EasyPath-7 FPGA FAQs

Updated: Mar, 2012

What are EasyPath-7 FPGAs? EasyPath-7 devices are FPGAs that have been custom tested for a specific customer application. By combining the programmable nature of the FPGA with Xilinx advanced testing methodologies, the silicon can be guaranteed for a given application. The increased yield associated with the custom testing allows Xilinx to offer these devices at a reduced cost compared to a standard FPGA. Because the EasyPath-7 device uses the same silicon as a standard FPGA device, a 100% match to the performance and functionality of the standard FPGA is guaranteed. When would designers use EasyPath FPGAs? Sometimes users design with standard FPGAs in the prototyping phase and plan for a cost-reduction path when the system goes into volume production and no longer requires the programmability. One approach that users might take is converting the FPGA to an ASIC. This approach entails significant risks, requires additional engineering resources, and can take months to complete. EasyPath FPGAs provide users a fast, simple, and risk-free way to migrate designs to cost-reduced parts. What cost savings can I expect from EasyPath-7 devices? The savings depend on volume, however, in general customers can expect a 35% cost reduction when compared to the equivalent standard FPGA. What is the turn-around time for getting cost savings with EasyPath-7 FPGAs? With EasyPath-7 FPGAs, cost savings are realized as soon as six weeks from design freeze. The time-to-cost-reduction offered by EasyPath-7 FPGAs is substantially better than ASIC or Structured ASIC offerings. This allows the user to delay the freezing of the design as late as possible. What devices are supported by the EasyPath-7 program? There is an equivalent EasyPath-7 FPGA for all Virtex-7 T and XT devices, as well has the four largest Kintex-7 devices (K355T, K410T, K420T, K480T). All
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packages, all speed grades, and all temperature grades are supported. Do I have to limit my design with additional constraints to qualify for EasyPath-7 FPGA cost reduction? Unlike FPGA-to-Structured-ASIC design flow, EasyPath-7 solution requires absolutely no additional constraints on your FPGA design. You can utilize all resources in the Virtex-7 FPGA for your application, and be able to migrate to EasyPath-7 FPGA seamlessly. Will the Soft and Hard IP blocks work exactly the same way in EasyPath-7 FPGAs? EasyPath-7 FPGAs leverage the same portfolio of industry-leading soft and hard IP as Virtex-7 FPGAs. All Virtex-7 FPGA IPs are guaranteed to work in EasyPath-7 FPGAs without any modifications. Is this a configurable device? Yes, it is. EasyPath FPGAs are architecturally identical to Virtex FPGAs, and will configure at power-up with a bitstream. EasyPath FPGAs are only guaranteed to a design-specific bitstream. Do I have to sign up for Minimum Order Quantities with EasyPath-7 FPGAs? EasyPath-7 FPGAs can be ordered without the constraints of ASIC-like Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ). EasyPath-7 devices can now be ordered in the same minimum order quantities as standard FPGAs. Freedom from MOQs and inventories enables quick response to changing market forecasts and better cost savings. What is the difference between EasyPath-7 devices and the cost-optimized Artix-7 family? Artix-7 FPGAs and EasyPath-7 FPGAs are complimentary solutions that together provide total cost management for a wide spectrum of applications. Artix-7 FPGAs offer a performance level and feature set targeted for consumer high-volume markets, while EasyPath-7 solutions offer high-end performance and features identical to the Virtex-7 and Kintex-7 families. How does the EasyPath-7 solution compare on cost to ASICs?

For most applications, EasyPath-7 can offer lower overall costs compared to an ASIC. ASICs may offer lower production unit prices but carry other significant direct and indirect costs. ASIC conversion involves weeks or months of customer engineering time to provide the data for an ASIC manufacturer and to re-verify / re-qualify the solution in system. ASIC conversions have a high risk of delay or failure, which increased upfront costs and delay the lower-cost systems release to the market. In addition, an ASIC conversion often cannot match the timing, performance, features, and/or pinout of the orinial FPGA. The amount of changes that is introduced when a netlist is converted from an FPGA architecture to that of a gate array is substantial. The longer the delay in an ASIC conversion, the higher the chance that a customer will either miss a market window or have to continue to ship product with the higher-cost standard FPGA. EasyPath-7 FPGA delivers the lowest total product cost by reducing or eliminating costs in the varied phases of a product life cycle: EasyPath-7 FPGA enables fast BOM cost reduction for the user. This fast time-to-market advantage can enable more market share early in the product life cycle. EasyPath-7 FPGA reduces silicon re-design, re-qualification, re-characterization, and board re-design cost to zero. They are performance, feature, pin, and package compatible with the original FPGA. With the No-MOQ offering, EasyPath-7 FPGA also minimizes up-front inventory cost and the cost of writing down unwanted inventory. Also, the most valuable cost saving often accrues from the ability to deploy valuable resources on next generation development as opposed to cost reducing existing products. What is the NRE charge for EasyPath-7 FPGA? There is a $300k Custom Charge for cost reducing to EasyPath-7 FPGAs. The Custom Charge allows Xilinx to create and validate the coverage of a design-specific test programs as well as set up the operational process and inventory management for the specific EasyPath device. This includes the support and maintenance for the lifetime of the customers project. How do you guarantee that the EasyPath device is both timing and functional
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compliant with the standard FPGA? EasyPath devices uses exactly the same silicon and is tested to the same as the FPGA devices. A standard FPGA is tested and validated to support all possible applications while an EasyPath device is tested and guarantted to meet the needs of a specific application. Since a specific application is implemented identically in a standard FPGA or EasyPath device, the performance and operation of the EasyPath device is identical to that of the standard FPGA for that application. Xilinx has conducted quality and reliability testing to guarantee the operating life of the EasyPath device. Reliability data for EasyPath devices are listed in the reliability report along with the FPGA devices. Where can I get more information about ordering EasyPath-7 FPGAs? Please contact your local Xilinx Sales Representative for ordering information.