Have you ever wondered what techniques the semiconductor companies use to design chips with dozens of millions of transistors? Have you dreamed about experimenting with these techniques using FPGAs? Do you believe in open source hardware?

Then you will certainly like this presentation about how we created a cool open hardware device for VJs (video performance artists), based on a FPGA that implements our own system-on-chip comprising a CPU, peripherals and graphics hardware acceleration. We are selling it since December 2010 and it’s waiting for your hacks.

Sébastien Bourdeauducq is an inventor passionate about science, electronics and open source. After working for several small companies – which included developing the Wi-Fi driver infrastructure for the Nabaztag/tag – he founded Milkymist in the summer of 2007. The project combined his interest for the world of music with the desire to learn about and open up system-on-chip design, and it has now grown into a full-fledged open source project and commercial venture. Since 2011, he is also providing FPGA design services for the CERN’s open hardware repository. Sébastien holds an engineering degree from Supélec and a MSc in SoC design from KTH.