from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
field-programmable gate array
<hardware> (FPGA) A {gate array} where the logic network can
be programmed into the device after its manufacture. An FPGA
consists of an array of logic elements, either gates or lookup
table {RAMs}, {flip-flops} and programmable interconnect
wiring.
Most FPGAs are reprogrammable, since their logic functions and
interconnect are defined by RAM cells. The {Xilinx} LCA,
{Altera} FLEX and {AT&T} ORCA devices are examples. Others
can only be programmed once, by closing "antifuses". These
retain their programming permanently. The {Actel} FPGAs are
the leading example of such devices. Atmel FPGAs are
currently (July 1997) the only ones in which part of the array
can be reprogrammed while other parts are active.
As of 1994, FPGAs have logic capacity up to 10K to 20K
2-input-NAND-equivalent gates, up to about 200 I/O pins and
can run at {clock rates} of 50 MHz or more. FPGA designs must
be prepared using {CAD} software tools, usually provided by
the chip vendor, to do technology mapping, partitioning and
placement, routing, and binary output. The resulting binary
can be programmed into a {ROM} connected to the FPGA or
{downloaded} to the FPGA from a connected computer.
In addition to ordinary logic applications, FPGAs have enabled
the development of {logic emulators}. There is also research
on using FPGAs as computing devices, taking direct advantage
of their reconfigurability into problem-specific hardware
processors.
Usenet newsgroup: news:comp.arch.fpga.
(1997-07-11)