Introductory EPAC: an analog FPGA

With IMP´s new Electrically Programmable Analog Circuit (EPAC^TM) technology, the users of analog circuits now have access to an analog counterpart of digital field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA). EPAC devices are analog ICs that can be programmed in functionality, interconnection, and performance characteristics. EPAC technology is based on IMP´s mixed-signal 1.2 micron CMOS process with on-chip SRAM and EEPROM memory. Programming can be performed either off-line or in real-time, which means the user can make changes on-the-fly (i.e., in-system programming) while leaving the original EEPROM configuration unchanged. EPAC devices are totally self-contained, that is, they do not require external programming equipment to change any of the configuration settings. In fact, the first EPAC device (i.e., the IMP50E10) needs no external components at all to form a fully functional analog system