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FPGA

Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) — A reconfigurable semiconductor device that can be programmed after manufacturing for custom hardware logic.

Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)

An FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) is a semiconductor device that can be configured by the customer or designer after manufacturing—hence the term “field-programmable”.

Key Characteristics

  • Reconfigurability: Unlike ASICs, FPGAs can be updated remotely to fix bugs or add features.
  • Parallelism: FPGAs can perform thousands of operations simultaneously, making them ideal for signal processing.
  • Low Latency: Deterministic timing without operating system jitter.

Why Use an FPGA?

FPGAs are used when:

  1. Requirements are evolving (updates needed).
  2. Low latency is critical (radar, high-frequency trading).
  3. Volumes are too low to justify the high NRE cost of an ASIC.
  • ASIC — Fixed-function alternative to FPGA for high-volume production.
  • SoC — System-on-Chip devices, often combined with FPGA fabric (SoC FPGA).
  • RTL Design — The hardware description methodology used to program FPGAs.
  • VHDL — The primary language for European FPGA development.

Inovasense provides end-to-end FPGA design services — from architecture specification and RTL development to verification and production, including DO-254 certified designs for defense and aerospace applications.

Related Terms

ASIC SOC