PDP era and a question - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

28 Aug 1999

please see embedded comments below.

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: Clint Wolff (VAX collector) &lt;vaxman(a)oldy.crwolff.com...

To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu...
  Date: Saturday,
August 28, 1999 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: PDP era and a question

...

On Sat, 28 Aug 1999, Richard Erlacher wrote:

> please see my embedded comments below.
...
  > Dick
> 
<snip...

...
 I saw a blurb about that several years ago in one of
the trade rags.
Basically, the part was sector based (not their name for it). You could
reload a portion of the FPGA while the rest continued to operate. The
example that was given was loading different image processing algorithms
into the chip while the rest of the chip continued to pull in and output
the video stream.
 I've see writing, but not authoritative writing about this.  I don't
consider marketing departments capable of authoritative writing, by the way.
...

> One thing I find shameful about the FPGA makers is that they have all this
...
 > secrecy about one aspect or another of THEIR
intellectual property as
> pertains to their parts, yet they do absolutely nothing to protect YOUR IP
...
 > as it sits in a completely visible medium.  If
they would at least provide a
...
 > feature to allow you to flash in a persistent
encryption circuit not
> detectable from the outside but permanently associated with a given design .
...
   . . 
Publishing what each bit in the bitstream did would get your competitor
half way to having a schematic of your design.

clint
 That's not as much a problem as allowing him to dupe your board (Plenty of
PC market boards have just the one major ASIC and a large and
price-sensitive market which a $1 lower price with take over.) and the
contents of your configuration EEPROM, then buy the same part from XILINX or
whoever supplies your parts, build them down the very street in TAIPEI from
where yours are made, then sell your work to the public, documentation and
all, leaving you with a market saturated with counterfeits of your product
and a HUGE support burden to pay for with your non-profits.
...
  Dick