FPGAs are popular as ultra-low latency Ethernet switches for time sensitive applications (e.g. Stock trading, Automation, etc.). An FPGA can have as many or as few ports as necessary, rather than typical switches which typically have ports in multiples of 4, thereby reducing cost. For example, the switch shown below can be configured with anywhere between 3 and 12 Ethernet ports. FPGAs can also be updated without having to purchase another physical switch, simply by updating their code to match the new standard.
Flexibilis Layer-2 Ethernet Switch
Link to internships and jobs that utilize VHDL programming
Link to internships and jobs that utilize FPGA's