Reconfigurable Computing

Reconfigurable computing has made a big impact on the high computing market. They use the latest innovative hybrid computing platform.

Reconfigurable computing effectively uses computing fabrics such as FPGA for processing and combines high performing hardware with flexibility of software. One of the major advantages of doing this is to control flow and make significant datapath changes in a much more effective manner as compared to the microprocessors.

Custom hardware such as ASIC can load on the reconfigurable fabric a new circuit by adapting the hardware during the runtime. Many different vendors use reconfigurable computers that are available commercially. They target the high performance computing markets such as SRC Computers, Inc, SGI and Cray. These reconfigurable ‘Estrin’ hybrid computers come with microprocessors and it is possible to use them with FPGAs for hybrid computing that is user-programmable or with the traditional CPU cluster computers.

Companies developing reconfigurable computing

Prominent companies that market reconfigurable computing include Cray Supercomputer Company which recently acquired the reconfigurable computing platform from OctigaBay. This product was marketed by Cray as XDI till quite recently.

SGI on the other hand sell with their supercomputer series Altix with the RASC platform. Based on their MAP processor and IMPLICIT+EXPLICIT architecture, a reconfigurable computer family has been developed by SRC Computers, Inc.

Differing opinions

Opinions differ as some scientists describe the reconfigurable computing as an anti machine that is nothing but a paradigm shift from the traditional von Neumann Machine. According to them, migration of software to FPGA results in a four time increase in speed and provides a great reduction in consumption of electricity. As compared to the Gordon Moore curve however, the FPGA technological parameters are four times lower and the clock frequency is much lower than the microprocessors.

Overall benefits of reconfigurable computers

Reconfigurable computing technology offers significant promise of enhanced performance as compared to traditional architectures by enabling customizing topology of architecture even during run time in order to match an applications needs. Configurable architectures come with storage units and functions that match specific control structure requirements, bit-width and other functions. Reconfigurable computing offers flexibility which can effectively help overcome transient failures of device structures.