What are FPGA and SOC FPGA?

FPGA chips have been in great demand this year, mainly due to the continuous upgrading and evolution of 5G communication applications, AI artificial intelligence, automotive intelligence, as well as energy applications, big data and cloud applications, etc.

What is FPGA?

FPGA (field programmable gate array) is a semiconductor integrated circuit whose electrical functions are customizable, allowing users to reconfigure hardware functions as needed to accelerate key workloads. It is a logic chip,

which makes FPGA very flexible and can be used in a variety of applications, from digital logic design to signal processing and network acceleration. It also includes general-purpose processor chips (such as CPU, GPU, DSP) and

application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips. Integrated circuit chips include digital chips and analog chips, and digital chips include memory and logic chips.

Advantages of FPGA

Flexibility: FPGA functions can change every time the device is powered on.

Acceleration: Bring products to market faster and/or improve system performance.

Integration: Today's FPGAs include on-chip processors, 28 Gbps (or faster) transceiver I/O, RAM blocks, DSP engines, etc.

TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Although the unit price of ASICs may be lower than that of equivalent FPGAs, building them requires non-recurring expenses (NRE), expensive software tools, professional design teams, and long manufacturing cycles.

What is the difference between FPGAs and CPUs, GPUs, and ASICs?

The wiring and logic layout of the underlying logic computing units of FPGAs are not fixed, which is suitable for computing fields such as artificial intelligence algorithm optimization that require constant changes in underlying algorithms.
The line logic layout of the underlying logic operation units of FPGA chips is not fixed. Users can program the logic units and switch arrays through EDA software to perform functional configurations to achieve specific functions of integrated circuit chips.
However, for other types of logic chips, such as ASICs, CPUs, GPUs, etc., the computing relationship of the physical underlying logic units is fixed and immutable.
Since FPGA is a semi-custom chip with field programmability, it is particularly suitable for applications that require constant changes in physical operation logic, such as artificial intelligence algorithm optimization, data center applications, etc.



Features of FPGA:

FPGA is special in that it has low dependence on the underlying algorithm architecture and high dependence on EDA software. It needs EDA software to assist in design. FPGA chips do not have specific functions when they leave the factory. Specific user needs can be achieved by programming the hardware on-site with FPGA-specific EDA software.

What is SOC FPGA?

SoC FPGA (System on Chip FPGA) devices integrate the processor and FPGA architecture into a single device. SoC is usually implemented inside the FPGA. The main feature of SoC is that you can update its hardware and software.
Integrate the advanced management functions of the processor and the strict real-time operation, extreme data processing or interface functions of the FPGA (field programmable gate array) into a single device to form a more powerful embedded computing platform.
Therefore, they provide higher integration, lower power consumption, smaller board size, and higher bandwidth communication between the processor and FPGA. They also include a rich set of peripherals, on-chip memory, FPGA-style logic arrays, and high-speed transceivers.
SOC FPGA combines the traditional FPGA flexibility with the general computing power of the processor, enabling it to achieve more complex system designs.

The main differences between FPGA and SOC FPGA are:
Functional integration level: FPGA is a fully programmable hardware that allows users to design and implement specific hardware functions as needed. SOC FPGA integrates the processor core on the basis of FPGA, making it have a higher functional integration level.
Applicable scenarios: FPGA is usually used for applications that require a high degree of customization, such as digital signal processing, encryption and decryption, data processing, etc. SOC FPGA is more suitable for applications that require a combination of hardware acceleration and general processor functions, such as embedded systems, IoT devices, etc.
Development complexity: The development of SOC FPGA may be more complex than that of a single FPGA because the integration and communication between the processor core and the FPGA logic need to be considered. But it also provides more flexibility and performance advantages, especially for applications that require high performance and low power consumption.

Several well-known FPGA manufacturers:

Xilinx:
FPGA models: Xilinx's top FPGA series are the Virtex series and the Kintex series. Among them, Virtex UltraScale+ FPGA and Kintex UltraScale+ FPGA are leading products in terms of performance and integration.
SOC FPGA Models: Xilinx's SOC FPGA series, such as the famous Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, is a very powerful SOC FPGA that integrates the ARM Cortex-A53 processor core and FPGA logic for high-performance applications.

Intel (formerly Altera):

Famous FPGA Models: Intel's top FPGA series are the Stratix series and the Arria series. The Stratix 10 FPGA is their flagship product, providing excellent performance and integration.
SOC FPGA Models: Intel's SOC FPGA series, Cyclone V SoC and Arria 10 SoC are highly regarded products that integrate the ARM Cortex-A9 processor core and FPGA logic for low-power applications and embedded systems

Lattice Semiconductor:

Proud FPGA Models: Lattice Semiconductor's iCE40 series FPGAs are known for their ultra-low power consumption and small packaging, especially for mobile devices and portable electronics.

SOC FPGA Model: Lattice Semiconductor’s CrossLink-NX FPGA is their latest SOC FPGA product, combining FPGA flexibility with low power consumption for embedded vision and AI applications.