Embedded - FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array)

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
EP3C5E144C7N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 94 I/O 144EQFP	179
EP2SGX60CF780C4 Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 364 I/O 780FBGA	0
EP2C5Q208C7N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 142 I/O 208QFP	663
EP2A40B724C9 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.05NS, PBGA724	93
10CL080YF484I7G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 289 I/O 484FBGA	7
EPF10K50VFC484-3 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.5NS PBGA484	164
EP2A70F1508C9 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.87NS, PBGA1508	11
EP2A70B724C7 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.17NS, PBGA724	120
EP2C5T144C8N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 89 I/O 144TQFP	3566
10CX105YU484I6G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 188 I/O 484UBGA	234
EP20K30EQC208-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.91NS, CMOS8	563
EP2S180F1508C5 Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 71760 CLBS, 640MHZ, 179400	1030
EP1SGX40DF1020C7 Altera (Intel)	EP1SGX40 - STRATIX GX FPGA	1100
EPF10K30AQC208-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.6NS PQFP208	42
EPF10K100AFC484-2N Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.7NS PBGA484	898
10CL006YU256I7G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 176 I/O 256UBGA	985
EP1SGX40GF1020C6 Altera (Intel)	EP1SGX40 - STRATIX GX FPGA	2
EP20K60EQC240-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.41NS PQFP240	2152
5CEFA4U19C8N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 224 I/O 484UBGA	265
5CGXFC5C6F27C7N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 336 I/O 672FBGA	0

Embedded - FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array)

1. Overview

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are reconfigurable semiconductor devices containing programmable logic blocks and interconnects. They enable hardware-level customization for specific computational tasks, offering flexibility unmatched by ASICs or microprocessors. In modern technology, FPGAs are critical for applications requiring parallel processing, low-latency execution, and real-time adaptability, such as AI acceleration, 5G communications, and industrial automation.

2. Main Types and Functional Classification

Type	Functional Features	Application Examples
Low-Cost FPGAs	Optimized for budget-sensitive applications with minimal logic density	Consumer electronics, IoT edge devices
High-Performance FPGAs	Advanced DSP blocks, high-speed transceivers (>100 Gbps)	Data centers, radar systems
SoC FPGAs	Integrated ARM processors with FPGA fabric	Industrial control, medical imaging
MPSoC FPGAs	Multi-core processors with AI acceleration engines	Autonomous vehicles, 5G base stations

3. Architecture and Components

A typical FPGA consists of:

Logic Units: Configurable Lookup Tables (LUTs) and flip-flops for implementing Boolean functions
Routing Resources: Programmable interconnects for signal pathways
I/O Interfaces: Standardized protocols (PCIe, DDR4, Ethernet)
Embedded Memory: Block RAM and distributed RAM for data storage
Clock Management: Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) for precise timing control
DSP Blocks: Hardened multipliers and accumulators for signal processing

4. Key Technical Specifications

Parameter	Description	Importance
Logic Cells	Number of configurable logic units (10K 2M+)	Determines computational complexity
Max Frequency	Operating speed (100 MHz 1 GHz)	Impacts processing throughput
Power Consumption	Thermal Design Power (TDP: 1W 100W)	Critical for battery-powered systems
Package Type	BGA, Flip-Chip, System-in-Package (SiP)	Affects PCB integration
Memory Bandwidth	Data transfer rate (10 GB/s 1 TB/s)	Essential for AI/data-intensive tasks

5. Application Domains

Telecommunications: 5G NR base stations, optical network switches
Industrial: Motor control, machine vision systems
Automotive: ADAS sensor fusion, LiDAR processing
Healthcare: MRI image reconstruction, ultrasound beamforming
Aerospace: Satellite communication modems, flight control systems

6. Leading Manufacturers and Products

Vendor	Representative Product	Key Features
Xilinx	Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 + 1.6M logic cells
Intel	Stratix 10 GX	10M logic elements, 14 Gbps transceivers
Lattice	MachXO3D	Low-power <100K LUTs with security features
Microchip	PolarFire SoC	256-bit RISC-V processor, 4.9M logic cells

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations:

Evaluate required logic density and I/O bandwidth
Balance performance vs. power budget (e.g., automotive vs. data center)
Assess toolchain support (Vivado, Quartus, etc.)
Consider long-term availability for industrial/medical systems
Verify protocol compatibility (e.g., PCIe Gen5, DDR5)

8. Industry Trends

Future directions include:

AI-optimized FPGAs with integrated tensor cores
3D-stacked memory integration for >1 TB/s bandwidth
Open-source toolchain adoption (e.g., GHDL, Yosys)
Heterogeneous computing with hybrid CPU-GPU-FPGA architectures
Advanced node processes (5nm/3nm) enabling 10M+ logic cells