SoC FPGA to See Broad Market Outlook

FPGA usage data from end-product makers gives another infusion to the trends. Comparing with the dropping ASSP standard design capacity, FPGA, relying on the flexibility and easy-to-use of programmable logic, is largely raising design capacity every year.

 

 

The higher-than-global-growth-rate speed comes from that FPGA can replace ASIC in lots of fields. According to data, market size of worldwide high-end FPGA will reach at least $3 billion by 2014; ASSP and ASIC is expected to amount to about $11 billion. High-end FPGA demand is very sizeable.

 

“FPGA has always been the core of system integration; the direction will not change in the foreseeable future,” says Shakeel Peera, SoC product marketing director at Microsemi.

 

Recently, FPGA is integrating complex applications and control processor into architecture while connecting more complicated analog circuit, such as ADC/DAC. “With the continuing development of different technologies (such as chip on chip, TSV and 2.5D packaging), it is expected to there will be more complex integrated approach. In particularly, after manufacturers solve supply chain problems related to these technologies, and find ways to cut cost, integration level will future up,” says Peera.

 

Larger contributor is looking to Internet of Things and mobile devices. “Since Internet of Things is rapidly becoming daily reality, demand for variety of networks connected sensor (imaging, remote sensing, etc.) is surging, driving the rise of FPGA demand,” Peera adds.

 

He noted in the early 1990s and 2000s, growth stemmed from communications market. Now, markets vary, extending to industrial end markets, as well as video / imaging applications, and aerospace, medical, consumer and automotive markets.

 

“FPGA will undeniable see broad space in Soc field. When integrating ARM, FPGA enables resolving more peripheral problems; in addition, FPGA logic also enhances the efficiency of ARM core,” says Dou Xiangfeng, marketing director of Capital Microelectronics.

 

Dou points out in terms of constraints of application development environment and cost, the solving of ease to use and cost will contribute SoC FPGA to partition considerable shares of ARM processor, because out of ARM, customers have more resources to achieve more function applications. The advantage of FPGA integrating DSP goes beyond doubt: first, it solves parallel computing problems, if the FPGA multiplier is large enough; second, it knocks down processor problem, achieving expansion of DSP function via FPGA logic and on-chip memory.

 

The reason why FPGA can displace parts of ASIC market is better meeting customer demand of timeliness, flexibility and specificity. Therefore, in SoC FPGA era, FPGA will gain more opportunities in some specific markets, notably traditional ASIC application fields.

 

“Taking home domain as an example, traditional application is to adopt dedicated MCU and necessary driving circuit; but the inevitable intelligent home appliance and network is the future wave; and personalized home appliance is one of the future demands, which stands out FPGA’s hotspot of information processing capacity and flexible application,” says Dou Xiangfeng.

 

However, Dou indicates SoC FPGA will see more constraints while integrating more functionality.

 

Customers are always looking for a suitable application system. For wired communications, most applications poses significant requirements for interface and logic; but less for other functions. So, despite the huge improvement in function and performance, whether FPGA can rapidly achieve customization between ASIC and DSP or processor is the key.

 

Besides, “it is undeniable that high price of FPGA is a large obstacle shadowing large-scale application. If vendors can reduce costs in FPGA process and improve application in chip functions, they are expected to succeed,” he stressed, “FPGA will first access customers in MCU, DSP and ASSP fields, but the premise is balancing cost and performance."