Designing field-programmable gate arrays
Planting Trees
© Lead Image © Anastasiya Zabolotnaya, 123RF.com
Learn what FPGAs are, how they work, and how to design FPGA integrated circuits on Linux.
In 2023, the number of people who have written some form of software code at least once is surely orders of magnitude greater than whatever it was in 1991, when Linux was born. That is good, but in my opinion, another very important group should have grown even more in the same period, but didn't: I refer to the people who have tried at least once to design digital integrated circuits (ICs) – that is, digital hardware instead of software.
This is a pity, because without such circuits no software could exist, and designing them is much more accessible today than it was 30 years ago. My goal in this article, which requires no previous knowledge of digital ICs, is to prove that point – at least for those really important ICs (that can also run Linux), known as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
The basic flow and core concepts of FPGA design are not intrinsically more difficult than those for efficient software design. However, they are different enough that a complete FPGA tutorial for beginners could well fill half this magazine.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.