Embedded - FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array)

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
EP1M350F780C6 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD PBGA780	41
EP20K200CF484C7 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.48NS	202
EP20K300EQC240-2X Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.29NS PQFP240	3
EP4CE40F23I7N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 328 I/O 484FBGA	61
EP2S90F1508C5 Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 902 I/O 1508FBGA	0
10M16SCE144I7G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 101 I/O 144EQFP	402
5CEFA7F31C6N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 480 I/O 896FBGA	57
EP2S90F1020C4 Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 758 I/O 1020FBGA	0
EP2S30F672C4 Altera (Intel)	EP2S30F672 - STRATIX II FPGA	2
EP1S80F1020C5 Altera (Intel)	EP1S80 - STRATIX FPGA	185
EP3C16F484C8N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 346 I/O 484FBGA	60
10M25SAE144C8G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 101 I/O 144EQFP	124
EPF10K130EQC240-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.3NS PQFP240	36
EP1S80F1508I7N Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 79040-CELL PBGA1508	71
EPF8820ARC208-4 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, CMOS, PQFP208	658
EPF81500AQC240-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.7NS PQFP240	86
EPF10K130EFC672-2X Altera (Intel)	EPF10K130 - FLEX 10KE PLD	7
EP1K10QC208-2N Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.5NS PQFP208	0
EPF10K50SFC256-1X Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.3NS PBGA256	613
EP1AGX50DF780I6N Altera (Intel)	FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAY, 5	7

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