8 Uses of FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)

2022-10-25 20:50:01 By : Mr. Kiwi Xiao

A field programming gate array is an integrated circuit that can be reprogrammed by the user instead of the OEM alone.

A field programming gate array is defined as an integrated circuit made of semiconductor material that can be reprogrammed or configured by the user after it is purchased instead of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) alone. This article explains how FPGAs work and their applications in various industries.  STM32F429BIT6

8 Uses of FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)

A field programming gate array is an integrated circuit made of semiconductor material that can be reprogrammed or configured by the user after purchasing it instead of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) alone. 

Constructed from a grid of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) coupled with programmable interconnects, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are semiconductor devices. After manufacturing, FPGAs can be reprogrammed to meet specific functionality or application needs.

This feature sets FPGAs apart from Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). The latter is explicitly made for a given goal, which one cannot change later. Although one-time programmable (OTP) FPGAs are an option, the Static Random Access Memory (SRAM)-based models are most common and allow for reprogramming as the design changes.

Input/output pads, reprogrammable interconnect, and programmable logic blocks make up a field-programmable gate array. Flip-flops or memory blocks may be utilized as memory components in the logic blocks of a field-programmable gate array. The logic blocks can carry out simple to complicated computational operations.

Field-programmable gate arrays and programmable read-only memory chips share many similarities. An FPGA can accommodate several thousand gates, unlike programmable read-only memory chips, which are restricted to a few hundred. Field-programmable gate arrays are reprogrammable, as opposed to ASICs, which are developed for specialized jobs.

Computer users can customize the capabilities of microprocessors to suit particular individual demands using a field-programmable gate array. Engineers use FPGAs to create specialized integrated circuits. The absence of wafer capabilities makes the life cycle of field-programmable gate arrays more predictable.

Alternative benefits include potential respins, a quicker market time than other solutions, and a straightforward design cycle. FPGAs are employed in many industries and markets, including wireless communications, data centers, automotive, medical, and aerospace.

The fact that the chip in the FPGA is entirely programmable and reprogrammable is a considerable benefit. It turns into a sizable logic circuit in this way, one setup following a design, but users can also update that to make adjustments as needed. In other words, if a circuit card or board is created and an FPGA is a component of the circuit, the FPGA is programmed during the creation process but can subsequently be reprogrammed to reflect any modifications.

Its name comes from the fact that it may be programmed in the field. Although the first FPGAs were introduced in the early 1980s, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that they took off. Outside of a few businesses like Altera, Xilinx, and TI, they weren’t well-known.

Then the millennium bug struck, and FPGAs started to appear everywhere. As an alternative to ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), which had been used to create systems that were too complicated for regular CPUs or GPUs, businesses began to take a closer look at them.

Because they enable users to produce products at cheaper costs and with less power usage, field programmable gate arrays are still a prominent topic in technology today. In other applications like networking and networking security, they are also helpful. Comparing this to conventional microcontrollers, which cannot accommodate larger designs, is a considerable advancement.

The Harvard design and CISC instruction set, for instance, were employed by the 8051 microcontrollers. FPGAs do not have these built-in instruction sets, giving the designer more freedom. Although FPGAs are frequently linked to high-end computing, the consumer electronics sector is also seeing a rise in their use.

A field-programmable gate array chip already includes many functions in top-tier graphics cards. They are less expensive and power-hungry than conventional video cards, nevertheless. They also support many simultaneous streams and have a significantly faster throughput. As a result, FPGA-based graphics cards are being employed more frequently in game consoles.

Verilog and VHDL are just two of the many different programming languages utilized with FPGAs. In 1984, the hardware description language Verilog was created. It may be used to build any type of circuit necessary for a system and is a design standard for FPGAs.

Another common language for programming FPGAs based on the state machine idea is VHDL. It varies from Verilog because it contains more features, like data types and signal names, which make it simpler to create complex circuits and increase their efficiency. The syntax and grammar of FPGA programming are defined.

Each FPGA manufacturer has a unique specification for its architecture. The key components, principles, and functionalities include the following:

A field programmable gate array’s fundamental building block is a CLB. It’s a logic cell that can be set up or programmed to carry out particular tasks. The connection block is joined to these building blocks. These components include carry and control logic, transistor pairs, and look-up tables (LUTs). They perform the logic operations needed by design.

One can use logic-based multiplexers or LUTs to create a CLB. The block in LUT-based logic is made up of a D flip flop, look-up table, and 2:1 multiplexer. Flip-flops are employed as components of storage. The multiplexer chooses the proper output. There are a specific number of slices in each CLB. Slices are organized in columns and pairs.

All of the unique connections between logic cells located in different logic blocks are present in this area of the field programmable gate arrays. Switch boxes that contain several basic semiconductor switches are commonly used to implement the interconnect. These electrically programmable linkages provide the routing pathway for these programmable logic blocks.

Wire segments of different lengths can be found along routing paths and joined by electrically programmable switches. Field programmable gate array density is determined by the number of parts used for routing pathways. The outputs of a unit or an input pad of a field programmable gate array may be linked to any other cell or pad in the circuit utilizing programmable interconnect points crucial to every field programmable gate array.

Programmable routing is crucial because it usually accounts for more than fifty percent of the fabric surface and the critical route latency of applications. Programmable routing consists of prefabricated wire segments and pre-configured switches. By configuring the right combination of switches, any output of a function block may be linked to any input. There are two basic types of field-programmable gate array routing architecture.

Designs are inherently hierarchical; higher-level components instantiate lower-level modules and link signals across them, providing the impetus for hierarchical field programmable gate arrays. Hierarchical field programmable gate arrays can construct these connections using short wires that link discrete portions of a chip because communication happens more often between modules that are near together in the design hierarchy. The FPGA’s density and performance are impacted by the routing design.

Interfacing pins are used to link logic blocks with external components. The interface between the field programmable gate array and external circuits is the IOB (Input Output Block), a programmable input and output device utilized to fulfill the driving and matching needs for input/output signals under various electrical characteristics. The I/O blocks connect the routing architecture and CLBs to the outside elements.

Between the package pins and the underlying circuitry of the device, input/output blocks provide programmable unidirectional or bidirectional connections. Implementing an application required constructing the circuit from scratch because previous field programmable gate arrays lacked a processor to run any software. Consequently, an FPGA might be programmed to be as straightforward as an OR gate or as sophisticated as a multi-core processor.

FFS incorporated into the logic blocks of the FPGA served as the first form of an on-chip memory element in FPGA systems. Nonetheless, as the capacity of field programmable gate array logic improved, it was used in more extensive systems, which nearly always needed memory to buffer and reuse data on the chip. Because building big RAMs consisting of registers and LUTs is about 100 times less dense than an SRAM block, it became necessary to also have denser on-chip storage.

Moreover, the RAM requirements of applications implemented on field programmable gate arrays vary incredibly.

Before transported chains, the only dedicated arithmetic circuits used in commercial field programmable gate array systems were adders. 

A significant area and delay penalty was incurred as a result of the need to incorporate multipliers in the soft logic utilizing LUTs and carry chains. Due to the considerable market share of high-multiplier-density signal processing and communication applications for field programmable gate arrays, designers developed novel implementations to address the inefficiency of soft logic multiplier implementations. This is known as digital signal processing or DSP.

The multiplier-less distributed arithmetic technique is one way to create efficient finite impulse response (FIR) filter designs using LUT-based field programmable gate arrays. Multipliers are a prime candidate for hardening as specialized circuits in FPGA systems due to their prevalence in field programmable gate array designs across key application domains and their decreased size, latency, and power consumption when implemented in soft logic. 

The rise of DDR memory and Ethernet is just a couple of the reasons the FPGA’s capacity and bandwidth have been steadily growing. Managing data traffic between these high-frequency ports and the growing soft fabric is a challenge. This system-level link was established in the past by setting specific FPGA logic and routing elements to form soft buses that accomplish pipelining, multiplexing, and wiring between the necessary endpoints. 

Wider (soft) buses are the only method to match the bandwidth of these external interfaces because they run at frequencies more significant than those of the field-programmable gate array fabric. Due to the combination of extensive and physically lengthy buses, timing closure is challenging and often requires considerable pipelining of the soft bus, increasing resource consumption.

FPGAs have widespread implementation across industries, especially in the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) . Some of its key areas of application include

Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are gaining popularity. They are reliable in a smart power grid wherein regulations are still being established. Transmission and distribution (T&D) substations, in particular, need efficient power networks for the optimal operation of smart grids. Automation necessitates technology that continually monitors, regulates, and secures the grid for more efficient peak demand load management. FPGAs can improve the performance and scalability of smart grids while keeping power consumption low.

You must first create the architecture of such a circuit. Then, you construct and test the prototype using an FPGA, and thanks to this method, errors are correctable. As soon as the prototype performs as anticipated, an ASIC project is developed. This enables you to save time, as creating an integrated circuit can be a labor-intensive and complicated operation.

Additionally, it saves money because one may use a single FPGA to create numerous revisions of the same project. It’s important to note that current tensor processing units (TPUs) or cryptocurrency miners were initially developed as FPGAs, and only then were they produced.

Solutions for in-vehicle infotainment, comfort, and convenience using automotive silicon and IP. With Microsemi FPGAs, vehicular original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers can develop innovative safety applications such as cruise control, blind spot warning,  and collision avoidance.

Cybersecurity features, including information assurance, anti-tampering, and hardware security, are available from FPGA vendors, along with dependability features like error-corrected memory and low static power. Due to their minimal leakage and ability to operate in low-power environments, FPGA-based storage can provide low static power. 

In real-time systems, when response time is critical, FPGAs are utilized. Response times in conventional CPUs are unpredictable, so it’s impossible to estimate precisely when you’ll hear back once the trigger fires. Real-time operating systems are employed to maintain reaction times within predetermined bounds.

In situations where a quick response time is required, this falls short. Systems must implement the requested method in an FPGA utilizing combinational or sequential circuitry to address this issue and guarantee a constant response time. Once it is prepared, a real-time system like this can be changed and put into production using an FPGA.

To meet the performance, reliability, and lifespan requirements of harsh environments while offering greater flexibility than possible with conventional ASIC implementations, industrial manufacturing companies offer rad-hard and rad-tolerant FPGAs, which are often space-grade. Rad-hard reconfigurable FPGAs are suitable for processing-intensive space systems. 

Software-defined networks (SDN ) and other algorithms like Fast Fourier transform (FFT) must be put into an FPGA to be used in a complex, real-time context. A radio’s standard components include an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals and network hardware for processing them by filtering them, changing their frequency, etc.

This hardware couldn’t alter the functions for which it was intended fundamentally. Today, a large portion of this functionality is moved to an electronic device, which is frequently an FPGA. The analog part is commonly restricted to an antenna, ADC, and DAC converters.

The internet of things (IoT) and big data are generating an exponential growth of the data acquired and processed. This, combined with computational analysis of the same through deep learning techniques of multiple operations parallelly, is leading to high demand for low-latency, flexible, and secure computational capacity. It cannot be resolved by adding more servers due to the increasing space costs.

As a result of FPGAs’ ability to accelerate processing, flexibility in design, and security that the hardware provides against software, the doors to the world of the data center are being opened to them to a significant degree.

In the modern world, computer vision systems are found in many gadgets. Video surveillance cameras, robots, and other devices are examples of this. An FPGA-based system is often needed for many of these gadgets for them to be able to act and interact with people in a way that makes sense, given their position, surroundings, and facial recognition capabilities. To use this function, many photos must be processed, with most of these operations being done in real-time, to detect objects, identify faces, etc.

New and advanced types of FPGAs are putting more power into the hands of users. Traditionally, FPGAs were very complex products shipped in low volumes to address specific enterprise use cases. But in the company years, we will witness the rise of FPGA systems for gaming, advanced computing, and several other non-industrial applications that broadens its user base. According to 2022 research by AlliedMarket Research, the global FPGA market will be worth $310.3 million by 2031, signaling rapid growth. 

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8 Uses of FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)

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