低功耗一直是FPGA(现场可编程门阵列)特性上难以突破的门坎，于是通过工艺技术走向纳米化已然成为Xilinx与 Altera这二大FPGA厂商主要的发展方向。但对QuickLogic来说，超低功耗FPGA却是该公司的招牌，不是挑战，反而是莫大的机会。
The low power consumption is always the bottleneck on the features of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that is hard to breakthrough, so it is already the major developing direction for the two giants of FPGA manufacturers Xilinx and Altera to walking toward to nano-sizing through fabrication process technology.
However, for QuickLogic, low-power-consumption FPGA is a signboard, instead of a challenge. It’s really a big chance.
PLD界始祖
早期以自有Vialink超低耗电反熔丝架构的FPGA著称的QuickLogic，在睽违多时后，日前借推出超低功耗的PolarPro FPGA向便携式电子业界招手。QuickLogic总裁暨执行长E. Thomas Hart特别说明该公司的策略动向并勾勒出对新市场的发展蓝图。
The Primo in PLD Circles
QuickLogic was famous for its originated Vialink─the lowest power field programmable architecture in early period. After a long time, now it beckons to portable electronics industry taking the chance to introduce the low power consumption Polarpro FPGA. And specially, the Chairman, president and CEO of QuickLogic E. Thomas Hart explained the company’s strategic trends as well as outlining the developing blueprint of the new market.
Hart首先提到QuickLogic在可编程逻辑的发展史上的代表性地位。该公司是由John Birkner，Andy Chan及H.T.Chua这3位工程师共同创立，其于1970年于Monolithic Memories公司共同发明了可编程逻辑，并构思开发出PAL(可编程数组逻辑)器件及PALASM设计软件，而开启了今日价值20亿美元的可编程逻辑市场。事实上QuickLogic最早名为Peer Research，3位创办人历时3年开发出专利的ViaLink技术，大幅提升可编程器件的效能，后在1991年正式更名为QuickLogic公司。
Hart firstly mentioned the representative position of QuickLogic in the history of programmable logic’s development. The company was co-created by three engineers, John Birker, Andy Chan and H.T. Chua. in1970, they together invented programmable logic, designed and developed PAL (programmable Array Logic) and PALASM design software. From that time on, the programmable logic market worth 2000 million dollar had been open. In fact, the earliest name of QuickLogic was Peer Research, it formally changed to Quicklogic Company in 1991 after three founders developed patent ViaLink technology in three years which increased programmable devices’ efficiency in big extent.
超低功耗技术奠基
由于产品在保全特性优异的特性使然，过去QuickLogic的大半业务重心是以军事及电信为主。近年为在商用主流市场开疆辟土，该公司已发展出非纯以FPGA器件为主而是解决方案为主的产品型态，共有三大产品线，包括FPGA，ESP(嵌入式标准产品)以及ASSP(特定应用产品)。其中在FPGA方面是运用专利的ViaLink可编程金属技术，提供具备高设计安全性及超低功耗的方案，最新的PolarPro系列功耗更可低至10μA。比起SRAM-based 的FPGA，QuickLogic FPGA能省去既耗电又占空间的外部组态内存，并降低开发风险。
Foundation of Ultra-low-power-consumption Technology
Because of the products’ specialty to maintain the excellence completely, over half of QuickLogic’s business was focus on the military and telecommunication. In recent years, in order to exploit the business mainstream market, the company has developed three major product lines, including FPGA, ESP (Embedded Standard Product) as well as ASSP (Application Specific Standard Product), which does not purely FPGA-based components but solution –based instead. By employing its patented Vialink programmable metal technology, QuickLogic’s products like its latest PolarPro as example to achieve ultra-dynamic power consumption and establish a new basedline in the FPGA industry with standby currents as low as 10μA.Compared to SRAM-based FPGA, QuickLogic’s FPGA doesn’t have the external configurable memory which is not only energy-consumptive but also space-consumptive, meanwhile the developing risk has been reduced.
在ESP产品方面，它是一个单芯片解决方案，其整合了可编程逻辑与标准芯片于一身，兼具效能保证，低成本以及高弹性，缩短上市时间等优势。自1998年起，QuickLogic已推出数项ESP系列。
While ESP product is single chip solution, which combines the programmable logic and standard chip, holds advantages as efficiency guarantee, low cost, high flexibility and time to market. Since1998, QuickLogic has introduced several ESP series.
在ASSP产品方面是由一系列针对处理器，内存及总线桥接功能的ASSP来与QuickLogic的ESP形成互补。这些器件包含既有的参考开发电路板及软件支持，提供完整的随插即用设计解决方案。
As for ASSP products, it’s a series of ASSP aiming at processor, EMS memory and host bus bridge function, which complement each other with QuickLogic’s ESP. These components including existing reference development circuit board and software support, offer complete Plug& Play design solutions.
Hart指出，以当前产业趋势发展来看，系统的耗电量成了极大的课题，而由于上市时程、成本与风险等变量，ASIC设计开始呈现萎缩，另一方面，标准产品也被设计成嵌入式处理器为基础的产品。特别是在专业消费型产品(Prosumer)的爆炸性成长，出现几个现象：如掌上型的电池供电产品大行其道，技术融合的不断发生，GPS将会无处不在，Wi-Fi盛行且WiMAX兴起，微硬盘普及，移动电视即将流行，UWB刚要起步等。这些实例都彰显ASIC、ASSP与PLD这些对供电具关键作用的核心芯片角色更形重要。该公司的超低功率FPGA技术已经改变PLD的疆界，以优于CPLD的闸数，其它低成本SRAM或FLASH FPGA的耗电量，得以兼顾特性、密度与功率消耗。
Hart pointed out that from the current developing tendency of the industry, it can been seen that power consumption of the system become critical problem, while because of the variables as time to come to the market, cost and risk, ASIC design has become shrinking. On the other side, standard products are designed as the product on the basis of embedded processor. Especially in the explosive growth of professional prosumers, there are several phenomenon as the prevalence of products power by hand-held batteries, continuous happening of technology mergence, popularity of GPS, dissemination of Wi-Fi, rising of WiMAX, prevalence of mini-hard drive, mobile TV as well as the upcoming UWB. All of the examples reveal the more and more importance of ASIC, ASSP and PLD to the key chips of power suppliers. The company’s ultra-low-power-consumption FPGA technology has changed the territory of PLD with gate count surpassing CPLD, power consumption lower than other low-cost SRAM and Flash FPGA, which holds characteristic, density and power consumption together.
QuickLogic产品策略旨在于提供最低功耗的可编程逻辑解决方案。以最新的PolarPro为例，将FPGA应用扩展至便携式电子产品的新领域。该系列具有价效比高，功耗超低等优势，并采用小尺寸封装，不仅符合便携式应用的节能需求，亦保持传统FPGA器件所具备的配置灵活性与开发快速的优点。
The product strategy of QuickLogic is to provide programmable logic solution with lowest power consumption. Take the latest PolarPro family, for example, it can be extensively applied on the new field of portable electronic product. This series holds the predominance of high rate of price and efficiency as well as its small form factor, which not only meets the energy-saving needs of portable application but also feature the configurable flexibility and development speediness of traditional FPGA components.
赢在未来
PolarPro具有独特的架构与嵌入式电路，能满足降低功耗与减低系统成本的双重需求。它整合FPGA逻辑与嵌入式电路，包含大数组的内建双端口RAM模块与共位的异步FIFO控制器，DDR内存接口及时钟管理单元，能有效提升内存的扩充性，与实现高频宽的总线对总线连接。
Win in the Future
With its unique architecture and embedded circuits, PolarPro can meet the double requirements both on reducing power consumption and system cost. Through combining FPGA logic, embedded circuits, internal dual port RAM module containing big array and asynchronous FIFO controller, DDR memory interface and clock management unit, it can increase memory’s expansibility efficiently and realize the connection of high bandwidth of bus to bus.
Tom Hart表示，“QuickLogic的低功耗ViaLink FPGA技术让我们深入探讨便携式电子应用中的无线与储存连接性问题。在与Intel，Atheros 以及Seagate等公司的合作中，我们了解当前可携电子应用对功耗与成本的要求。因此，我们对PolarPro的推出所将带给客户的种种好处，深表信心。”
Tom Hart commented that our low-power-consumption ViaLink FPGA technology makes us to probe the connection problem of wireless and deposition in the application of portable electronics. And in the cooperation with companies as Intel, Atheros, Seagate, etc, we understand the requirement of portable electronic dealing with power consumption and cost. Therefore, we are strongly confident of the conveniences bringing by the upcoming PolarPro.
QuickLogic展示了PolarPro与其它竞争产品耗电的平行实测，结果令人印象深刻。QuickLogic台湾区业务经理王家绪对于新系列的产品在超低功耗的表现，他相信在手持应用产业必能交出一张漂亮的成绩单。
QuickLogic displayed a parallel experiment between PolarPro and other competitive products on power consumption and the result was impressive. Jerry Wang, regional sales manager of Taiwan, expressed that according to their product’s ultra low power performance, it will be high possibility to make an excellent achievement in handheld market.
