user1151: I'm not entirely sure how FPGA's work... 
Do I simply buy a ZTEX and it mines, or do I need to plug it into a computer via USB? 
Can I chain them?
I'm so confused.

user682: The very basic idea of an FPGA is that it can be loaded with a specific firmware (a layout of logical gates, in essence). That page contains the firmware you'd need to load onto a Xilinx FPGA (A Spartan 6) in order to use it as a mining device. ZTEX refers to a suite of the FPGA, and various IO controllers (USB, etc.).
Roughly speaking, the steps you'd need to follow would be:

Buy device
Plug in device to your computer
Load firmware onto device from your computer
Run a piece of software on your computer that interfaces with the firmware now loaded on the FPGA
Profit (in a couple years)

To answer your questions: yes, the device would need to be plugged in to a computer using the method in your link, and yes, you can "chain" them - i.e. have more than one plugged in. I've greatly oversimplified steps 3 & 4, by the way.

1151: <p>I'm not entirely sure how FPGA's work... </p>

<p>Do I simply buy a <a href="http://www.ztex.de/usb-fpga-1/usb-fpga-1.15y.e.html" rel="nofollow">ZTEX</a> and it mines, or do I need to plug it into a computer via USB? </p>

<p>Can I chain them?</p>

<p>I'm so confused.</p>
 682: <p>The very basic idea of an FPGA is that it can be loaded with a specific firmware (a layout of logical gates, in essence). That page contains the firmware you'd need to load onto a Xilinx FPGA (A Spartan 6) in order to use it as a mining device. ZTEX refers to a suite of the FPGA, and various IO controllers (USB, etc.).</p>

<p>Roughly speaking, the steps you'd need to follow would be:</p>

<ol>
<li>Buy device</li>
<li>Plug in device to your computer</li>
<li>Load firmware onto device from your computer</li>
<li>Run a piece of software on your computer that interfaces with the firmware now loaded on the FPGA</li>
<li>Profit (in a couple years)</li>
</ol>

<p>To answer your questions: yes, the device would need to be plugged in to a computer using the method in your link, and yes, you can "chain" them - i.e. have more than one plugged in. I've greatly oversimplified steps 3 &amp; 4, by the way.</p>
