If they are manufacturing small numbers of products, they may find it cost-effective to simply stay with FPGAs.

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These compute engines are CPUs, GPUs, APUs, DSPs and FPGAs from AMD, Applied Micro, Calxeda, Intel and Texas Instruments.

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We encourage our customers to do their first production batch with FPGAs, says Willem Roelandts, chief executive of San Jose-based Xilinx.

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Intel has agreed to build chips known as FPGAs, or field programmable gate arrays, for Altera, the two companies announced this afternoon.

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"We look forward to collaborating with Altera on manufacturing leading-edge FPGAs, leveraging Intel's leadership in process technology, " said Brian Krzanich, chief operating officer, Intel.

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FPGAs is as a general-purpose glue that sticks together several different components, such as a microprocessor and its attendant chips, inside a particular device.

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"Altera's FPGAs using Intel 14 nm technology will enable customers to design with the most advanced, highest-performing FPGAs in the industry, " said John Daane, president, CEO and chairman of Altera.

ENGADGET: Intel lands Altera as its biggest chip manufacturing customer to date

FPGAs can also be used in the finished product.

ECONOMIST: Hardware goes soft

FPGAs inside these devices to support it.

ECONOMIST: Hardware goes soft

Quill said some firms are turning to cross-asset trading because the high frequency trading (HFT) business is now dominated by ultra high frequency trading firms whose massive investments in sophisticated hardware like FPGAs has made it difficult for smaller players to compete.

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