3 ms·
For Intel, I guess no clear business case, or something. Integrating FPGA support with operating systems seems like an interesting problem too, and perhaps one
by unwind 9y ago
For Intel, I guess no clear business case, or something. Integrating FPGA support with operating systems seems like an interesting problem too, and perhaps one which needs some effort before desktop/server systems add this.
In the embedded world they're available and not even super new, the Zynq[1] from Xilinx has been out for a few years. It combines an FPGA fabric with hard ARM CPU core(s).
Intel (through the acquisition of Altera) also has such products, like Stratix[1] which also combines FPGA and ARM. I seem to remember seing some x86+FPGA for embedded applications from Intel, but didn't find it with a quick search.
[1] https://www.xilinx.com/products/silicon-devices/soc/zynq-7000.html https://www.xilinx.com/products/silicon-devices/soc/zynq-700...
[2] https://www.altera.com/products/soc/portfolio/stratix-10-soc/overview.html https://www.altera.com/products/soc/portfolio/stratix-10-soc...
- lloydjatkinson 9y ago> In the embedded world they're available and not even super new, I feel you might be understating this! FPGA's and ASIC's have in fact been in use for decades now, they are very much ingrained into many high end products. Any digital oscilloscope has an FPGA, and has done for a very long time, for example. These are often either used in combination with a CPU for the UI part. The CPU might either be an IC on the PCB or what is quite popular is having the CPU be a synthesised one programmed into the FPGA. ARM, for example, have a whole architecture specifically designed for optimal FPGA synthesis. There are a number of relatively cheap SBC's out there with an FPGA too. http://linuxgizmos.com/tiny-sbc-runs-linux-on-xilinx-zynq-arm-fpga/ http://linuxgizmos.com/tiny-sbc-runs-linux-on-xilinx-zynq-ar...
- gbrown_ 9y ago> I seem to remember seing some x86+FPGA for embedded applications from Intel, but didn't find it with a quick search. I suspect these have gone out to "select customers". https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/14/intel_xeon_fpga/ https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/14/intel_xeon_fpga/
- aseipp 9y agoThe Stratix/Arria series are ungodly expensive, however. The low-end ARM/FPGA combo series for Intel is the Cyclone V[1], which is much closer in specs/capabilities to the ordinary Zynq platforms. [1]http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?Language=English&CategoryNo=205&No=1046 http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?Language=E...