blah blah BOM cost, blah blah lower bulk cost ,blah blah
see this is the problem with elreg, your users non clickable url's dont make it easy for people to click and go there so you ether include all the url data (not really an option usually) or people dont see the data before posting
"The high–end chip uses a 1.3 GHz Atom with a 400 MHz graphics block consuming 3.6W and costing $106. The low-end device runs at 600 MHz with a 320 MHz graphics block, consumes 2.7W and costs $61."
OC perhaps your "FPGA, we're talking hundreds of pounds" is including all the board support package, and the per seat costs shite that currently comes with it .....
OC in the old school low volume unit's BOM costs thinking, perhaps have a point.
this is not the old school ‘reconfigurable computing’ thinking though , if people actually read all 3 gages of that "Intel to fab FPGAs for start-up Achronix" URL posted;
you might see that they say large cost savings, consumer markets, and here's the real BIG hint
"Possible game changer For Achronix, the deal with Intel could be very significant. By beating Xilinx and Altera to the punch at 22-nm, executives say the Speedster22i family could put the company in position to compete for many more design sockets that currently go to standard cell ASICs."
that's " 'compete' for many more design sockets that currently go to standard cell 'ASIC's." to super highlight the point .
its all about the costs, but the end user pays the real costs in the end, and as proven time and again, mass market world volumes bring down these real costs for the OEM making the PCB.
if the old school FPGA companies like Xilinx and Altera cant or wont do this FPGA for mass market ‘reconfigurable computing’ deal at a good bulk price then perhaps this new Achronix company with their far faster and far cheaper 28nm/22-nm products will!
"Achronix said the Speedster22i family would establish new standards for FPGAs in terms of size, performance, cost and power consumption.
The family will offer devices with up to 2.5 million look up tables (LUTs), twice as many as any other FPGA, Achronix said. Because of Intel's process technology, the devices will also offer a cost advantage of more than 40 percent, according to the company. Like the previous generation of Speedster, the devices will also offer a peak performance of 1.5 GHz, 300 percent faster than other FPGAs, and consume 50 percent lower power, Achronix said. "
who knows, but dont discount an option just because of the old school BOM cost mindset.
blah blah BOM , blah blah lower bulk cost ,blah blah, i cant do it so no one ever will....profit.