Embedded - FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array)

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
EP2A25F672C8 Altera (Intel)	EP2A25F67 - APEX II PLD	87
EP2S60F1020C5 Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 718 I/O 1020FBGA	0
EP1S30B956C6 Altera (Intel)	FPGA, 3819 CLBS, 32470-CELL PBGA	5
EP3C5E144C8N Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 94 I/O 144EQFP	3176
EP1S30F1020C7 Altera (Intel)	EP1S30 - STRATIX FPGA	3
EPF10K100EFC484-2X Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.5NS PBGA484	11
EP20K100FC324-3 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 3.6NS PBGA324	107
EP20K200EBC652-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.58NS, PBGA652	8
EPF10K30ABC356-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.7NS PBGA356	38
EP20K300EFC672-1N Altera (Intel)	EP20K300 - APEX 20KE PLD	10
EP2S180F1020C5 Altera (Intel)	EP2S180 - STRATIX II FPGA	320
EP1AGX20CF484C6 Altera (Intel)	IC FPGA 230 I/O 484FBGA	0
EP20K160EQC208-2X Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 1.93NS PQFP208	172
EPF10K30ATC144-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.6NS PQFP144	253
EP2A70F1508C7 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.17NS, PBGA1508	84
EP20K600CF672C7 Altera (Intel)	EP20K600 - APEX 20KC PLD	42
EPF10K100EFC256-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.5NS PBGA256	232
EPF10K30ATC144-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.7NS PQFP144	159
EPF10K100EQC208-2 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 0.5NS PQFP208	345
EP20K100BC356-1 Altera (Intel)	LOADABLE PLD, 2.5NS PBGA356	4

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