Self-configurable FPGA-based computer systems: basics and proof of concept
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Date
2016
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Publishing House of Lviv Polytechnic National University
Abstract
Computer systems performance is today
improved with two major approaches: general-purpose
computer computing power increase (creation of multicore
processors, multiprocessor computer systems, supercomputers),
and adaptation of the computer hardware to
the executed algorithm (class of algorithms). The last
approach often provides application of hardware
accelerators – ASIC-based and FPGA-based, also named
reconfigurable, and is characterized by better performance
/ power consumption ratio and lower cost as
compared to the general-purpose computers of equivalent
performance. However, such systems have typical
problems. The ASIC-based accelerators: 1) they are
effective only for certain classes of algorithms; 2) for
effective application there is a need to adapt algorithms and
software. The FPGA-based accelerators and reconfigurable
computer systems (that use FPGAs as a processing units):
1) the need in the process of writing a program to perform
computing tasks balancing among the general-purpose
computer and FPGA; 2) the need of designing applicationspecific
processors soft-cores; and 3) they are effective only
for certain classes of problems, for which applicationspecific
processors soft-cores were previously developed. This paper covers the scope of questions regarding
concept of design, architecture, and proof of concept of the
Self-Configurable FPGA-Based Computer Systems – an
emerging type of high-performance computer systems,
which are deprived of specified challenges. The method of
information processing in reconfigurable computer systems
and its improvements that allow an information processing
efficiency to increase are shown. These improvements are
used as a base for creating a new type of high-performance
computer systems with reconfigurable logic, which are
named self-configurable ones, and a new method of
information processing in these systems. The structure of
self-configurable FPGA-based computer system, the rules
of application of computer software and hardware means
necessary for these systems implementation are described.
Major processes on the stages of program loading and
execution in the self-configurable computer system are
studied, and their durational characteristics are
determined. On the basis of these characteristics, the
expressions for evaluating the program execution duration
in the self-configurable computer system are obtained. The
directions for further works are discussed.
Description
Keywords
field programmable gate arrays, high performance computing, reconfigurable architectures, reconfigurable logic, self-configurable computer system
Citation
Melnyk V. Self-configurable FPGA-based computer systems: basics and proof of concept / Viktor Melnyk // Advances in Cyber-Physical Systems. – 2016. – Volume 1, number 1. – P. 39–50. – Bibliography: 30 titles.