Chapter 2 - Reconfigurable Computing Architectures

Abstract

This chapter explores different design choices made for reconfigurable computing architectures and how these choices affect both operation and performance. It discusses the questions such as whether the reconfigurable fabric be instantiated as a separate coprocessor or integrated as a functional unit and what the appropriate granularity for the reconfigurable fabric is. It discusses key characteristics of reconfigurable computing architectures and their tradeoffs, specifically, how the reconfigurable processing fabric (RPF) should be coupled into the system and what the nature of the RPF should be. The coupling of the RPF with a traditional processor affects both its ability to do independent computation and the rate at which data can be transferred from the processor itself. Independent reconfigurable coprocessors are easily added to a traditional processing system and can operate independently from the processor. However, this loose coupling increases the latency and decreases the communication bandwidth between the processor and the RPF. In contrast, tightly coupling the RPF to the processor facilitates communication and data transfers but limits the RFP's independence. One significant challenge is how to evaluate reconfigurable computing architectures. There is no equivalent to the Spec Benchmark set for such evaluation. Despite the lack of significant market success to date, reconfigurable computing is still an area of significant ongoing research and commercial interest.