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An FPGA Primer
Introduction
This chapter is an introduction to the Field Programmable Gate
Array (FPGA) platform for those unfamiliar with the technology.
It is useful when designing hardware to understand the context
that the hardware description language models (VHDL) are
important and relevant to the ultimate design.
FPGA evolution
Since the inception of digital logic hardware in the 1970s, there has
been a plethora of individual devices – leading to the ubiquitous
TTL logic series still in use today (74/54 series logic), extended
to CMOS technology (HC, AC, FC, FCT, HCT and so on). While
these have been used extensively in Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
design and still are today, there has been a consistent effort over the
last 20 years to introduce ...