Programmable logic devices (PLDs) have been in general use for over twenty years. The demands of modern electronic design mean that traditional PAL technology has given way to a powerful new approach: field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology.

The design process for an FPGA needs to be far more rigorous than for PAL since troubleshooting is far harder to perform. There are, moreover, a dozen or more manufacturers of FPGAs, each with a different architecture and performance, so choosing the right device for any particular application is a critical part of the design process. Similarly there are various design methods, each with particular features.

This book shows a designer how to choose the appropriate FPGA and design method for any application. It also gives hints and tips, based on the author's wide experience in the field, to allow designers to optimise performance of any particular family of devices.