SiliconBlue enters the FPGA fray

  Talk of devices from 1,792 to 15,260 logic blocks, and currents
a little under Altera'a MAX IIZ (on a Logic Block basis).

  Not stellar Static ICc values, but reasonable - considering they
have to fight 65-nm process leakages.

  So the logic sounds generic - what about the memory ?
Does anyone know the details of the memory technology ?

  They seem VERY cagey on the exact memory technology, and do not use the
words Reprogramable - but there is mention of
"The architecture is said to be scalable to 40-nm and the family is 
being offered in both volatile and non-volatile memory versions"

and this comment is a little ominous
"In our business it is critical to have fast, accurate simulation 
technology in order to ensure first-pass working devices,"


So it looks like OTP memory loading a SRAM FPGA ?, and the volatile
models could either be the largest ones, or ones that failed the OTP 
tests ?.

OTP is tolerable for config memory, if you can bypass that
for development - some CPLDs offer this dual-path already.

Even uC are revisiting OTP (after some claims FLASH was the only path)
so there must be price benefits.

If it is OTP, that raises the question of programming yields, and flows.

The FPGA market is not showing strong growth, in fact they vacuum R&D 
dollars, whilst under-performing the fabless industry averages.
Can SiliconBlue hit critical mass ?

-jg

Jim,

http://www.siliconbluetech.com/technology.html

details their "technology" which is licensed from Kilopass.

http://www.kilopass.com/product.html

Austin

Jim,

It is an anti-fuse array technology.

Austin

austin wrote:
> Jim,
> 
> It is an anti-fuse array technology.

Thanks. Any comments on programming Speed, and Yields ? :)

-jg

Jim,

Nope.  It also has a shadow SRAM array, so you can program it over and
over for debug and test.

Then when you are happy with it, you may program the NVM anti-fuse
array, and then set a "can't do anything with SRAM anymore bit" so the
device is now like our Coolrunner CPLD's:  reads the (eflash) NVM into
SRAM on power up.

Not strange to me at all why they chose this set of features.

But, the FPGA business is not just silicon, it is also software
development tools, IP, applications, customer service, design service, ....

Without a portfolio of hard IP (MAC, PCIe, USB, SerDes, uP, MMU ...)
they are also immediately at a disadvantage.

Austin

On Mar 7, 4:57 pm, Jim Granville <no.s...@designtools.maps.co.nz>
wrote:
> austin wrote:
> > Jim,
>
> > It is an anti-fuse array technology.
>
> Thanks. Any comments on programming Speed, and Yields ? :)
>
> -jg

Hmmm...

"Please bookmark this page. We will be adding a lot more content here
soon."

might have to wait for that...

On 7 Mrz., 23:30, austin <aus...@xilinx.com> wrote:
> Jim,
>
> Nope.  It also has a shadow SRAM array, so you can program it over and
> over for debug and test.
>
> Then when you are happy with it, you may program the NVM anti-fuse
> array, and then set a "can't do anything with SRAM anymore bit" so the
> device is now like our Coolrunner CPLD's:  reads the (eflash) NVM into
> SRAM on power up.
>
> Not strange to me at all why they chose this set of features.
>
> But, the FPGA business is not just silicon, it is also software
> development tools, IP, applications, customer service, design service, ....
>
> Without a portfolio of hard IP (MAC, PCIe, USB, SerDes, uP, MMU ...)
> they are also immediately at a disadvantage.
>
> Austin

Austin,

without the "BIG COMPANY" issue and without the need of legacy
support, they also have immediate ADVANTAGE and chance to do things
right from the beginning. Sure maybe they can not fully use this
advantage, but it exist.

Antti

>without the "BIG COMPANY" issue and without the need of legacy
>support, they also have immediate ADVANTAGE and chance to do things
>right from the beginning. Sure maybe they can not fully use this
>advantage, but it exist.

Don't underestimate management ;)

It tend to get worse with size. Some companies have compartmentalised
themselfes into several smaller fictitious companies within the "main"
company. To mitigate this this issue.

Antti,

Did you that Xilinx is the youngest (newest) successful PLD company?
All of the other successful PLD companies are older than we are.

I also like to comment that Xilinx is the "biggest little company I have
ever worked for."  The meaning of this statement is that although we
have more than 3,000 employees now, around the world, everyone acts in a
way that benefits the whole (which is more like a small company).  If
you read in FPGA Journal the interview with Wim and Moshe, you will see
what I mean.

By the way, having talked with Wim many times, and having met and talked
 with Moshe, we are very fortunate that Xilinx has (had) such great
management.

I wish SiliconBlue good luck, it is a really tough business (as
evidenced by all the failures of PLD companies in the last 24 years).

Austin

On Mar 10, 7:49=A0am, austin <aus...@xilinx.com> wrote:
> Antti,
>
> Did you that Xilinx is the youngest (newest) successful PLD company?
> All of the other successful PLD companies are older than we are.
>
> I also like to comment that Xilinx is the "biggest little company I have
> ever worked for." =A0The meaning of this statement is that although we
> have more than 3,000 employees now, around the world, everyone acts in a
> way that benefits the whole (which is more like a small company). =A0If
> you read in FPGA Journal the interview with Wim and Moshe, you will see
> what I mean.
>
> By the way, having talked with Wim many times, and having met and talked
> =A0with Moshe, we are very fortunate that Xilinx has (had) such great
> management.
>
> I wish SiliconBlue good luck, it is a really tough business (as
> evidenced by all the failures of PLD companies in the last 24 years).
>
> Austin

Austin - do you refute Antti's post without actually disagreeing?

If you consider SiliconBlue to be a younger (newer) PLD company than
Xilinx, the issue is just one of success.  Antti's point seems to be
that their tool development wouldn't be hampered by the legacy of any
successful PLD company that's 20 years or more in age.

I love Xilinx.  And I often fight with arcane tools.  It doesn't
change the lure of the silicon and raw capabilities.

I appreciate small company mentality, but there's only so much that
can be done against the history of millions of lines of code.

- John_H