Is FPGA code called firmware?

> I usually use the phrase "FPGA config" but if it needs to end with "ware" I use "gateware" ;-)

I do FPGA design since 20+ years (MAX+PLUS II anyone?), but I came across the term "gateware" for the first time a few days ago in a job interview. So it is quite funny to find it again in this discussion here. But I think it is not really widely used...

BTW: Did anyone realize that this thread started in 2006?

To come back to the topic: In my company we just refer to it as "the FPGA design" which is a part of the firmware update file of a product. But I would not call a FPGA design (or configuration file) alone firmware.

On Monday, February 20, 2006 at 10:18:59 AM UTC-8, Marko wrote:
> Traditionally, firmware was defined as software that resided in ROM.
> So, my question is, what do you call FPGA code? Is "firmware"
> appropriate?

I have seen gateware is used to differentiate HDL derived implementations f=
rom firmware.=20

The landscape has changed over time quite a bit.  Nowadays we have a soft c=
ore processor running software.=20

At its core, all data processing systems (discrete systems) are doing two t=
hings;  implementation of an algorithm, and running a state machine.
When implemented in gateware, an algorithm is implemented as a combinatoria=
l circuit, and the state machine is implemented as a sequential circuit.

It is possible to design a complete data processing system as a single disc=
rete system with different frequencies attached to each seq circuit and del=
ays to the algorithms, analyze for throughput, and change the software/gate=
ware boundary at the time of implementation.

Narada