Digilent Inc. is a premier American engineering company specializing in FPGA and microcontroller-based development platforms, founded in 2000 by Washington State University professors Clint Cole and Gene Apperson. Headquartered in Pullman, Washington, with additional offices in China, Taiwan, and Romania, Digilent serves a global customer base spanning over 70 countries. The company’s core mission is to make advanced digital technology accessible to everyone, initially driven by the need for affordable, hands-on learning tools in electrical engineering education. Its flagship product lines include FPGA development boards such as the Basys, Nexys, Arty, and ZedBoard families, which are built on Xilinx technology, as well as microcontroller boards like the chipKIT series and Analog Discovery instrumentation devices. Digilent has become a standard in academic institutions worldwide, with products utilized in over 2,000 universities, and also supports professional prototyping and embedded design. The company offers high-value OEM services for major semiconductor firms including Xilinx, Microchip, and Cypress Semiconductor, providing custom hardware solutions. Through its strong educational focus and robust product ecosystem, Digilent has carved a niche as a leader in engineering teaching tools and low-cost R&D platforms. Its integration with National Instruments after being acquired strengthens its portfolio in test and measurement. Digilent’s influence extends across the maker community, research labs, and industry, bridging the gap between theory and practical implementation. The company continues to innovate in reconfigurable computing and portable instrumentation, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner for innovators and educators alike.