Some absolute basics of dynamic partial reconfiguration of complex logic devices.

1. Reconfigurable Avionics
RecAv
… building better electronics for space exploration

2. Rafał Graczyk, April 2015, Reconfigurable Avionics
Reconfigurable Avionics - adaptation
All living creatures have ability to adapt, that is to change their structure
of life functions in new, changed environment.
This amazing feature drives life into most hostile ambient we have ever
encountered:
• ocean floors, liquid asphalt lakes
• nuclear reactors
• outer hull of spacecraft
• deserts
Source: Microbiology Online
From engineering point of view, natural, next step of
technology progress, is to equip devices we build in capability
to self-adjust, self-heal, self-evolve on order to, like living
creatures, efficiently and successfully achieve their goals

3. Reconfigurable Avionics – new technologies are new opportunities
Progress in microelectronics, makes integrated circuits more capable and more flexible,
yet, the same progress makes the more susceptible to faults and malfunctions especially
under environmental stress.
One of flagship devices that are in heart of most of airborne and spaceborne systems are
configurable logic devices - FPGA*.
*FPGA – Field Programmable Gate Array
Source: Xilinx, ARINC818
Contains huge logic resources that can
be utilized to implement most of
digital devices you can think of.
It contents can be modified externally
and internally (it can modify itself!)
1
2
3
We’re now exploring the ways to build
systems that utilize self-modification
functionality.
Rafał Graczyk, April 2015, Reconfigurable Avionics

4. In FPGA domain, technique we’re interested in is dynamic, partial reconfiguration – which
lets us to modify or to move functional block while the device is operational – without
interrupting rest of the device.
RecAv research deal with methods and constraints for
dynamic partial reconfiguration of FPGA devices in two
applications:
• Functionality modification according to external
circumstances („adaptation”)
• Repairing of malfunctioning functionality („healing”)
FPGA
Source: own
dynamic partial
reconfiguration mechanism
Rafał Graczyk, April 2015, Reconfigurable Avionics
Reconfigurable Avionics – development paths

5. new function
needed
now free
put what
you need
Sources: own
Rafał Graczyk, April 2015, Reconfigurable Avionics
Reconfigurable Avionics – how does it look like?
a function
a new function
malfunction
isolate faulty
region
reload missing
functionality
Sources: own
PROCESS OF DEVICE
HEALING
PROCESS OF DEVICE
ADAPTATION

6. 1. to master dynamic partial reconfiguration of FPGA devices for
dependable systems:
• error injection
• error mitigation
• functionality multiplexing
2. to establish modeling methodology that supports design process and
architectural trade-offs
3. correlate modeling results and system emulation under
environmental stress
Source: NASA
Source: NASA
Rafał Graczyk, April 2015, Reconfigurable Avionics
Reconfigurable Avionics – the goals