Queue · 2003 · 11 citations · 0 references
EngineeringComputer EngineeringComputer ScienceComputer ArchitectureReconfigurable ComputingSystems ArchitectureConfigurable Logic BlocksDynamic ReconfigurationInstruction Set ArchitecturePhysical DesignReconfigurable System ArchitectureReconfiguration StrategiesCost PerformanceCost Performance EvaluationCost-performance ModelingDesign For ReconfigurationHardware ReconfigurationReconfigurable Hardware ArchitectureReconfigurable Logic BlocksReconfigurable Microarchitecture
The introduction of the microprocessor in 1971 marked the beginning of a 30-year stall in design methods for electronic systems. The industry is coming out of the stall by shifting from programmed to reconfigurable systems. In programmed systems, a linear sequence of configuration bits, organized into blocks called instructions, configures fixed hardware to mimic custom hardware. In reconfigurable systems, the physical connections among logic elements change with time to mimic custom hardware. The transition to reconfigurable systems will be wrenching, but this is inevitable as the design emphasis shifts from cost performance to cost performance per watt. Here’s the story.