FCCM 2007 Top 10 Predictions for FCCMs in 2012

Sponsored by DRC Computer

After enjoying some of the provided beer, we broke into six groups, each of which came up with 10 (or 20) predictions. After enjoying more of the provided beer, each group presented their predictions, then each person voted for their favorite five.

Moderated and compiled by Mike Butts. Results certified by the accounting firm of Dewey, Cheatham and Howe. Thanks to DRC for providing beer, and mugs for drinking it!

12. It didn’t fit.

11. Still no standard platform or tools, open source FPGA still a dream. (7)

10. We hate the tools more. (7)

9. Bill Gates changes his name to Bill Luts. (7)

8. All chips will be defect-mapped and self-healing. (8)

7. Heterogeneous architectures dominate. (9)

6. All devices will require on-line patches like Windows. (9)

5. There will be viruses and malware for FPGAs. (10)

4. An FCCM will be in the TOP500 Supercomputer list. (11)

3. Partial reconfiguration has been realized in a real-life app. (11)

2. There will be enough women at FCCM 2012 that they complain about the bathroom lines. (13) Note: this item suggested by the female Top 10 participants...

1. 1.FPGAs will have floating point cores. (26 votes)
   

FCCM 2000 Top 10 Predictions for FCCMs in 2005

After many of us enjoyed some evening refreshments, participants broke into five groups, which each came up with ten predictions. Each group presented their predictions to all, and each participant then voted for their favorite five.

Moderated and compiled by Mike Butts. Results certified by the accounting firm of Dewey, Cheatham and Howe, Philip Frieden and Jan Gray presiding. Thanks to Virtual Computer Corp. for all the fine Hollywood Blonde and Hollywood Red beer!!! (...and their generosity in picking up the tab for the room, the treats and the splendid prizes). And especially to all the participants!

14. It didn't fit

13. Optical interconnect in FCCMs (7 votes)

12. A C derivative will be the dominant HDL (7 votes)

11. "Clippy" (that stupid Office assistant) becomes new hardware design aide (7 votes)

10. Linux ported to XC4010 (7 votes)

9. 80% of the communications infrastructure is reconfigurable (7 votes)

8. FPGA Systems-on-Chip are commonplace (7 votes)

7. We will merely dislike the tools (9 votes) (see #1 in previous years)

6. FPGA Barbie™ says "Layout is hard" (9 votes)

5. Internet Appliances all have FPGAs (9 votes)

4. JBits grows up to become JBytes (10 votes)

3. CPUs + FPGAs are a reality (10 votes)

2. Still using VHDL (and hating it), still talking about C to Silicon (10 votes)

1. Each FPGA has its own IP address (15 votes)

FCCM 1998 Top 10 Predictions for FCCMs in 2003

After many of us enjoyed a bit of beer, 41 participants broke into five groups, which each came up with ten predictions. Each group presented their predictions to all, and each participant then voted for their favorite five.

Moderated and compiled by Mike Butts. Results certified by the accounting firm of Dewey, Cheatham and Howe, Philip Frieden presiding. Thanks to Virtual Computer Corp. for all the beer!!! (...and the room, the yummies and the splendid prizes). And especially to all the participants!

12. It didn't fit

11. CAD will be the killer app for FCCM (8 votes)

10. We will see the first conscious FCCM (8 votes)

9. A "savior" killer app for FCCMs will appear (8 votes)

8. Splash II apps will still appear at FCCM '03 (9 votes)

7. The predominant FCCM language will be Java++... but someone will still be doing C to FCCM (9 votes)

6. FCCMs will place and route themselves (9 votes)

5. At FCCM '03, there will still be a high number of gratuitous architectures presented (10 votes)

4. At FCCM '03, Mark Shand will give a paper on interfacing to the Hubble Telescope using FCCMs (11 votes)

3. FPGAs in FCCMs will have hardwired functional units (ALU, FPU, MPY, PCI...) (12 votes)

2. 90% of embedded systems on a chip will contain FPGA logic for FCCM-type usage (14 votes)

1. We will still hate the tools (27 votes: two thirds!)

FCCM 1996 Top 10 Predictions for FCCMs in 2001

13. It didn't fit

12. FPGAs used in FCCMs will have 4-LUTs, FFs, and not enough routing

11. FCCM apps will be downloaded from the Internet a'la Java

10. FPGAs used in FCCMs will have embedded functional units

9. Microprocessors will have FPGA logic (for x86 emulation ;-), but not in the API

8. Dynamic FPGAs with on-chip DRAMs in FCCMs

7. Time-sliced FPGAs will be commercially available, and used in FCCMs

6. FCCM languages will be Visual Verilog++™, gcc, and Matlab

5. Top 3 application areas will be communications, military, image processing, and one we don't know of today

4. $100M/year FCCM industry with two public companies

3. FCCM '01 will have 1K attendees and a 100 vendor trade show

2. 50% of the 1996 DARPA goals will be met

1. We will hate the tools