Semiconductor Chips

ASICs Microprocessors
Application Specific FPGA & CPLD
Integrated Circuits Microcontrollers
Comparison ** In computers, overhead refers to the processing time required by
system software, which includes the operating system and any utility
that supports application programs.

Flexibility

Processors
Instruction Flexibility
90% Area Overhead
(Cache , Predictions)

FPGA
Device-wide flexibility
99% Area Overhead
(Configuration)

ASIC
No Flexibility
20% Area Overhead
(Testing)

Speed , Power Efficiency

Programmable Logic : continued ..
• An integrated circuit that can be programmed/reprogrammed with a digital logic of a certain
level.
• Started at late 70s and constantly growing

There are a few major programmable

logic architecture available today.
Each architecture typically has Simple Programmable Logic Complex Programmable
vendor-specific sub-variants within Devices (SPLDs) Logic Devices (CPLDs)
each type. The major types include:

Field Programmable Gate Field Programmable

Arrays (FPGAs) InterConnect (FPICs)
Advantages

Short Development time Reconfigurable

No need for ASIC

Flexible to changes expensive design and Saves board space
production

Bugs can be fixed Of the shelf solutions

Fast time to market
easily are available
FPGA
Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are semiconductor devices that are based
around a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) connected via programmable
interconnects. FPGAs can be reprogrammed to desired application or functionality
requirements after manufacturing.
FPGA Architecture
FPGA Applications
❑Aerospace & Defense
❑ASIC Prototyping
❑Audio
❑Automotive
❑Broadcast & Pro AV Consumer Electronics
❑Data Center
❑High Performance Computing and Data Storage
❑Industrial
❑Medical
❑Security
❑Video & Image Processing
❑Wired Communications
❑Wireless Communications
FPGA Advantages

✓Designing with FPGA: Faster, Cheaper

✓Ideal for customized designs

• Product differentiation in a fast-changing market

✓Offer the advantages of high integration

• High complexity, density, reliability
• Low cost, power consumption, small physical size

✓Avoid the problems of ASICs

• high NRE cost, long delay in design and testing
• increasingly demanding electrical issues
FPGA Advantages ** Non-recurring engineering (NRE) refers to the one-time cost to
research, design, develop and test a new product or product
enhancement.
✓ Very fast custom logic
• massively parallel operation

✓ Faster than microcontrollers and microprocessors

• much faster than DSP engines

✓ More flexible than dedicated chipsets

• allows unlimited product differentiation

✓ More affordable and less risky than ASICs

• no NRE** (Non-recurring engineering), minimum order size, or inventory risk

✓ Reprogrammable at any time

• in design, in manufacturing, after installation
User Expectations
✓ Logic capacity at reasonable cost
• 100,000 to a several million gates
• On-chip fast RAM

✓ Clock speed
• 150 MHz and above, global clocks, clock management

✓ Versatile I/O
• To accommodate a variety of standards

✓ Design effort and time

• synthesis, fast compile times, tested and proven cores

✓ Power consumption
• must stay within reasonable limits
FPGA Classifications: continued ..

FPGA classifications on user programmable technologies

Design Flow

◼ Simulation
❑ a) Functional
❑ b) Timing
❑ c) Gate Level
Design Flow

Synthesis
HDL Code to Netlist conversion

Mapping
Digital Circuit Element to
Technology Element Mapping

Place & Route

Sitting place for each element
of circuit?
FPGA Generic Design Flow : in a Nutshell

• Design Entry:
• Create your design files using:
• schematic editor or
• hardware description language (Verilog, VHDL)
• Design “implementation” on FPGA:
• Partition, place, and route to create bit-stream file
• Design verification:
• Use Simulator to check function,
• other software determines max clock frequency.
• Load onto FPGA device (cable connects PC to development
board)
• check operation at full speed in real environment.