Field-Programmable Gate Array

Field-Programmable Gate Array

A Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components called "logic blocks", and programmable interconnects. 

Logic blocks can be programmed to perform the function of basic logic gates such as AND, and XOR, or more complex combinational functions such as decoders or mathematical functions. 

In most FPGAs, the logic blocks also include memory elements, which may be simple flip-flops or more complete blocks of memory.

Applications

* ASIC prototyping: Due to high cost of ASIC chips, the logic of the application is first verified by dumping HDL code in a FPGA. This helps for faster and cheaper testing. Once the logic is verified then they are made into ASICs.

* Very useful in applications that can make use of the massive parallelism offered by their architecture. Example: code breaking, in particular brute-force attack, of cryptographic algorithms.

* FPGAs are sued for computational kernels such as FFT or Convolution instead of a microprocessor.

* Applications include digital signal processing, software-defined radio, aerospace and defense systems, medical imaging, computer vision, speech recognition, cryptography, bio-informatics, computer hardware emulation and a growing range of other areas.

Architecture

FPGA consists of large number of "configurable logic blocks" (CLBs) and routing channels. Multiple I/O pads may fit into the height of one row or the width of one column in the array. In general all the routing channels have the same width

CLB: The CLB consists of an n-bit look-up table (LUT), a flip-flop and a 2x1 mux. The value n is manufacturer specific. Increase in n value can increase the performance of a FPGA. Typically n is 4. An n-bit lookup table can be implemented with a multiplexer whose select lines are the inputs of the LUT and whose inputs are constants. An n-bit LUT can encode any n-input Boolean function by modeling such functions as truth tables. This is an efficient way of encoding Boolean logic functions, and LUTs with 4-6 bits of input are in fact the key component of modern FPGAs

Each CLB has n-inputs and only one input, which can be either the registered or the unregistered LUT output. The output is selected using a 2x1 mux. The LUT output is registered using the flip-flop (generally D flip-flop). The clock is given to the flip-flop, using which the output is registered. In general, high fanout signals like clock signals are routed via special-purpose dedicated routing networks, they and other signals are managed separately.

Routing channels are programmed to connect various CLBs. The connecting done according to the design. The CLBs are connected in such a way that logic of the design is achieved.

FPGA Programming

The design is first coded in HDL (Verilog or VHDL), once the code is validated (simulated and synthesized). During synthesis, typically done using tools like Xilinx ISE, FPGA Advantage, etc, a technology-mapped net list is generated. The net list can then be fitted to the actual FPGA architecture using a process called place-and-route, usually performed by the FPGA company's proprietary place-and-route software. 

The user will validate the map, place and route results via timing analysis, simulation, and other verification methodologies. Once the design and validation process is complete, the binary file generated is used to (re)configure the FPGA. 

Once the FPGA is (re)configured, it is tested. If there are any issues or modifications, the original HDL code will be modified and then entire process is repeated, and FPGA is reconfigured