FPGA
n.n. Stands for Field Programmable Gate Array. A type of computer chip that an engineer can reprogram after it has been manufactured to perform specific tasks.
n. Abbreviation for Field Programmable Gate Array. An integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing, typically using a hardware description language.
The engineer used an FPGA to test the new circuit design.
Because an FPGA can be reconfigured, it is often used in prototyping before a permanent chip is mass-produced.
High-frequency trading firms often deploy FPGAs to achieve lower latency than software-based solutions, as the hardware can be tailored to process specific financial data packets at wire speed.
An initialism of Field Programmable Gate Array. The term is a compound of field, in the sense of an environment outside of a factory or laboratory, and programmable gate array, a reference to the earlier logic device architecture.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The acronym is treated as a countable noun and takes 'an' as an article because it is pronounced starting with an 'eff' sound.
Last updated July 22, 2026