The Blanket project aims to advance reconfigurable architectures and runtime reconfiguration through several subprojects. The goals are to exploit dynamic reconfigurability for different architectures, design applicative solutions for real world needs, and explore novel architectural paradigms like bio-inspired systems. The subprojects include YaRA for reconfigurable SoCs, HARPE for multicore systems, ReCPU for regular expression matching, and SCAR to develop application-specific reconfigurable architectures. IPs are also being designed to enhance reconfiguration capabilities.

1. Blanket Team [email_address] Blanket Reconfigurable architecture and (IP) runtime reconfiguration support in D ynamic R econfigurability in E mbedded S ystem D esign

2. Outline Rationale Objectives Project Description Subprojects: YaRA, HARPE, ReCPU, SCAR, IPs Blanket in DRESD General information

3. Rationale Flexibility : many emerging products in communication, computing and consumer electronics demand that their functionality remains flexible also after the system has been manufactured. Support of new standards, e.g. in media processing Addition of new features Cost reduction and reusability : While a ready-made FPGA can be bought for $500, an application-specific IC, or ASIC, can cost anywhere from $4 million to $50 million. “If you make a mistake on an FPGA, hey, you just reprogram it. “ Dean Collins, deputy director of DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office and program manager for the Trust in IC initiative. Performance and runtime customization : reconfigurable computing is intended to fill the gap between hardware and software, achieving potentially much higher performance than software, while maintaining a higher level of flexibility than hardware. Therefore it is possible to apply reconfigurable solutions to systems such as: biomedical implants i.e., an artificial art control telecommunications i.e., adaptive intelligent routers Moreover: intelligent nanorobot control, artificial audio and vision, intelligent transducers at bio-electronic interfaces,…

4. Objectives Exploit dynamic reconfigurability for different target reconfigurable architectures Design innovative applicative solutions, with the corresponding architecture, towards real world needs Explore novel architectural paradigms e.g, DNA computing, bio-inspired system Increase the reconfiguration performance via novel techniques, i.e. runtime reconfigurable cores relocation

5. Project Description Blanket is a project related to the definition of novel reconfigurable architectures Blanket can be seen as organized in mainly three different parts: Generic reconfigurable architecture YaRA (SoC, MultiFPGA) HARPE (Multicore) Application specific reconfigurable architecture ReCPU (Regular Expression CPU) SCAR (a sort of reconfigurable ASIP) IP design to enhance the reconfiguration capabilities or to effectively use the reconfiguration at runtime DRC , BiRF , C* ,...

6. YaRA YaRA : Y et a nother R econfigurable A rchitecture The basic reconfigurable architecture defined a Static area : a basic Harvard architecture a Reconfigurable area : a device area composed of several reconfigurable regions YaRA v1: 1D, Whishbone BUS-based YaRA v2: 2D,CoreConnect-based

7. HARPE HARPE : a HAR vard-based P rocessing E lement tailored for partial dynamic reconfigurable architectures marBram : a framework for the creation of memory configuration bitstreams Propose a stand-alone processing element (PE) Harvard Architecture Soft-Processor Suits reconfigurable architectures Easily Configurable User-Logic Software (not supported by Xilinx tools) Bitstream File

8. ReCPU ReCPU : a new parallel and pipelined architecture for regular expression matching Regular Expressions ( RE ) as a programming language A RE is a sequence of instructions to be executed by the ReCPU processor

9. SCAR SCAR : S oft C ore A daptable a R chitecture NaHA : Nios adaptable Harvard-based Architecture What’s next: Leon, MicroBlaze... Propose an adaptable Harvard-based architecture able to meet at the best the specific needs of an application that has to be executed on a reconfigurable device

10. IPs DRC : D RESD/ D ynamic R econfiguration C ontroller Adaptable self-reconfiguration controllers BiRF : Bi tstream R elocation F ilter IP-Core used to implement runtime bitstream relocation Relocation solution suitable for different target architecture (BiRF, BiRF 2 , …) C* : all the runtime reconfiguration support in a unique pipelined reconfiguration controller

11. Blanket in DRESD Blanket and Caronte marBram : a framework for the creation of memory configuration bitstreams LimboWARE : postpone the decision of whether executing a task in HW or in SW moving it at run-time VIRGIL : codesing framework DRCGen : automatic tool to define the best DRC according to the working scenario Blanket and CITiES PEReIRA : active reconfigurable functional unit YaRA (v3): a NoC based reconfigurable architecture Blanket and HERA YaRA (v2+): a 2D tile based reconfigurable architecture to implement online evolution Blanket and OSyRIS OS and architecture Blanket and Polaris C* and BiRF : IPs for runtime relocation

12. General Information Webpage www.dresd.org /blanket Mailing List [email_address] Contact To have more information regarding Polaris: [email_address] For a complete list of information on how to contact us: www.dresd.org/contact_blanket