FPGAs Rescue Power Sources

Spouting power consumption figures of 20 to 400 times less than currently available devices, the first two members of the Eclipse-II FPGA family, the QL8325 and QL8250, promise significantly longer battery life than large, CPLD-based designs. Reportedly, this is due to their ultra-low current draw during power-up, quiescent, and dynamic states. Be that as it may, no voltage or current specifications were made available within the launch announcement or at press time. Development support for the devices is by way of the company's QuickWorks version 9.5.3. The software includes intellectual property blocks designed for the FPGAs, such as PCI, memory interfaces, digital-signal processors (DSPs), and a comprehensive range of other standard peripheral functions. Pricing starts at $3.50 each in high volume. For more details, call QUICKLOGIC CORP., Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 990-4100.