Am 12.06.2010 19:29, schrieb Orchid XP v8:

>> It really doesn't. When I was in college, the guys learning how to do
>> this had runs of 10 chips at a time at a fab to test out their
>> designs. It's really not as expensive as you think.
>
> I thought the whole idea of FPGAs is that you don't have to spend
> $80,000 on a run of ASICs just to see if it works...

FPGAs are pretty limited in capability compared to ASICs.

As for ASIC prototype costs, maybe prototype costs can be cut 
considerably by using a "pool" manufacturing approach, by sharing wafer 
space with other customers who need totally different ASIC prototypes to 
be produced. I know it's done for PCB production (I've already used such 
a service just to avoid etching & drilling my own double-sided PCBs for 
some hobby projects), so I see no basic reason why it shouldn't work in 
ASIC production as well.

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