Embedded - FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array)

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
EPF10K50ETC144-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.6NS PQFP144	805
EPF8282AVTC100-4 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD	0
EP20K600EFC33-1 Altera (Intel)	EP20K600 - APEX 20KE PLD	54
EPF10K100EBC356-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.5NS PBGA356	95
EP2SGX90FF1508C5 Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 90960 CLBS, 640MHZ, 90960-	141
EP1S40B956C7 Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 4697 CLBS, 41250-CELL PBGA	128
EPF8452ALC84-3 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD PQCC84	21
10M16DCF256I7G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 178 I/O 256FBGA	580
EP1S60F1508C6N Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 6570 CLBS, 57120-CELL PBGA	1
EP2S60F484C3 Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 334 I/O 484FBGA	0
10CL016YF484C6G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 340 I/O 484FBGA	182
EP3C25F256C8N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 156 I/O 256FBGA	456
EP1S30B956C5 Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 3819 CLBS, 32470-CELL PBGA	71
EP20K400EBC652-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.57NS PBGA652	114
10M04SAM153C8G Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 112 I/O 153MBGA	0
EP4CGX30BF14I7N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 72 I/O 169FBGA	76
EP20K160ETC144-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.93NS PQFP144	40
EP20K100QC208-3V Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 3.6NS, CMOS8	0
EPF10K50SBC356-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.3NS PBGA356	164
EP1S40F1020C5 Altera (Intel)	EP1S40 - STRATIX FPGA	5

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