FPGAs Can Now Replace CPUs/GPUs in Nearly Any Application

October 07, 2024

Sponsored Blog

In the past, FPGAs were predominantly utilized for higher value projects. Thanks to their flexibility, vast data processing capability, minimal latency, and deterministic timing, FPGAs excel in industries such as telecommunications and industrial, driving features like AI, and autonomous systems.

Now, FPGAs serve both small, power-optimized applications, and large, complex systems. Though more affordable components have broadened access, FPGAs can still pose challenges for developers, who must determine if their benefits justify the highly costs that are often associated with programmable technology.

FPGAs have over 40 years of successful use, but they are often still seen as a niche, despite their application in critical systems and support from companies like Intel and AMD. While FPGA development once required specialized expertise, new software environments now allow developers to use common languages like C and C++, and even Python in many cases.

FPGAs provide a unique combination of performance and adaptability compared to standard processors, ASICs, and GPUs, and can execute thousands of operations simultaneously. Their latency is extremely low, comparable to ASICs and GPUs, and they offer deterministic timing unaffected by operating systems. FPGAs can also be more power-efficient than GPUs and microprocessors in certain circumstances and allow for simple updates after deployment. Ideal applications include medical, aerospace and defense, test and measurement, wireless and wired communications, and manufacturing and industrial control.

The following are considerations to help guide the developer during the decision-making process:

• FPGA technology is a very well-established technology, backed by some of the biggest names in computing, including the likes of Intel and AMD (through their Altera and Xilinx acquisitions, respectively).
• FPGA’s performance specs meet the demanding requirements of complex, high performance applications including computer vision based on embedded AI, digital signal processing, software-defined radio, and many more.
• FPGA technology helps shorten time to market and time to revenue when compared to ASICs, its closest competitor, by enabling rapid, flexible development and prototyping.

Developing FPGA solutions from scratch can be a daunting endeavor, even for knowledgeable designers. FPGAs and systems-on-modules (SoMs) ease this process by providing pre-designed hardware components like memory chips and interface PHYs, as well as access to user I/Os. These modules usually come equipped with reference firmware, software applications, and comprehensive documentation, making development simpler and accelerating time to market.

By abstracting the intricate details of FPGA design, SoMs enable designers to concentrate on higher-level tasks, boosting efficiency, flexibility, and mitigating risks in product development. SoM base boards, or carrier boards, facilitate physical connections to the module and are often tailored for specific applications. While standard base boards are suited for prototyping, custom boards incorporate unique product features to guarantee compatibility and flexibility during development.

Benefits of Outsourcing FPGA development

Specialization and expertise. Outsourcing FPGA development enables solution designers to connect with experienced partners specializing in hardware design, FPGA firmware (HDL) design, and embedded and application software design.

Partner ecosystem. A vast network of trusted partners allows for valuable redundancies, which can be crucial in addressing operational bottlenecks in the supply chain or production.

Industry insight. FPGA developers who specialize in this area continuously follow the latest trends in FPGA technology, which significantly reduces the effort needed to determine the optimal components and design approaches for any given application.

Flexibility and scalability. Partnering with an FPGA design house enables solution developers to respond to market demands and scale their solution development without the challenge of managing headcount adjustments to meet demand.

De-risking production timelines. The combination of industry experience, a collaborative partner ecosystem, and operational flexibility gained from outsourcing FPGA development, mitigates risks in production timelines, as the external design house takes on any unanticipated issues.

Cost efficiency. While the initial costs of outsourcing FPGA development may be higher, the investment is offset over time when taking the entire product lifecycle into account.

Focus on core competencies. With FPGA development outsourced, internal R&D teams can devote their full attention to their specialized skills, preventing delays linked to development complications.

Project clarity. By collaborating with an external partner, companies achieve enhanced project clarity, which requires them to explicitly define their specifications, budgets, timelines, and resource allocations.

Enclustra: Your partner for FPGA development

With two decades of experience delivering dozens of customer design projects and delivering SoMs to hundreds of customers annually, Enclustra’s broad portfolio of system-on-module solutions combine FPGA chips and peripherals, reducing time-to-market, and reducing overall cost of ownership.

With over hundreds of FPGA projects completed, Enclustra has partnered with leading FPGA chip suppliers and benefits from a wide-ranging network of audited suppliers. The Swiss quality-first mindset characterizes every aspect of Enclustra’s design, development, and production process, enabling more than 15-year product lifetimes.

Its turnkey solution covers FPGA system design, hardware/firmware/software design implementation, hardware prototyping, as well as full lifecycle management of all FPGA/SoC modules and custom-developed hardware platforms, including redesigning, testing, and revising solutions when components reach the end of their production.

Download Enclustra's whitepaper here.

For more information on Enclustra, visit enclustra.com.