Digi-Key at Embedded World 2022 with Microchip

Kellermann has often described FPGAS as “LEGO for engineers – predefined small building blocks out of which you can build fantastic applications”.

He said: “This analogy came up when I was playing with the Legos from my children. What I really saw there was that you have those predefined building blocks in the box that all match together and, depending on what you want to do, you can build completely different things, always on the same base blocks. And that is exactly the same with FPGAs.”

Microchip has different family members and generations for its FPGAs. Those generations are not designed as replacements but as add-ons. The company’s latest generation, PolarFire, has a lot of traction within the industrial, automotive and vision markets.

Longevity is one of the key factors in industrial designs – typically some applications are running for 10-20 years or more which means you have to be very careful on which components to choose when doing your design.

FPGAs, historically, have moved into the centre of the board so they are an important part. For Microchip’s FPGAs, longevity is absolutely key. The company has a non-obsolescence practice – as long as it can sell the devices and as long as it has customers interested in the devices, Microchip is doing its best to make sure it can deliver them.