Using programmable devices like FPGAs is something that has become more common, but not common enough. Programmable devices were once underrated as there were not enough understanding of their performance capabilities. Using them can achieve an amplified version of the programme, game or music synthesizer for a better quality all round. Its uses have become so diverse that they have increased in demand from home users to large government organisations.

FPGAs are extremely flexible and can be programmed to function in almost any way possible, and have been optimised to consume a reduced amount of power than they perhaps did in the mid 1980's. Because they can be programmed to just about any functionality, they take a lot of power to perform at its best.

History

The first FPGA was introduced from the Moores Laws of programmable logic - this meaning that Moores Law has made it possible to pack more functionality onto one single chip. Before the FPGA became a common programmable device, Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLD) were used. This contained the logic devices with complexities of PALS (Programmable Array Logic) and FPGAs.

The differences between an FPGA logic board and a CPLD are that CPLDs contain from a hundred to tens of thousands logic input, whereas an FPGA can contain from tens of thousands to several million. However, the FPGA is far more flexible as it is dominated on interconnect. There are also higher levels of adders and multipliers (embedded high level functions) and embedded memory on an FPGA further making it more efficient.

Modern Day Supercomputing

These days the FPGA has become more commonly used but not necessarily appreciated for its functions. The most recent uses have included enhancing the performances of military applications. Many of the military applications have demanded an increased level of computer performance, using an FPGA device has made it possible to open more data paths and customise the memory architecture to the issue.

Other uses include music synthesizers making it further possible to programme the FPGA to make sound and noises. This can be started with a single tone, and then gradually building up to more complex sounds such a police siren or music tune. The process enables the sound to come out of normal speakers and further enhancing the sound quality.

Power Consumption

FPGAs perform well because they consume a lot of power, due to the multiple numbers of logic cells and embedded functions. However, recent developments (and due to the increased level of demand from government and medical industries) have initiated low powered FPGA devices that have the same performance level only using a low amount of power. This also makes it run smoothly and cuts the cost of running a programmable device.