Quantum Instrumentation & Control with RFSoC & PYNQ
Registration
Reserve for £150 per person
Limited course spaces are available to UK academic scientists and engineers.
To apply for a space, please complete the form in the button above or at the following link: tinyurl.com/QuantumRFSoCPYNQ
We will notify applicants if they have successfully secured a place on the course.
Dates:
August 24th – 27th 2026
Location:
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
Course Overview
This training course provides a practical, hands-on introduction to building high-performance radio-frequency control and readout systems for quantum computing using AMD’s Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) technology. RFSoC devices combine FPGA fabric, embedded processor cores, and high-speed Radio Frequency (RF) data converters (DACs and ADCs), operating at multiple Gigasamples per second (Gsps) in a single chip, enabling flexible programming, generation, acquisition, and real-time processing of microwave signals used to control and measure qubits.
The course focuses on teaching the complete workflow, from creating custom FPGA IP cores and integrating them into a System-on-Chip (SoC) design, to controlling hardware from Python using PYNQ overlays and drivers. Participants will learn how RFSoC platforms support quantum instrumentation tasks, including pulse generation and signal acquisition, while gaining an understanding of RFSoC-specific concepts, such as RF data converters, sample rates, digital up/down conversion, and data movement between the processor, programmable logic, and RF subsystems.
Through guided practical examples using the RFSoC-PYNQ framework, the course demonstrates end-to-end design strategies enabling researchers to rapidly prototype flexible, high-performance control systems for quantum experiments.
Course Outline
The training course will be split into three core parts: Quantum system control with RFSoC, SoC design with PYNQ and Developing for the RFSoC.
Day 1 – Quantum System Control with RFSoC
- Quantum instrumentation overview
- Traditional vs RFSoC-based quantum control systems
- Introduction to RFSoC device architecture and features
- Introduction to the PYNQ framework
- Quantum control case studies using RFSoC-based systems
Days 2/3 – SoC design with PYNQ
- Introduction to FPGA architectures and Design
- System-on-Chip Devices
- Jupyter Notebooks and Data visualisation
- PYNQ Overlays
- PYNQ Design Flow
- AXI and Data Movement
- Introduction to Hardware Design and Data Movement
- Design and Integration of Signal Generation IP Core
- PYNQ Software Development
- PYNQ Driver Development
Day 4 – Developing for the RFSoC
- Key concepts of Software-Defined Radio and common architectures
- Basedband processing, signal generation, and modulation/demodulation
- RFSoC Architectures and Data Converters
- Sample rates and Nyquist Zones
- Digital up and Down conversion
- Clock domain and sample rate selection
- RFDC drivers and PS / PL / RFDC data movement
- Practical design work and demos
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Understand the applications of agile RF technology in qubit control
- Understand FPGA and SoC architectureDesign and integrate custom FPGA IP cores
- Control and interface with IP cores in the FPGA hardware using Python through PYNQ
- Understand the RFSoC architecture and RF data converters
- Confidently work with PYNQ and the RFSoC and develop quantum instrumentation systems
Relevance to the Quantum Computing Instrumentation Community
RFSoC devices have become an increasingly important platform for quantum instrumentation, enabling real-time signal generation, measurement, and flexibility within a single integrated Software-Defined Radio (SDR). Their combination of embedded processors, FPGA logic, and high-speed RF data converters makes them ideally suited for qubit control, readout, and deterministic latency.
Many open-source projects have helped make RFSoC platforms more accessible to the quantum community by providing out-the-box Python-based control environments. However, extending or modifying these systems often requires an understanding of the underlying FPGA and RFSoC architecture, which can present a significant barrier for researchers without prior hardware design experience.
This training course addresses that gap by introducing the principles of FPGA and RFSoC design and control using the PYNQ framework, with a focus on practical understanding and hands-on development. Participants will learn the RFSoC design workflow, how software interfaces connect to programmable logic, how data flows through RFSoC systems, and how custom FPGA functionality can be developed and integrated into quantum instrumentation workflows.
The goal of the course is to empower quantum researchers to better understand, create, modify, and extend RFSoC-based control systems and leave with the knowledge and understanding of how to achieve their own research goals.
Format
The training course will take the form of a 4-day technical course, and will comprise of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for the participants.
The first day will consist of lecture-based sessions introducing quantum control concepts and the use of the RFSoC for quantum applications. The remaining three days will focus on practical development through lectures and hands-on workshops on SoC design and RFSoC system implementation using PYNQ.
About the Organisers
StrathSDR
StrathSDR is the University of Strathclyde Software Defined Radio (SDR) research group.
In 2023, StrathSDR published a book “Software Defined Radio with Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC”, in collaboration with AMD. This book is available as a free PDF download from www.rfsocbook.com, as well as in paperback and hardback formats from Amazon and other retailers. It is accompanied by a downloadable set of practical materials and designs, featuring PYNQ.
The course is based on the expertise developed via this book and related research and development projects. This course has been adapted to suit the context of quantum instrumentation and control with the assistance of Durham QLM and the NQCC. While the target application is different to wireless communications, the same principles are used to build custom designs on the RFSoC platform.
Durham QLM
The Durham Quantum Light and Matter (QLM) research group at Durham University focuses on studying the quantum properties of atoms, molecules, and solids, and their interactions with light. The group uses AMD RFSoC systems to control the spin states of atoms and molecules using microwaves, enabling the development of quantum simulators.