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The only thing I've found while searching is https://git.slaanesh.org/kfpga/kfpga which is still very new and small, but inspiring.
What are the major hurdles that have prevented people from creating an open source FPGA design?
So you would have to navigate around those.
Also the utility of open source CPU cores is much higher than an open source FPGA since you're not going to be able to customize it anyway because of mask costs.
Lattice (the FPGA's manufacturer) seems open-minded regarding such efforts: https://twitter.com/latticesemi/status/1269115302140231682
Xilinx has like 2,000 FPGA patents, proudly displayed on plaques on their cafeteria wall. So you would have to navigate around those.
Xilinx has like 2,000 FPGA patents, proudly displayed on plaques on their cafeteria wall. So you would have to navigate around those.
They were founded 36 years ago. How long do they last? How many of them are meanwhile void?
The current duration is 20 years.
But companies with sophisticated IP lawyers, like FPGA vendors, can create "evergreen" patents by tweaking existing ones to last 100 years or more.
Also, small companies generally cannot afford patent litigation, so most fold after just receiving a letter.
Hollywood is located in LA because East Coast companies didn't want to pay Edison patent royalties. Moving to another state is less likely to work these days.
The laser patent killed commercial laser products until it expired, since nobody wanted to pay the 4% or 5% royalty. (I'm guessing that it wasn't that one royalty that was the concern, but the likely additional demands that would come out of the woodwork.)
Same thing with the Wright Brothers airplane patents. It took war for the Wright Brothers and Curtis to work together, which is why Europe got so far ahead of the US in aviation at the time.
CPUs you can implement on FPGAs or something else whereas FPGAs are really only useful if you can get it made. Getting the design rules from a foundry usually involves an NDA and you will need (proprietary) EDA tools. Also the utility of open source CPU cores is much higher than an open source FPGA since you're not going to be able to customize it anyway because of mask costs.
[1] https://www.yokogawa.com/yjp/solutions/solutions/minimal-fab...
catch up a little technology-wise, and take hold.
edit:
[2] http://pmt-minimalfoundry.businesscatalyst.com/minimal-found...
I see they have a branch office in Moscow now
Earlier quoted context omitted.
They were founded 36 years ago. How long do they last? How many of them are meanwhile void?
It's a valid question. The current duration is 20 years. But companies with sophisticated IP lawyers, like FPGA vendors, can create "evergreen" patents by tweaking existing ones to last 100 years or more. Also, small companies generally cannot afford patent litigation, so most fold after just receiving a letter. Hollywood is located in LA because East Coast companies didn't want to pay Edison patent royalties. Moving…
Would these patents apply in the EU?
Xilinx has like 2,000 FPGA patents, proudly displayed on plaques on their cafeteria wall. So you would have to navigate around those.