Comment Re:Do you know what an FPGA is? (Score 1) 391
More of the engineering development equation...
As FPGAs are reprogrammable, they are often used in developement to try out and debug code (for hardware like this, Verilog and VHDL are very common). On the other hand, ASICs run faster as they are custom built for the specific application (thus the name Application Specific IC). So some trade offs:
The FPGA can be put on the board and reprogrammed thousands of times. The ASIC is what it is when it's built.
FPGAs are more power hungry than ASICs.
Typically an FPGA uses a larger die than an ASIC (that means it costs more). The larger die might also require a larger package (a problem for space constrained designs). That's part of the penalty for reprogrammability.
I can buy 1 or 10 or however many FPGAs for relatively small money. ASICs cost $$$ up front for mask sets and then you have to buy thousands.
I can get FPGAs in days after ordering. ASIC lead times are typically 10+ weeks (if you're a big player, small players could wait 16+ weeks).
When you think of total program cost, that makes FPGAs good for prototype development, small production runs, and systems that will need periodic updates. The ASIC market is suited to applications where the hardware design is stable and the production will be many thousands of units.
As FPGAs are reprogrammable, they are often used in developement to try out and debug code (for hardware like this, Verilog and VHDL are very common). On the other hand, ASICs run faster as they are custom built for the specific application (thus the name Application Specific IC). So some trade offs:
The FPGA can be put on the board and reprogrammed thousands of times. The ASIC is what it is when it's built.
FPGAs are more power hungry than ASICs.
Typically an FPGA uses a larger die than an ASIC (that means it costs more). The larger die might also require a larger package (a problem for space constrained designs). That's part of the penalty for reprogrammability.
I can buy 1 or 10 or however many FPGAs for relatively small money. ASICs cost $$$ up front for mask sets and then you have to buy thousands.
I can get FPGAs in days after ordering. ASIC lead times are typically 10+ weeks (if you're a big player, small players could wait 16+ weeks).
When you think of total program cost, that makes FPGAs good for prototype development, small production runs, and systems that will need periodic updates. The ASIC market is suited to applications where the hardware design is stable and the production will be many thousands of units.
