What is FPGA how it is different from ASIC?

ASIC means Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The difference in case of ASIC is that the resultant circuit is permanently drawn into silicon whereas in FPGA the circuit is made by connecting a number of configurable blocks. FPGA: FPGA means Field Programmable Gate Array.

Is FPGA faster?

Nothing can beat a dedicated a piece of hardware designed to perform a single function. Therefore, a well-designed FPGA will always execute faster than a software code running on a general-purpose CPU chip.

Why are ASICs faster than FPGAs?

Why is an ASIC more efficient than an FPGA? The answer is simple: ASICs are designed for a specific purpose rather than for general-purpose use and programmability, which means you can eliminate wasted space, power and functionality.

What is true for ASICs relative to FPGAs?

ASICs offer superior performance and are more efficient than FPGAs. Factors like faster speed and the ability to layer multiple functionalities onto a single chip make ASICs outperform FPGAs.

What are the advantages of ASICs over FPGAs?

Less energy efficient, requires more power for same function which ASIC can achieve at lower power. Much more power efficient than FPGAs. Power consumption of ASICs can be very minutely controlled and optimized. Limited in operating frequency compared to ASIC of similar process node. The routing and configurable logic eat up timing margin in FPGAs.

Should I prototype my idea with an ASIC or FPGA?

If yes, then go ahead and prototype your idea. If not, you might not have any other way than to go with ASIC. In the majority of cases, it should be possible to at least prototype and validate your idea using FPGAs. And by the time you are finished with the prototype]

Can the logic function of an ASIC be changed?

Its logic function cannot be changed to anything else because its digital circuitry is made up of permanently connected gates and flip-flops in silicon. The logic function of ASIC is specified in a similar way as in the case of FPGAs, using hardware description languages such as Verilog or VHDL.

What are ASICS and how do they work?

As the name implies, ASICs are application specific. They are designed for one sole purpose and they function the same their whole operating life. For example, the CPU inside your phone is an ASIC. It is meant to function as a CPU for its whole life.