Got a cool idea for a small-volume product that needs a cheap little FPGA with a little RAM (like, 4K bits or so).
Such things exist... from, e.g., Lattice - ICE40 LP series, really cheap, I-temp, built-in nonvolatile configuration memory: schweet!
But.
Nothing big enough to have block RAM seems to be available in a modest-sized QFN package, nor even a QFP. Itty-bitty low-pin-count fine-pitch BGA, sure. Something that allows routing the signals within cheap-PCB design rules, and can be soldered by a mortal? Ferget it.
And it doesn't look, from the datasheet, like these critters allow using LUTs as RAM, even though the Lattice cells are apparently RAM-based.
Oh, well. So maybe the prototype needs to use something with a bigger footprint (and probably a higher price tag), and if it goes to production it can use a ball-grid part. The idea is kinda speculative anyway, but seems like something with Potential.
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