Essential FPGA Solutions You Should Opt for Now
Two points of view can be considered for anyone interested in the global impact of FPGAs (Large-Scale Programmable Logic Technology) on the electronics industry.
New Method of Implementing Digital Logic
The first is to consider this technology as a new method of implementing digital logic. This is the classic approach, which sees FPGAs as a more efficient, less expensive, faster and field configurable means of implementing digital electronics. As such, they would be part of the ongoing evolution that has led from low-level discrete chips to PALs, then to large-scale FPGAs that we know today. According to him, this point of view is simple and comfortable; we are just doing what we have always done, but better and with greater efficiency. It would, therefore, not be a revolution. We’re just getting more power for less. Using the embedded FPGA solutions happens to be most helpful in this case.
According To This Approach, the Second Point To Consider
If, on the other hand, we are interested in the position of FPGAs in a more general framework, we perceive them as a technology that is part of a much larger trend in the development of electronic products: the shift from “hard” design to the “soft” design. This view of the world is much more frightening, as it threatens the way we view the entire process of electronic design. She admits that there is upheaval in that we are forced to question the way we do things.
The Very Latest ‘Revolution’
To better understand what’s going on with FPGAs, let’s step back in time. Let’s go back to the early days of the microprocessor, perhaps the latest ‘paradigm shift’ to hit the electronics industry.
The first actual microprocessors were developed on contract by Intel. They were supposed to serve as ‘computers’ on a desktop calculator. Although their development at the time was not part of a well-framed strategy (Intel was, in fact, a manufacturer of memory chips), their potential was quickly identified. The personal computer revolution followed.
The prevalent use of microprocessors as ’embedded controllers’, which directly replace ‘hard’ electronics, came only after their cost reached proportions that made them competitive with the old ‘hardwired’ solution. From then on, the use of microprocessors in electronic systems exploded. The development of embedded software, as a way of describing the functionality of electronic systems, became a good and specialized part of the overall design process.
In general, however, what matters here is not so much the microprocessor itself but rather the evolution of the design paradigm that made it possible to shift design content from the ‘hard’ domain to the ‘soft’ domain.
Why Is The Switch From ‘Hard’ To ‘Soft’ So Important?
Once the design moves into the realm of soft, the user can expect many strategic benefits. The design is subdivided into two main parts: the design of the hardware platform (the ‘mute’ part) and the development of the component’s behaviour (the ‘intelligence’). The platform-based approach makes it possible to manufacture the same physical hardware with significantly reduced risk, as we can change the application’s behaviour after building the hardware.
Finally, especially recently, as embedded microprocessors have become so powerful and inexpensive, we see the explosion of the ‘smarter’ components. What we do with today’s features is just not possible with traditional hardwired electronics.
