3 ms·
umm, maybe sorta true only. currently with the price/performance of fpga's fast approaching custom asic's, i think fpga's are not a bad bet to start hacking stu
by anupamkapoor 19y ago
umm, maybe sorta true only. currently with the price/performance of fpga's fast approaching custom asic's, i think fpga's are not a bad bet to start hacking stuff on.
also, you can buy fpga h/w approx 100k gates etc. for < 1000$ (cheaper if you are student, and can get it via some univ. program). design, and simulation tools are also available for free (with periodic registrations etc.) the only (slight) pain point being that the s/w is generally windows only.
- VinzO 19y agoFPGA allows you to do digital hardware. My point of view is that a startup will have troubles competing on digital hardware development. Digital hardware is kinda "easy" developpment that can be done much cheaper in eastern europe or asia. For a startup to have a chance to succeed, I guess it would be better to focus in a niche market which required tricky analog design that can not be outsourced or done much faster by big companies.
- comatose_kid 19y agoDigital vs. analog probably isn't the issue - how well your device solves the user's problem is what people care about. Start with the problem your device should solve first.
- mnemonicsloth 19y agoThis is a good thought process for software, where the marginal cost per user is near zero. Unit costs matter in hardware though, so first thoughts should tend more toward markets and demographics -- "what problem should I solve... for how much?" A new Ferrari (or a new Prius) would solve my getting-places problem better than the POS I drive now. I could buy a new Tesla Roadster, which would be better than either one, but that's even less affordable. Of course, since a hardware startup requires some hefty NRI that you'll probably have to borrow from someone else, you might want to start by polishing up your resume.