Optimal processing solutions are often provided by combinations of RISC, CISC, graphics processors and FPGAs, by FPGAs on their own, or by FPGAs that boast hard processor cores as part of their fabric. However, many designers are unfamiliar with the capabilities of FPGAs, how they’ve evolved, and how to use them. This article, Part 1 of a 5-part series, will discuss the fundamentals of FPGAs and introduce example solutions from major providers. Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5 will focus on the FPGA device families and design tools offered from Lattice Semiconductor, Microchip, Altera, and Xilinx.