State-of-the-Art Programmable Logic

Abstract

The FPGA or field-programmable gate array is a wonderful technology used by electronic system developers to design, debug, and implement unique hardware solutions without having to develop custom silicon devices. Xilinx is a semiconductor manufacturer of standard FPGA chips which are sold blank or unprogrammed to customers. The customers then program these devices to implement their unique systems. If a feature changes or a bug is discovered, the user can simply load a new program to the FPGA to create a new product or upgrade. This process can even continue after shipment in the form of firmware upgrades. The act of programming the FPGA is called configuration to distinguish it from loading any associated software programs. With modern FPGAs however, the line is blurring between hardware configuration and software programming.