I thought it might be a relatively fun and easy project to do a audio/video (coax or rca) matrix that can take any number of n inputs and route them to any n ouputs (1 to 1, 1 to all, etc).
I know this can be done using circuitry, but what about Analog FPGAs? Have analog FPGAs matured enough where something like this is feasible? Do they have enough resources to implement all the multiplexers needed/
I don't believe it can be done with an analog fpga. Analog fpgas today don't have near enough bandwidth for video. The lattice programmable analog chips have a bandwidth of generally less than 1 MHz. There are some amps in the lattice ispPAC30 that have a GBW of 15MHz, and that is enough for NTSC, but if you wanted anything more than NTSC composite, then it's not going to happen.
There aren't many other companies. Anadigm also makes "FPAAs" which have around a 2 MHz bandwidth, which is not enough for video.
I don't currently know of any other existing analog fpga companies.
This does raise a valid question, though. Why are all the FPAAs so terrible? Why can't they do something better than 1 MHz bandwidth. I just can't see how that's much use for any sort of signal processing (unless it's audio but audio can be processed with a $2 DSP probably way better than any FPAA could do it).
As long as FPAAs are so terrible, there will never be many uses for them.
When I can get a 1 GHz FPAA for $10, then there may be a market.
-Arlen
Chances are because people tend to go ADC -> FPGA -> DAC and use digital algorithms to massage things.
-- [100~Plax]sb16i0A2172656B63616820636420726568746F6E61207473754A[dZ1!=b]salax
How about using a crosspoint switch chip ? ( I think I got the right term). I was looking at one of these a while ago as an interrupt signal router, but I think they handle analog just fine.
Rob
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