PyXL is a project to run Python in hardware for maximum speed, with a custom toolchain compiling it to expand its speed.
It runs on a Zynq-7000 FPGA on a Arty-Z7-20 devboard with an ARM CPU helping out with setup and memory tasks.
The project’s headline feature is speed, with a comparison video showing it running at 100 MHz, achieving a round-trip latency of 480 nanoseconds, compared with 15,000 nanoseconds for MicroPython running on a PyBoard at 168 MHz.
However, comments have questioned how the project does not actually involve running Python, but a custom ISA, and whether the speed gains are not surprising given the chips and steps involved.
It is argued that Python is not a good fit for microcontrollers and that for more complex projects, a new language – such as C – should be learnt.
