The History of the FPGA - The Ultimate Flex

The Asianometry Podcast

A Field Programmable Gate Array or FPGA is an integrated circuit that can be reprogrammed after manufacture to emulate a digital circuit.

These are great for prototyping new functionalities before mass production. Or serving rare use cases that aren't economical for a custom chip.

FPGAs aren’t the first with this capability, but they are by far the most commercially successful. And the story of their development is a fascinating mix of technology and business.

For decades, people have searched for ways to make a chip that you can reprogram after manufacturing. In this video, let us explore the industry’s quest for the ultimate flex.