FPGA Development

FPGA Development is a specialized discipline that involves designing and implementing custom digital circuits on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays—integrated circuits whose hardware logic can be reconfigured after manufacturing. Rather than writing software for a fixed processor, developers use Hardware Description Languages (HDLs) like Verilog or VHDL to define the behavior of logic gates and their interconnections. This design is then synthesized and mapped onto the FPGA's fabric, effectively creating a bespoke hardware accelerator. This unique process blends concepts from computer architecture and software engineering, enabling the creation of highly parallel, low-latency systems for performance-critical applications such as digital signal processing, networking, and artificial intelligence, offering a powerful middle ground between the flexibility of software and the raw performance of custom silicon.

1. Introduction to FPGAs and Digital Logic
   1. Overview of Digital Systems
      1. Digital vs. Analog Signals
      2. Binary Representation of Data
      3. Digital System Applications
   2. Core Concepts of FPGAs
      1. Definition and Purpose of FPGAs
      2. Field-Programmability and Reconfiguration
      3. FPGA Use Cases in Industry
      4. Advantages and Limitations of FPGAs
   3. Reconfigurable Hardware Fabric
      1. Structure of Programmable Logic
      2. Flexibility in Hardware Design
      3. Dynamic Reconfiguration
   4. The Role of FPGAs in Modern Computing
      1. Acceleration of Computation
      2. Prototyping and Emulation
      3. Embedded Systems Integration
      4. Edge Computing and IoT Applications
   5. Comparing Hardware Technologies
      1. FPGA vs. CPU
         1. Architecture Differences
         2. Performance Characteristics
         3. Application Domains
      2. FPGA vs. GPU
         1. Parallelism Models
         2. Suitability for Workloads
         3. Power and Efficiency
      3. FPGA vs. ASIC
         1. Customization and Cost
         2. Time-to-Market
         3. Volume Production Considerations
   6. Fundamental Digital Logic
      1. Logic Gates
         1. AND Gate
         2. OR Gate
         3. NOT Gate
         4. NAND Gate
         5. NOR Gate
         6. XOR Gate
         7. XNOR Gate
      2. Boolean Algebra
         1. Boolean Variables and Expressions
         2. Truth Tables
         3. Simplification Techniques
         4. Karnaugh Maps
         5. De Morgan's Laws
      3. Combinational Logic Circuits
         1. Adders
            1. Half Adder
            2. Full Adder
            3. Ripple Carry Adder
            4. Carry Lookahead Adder
         2. Subtractors
            1. Half Subtractor
            2. Full Subtractor
         3. Multiplexers
            1. 2-to-1 Multiplexer
            2. 4-to-1 Multiplexer
            3. Higher-Order Multiplexers
         4. Demultiplexers
            1. 1-to-2 Demultiplexer
            2. 1-to-4 Demultiplexer
         5. Encoders
            1. Priority Encoders
            2. Binary Encoders
         6. Decoders
            1. Binary Decoders
            2. BCD Decoders
         7. Comparators
            1. Magnitude Comparators
            2. Equality Comparators
      4. Sequential Logic Circuits
         1. Latches
            1. SR Latch
            2. D Latch
            3. Gated Latches
         2. Flip-Flops
            1. SR Flip-Flop
            2. D Flip-Flop
            3. JK Flip-Flop
            4. T Flip-Flop
            5. Master-Slave Configuration
         3. Registers
            1. Parallel Load Registers
            2. Shift Registers
               1. Serial-In Serial-Out
               2. Serial-In Parallel-Out
               3. Parallel-In Serial-Out
               4. Parallel-In Parallel-Out
         4. Counters
            1. Synchronous Counters
            2. Asynchronous Counters
            3. Up Counters
            4. Down Counters
            5. Modulo-N Counters
      5. State Machines
         1. Finite State Machine Concepts
         2. Moore Machines
         3. Mealy Machines
         4. State Diagrams
         5. State Tables
         6. State Assignment
         7. Applications of State Machines
   7. Number Systems and Representation
      1. Binary Number System
         1. Binary Representation
         2. Conversion Between Decimal and Binary
         3. Binary Arithmetic
            1. Addition
            2. Subtraction
            3. Multiplication
            4. Division
      2. Hexadecimal Number System
         1. Hexadecimal Representation
         2. Conversion Between Binary and Hexadecimal
         3. Applications in Digital Design
      3. Octal Number System
         1. Octal Representation
         2. Binary to Octal Conversion
      4. Signed Number Representation
         1. Sign-Magnitude Representation
         2. One's Complement
         3. Two's Complement
            1. Representation of Negative Numbers
            2. Arithmetic Operations with Two's Complement
            3. Overflow Detection
      5. Fixed-Point Representation
         1. Integer Representation
         2. Fractional Representation
         3. Q-Format Notation
      6. Floating-Point Representation
         1. IEEE 754 Standard
         2. Single Precision Format
         3. Double Precision Format