Circuit Design: Know It All

Chapter 27

Programmable Logic to ASICs

Bob Zeidman

Programmable devices have progressed through a long evolution to reach the complexity today to support an entire system on a chip (SOC). This chapter gives an approximately chronological discussion of these devices from least complex to most complex. I say “approximately” because there is definitely overlap between the various devices, which are still in use today. The chapter includes a discussion on application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and how CPLDs and FPGAs fit within the spectrum of programmable logic and ASICs.

The objectives of this chapter are to become aware of the different programmable devices available and how they led to the current state-of-the-art device. These objectives ...