An Introduction to Reconfigurable Systems

TLDR

Reconfigurability is software‑defined flexibility controlled by bit patterns, ranging from simple switches to programmable matter. The paper aims to generalize reconfigurable systems as an evolving discipline, using FPGA and software‑definable radio as archetypes to motivate understanding of their diverse directions and implications. It examines the nature, taxonomy, mechanisms, and architectural considerations of reconfigurable systems, and discusses how to design and apply them in real‑world contexts.

Abstract

Reconfigurability can be thought of as software-defined functionality, where flexibility is controlled predominately through the specification of bit patterns. Reconfigurable systems can be as simple as a single switch, or as abstract and powerful as programmable matter. This paper considers the generalization of reconfigurable systems as an important evolving discipline, bolstered by real-world archetypes such as field programmable gate arrays and software-definable radio (platform and application, respectively). It considers what reconfigurable systems actually are, their motivation, their taxonomy, the fundamental mechanisms and architectural considerations underlying them, designing them and using them in applications. With well-known real-world instances, such as the field programmable gate array, the paper attempts to motivate an understanding of the many possible directions and implications of a new class of system which is fundamentally based on the ability to change.