Renesas Enters FPGA Market With the First Ultra-Low-Power, Low-Cost Family Addressing Low-Density, High-Volume Applications

Rhea-AI Summary

Renesas Electronics Corporation has announced the launch of its ForgeFPGA™ Family, marking its entry into the low-cost, low-power FPGA market. These devices, targeting cost-sensitive applications, will be priced under US$0.50 and offer less than 20 microamps standby power. The ForgeFPGA Family includes free, easy-to-use development software with no licensing fees, tailored for both novice and expert developers. This initiative aims to capitalize on the growing demand for programmable logic in consumer and IoT applications, successfully leveraging Renesas's expertise gained from the GreenPAK™ line.

Positive

• ForgeFPGA devices priced under US$0.50, promoting cost-effective solutions.
• Projecting standby power of less than 20 microamps, significantly reducing energy costs.
• Free software available for developers with no licensing fees, fostering accessibility.
• Family designed for high volume, aiming at millions of IoT applications.

Negative

• None.

New ForgeFPGA™ Family Is Supported by Free, Easy-to-Use Software with No License Fees

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced that it is entering the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) market with a new line of very low-cost, very low-power devices. The ForgeFPGA™ Family will address the underserved market need for relatively small amounts of programmable logic that can be quickly and efficiently designed into cost-sensitive applications.

Renesas Unveils Ultra-Low-Power, Low-Cost Forge FPGA Family (Photo: Renesas)

The ForgeFPGA devices will provide dramatic cost savings versus other alternatives, including non-FPGA designs. By providing a high level of integration, they reduce overall board and system costs. Their projected price in volume of well under US$ 0.50, opens up applications that previously couldn’t use FPGAs due to cost constraints, including high-volume consumer and IoT applications.

The ForgeFPGA Family will serve applications that require less than 5,000 gates of logic, with initial device sizes of 1K and 2K Look Up Tables (LUTs). Standby power of less than 20 microamps is projected for the first devices, about half the power of competing devices. Users will be able to download the development software at no cost and with no license fees. The software offers two development modes to accommodate both new and experienced FPGA developers: a “macrocell mode” that uses a schematic capture-based development flow, and an “HDL” mode that provides a familiar Verilog environment for FPGA veterans.

The ForgeFPGA Family development team is the same group that introduced the highly successful GreenPAK™ programmable mixed-signal devices at Silego Technology, which came into the Renesas portfolio as part of the recently completed Dialog Semiconductor acquisition. The new FPGAs will use the same business model and infrastructure as the GreenPAK line: free, easy-to-use software with no license fees, and available worldwide applications support. This model has proved highly successful, with billions of GreenPAK devices already shipped amid continued growth.

“It’s exciting to see an established semiconductor vendor like Renesas tackling a long-ignored portion of the FPGA market: small, low-cost FPGAs that sip microwatts in standby mode,” said Steve Leibson, Principal Analyst, TIRIAS Research. “Having scooped up programmable device maker Silego with its acquisition of Dialog earlier this year, Renesas seems determined to repeat Silego’s previous success with its ultra-low-end GreenPAK line of programmable mixed-signal devices and super-simple design tools, this time in a low-end FPGA line that will appeal to many companies who just need a bit of programmable logic – a thousand gates or so – to get the job done in myriad products including billions of embedded sensors and IoT devices.”

“We are eager to extend our leadership in the small, low-cost, programmable market into FPGAs,” said Davin Lee, Vice President of the Mixed-Signal Division in Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit. “We know from experience and from direct conversations that these devices will appeal to companies large and small in numerous markets around the world.”

Key Features of the ForgeFPGA Family

• Very low power as low as 20 microamps standby
• Very low price in volume of well under US$ 0.50
• Free, downloadable software with no license fees that includes both schematic capture and HDL modes
• Proven ability to deliver very high volumes

Renesas is preparing to offer multiple Winning Combinations featuring the new ForgeFPGA devices with complementary MCU, analog, power and timing devices. Winning Combinations provide an easy to use architecture, simplifying the design process and significantly reducing design risk for customers in a wide variety of applications.

Availability

ForgeFPGA engineering samples are available now, along with beta design software and a prototype development kit. The first ForgeFPGA device, the 1K LUT offering, is expected to be available in production quantities in Q2 2022. Interested designers can visit https://www.dialog-semiconductor.com/products/greenpak/low-power-low-cost-forgefpga to find out more.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live. A global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power, and SoC products, Renesas provides comprehensive solutions for a broad range of automotive, industrial, Infrastructure, and IoT applications that help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

(Remarks). ForgeFPGA is a trademark of Renesas Electronics Corporation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211117005535/en/

Americas

Don Parkman

Renesas Electronics Corporation

+ 1-408-887-4308

don.parkman.xh@renesas.com

Source: Renesas Electronics Corporation

FAQ

What is the ForgeFPGA Family launched by Renesas Electronics Corporation?

The ForgeFPGA Family is a new line of low-cost, low-power Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) designed for cost-sensitive applications.

When will the first ForgeFPGA devices be available in production quantities?

The first ForgeFPGA device is expected to be available in production quantities in Q2 2022.

What are the key features of the ForgeFPGA devices?

Key features include a price of under US$0.50, standby power of less than 20 microamps, and free development software with no licensing fees.

How does the ForgeFPGA Family benefit developers?

Developers benefit from free, easy-to-use software that accommodates both novice and experienced users, promoting efficient FPGA design.

What markets is Renesas targeting with the ForgeFPGA Family?

Renesas targets high-volume consumer and IoT markets with the ForgeFPGA Family.