Gate array: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:17, 20 September 2006

Revision as of 16:27, 29 September 2006

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'''[[Sinclair Research]]''' ported an enhanced [[Sinclair ZX80|ZX80]] design to a ULA chip for the [[Sinclair ZX81|ZX81]], and later used a ULA in the [[ZX Spectrum]]. '''[[Acorn Computers]]''' used several ULA chips in the [[BBC Micro]], and later managed to compress almost all of that machine's logic into a single ULA for the [[Acorn Electron]]. Many other manufacturers from the time of the [[home computer]] boom period used ULAs in their machines. '''[[Ferranti]]''' in the UK pioneered ULA technology, then later abandoned this lead in semi-custom chips. The [[IBM PC]] took over the computer market, and the sales volumes made full-custom chips more economical.

Designers still wished for a way to create their own complex chips without the expense of full-custom design, and eventually this wish was granted with the arrival of '''Field[[field-Programmableprogrammable Gategate Arrayarray]]''' ([[FPGA]]) chips and [[CPLD]]s. Whereas a ULA required a semiconductor wafer foundry to deposit and etch the interconnections, the FPGA had programmable interconnections.

[[Category:Gate arrays| ]]