FPGA Journal Article

I'm writing a feature article for FPGA Journal (www.fpgajournal.com)
about FPGAs and the re-birth of the electronics hobbyist. My theory is
that electronics as a hobby went through a "dark age" period, maybe
from the early/mid 1970s until recently becuase of the inaccessibility
and cost of designing with state-of-the-art technology. Radio Shack
shifted their focus from 50-in-1 project kits and hobbyist parts to
selling toys, cell-phones, and stereo equipment.

Now, with the emergence of low-cost, high-capability FPGAs, development
boards, and design software, I see a new age of hobbyist activity
beginning (as often evidenced in this group).

I'm looking for a few people that would be willing to express views on
this topic for the article.

I know, Austin will probably post a strong technical argument that
Xilinx FPGAs are uniquely attractive to the hobbyist, somebody from
Altera will send me a Cubic Cyclonium prototyping paperweight (they're
very cool), and Actel and Lattice people will post just to remind us
that they have low-cost kits too, but I'm primarily interested in some
info from real, live, "working" hobbyists.

Any takers?

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: FPGA Journal Article
    ... >I'm writing a feature article for FPGA Journal ... >about FPGAs and the re-birth of the electronics hobbyist. ... >info from real, live, "working" hobbyists. ...
    (comp.arch.fpga)
  • Re: FPGA Journal Article
    ... And each generation after him has repeated the complaint, ... How can FPGAs envigorate individual or personal design activity? ... > Hobbyists. ... The youth today ...
    (comp.arch.fpga)
  • Re: FPGA Journal Article
    ... The "dark age" was probably in the ... > about FPGAs and the re-birth of the electronics hobbyist. ... > that they have low-cost kits too, but I'm primarily interested in some ... > info from real, live, "working" hobbyists. ...
    (comp.arch.fpga)
  • Re: FPGA Journal Article
    ... >about FPGAs and the re-birth of the electronics hobbyist. ... I think a major development has been the availability of free devtools - for a long, ... Few hobbyists would have the patience to wait through multi-hour compile times. ...
    (comp.arch.fpga)
  • Re: FPGA Journal Article
    ... >I'm writing a feature article for FPGA Journal ... >about FPGAs and the re-birth of the electronics hobbyist. ... >info from real, live, "working" hobbyists. ...
    (comp.arch.fpga)