The Strategic Evolution of VSD RISC-V/FPGA Development Boards: Why We Built What We Built The RISC-V and VLSI communities are rewriting the rules of computing, but innovation requires more than ideas—it demands tools that bridge ambition and execution. At VSD, we’ve spent three years crafting a lineage of development boards to solve critical gaps in this ecosystem. Here’s why each board exists and how they empower engineers, educators, and startups: 1. VSDSquadron Main (2023) Born from a glaring need in academia, the Main board became the first platform to merge industrial-grade VLSI workflows (RTL-to-GDSII) with hands-on RISC-V programming. With a 100MHz VexRISC-V core and 38 GPIOs, it gave students a sandbox to validate both chip design and embedded software—a rarity in curricula dominated by theory. But as RISC-V adoption grew, developers demanded affordability, not just academia-grade rigor. 2. VSDSquadron Mini (2024) The Mini answered the call for accessibility. By stripping down to essentials—24MHz core, 15 I/Os, and 10-bit ADC—we cut costs by 60%, making RISC-V development viable for hobbyists and startups. Its simplicity became its strength: a gateway for IoT prototypes and edge devices. Yet, as commercial projects scaled, the need for enterprise-grade performance became undeniable. 3. <https://www.vlsisystemdesign.com/vsdsquadronPro/?awt_a=5L_6&awt_l=Dd2JQ&awt_m=3kQG4Y9L8wA8._6|VSDSquadron PRO (2024)>* The PRO board marked our pivot to industrial adoption. With SiFive’s 320MHz FE310-G002, USB-C, and Quad-SPI Flash, it delivers the throughput and reliability needed for robotics, automation, and high-performance computing. This wasn’t just about speed—it was about aligning RISC-V with legacy ecosystems while retaining open-source flexibility. 4. VSDSquadron FPGA Mini (2025) FPGAs are the unsung heroes of VLSI validation, but proprietary toolchains and costs stifle innovation. Our FPGA Mini disrupts this with 5K LUTs, open-source workflows, and 39 configurable I/Os—a 70% cost reduction over traditional solutions. It’s not just an FPGA board; it’s a statement that ASIC prototyping should be accessible to all. We didn’t just build boards—we built stepping stones. The Main teaches, the Mini lowers barriers, the PRO competes with legacy architectures, and the FPGA Mini dismantles proprietary walls. To the Engineers and Educators Shaping Tomorrow Your feedback drove this evolution. When academia needed rigor, you spoke. When startups needed simplicity, you demanded it. Now, as RISC-V reshapes industries, we’re committed to delivering tools that keep pace with your ambition. So What’s next? WiFi/BLE, AI/ML acceleration, security co-processors, and tighter cloud integration - all guided by your needs. The future of open computing isn’t just about instruction sets; it’s about enabling your ideas without compromise.