Field-programmable gate array: Difference between revisions

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=== Usage by United States military ===

FPGAs play a crucial role in modern military communications, especially in systems like the [[Joint Tactical Radio System]] (JTRS) and in devices from companies such as [[Thales Group|Thales]] and [[Harris Corporation]]. Their flexibility and programmability make them ideal for military communications, offering customizable and secure signal processing. In the JTRS, used by the US military, FPGAs provide adaptability and real-time processing, crucial for meeting various communication standards and encryption methods.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-12-01 |title=Software-defined radio and JTRS |url=https://www.militaryaerospace.com/computers/article/16710419/softwaredefined-radio-and-jtrs |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Military Aerospace}}</ref><!--[[User:Kvng/RTH]]-->

== Security ==

Concerning [[hardware security]], FPGAs have both advantages and disadvantages as compared to ASICs or secure microprocessors, concerning [[hardware security]]. FPGAs' flexibility makes malicious modifications during [[Semiconductor device fabrication|fabrication]] a lower risk.<ref name="paper">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1109/MDT.2008.166 |title=Managing Security in FPGA-Based Embedded Systems |journal=IEEE Design & Test of Computers |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=590–598 |year=2008 |last1=Huffmire |first1=Ted |last2=Brotherton |first2=Brett |last3=Sherwood |first3=Timothy |last4=Kastner |first4=Ryan |last5=Levin |first5=Timothy |last6=Nguyen |first6=Thuy D. |last7=Irvine |first7=Cynthia|s2cid=115840 |hdl=10945/7159 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Previously, for many FPGAs, the design [[bitstream]] was exposed while the FPGA loads it from external memory, (typically onduring every power-on)powerup. All major FPGA vendors now offer a spectrum of security solutions to designers such as bitstream [[encryption]] and [[authentication]]. For example, [[Altera]] and [[Xilinx]] offer [[Advanced Encryption Standard|AES]] encryption (up to 256-bit) for bitstreams stored in an external flash memory. [[Physical unclonable function]]s (PUFs) are integrated circuits that have their own unique signatures, due to processing, and can also be used to secure FPGAs while taking up very little hardware space.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Babaei |first1=Armin |last2=Schiele |first2=Gregor |last3=Zohner |first3=Michael |date=2022-07-26 |title=Reconfigurable Security Architecture (RESA) Based on PUF for FPGA-Based IoT Devices |journal=Sensors |language=en |volume=22 |issue=15 |pages=5577 |doi=10.3390/s22155577 |issn=1424-8220 |pmc=9331300 |pmid=35898079 |bibcode=2022Senso..22.5577B |doi-access=free }}</ref> <!--[[User:Kvng/RTH]]-->

FPGAs have both advantages and disadvantages as compared to ASICs or secure microprocessors, concerning [[hardware security]]. FPGAs' flexibility makes malicious modifications during [[Semiconductor device fabrication|fabrication]] a lower risk.<ref name="paper">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1109/MDT.2008.166 |title=Managing Security in FPGA-Based Embedded Systems |journal=IEEE Design & Test of Computers |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=590–598 |year=2008 |last1=Huffmire |first1=Ted |last2=Brotherton |first2=Brett |last3=Sherwood |first3=Timothy |last4=Kastner |first4=Ryan |last5=Levin |first5=Timothy |last6=Nguyen |first6=Thuy D. |last7=Irvine |first7=Cynthia|s2cid=115840 |hdl=10945/7159 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Previously, for many FPGAs, the design [[bitstream]] was exposed while the FPGA loads it from external memory (typically on every power-on). All major FPGA vendors now offer a spectrum of security solutions to designers such as bitstream [[encryption]] and [[authentication]]. For example, [[Altera]] and [[Xilinx]] offer [[Advanced Encryption Standard|AES]] encryption (up to 256-bit) for bitstreams stored in an external flash memory. [[Physical unclonable function]]s (PUFs) are integrated circuits that have their own unique signatures, due to processing, and can also be used to secure FPGAs while taking up very little hardware space.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Babaei |first1=Armin |last2=Schiele |first2=Gregor |last3=Zohner |first3=Michael |date=2022-07-26 |title=Reconfigurable Security Architecture (RESA) Based on PUF for FPGA-Based IoT Devices |journal=Sensors |language=en |volume=22 |issue=15 |pages=5577 |doi=10.3390/s22155577 |issn=1424-8220 |pmc=9331300 |pmid=35898079 |bibcode=2022Senso..22.5577B |doi-access=free }}</ref>

FPGAs that store their configuration internally in nonvolatile flash memory, such as [[Microsemi]]'s ProAsic 3 or [[Lattice Semiconductor|Lattice]]'s XP2 programmable devices, do not expose the bitstream and do not need [[encryption]]. In addition, flash memory for a [[lookup table]] provides [[single event upset]] protection for space applications.{{clarify|date=January 2013}} Customers wanting a higher guarantee of tamper resistance can use write-once, antifuse FPGAs from vendors such as [[Microsemi]].