4 ▁– ▁the ▁EP 3 0 0 ▁– ▁which ▁featured ▁a ▁quart z ▁window ▁in ▁the ▁package ▁that ▁allowed ▁users ▁to ▁sh ine ▁an ▁ult ra - v io let ▁lamp ▁on ▁the ▁die ▁to ▁er ase ▁the ▁EP ROM ▁cells ▁that ▁held ▁the ▁device ▁configuration . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Intel ▁acquired ▁Al tera . ▁ ▁X il inx ▁co - found ers ▁Ross ▁Fre eman ▁and ▁Bernard ▁V ond ersch mitt ▁invent ed ▁the ▁first ▁commer cially ▁vi able ▁field - program m able ▁gate ▁array ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5   – ▁the ▁X C 2 0 6 4 . ▁The ▁X C 2 0 6 4 ▁had ▁program m able ▁gates ▁and ▁program m able ▁inter connect s ▁between ▁gates , ▁the ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁technology ▁and ▁market . ▁The ▁X C 2 0 6 4 ▁had ▁ 6 4 ▁configur able ▁logic ▁blocks ▁( CL B s ), ▁with ▁two ▁three - input ▁lookup ▁tables ▁( L UT s ). ▁More ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁later , ▁Fre eman ▁was ▁entered ▁into ▁the ▁National ▁In vent ors ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁for ▁his ▁in vention . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁Naval ▁Sur face ▁War fare ▁Center ▁fund ed ▁an ▁experiment ▁proposed ▁by ▁Steve ▁Cass el man ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁computer ▁that ▁would ▁implement ▁ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁re program m able ▁gates . ▁Cass el man ▁was ▁successful ▁and ▁a ▁pat