apf.audio - Tiliqua

Tiliqua — what exactly is it? Calling it a module feels reductive. This is a fully reconfigurable FPGA-based audio platform for Eurorack, and what it is at any given moment depends entirely on which bitstream you load (think: entirely different hardware configurations). An 8-voice polyphonic synthesizer. A 4-channel oscilloscope. A USB 2.0 high-speed soundcard. A multi-harmonic oscillator. A chiptune emulator. A diffusion reverb. All of these exist as ready-to-use programs you can switch between on the fly — twist the encoder, the hardware rewires itself, the outputs soft-mute during the transition, and you're somewhere else entirely. No computer needed.

If that reminds you of something like Expert Sleepers Disting modules in spirit — different algorithms, one box — you're not wrong, but the comparison only goes so far. Where a microcontroller-based module runs software on fixed hardware, Tiliqua literally reconfigures its logic gates for each program. That's what an FPGA does, and it opens the door to things that embedded processors simply can't do: extreme oversampling for alias-free audio-rate modulation, video synthesis running in sync with your audio, low-latency effects processing, and USB audio at 480 Mbit/s. On top of all that, the eight DC-coupled audio channels (4 in, 4 out, 192 kHz) all feature touch-sensitive jacks with insertion detection and bi-color LEDs — even the jacks are doing more than you'd expect!

To write about everything Tiliqua can do would be a novel, and the point is that its capabilities keep growing. It's a fully open-source development platform — hardware, gateware, everything — built around Python-based DSP design using Amaranth HDL. If you're an FPGA developer, this is your playground. If you're not, the suite of built-in bitstreams ("programs/configurations") already makes it one of the most versatile modules you can put in a rack. You can flash new designs via a web browser using WebUSB, share your creations with others, or just use what's there and let the community and developer keep expanding the library.

Connectivity goes well beyond what you'd expect from 6HP. Beyond the eight audio jacks, there's high-speed USB (host or device mode), opto-isolated TRS-A MIDI in, digital video output up to 720p, a rotary encoder with LED bargraph, and two PMOD expansion ports that can push the system to 24 simultaneous audio channels. The modular hardware design even lets you pull out the FPGA core — a tiny M.2 form-factor system-on-module called SoldierCrab — and embed it in your own projects. A rather radical proposition. For the visual side, apf.audio also offers the Tiliqua Screen — a 4-inch round IPS display that sits right next to it in your rack. The pair makes for a striking combo and unlocks Tiliqua's video synthesis and visualization capabilities without needing an external monitor.

Tiliqua is a deep instrument for those who want to go there, and a versatile multitool for those who'd rather just plug in and explore. There really isn't anything else like it out there!

Features:

• FPGA-based reconfigurable audio platform — Lattice ECP5 with 25K LUTs
• 8 DC-coupled multifunction jacks (4 in / 4 out), 192 kHz sample rate, ±9V input / ±8V output range
• Touch-sensitive jacks with insertion detection and bi-color LEDs on all channels
• Switch between 8 bitstreams on the fly via rotary encoder — no computer required
• Soft-mute on all outputs during bitstream transitions
• Ships with ready-to-use programs: polyphonic synth, oscilloscope, USB soundcard, macro oscillator, chiptune emulator, diffusion reverb, and more
• High-speed USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s) — device or host mode, functions as USB audio interface or USB MIDI host
• Optoisolated TRS-A MIDI input
• Digital video output (GPDI) up to 1280×720p @ 60Hz
• 32 MB PSRAM (up to 400 MB/s)
• 2× PMOD expansion ports — expandable to 24 simultaneous audio channels
• Removable FPGA SoM (SoldierCrab) in M.2 form factor
• RP2040-based onboard debugger with front-panel USB access
• Flash and share bitstreams via WebUSB — no toolchain required
• Factory calibrated to <5 mV DC accuracy
• Fully open-source hardware and gateware — build your own DSP in Python (Amaranth HDL)