Computing in technological applications is typically performed with software running on
general-purpose microprocessors, such as the Computer Processing Unit (CPU), or specific ones,
like the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU). Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are an
interesting option when speed and reliability are required, but development costs are usually high.
Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) combine the flexibility of software with the high-speed
operation of hardware, and can keep costs low. The dominant FPGA infrastructure is proprietary, but
open tools have greatly improved and are a growing trend, from which robotics can benefit. This
paper presents a robotics application that was fully developed using open FPGA tools. An inverted
pendulum robot was designed, built, and programmed using open FPGA tools, such as IceStudio and
the IceZum Alhambra board, which integrates the iCE40HX4K-TQ144 from Lattice. The perception
from an inertial sensor is used in a PD control algorithm that commands two DC motors. All the
modules were synthesized in an FPGA as a proof of concept. Its experimental validation shows good
behavior and performance.This work was partially funded by the Community of Madrid through the RoboCity2030-III project
(S2013/MIT-2748) and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the RETOGAR project
(TIN2016-76515-R)
