FPGAs - The Logical Solution to the Microcontroller Shortage

Since microcontrollers are essentially executing logic commands to perform an operation, an alternative to microcontrollers is the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). An FPGA is an integrated circuit made up of a matrix of configurable logic blocks. Therefore, by configuring the FPGA, you can essentially perform the same operations as a microcontroller. There are three techniques to look at when considering FPGAs to replace a microcontroller:

• An FPGA can replace a microcontroller’s simple operation by programming combinatorial logic or a state machine in the configurable logic blocks.
• An FPGA can be programmed with a “softcore” microcontroller in the configurable logic blocks to run the same software that is being run on the current microcontrollers. In otherwords, no change to the software is necessary.
• An FPGA can be purchased with a “hardcore” microcontroller that is permanently fixed in the device silicon. This can run the same software that is being run on the current microcontroller, only faster than a softcore solution.