So, what are the reasons for using FPGAs? Let’s explore through the advantages of FPGAs.
First is the development time and cost. As discussed earlier, while ASICs take 6 months to several years to develop, FPGA development takes weeks to months. Therefore, FPGAs allow for faster market release. The NRE (Non-recurring Engineering) costs of ASICs are very high. They range from millions to tens of millions of dollars. Therefore, FPGA-based hardware solutions are cost-effective in comparison. However, ASICs may need to be considered when mass production is required (approximately 100,000 units or more).
Second is parallel processing. You can configure as much parallel processing logic as possible within the FPGA resources. Through parallel operations optimized for specific applications, you can provide higher performance than CPUs or GPUs.
Third is the ability to support various interfaces. Interfaces such as PCIe, Ethernet, DDR, HDMI, MIPI, and LVDS can be configured. For example, an ASIC chip might have a fixed number of MIPI input ports, such as 4 lanes. In contrast, an FPGA allows for flexible configurations like 8 or 16 lanes. The number of Ethernet ports can be freely configured to 2 or 4. It can also be set to 1G, 10G, or 100G if the FPGA resources allow it.
Fourth is that FPGAs are programmable, as their name suggests. Design changes may be necessary due to technological advancements. Operational errors can also necessitate changes. In these cases, you can modify the operation by simply changing the FPGA’s Bitstream. In the case of ASICs, you cannot make modifications after Tape-out. This limitation results in significant costs and time until the product is remade.
Technology is constantly evolving, and the functions required for chips are also changing consequently. To respond to these changes, FPGAs may be more suitable than ASICs. If an ASIC is manufactured over several months to years and the technology changes, it will become an outdated product