FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a field-programmable gate array, that is, a semiconductor device whose operating logic can be configured after the chip has been released. Unlike chips with hard-wired functions, the internal circuit of an FPGA is described by the developer in a special language and loaded into the device, effectively creating the required computing block for a specific task.
In the history of cryptocurrency mining, FPGAs became a natural stage between ordinary graphics cards and highly specialized ASICs. They made it possible to compute hash functions more efficiently than GPUs while retaining flexibility: the same device can be reconfigured for a different algorithm. This versatility distinguishes them from ASICs, which are tailored to a single task.
How an FPGA differs from an ASIC
- Flexibility: the logic of an FPGA can be reprogrammed, whereas an ASIC performs only what was set during manufacturing.
- Development cost: launching a mass-produced ASIC requires expensive design work, while an FPGA is more accessible for experiments.
- Performance: for equivalent tasks, a specialized ASIC usually works faster and more energy-efficiently.
Thus, an FPGA is a compromise between the versatility of programmable hardware and the high performance of specialized solutions, which makes them sought after in prototyping and niche computing scenarios.
