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You can add instructions on the fly or switch CPU architectures on the fly. Go from a MIPS clone to an ARM clone. The main advantage of FPGAs is flexibility.
by blackguardx 11y ago
You can add instructions on the fly or switch CPU architectures on the fly. Go from a MIPS clone to an ARM clone. The main advantage of FPGAs is flexibility.
- nickpsecurity 11y agoFlexibility and lower development costs. ASIC developments cost hundreds of thousands to tens of millions. FPGA's give you low development cost but relatively-high, unit price.
- vvanders 11y agoAlso at a higher power usage as well.
- nickpsecurity 11y agoYes. There's been good work in that space to make some of them use hardly any power where unnecessary and asynchronous ones (eg Achronix) could take it even further. Yet, always will be behind on ASIC's on power usage. I don't see them getting around that.
- ZenoArrow 11y agoThere's also the idea of 'baked' FPGA's, which are a middle ground in performance between FPGAs and ASICs, but at a much lower cost than ASICs. EDIT: Looks like Altera no longer offers the HardCopy option, do any of its competitors offer something similar? https://www.altera.com/products/general/asic.smartphone.html https://www.altera.com/products/general/asic.smartphone.html
- nickpsecurity 11y agoYou're thinking of Structured ASIC's: FPGA-like devices that are configured by via's or metal layers. They knock some layers and material issues off the design, lowering costs. They use less power, are faster, and have lower unit costs than FPGA's. So, it seems win win. They primarily didn't take off because lower-cost tooling and multi-project wafers made low-end ASIC's cheaper than before. Still a good option to consider if ramping up volume on a FPGA-proven design. I've always said best thing to do for open-hardware is a matching 45-90nm FPGA and S-ASIC architecture with plenty of pre-proven blocks (esp I/O and memory). Anyway, here's you a list of some for your own research. eASIC is longest running plus has ability to prototype chips for you without mask costs. That's awesome. Triad is extending concept to analog/mixed-signal at about $400k a projects last I heard. Others I know nothing about. http://www.easic.com/products/90-nm-easic-nextreme/ http://www.easic.com/products/90-nm-easic-nextreme/ Note: They have Nextreme down to 28nm (!!!) plus an ASIC conversion. http://www.triadsemi.com/reconfigurable-full-custom-asic/ http://www.triadsemi.com/reconfigurable-full-custom-asic/ http://www.gigoptix.com/products/asics/asic-type/structured-asic/ http://www.gigoptix.com/products/asics/asic-type/structured-... http://www.micro-rdc.com/Products%20Structured%20ASIC.htm http://www.micro-rdc.com/Products%20Structured%20ASIC.htm
- 0xcde4c3db 11y agoXilinx advertises "EasyPath" as an ASIC alternative, but I'm pretty sure that's just a form of cost reduction for the exact same FPGA chips (by enabling them to use defective chips where the specified bitstream doesn't hit the defect?) rather than an actual "hard" option.
- nickpsecurity 11y agoNow that is interesting. Ive neither heard of nor though of that in FPGA's. It's a proven trick given it was used by AMD for Tri-Core processors which were Quad-Core processors with a faulty, disabled core. Now I'm wondering if I should ask more vendors about for discounts haha.