What is FPGA and where we can use it?

[irshan]

WHAT is FPGA where we can use it?

 

[eltonjohn]

Re: what is FPGA?

The Acronim stands for FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAY (FPGA)
is an electronic device that was develloped originaly by XILINX in the early 80's .The idea was basically to integrate a lot of logic resources into a single chip ..So electronic systems won't need a lot of discrete logic chips ..Which by then was the only way to go .Besides the BIG BOYS solution to design specialized SILICON CHIPS which then and now cost HUGE amounts of money .So this idea was a great GREAT ..IDEA to people like me and other engineers that love our work but are poor (in gold only). 25 years later this technology is really mature and fantastic..now an average JOE like me and even you could develop NUMBER CRUNCHING SUPERCOMPUTERS or a RADAR PROCESSOR in one single CHIP ..You will still have some money left to celebrate !. I get so emotional .!!!!

In other words this chips are programmable like a REGULAR computer in a sense .
Because you still need a language to describe what you want to connect .And typical FPGA packs touthands of logic MACROCELLS. Each one capable of implementing any type of logic operation and also some memory capability .
once you cannect the all up in a process called ROUTING ..the FPGA becomes a very POWERFUL DEVICE that can be TAILORED for a one's particuliar need,or general purpose like a regular CPU ..
So in that sens the FPGA is better that a standart CPU,because you can only use the resources necessary to your application, without having to pay for stuff that you won't use .And then the more stuff avalaible for your really necessary appication.

cheers

 

[dragonight_x]

Re: what is FPGA?

Short for Field-Programmable Gate Array, a type of logic chip that can be programmed. An FPGA is similar to a PLD, but whereas PLDs are generally limited to hundreds of gates, FPGAs support thousands of gates. They are especially popular for prototyping integrated circuit designs. Once the design is set, hardwired chips are produced for faster performance.

 

[papu]

what is FPGA?

FPGAs should not be confused with the flip-chip pin grid array, a form of integrated circuit packaging.

An Altera FPGA with 20,000 cells.A field programmable gate array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components and programmable interconnects. The programmable logic components can be programmed to duplicate the functionality of basic logic gates such as AND, OR, XOR, NOT or more complex combinational functions such as decoders or simple math functions. In most FPGAs, these programmable logic components (or logic blocks, in FPGA parlance) also include memory elements, which may be simple flip-flops or more complete blocks of memories.

A hierarchy of programmable interconnects allows the logic blocks of an FPGA to be interconnected as needed by the system designer, somewhat like a one-chip programmable breadboard. These logic blocks and interconnects can be programmed after the manufacturing process by the customer/designer (hence the term "field programmable", i.e. programmable in the field) so that the FPGA can perform whatever logical function is needed.

FPGAs are generally slower than their application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) counterparts, can't handle as complex a design, and draw more power. However, they have several advantages such as a shorter time to market, ability to re-program in the field to fix bugs, and lower non-recurring engineering costs. Vendors can sell cheaper, less flexible versions of their FPGAs which cannot be modified after the design is committed. The development of these designs is made on regular FPGAs and then migrated into a fixed version that more resembles an ASIC. Complex programmable logic devices, or CPLDs, are another alternative.

 

[irshan]

what is FPGA?

Short for Field-Programmable Gate Array, a type of logic chip that can be programmed. An FPGA is similar to a PLD, but whereas PLDs are generally limited to hundreds of gates, FPGAs support thousands of gates. They are especially popular for prototyping integrated circuit designs. Once the design is set, hardwired chips are produced for faster performance