Optimizations for a Highly Cost-Efficient Programmable Logic Architecture.

ABSTRACTArchitects of programmable logic devices (PLDs) face several challenges when optimizing a new device family for low manufacturing cost. When given an aggressive die-size goal, functional blocks that seem otherwise insignificant become targets for area reduction. Once low die cost is achieved, it is seen that testing and packaging costs must be considered. Interactions among these three cost contributors pose trade-offs that prevent independent optimization. This paper discusses solutions discovered by the architects optimizing the Altera FLEX 6000 architecture.