Core Viewpoint - FPGA technology has been overlooked for decades despite its potential, primarily due to outdated programming practices and a lack of innovation in the industry [2][8]. Group 1: FPGA Overview - FPGA has existed for decades but has not received the attention it deserves, often viewed as powerful yet complex [2]. - Major companies like Altera, Lattice Semiconductor, and Xilinx have dominated the FPGA market since the 1980s, but their software development has not evolved significantly [2][3]. - Unlike traditional processors that execute instructions sequentially, FPGAs define data paths and signal changes based on internal states and external inputs [3]. Group 2: Programming Challenges - A common misconception is that Hardware Description Language (HDL) is hardware; in fact, it is software that should be managed like any other software [4]. - Traditional programming languages cannot be used for FPGA programming, leading to the use of outdated hardware description languages like VHDL and Verilog, which are not suited for modern software development [5][6]. - The closed toolchains and lack of motivation for improvement have resulted in engineers being forced to use these outdated languages, creating a cycle of complexity and inefficiency [6][7]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - The integration of FPGAs with processors has not been successful in practice, despite theoretical advantages, as seen with Intel's acquisition of Altera and AMD's acquisition of Xilinx [7][8]. - The rise of AI has shifted the focus from FPGAs to GPUs, leading to stagnation in FPGA innovation and increasing hardware prices [8]. - The proprietary toolchains have hindered FPGA development, and opening these could foster innovation and create a better user experience for software engineers [8].