ProCus Learning

FPGA is an Integrated Circuit which can be reconfigured again and again to perform different tasks as desired. For example, an FPGA can be configured to function as a processor, and then it can be reconfigured to function as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or hardware video encoder, or something else. The point is that FPGA can theoretically be programmed to function as any other Digital Integrated Circuit. Think of FPGA as a breadboard for Digital Circuits. All the gates and flip-flops are present on the FPGA, and there are wires going through the complete chip. Circuits are made by connecting these wires to the relevant gates or flip-flops as per intended design. Instead of connecting the gates/flip-flops using a physical wire as in a breadboard, FPGAs has programmable interconnects that can be rewired programmatically. There are dedicated wires/routes for clock signals and only a selected number of FPGA pins are allowed to drive those global clock routing wires. FPGA Vs Microcontr...

Board bring-up is the process of checking and validating a PCB assembly for the first time. The aim is to make sure that the board has been manufactured and assembled correctly and that all of the subsections of the design work as intended. This can be a nervous time for an electronics designer as it is a key proof point that many weeks or months of work has been successful. Note that bring-up is not the same as validating an entire product or system – it is usually limited to validating the hardware. Writing firmware will likely be a part of the process, but only to the extent required to ensure the processor, its peripherals and external circuitry connected to them are working as expected. Board Bring-up process. 1. Visual Inspection: Print out assembly drawing with all the components and test points to have a quick reference during validation. All the components are placed correctly. All the PINs 1 are placed correctly. There are no visible short circuits between PADS. Are pads sold...