The Practical Applications and Uses of FPGAs: Insights from Historical, Current, and Future Perspectives

I first used programmable logic in the early 1980s as random glue logic: 16L8, 16R4, 16R6, and 16R8 (Figures 1 and 2). These devices, from Monolithic Memories, had eight outputs and typically came in a 20-pin dual in-line package (DIP). A hardware designer would choose the device based on whether zero, four, six, or eight flip-flops were needed.