An Introduction to Reconfigurable Systems

Reconfigurability can be thought of as software-defined functionality, where flexibility is controlled predominately through the specification of bit patterns. Reconfigurable systems can be as simple as a single switch, or as abstract and powerful as programmable matter. This paper considers the gen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the IEEE 2015-03, Vol.103 (3), p.291-317
Main Authors: Lyke, James C., Christodoulou, Christos G., Vera, G. Alonzo, Edwards, Arthur H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Field programmable gate arrays
Logic gates
Programmable logic arrays
Programmable logic controllers
Reconfigurable architectures
Software radio
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Reconfigurability can be thought of as software-defined functionality, where flexibility is controlled predominately through the specification of bit patterns. Reconfigurable systems can be as simple as a single switch, or as abstract and powerful as programmable matter. This paper considers the generalization of reconfigurable systems as an important evolving discipline, bolstered by real-world archetypes such as field programmable gate arrays and software-definable radio (platform and application, respectively). It considers what reconfigurable systems actually are, their motivation, their taxonomy, the fundamental mechanisms and architectural considerations underlying them, designing them and using them in applications. With well-known real-world instances, such as the field programmable gate array, the paper attempts to motivate an understanding of the many possible directions and implications of a new class of system which is fundamentally based on the ability to change.
ISSN:0018-9219
1558-2256
DOI:10.1109/JPROC.2015.2397832