FPGA Synthesis and Physical Design

Programmable logic devices, both complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), have evolved from implementing small glue-logic designs to large, complete systems. The increased use of such devices – they now are the majority of design starts – has resulted in significant research in computer-aided design (CAD) algorithms and tools targeting programmable logic. This chapter opens with FPGA architecture and design flows. It then covers high-level synthesis, logic synthesis, and physical design, including placement and routing. It concludes with future challenges such as power management and 2.5D/3D integration.