Comparison of Leading PLD Manufacturers: Xilinx (AMD), Intel (Altera), and Lattice

 



1. Market Positioning and Target Applications

ManufacturerMarket PositionStrengthsPrimary Target Markets
Xilinx (owned by AMD)FPGA market leaderHigh-performance FPGAs, SoCsAI/ML, Automotive, 5G, Data Centers
Intel (Altera)Second-largest providerMid-range FPGAs, eFPGAsIoT, Industrial Automation, Military
LatticeNiche providerUltra-low-power, small FPGAsEdge AI, Consumer, Industrial Controls

2. Product Portfolio Comparison



pie
    title FPGA Market Shares (2023)
    "Xilinx/AMD" : 51%
    "Intel/Altera" : 34%
    "Lattice" : 5%
    "Others" : 10%

3. Technical Differences

CriteriaXilinxIntel (Altera)Lattice
Flagship SeriesVersal (AI Engine)Stratix 10 (eASIC Technology)Nexus (FD-SOI Technology)
Entry-Level FPGAArtix-7Cyclone 10iCE40 UltraPlus
CPLDsCoolRunner II (legacy)MAX 10 (FPGA-like)MachXO3
Power EfficiencyMedium (7nm)Medium (10nm)Very High (28nm FD-SOI)
AI AccelerationStrong AI/ML BlocksModerate DSP PerformanceTinyML Optimization

4. Development Tools

  • Xilinx: Vivado (powerful but complex), Vitis for AI

  • Intel: Quartus Prime (mature), OneAPI for Heterogeneous Systems

  • Lattice: Radiant (simple), Lattice Propel for RISC-V Integration

5. Pricing Examples

DeviceXilinxIntelLattice
Entry-Level FPGAArtix-7 (~€50)Cyclone 10 (~€40)iCE40 (~€10)
Mid-RangeKintex-7 (~€300)Arria 10 (~€250)CrossLink-NX (~€80)
High-EndVirtex UltraScale+ (>€5,000)Stratix 10 (>€4,000)-

6. Pros and Cons Direct Comparison

Xilinx/AMD
✔ + Best performance for AI/networking
✔ + Most extensive IP portfolio
✖ - Higher costs
✖ - Complex toolchain

Intel/Altera
✔ + Good price/performance balance
✔ + Tight Intel CPU integration
✖ - Slower innovation

Lattice
✔ + Unbeatable power efficiency
✔ + Simple development
✖ - No high-end options

7. Current Trends (2024)

  • Xilinx: Focus on adaptive SoCs (Versal AI Core)

  • Intel: eFPGAs for custom chip integration

  • Lattice: Security FPGAs for edge computing

Purchase Recommendations by Application

  • AI/5G: Xilinx Versal

  • Industrial Controls: Intel Cyclone or Lattice CrossLink

  • Battery-Powered Devices: Lattice iCE40 or Certus-NX

  • Prototyping: Intel MAX 10 (budget-friendly option)

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