Title: Evolution in Architectures and Programming Methodologies of Coarse-grained Reconfigurable Computing
1Evolution in Architectures and Programming
Methodologies of Coarse-grained Reconfigurable
Computing
- By Zain-ul-Abdin and Bertil Svensson
2Outline
- Motivation
- Scope
- Architectural Characteristics
- Computation Models
- Coarse-grained Reconfigurable Archietctures
- Discussion
- Future Trends
3Motivation
- Emergence of architectures different from Von
Neumans paradigm of computing - Growing focus towards Reconfigurable computing
based on data-streaming - Increased Performance
- Run-time Reconfiguration
- Power Efficiency
- Need for Models of Computations
- Enhance the understanding of the developer to
organize computations - Utilizes the expilicit concurrency in the
underlying HW
4Scope
5Architectural Characteristics
- Granularity
- Fine-grain/Coarse-grain
- Reconfigurability
- Reconfiguration Overheads Latency, Speed
- Interconnection Networks
- Characteristics Network topology, Flow control,
Routing, QoS - Energy Efficiency
- Scalability
6Computation Models
- Stream Processing Model
- Languages StreamIt, StreamC/KernelC, TDF
- CSP based Model
- Languages Handel-C, Streams-C, Mobius
- Spatial Computation Model
- Pegasus
- Kahn Process Networks
- Compaan, Ambric structural object programming
language
7Coarse-grained Reconfigurable Architectures
- Classification
- Hybrid architectures
- Array of functional units
- Array of processors
- Array of soft processors
8Coarse-grained Reconfigurable Architectures
Categories Hybrid Architectures Arrays of FUs Array of Processors
Example Arch. MorphoSys, Zippy, Tartan, DAPDNA MATRIX, PACT XPP, SiliconHive, Mathstar, NEC DRP RAW, Picochip, Ambric
- Array of Soft Processors
- Mitrionics Virtual Processor
9Discussion
- Summary of features of MoC
Features MoC Stream Processing CSP KPN Spatial Comp.
Synchronism Synchronous Asynchronous Asynchronous Asynchronous
Determinism Deterministic Non-deterministic Deterministic Deterministic
Buffering Bounded None Unbounded None
10Discussion
- Relationship between MoC and CG Arch.
11Discussion
- Trends in Relative complexity of CG Arch.
12Future trends
- Architectural trends (GALS)
- Computing Model trends (Streaming/CSP/Process
Networks) - Technology trends (i.e. Nanoscale devices)