40 Years of FPGAs: From 64 Logic Blocks to 8.9 Million
2025-06-23
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the FPGA. Starting with the Xilinx XC2064 in 1985, boasting a mere 64 configurable logic blocks, the technology has exploded. Today's AMD FPGAs (Xilinx's successor) contain 8.9 million system logic cells, millions of flip-flops and lookup tables, and incorporate advanced features like Arm processor cores and high-speed transceivers. This article traces the FPGA's journey, from early Boolean expression programming to modern HDL development and automated place-and-route, showcasing how FPGAs revolutionized digital logic design and are now integral to everything from submarines to space exploration.
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Hardware
electronic engineering