FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)

FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing.

Resources & Tips

• fpga4fun - Excellent hands-on FPGA tutorials.
• FuseSoC - Package manager and build abstraction tool for FPGA/HDL projects.
• List of HDL Simulators
• Intro Video - What is an FPGA?
• Cheap FPGA Development Boards

Why FPGA?

• Versatility: 可以做任何事 (Can implement any digital logic).
• Performance: 非常快 (Extremely fast processing).
• Parallelism: 大量的并发 (Massive concurrency).
• High I/O: 高 IO capabilities.

Key Concepts

• CLB: Configurable Logic Block.
• IOB: I/O Block.
• LUT: Lookup Table.
• LE (Logic Element): 最小单位 (The smallest unit) = LUT + Flip-Flop + MUX.
• Flip-Flop: 触发器.
• PWM: Pulse Width Modulator.
• MUX (Multiplexer): 数据选择器.

Major Vendors

• Intel Altera
• Xilinx (now part of AMD)
• Lattice Semiconductor
• Microsemi
• Achronix

Intel Altera

• Altera FPGA Overview
• Cyclone Family: 低功耗, 低成本 (Low power, low cost).
  • Cyclone IV Product Table
• Quartus: Development Environment.
• Device Part Number Format

FAQ

• VHDL vs. Verilog: The two primary Hardware Description Languages.