt Timer. use 8-bit microprocessor allows internal memory device program memory, thereby, enabling implementation complete single chip. Indeed, results using Spartan 7 FPGA show that it possible with only 1515 6-input LUTs while operating at maximum frequency 80 MHz, which in better trade-off terms area performance than other less powerful versatile alternatives literature. Moreover, presented embedded software applications independently selected device, implementations from manufacturers.