Programmable Logic in High-Volume Applications

Programmable logic plays a key role in high-volume applications, such as consumer, automotive, and industrial market segments, as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) demand lower system costs, higher system integration, and faster time to market, while also trying to create innovative and differentiated products. Although ASICs and ASSPs have traditionally played in these markets, the high initial costs and risks associated with ASICs and the inflexibility of ASSPs are not conducive to timely and cost-effective products. This paper discusses how Xilinx has addressed OEM needs by providing domain-optimized platforms, such as Xilinx Spartan series FPGAs and CoolRunner-II CPLDs.