FPGA pricing

[Marc Randolph]

On Thu, Aug 03, 2000 at 01:43:10PM -0800, Ludis Langens wrote:
> steve ravet wrote:
> > 
> > As far as DP ram, IDT makes them and they're really no more complicated
> > than SRAM.  There are two address busses, two data busses, one of each
> > to the EPROM socket and PIC.
> 
> According to discussion in several Usenet electronics groups, recent
> FPGA's contain RAM that can function as dual port SRAM.  These FPGA's
> are logic devices that are configured by loading a configuration from an
> external serial PROM into SRAM in the FPGA.  Portions of this
> configuration SRAM can be used as user RAM instead.
> 
> One of these FPGA chips could be used to make a "single chip" emulator
> for a '747.  I don't know how much DPRAM they can contain, but it should
> be enough for the 4Kbytes of a '747.  The rest of the FPGA could contain
> hardwired logic for reading/writing the DPRAM via a serial link.


4 Kbytes is easy and cheap to come by in an FPGA.
I wish 32 Kbytes was (that's what many of us would need).

The Xilinx Virtex XCV50-4TQ144C in a 144 pin TQFP (98 I/O pins) is 
around $50.  The great part is that in the next few months (if it 
isn't already out), Xilinx will introduce a lower cost version of 
this part that is pin compatible, called the Spartan II XC2S50-5TQ144C,
which will be about $15.  It has the same features as the Virtex part.
Isn't technology great?

An FPGA with 32 Kbytes of memory, unfortunately, is still real expensive.
Like over $400 expensive.

   Marc

-- 
  Marc Randolph     -    mrand at pobox.com    -     PGP keyID: 0x4C95994D
     If you have any info on the mid-60's car called the Bill Thomas
       Cheetah, or know anyone that might, please contact me.
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