What is an FPGA?

What is an FPGA?

• A. A field programmable gate array
• B. A fixed-function digital circuit
• C. A field programmable logic array
• D. An analog-to-digital converter

Answer: (C)

An FPGA is a reconfigurable digital hardware platform. It’s built from an array of programmable logic blocks that can implement a wide range of logic functions, plus a programmable interconnect network to connect those blocks and input/output blocks to interface with the outside world. The “field-programmable” part means you configure the device after it’s manufactured to implement whatever digital circuit you need, rather than being fixed to a single function. The standard way to name it is Field-Programmable Gate Array. That emphasizes building blocks based on gates or logic elements and the ability to configure them in the field. The option that uses “logic array” is not the conventional expansion of the acronym, even though it’s similar in spirit. An FPGA is not a fixed-function digital circuit, nor is it an analog-to-digital converter, which is a separate device.

An FPGA is a reconfigurable digital hardware platform. It’s built from an array of programmable logic blocks that can implement a wide range of logic functions, plus a programmable interconnect network to connect those blocks and input/output blocks to interface with the outside world. The “field-programmable” part means you configure the device after it’s manufactured to implement whatever digital circuit you need, rather than being fixed to a single function.

The standard way to name it is Field-Programmable Gate Array. That emphasizes building blocks based on gates or logic elements and the ability to configure them in the field. The option that uses “logic array” is not the conventional expansion of the acronym, even though it’s similar in spirit. An FPGA is not a fixed-function digital circuit, nor is it an analog-to-digital converter, which is a separate device.