Building Bridges, Not Barriers: A First Look at the oHFM Standard
For years, starting a new FPGA project has felt like reinventing the wheel. Every design began from scratch with custom form factors, unique pinouts, and proprietary thermal concepts. This “Proprietary by Design” approach led to high effort, low agility, and the dreaded vendor lock-in.
At SGET, we decided to do something about it.
In this exclusive screencast, Ansgar Hein (Chairman of the Board at SGET) takes you behind the scenes of the upcoming oHFM (Open Harmonized FPGA Module) standard. Originally sparked by intense discussions at the FPGA Conference Europe 2023, oHFM is set to become the first and currently only truly open FPGA standard.
Watch the Screencast:
What is oHFM?
The oHFM standard isn’t just a technical specification; it’s a shared design language. It is built to support both entry-level and high-performance FPGA and SOC-FPGA modules through two harmonized variants:
- oHFM.s (Solderable): A cost-efficient, robust, and compact solution in four sizes (S to XL) for volume production.
- oHFM.c (Connector-based): Optimized for high-speed interfaces, mid- to high-end FPGAs, and in-field upgrades.
Why this Matters
For the first time, major industry players have collaborated to align hundreds of signals into one common module standard. The goal is simple: faster time-to-market and a vendor-neutral ecosystem where you can avoid lock-in and work across different platforms.
What’s Next?
We are currently in the final stages of polishing the specification. The journey doesn’t end with the release:
- oHFM Design Guide: Turning the spec into practical guidance for engineers.
- Reference Designs: Evaluation boards are already in preparation.
- Software Ecosystem: Aligning drivers, BSPs, and toolchains.
As we approach the official launch, we want to hear about your project’s pain points. What tools or features would help you adopt oHFM? Join SGET and let’s shape the future of FPGA standardization together.