Although not just limited to DPS applications, there are four main type of devices that are worth talking about since they make DPS applications possible, and they are: Microcontroller, FPGA, CPLD, ASIC. These devices have different system capabilities, level of performance, time-to-market, production costs and use different programming and simulation techniques. Because of all this different resources, deciding what type of devices should be used for what type projects can be somewhat difficult for hobbyist and wells as for engineers. All of them are popular so knowing pros and cons about each of them definitely doesn’t hurt.

Microcontroller

A microcontroller, or MCU, is a computer-on-a-chip capable of performing functions that are application-specific. They are made up of a processor, ROM, EEPROM, RAM, and I/O modules and unlike the other devices, they are inexpensive. They are incredibly useful and can be found digital technologies such as automobile control systems, power systems, robotics, appliances and remote controls. The learning curve is not as high as with FPGAs or CPLDs; most microcontrollers can be programmed in C or in assembly language. It is highly recommendable to know at least the basics of logic design to ease the process. Unlike FPGAs where the design run in parallel manner, microcontrollers, as all CPUs based architectures, run sequentially. In other words, modules in an FPGA design all run at the same time based on a clock input, while microcontrollers behave like normal software, they run instructions based on their position in memory.

FPGA

Field-programmable gate array, or simply FPGA, are devices containing logic blocks, which are usually made up 4-input LUTs(Lookup Tables) and a flip-flop. Together, all the logic blocks can perform any digital function. They are very powerful devices and are used in high performance computer applications where speed of the process is key to the success of the application. Medical MRIs, aerospace and defense technology, and bioinformatics greatly make use this technology. Since they are programmed using Verilog or VHDL (Hardware Description Languages), knowledge in logic design is necessary. Its important to note that FPGAs, just like microprocessors, can also be used for small and medium size electronic projects such building touch screens and appliances.

CPLD

CPLDs, or complex programmable logic devices, are similar but less complex than FPGAs. They are made up of macro cells (or PLDs) whose inputs and outputs are connected to a central interconnection matrix. CPLD’s main advantage over FPGAs though, its that they have on-chip non-volatile memory. This means that CPLDs can retain information even when not powered. They have smaller amount of gates available and are cheaper than most FPGAs.

ASIC

ASIC, or application-specific integrated circuit, is really just a system-on-a-chip customized for an specific purpose. They may contain one or more processors, memory blocks of ROM, RAM, EEPROM and Flash, ASIC design is only done by tech companies such as it requires many engineers working on the design and may others working on ASIC verification. They are a used instead of general purpose FPGAs when a high volume of devices will be manufactured since this reduces production costs. As with FPGAs and CPLD, designers of ASICs use Hardware Description Languages to describe the functions. Verilog is the most popular HDL in high tech companies and it is easier and more flexible to use than VHDL.

With all the buzz surrounding the new and improved Firefox 3, its worth talking about Firefox’s Add-ons. For those of you who don’t know, Firefox’s add-ons are small web applications that integrate with Firefox to add or change functionality. They are easy to install, incredibly useful and convenient. Moreover, some of them will just make you wonder how you used to live without them. No kidding.

I have generated a list of the most popular and recommended add-ons out there that you should know about. However, there plenty other very cool extensions so make sure to check the Firefox Add-ons webpage to find out more about them.

1. StumbleUpon

Arguably the best toolbar around. With StumbleUpon you can discover websites based on your interest and on what other people have “Stumbled.” The awesome thing about this is that by clicking the “stumble” button you will end up browsing very interesting and cool sites that you would have never been able to find without it. On the other hand, you can also use StumbleUpon to look up popular pages from within specific sites such as YouTube, CNN, Wikipedia and Wired. You can also use this toolbar to bookmark sites that you like and later be able to look at them from any computer. WARNING: Be ready to spend many hours using this tool. It is very addictive.

2. PicLens

PicLens is a visually impressive 3D application that lets you find online photos on popular sites. Not only does this application looks stunning, but it’s actually very useful. For example, lets say you are searching for an specific picture in Google. After you type your search, you can access PicLens by clicking on any picture in the result. The application will then show all pictures of your search result in a 3D grid format, which is very effective since you don’t have to worry about clicking any “next” buttons to look at more photos or having to load up a new page to look at full size pictures.

3. DownloadHelper

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could download any video you want from YouTube-like sites and store them on you computer? Well, now you can with DownloadHelper. While surfing on sites like YouTube, Myspace or iFilm, an icon from DownloadHelper gets animated, letting you know there are videos in the webpage that can be downloaded. Just click the icon and it will start downloading. As simple as that.

4. DownThemAll!

As far as download extensions, DownThemAll! is right on top. This neat tool allows you to download all images and links in a webpage with a single click. It also increases your download speed to up 400% according to their site, and you can pause and resume downloads at any time.

5. Forecastfox

Forecastfox is an application that displays weather forecast from AccuWeather.com in Firefox’s status bar or in any toolbar. It constantly gives weather updates and severe weather alerts. Good option if you check weather consistently and want to save time.

6. Adblock Plus

Tire of those annoying ads and banners on the internet? With Adblock Plus you can easily get rid of them by selecting a filter subscription when the add-on is installing or you can simply right click a banner and it won’t be showed again. One of the most popular extensions out there, a definite must have.

7. Firebug

If you are planning on learning HTML and CSS, or even if you are already a web developer, you will definitely want to have Firebug. Firebug is the most complete web development tool out there; it integrates with Firefox to edit, debug and look at JavaScript, HTML and CSS files in any web page. You can also use it to download background design images that you would normally have to get by painfully going through by following all sorts of likes through different source code and CSS files. For beginner web developers, the tool comes very handy if you want to learn how the website was designed and what developing techniques were used.

Oh I forgot to mention, you can also play jokes on your friends with it. Look here

8. FoxyTunes

FoxyTunes is great for any music lover. It lets you control media players, look up lyrics from songs currently playing in your computer, search fro covers, music videos, bios and updated news from your favorite artists. All with just a couple of clicks from your browser.

9. Firefox Showcase

Firefox Showcase is simply impressive and totally useful management tool. Its ability to view tabs as thumbnails is absolutely priceless. Not only that, but its has also been worked on for years making bug-free and packaged with all sorts of great additions. For example, you can resize your thumbnails and zoom in on one in particular, change key shortcuts with KeyConfig, use the “find” tool across all tabs in your browser, view the thumbs in a tab, a floating window, or the sidebar, use “alt + scroll” to preview the thumbnail, and much more.