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Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are semiconductor devices that are based around a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) connected via programmable interconnects. FPGAs can be reprogrammed to desired application or functionality requirements after manufacturing.
For Bitcoin miners, GPU and FPGA miners faced a new miner, miners mining with application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), with ASIC having been developed solely to mine cryptocurrencies, ASIC miners having a significant power advantage over CPU and GPU users, leading to ASIC miners becoming mainstream back in 2012. May 24, 2019 - Unlike processors, FPGAs are truly parallel in nature, so different processing operations do not have to compete for the same resources.
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This feature distinguishes FPGAs from Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), which are custom manufactured for specific design tasks. Although one-time programmable (OTP) FPGAs are available, the dominant types are SRAM based which can be reprogrammed as the design evolves.
ASIC and FPGAs have different value propositions, and they must be carefully evaluated before choosing any one over the other. Information abounds that compares the two technologies. While FPGAs used to be selected for lower speed/complexity/volume designs in the past, today’s FPGAs easily push the 500 MHz performance barrier. With unprecedented logic density increases and a host of other features, such as embedded processors, DSP blocks, clocking, and high-speed serial at ever lower price points, FPGAs are a compelling proposition for almost any type of design.
Due to their programmable nature, FPGAs are an ideal fit for many different markets.