AMD Announces Embedded+ Architecture For Ryzen Paired With Xilinx IP

[timofonic]

An FPGA is always going to be an order of magnitude more expensive than the thing you use it to build, if it had been instead implemented on an ASIC.

An FPGA that someone has used to implement, say, a CPU isn't a CPU. It's a chip with a huge number of logic units that have been configured and connected such that each logic unit can emulate a couple of gates in the CPU design. All those logic units are far larger than the couple of gates they emulate, due to needing a ton of circuitry for being configurable. There's also a ton of area lost in routing and crossbar switching, since all these units need to be able to be connected together in arbitrary ways. Most of the area of the chip is actually just huge amounts of routing infrastructure.

AND THEN there's the fact that all of this extra length and complexity inherently means there's going to be a speed penalty, so they do a ton of work to try to minimize that. Easiest way to do that is to build the FPGA on a much, much fancier manufacturing process than the chip you want to emulate would be, which adds a shitload of cost.

Thanks for your explanation! It's very clear, coherent and concise.

I understand the complex nature of FPGA is a product of it's versatility, a trade off. But despite of it, I still consider thst these products are overpriced. There's need of more aggressive and diverse competition.

ASIC is cool, but a lot more difficult to manage and very expensive manufacturing unless you enter the economics of scale universe. Many producrs rely on FPGA due to thus, but specialized in premium high end equipment or enthusiasts.

Cheaper and more open FPGAs would help the industry, a lot more innovation and learning tools everywhere.