From Zero to Secure Edge: Rapid FPGA Development with Pepper Open-Source from Pantherun Workshop

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 9:30 - 12:30 CET (Germany Time)
Where: Nuremberg Messe, NCC Mitte, München 2
Duration: Three hours

Cost to attend: $30 US

FPGAs have traditionally been the domain of specialized hardware engineers. Pantherun has changed the game. This three-hour workshop will demonstrate the ease-of-use and power of the Pepper open-source FPGA platform. By the end of the session, attendees will learn how to deploy hardware-accelerated applications using software tools with the guidance and training of Pantherun experts. In addition, attendees will leave with a working secure-edge application on the Pepper board that’s theirs to keep.

Attendees will get hands-on experience and tech support with:

• Board Bring-up: How to boot and configure the Pepper platform from scratch.
  
• FPGA-as-a-Service: Understanding how to load FPGA bitstreams dynamically from Linux.
  
• Secure Networking: Configuring the onboard AES encryption engine to create a secure, latency-free tunnel between devices.
  
• Real-World Application: Attendees will build a "Smart Secure Gateway" application that takes data, encrypts it in real-time, and transmits it over Ethernet/Wi-Fi.

Who should attend?
This workshop is led by experts who will combine lecture with one-on-one instruction. It is aimed at mid-level or higher software engineers who are familiar with embedded development on MCUs, with some experience with C and basic HW debugging (single-stepping through code, etc.).

Giveaway
A Pantherun Pepper (FPGA Open-Source Secure Edge Computing Platform) will be provided to each attendee. Pepper is a revolutionary open-source development board designed to simplify FPGA use for Edge AI, Robotics, and Industrial IoT. Unlike traditional FPGA boards that require steep learning curves, Pepper combines powerful hardware with an accessible software ecosystem, allowing developers to leverage hardware acceleration and military-grade encryption without needing deep hardware design or RTL development expertise.

Registrants MUST attend in person to receive the giveaway.

HW/SW Requirements
Attendees should bring a Laptop: Windows, Linux machine with:

• Administrator rights: Required for network configuration and software tool installation
  
• Ethernet Port/USB-Ethernet Dongle: Essential for connecting to the Pepper board for the initial SSH setup.
  
• Pre-installed Software: A link will be sent prior to the workshop.

Agenda

• Welcome & Unboxing of Pepper: Introduction to Pantherun Technologies. Attendees unbox the Pepper board and connect peripherals. (15 minutes)
  
• Module 1: The Pepper Architecture: Overview of the ARM+FPGA SoC. Walkthrough of the Linux environment and how to interface with the FPGA fabric. (30 minutes)
  
• Module 2: Hands-on Lab: "The Secure Pipeline": Developers will write a simple application that offloads data processing to the FPGA.
  Step A: Flash the OS image.
  Step B: Run a sample secure packet forwarder.
  Step C: Modify the code to filter specific traffic types.
  (60 minutes)
  
• Break (15 minutes)
  
• Module 3: Advanced Features & Challenge: Demonstration of the "Stealth" Quantum encryption. Attendees participate in a mini-challenge. (45 minutes)
  
• Q&A and Wrap-up: Technical Q&A with Pantherun engineers. Next steps for the developer community. (15 minutes)