About Reconfigurable Computing

Traditionally, when we talk about general-purpose computing, people think about serial code running on microprocessors.  However, the definining characteristic that made processors "general-purpose" was that a single, common piece of silicon could be configured, after fabrication, to solve any computing task.  This meant many applications could share commodity economics for the production of a single IC (Integrated Circuit).  It meant that the same IC could be used to solve different problems at different points in time, unlike custom ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits).  General-purpose computing meant people could program the component to do things which the original builders of the IC never conceived.

Reconfigurable computing shares all of these "general-purpose" characteristics, but organizes the computation very differently.  Instead of computing a function by sequencing through a set of operations in time (like a processor), reconfigurable computers compute a function by configuring functional units and wiring them up in space.  This allows parallel computation of specific, configured operations, like a custom ASIC.   However, it can also be reconfigured, unlike a custom ASIC.  It can be easily and quickly modified from a remote location to upgrade its performance or even to perform a completely different function.  Hence, a reconfigurable computer's non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs are lower than that of a custom ASIC.  Furthermore, it still maintains all the "general-purpose" characteristics of a microprocessor.

As a result of these advantages, reconfigurable computers can serve as powerful tools for many applications.  Some of these applications include research and development tools for sophisticated electronic systems such as ASICs and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Simulation tools for these systems do not always exist, and when they do exist, they are not always capable of simulating large, complex designs. In addition, prototype fabrication is expensive and time consuming. A reconfigurable computer, on the other hand, can serve as an affordable, fast, and accurate tool for verifying electronic designs.  Find out about the reconfigurable computer solutions Tanner EPD can offer you.