The next big leap in reconfigurable systems

Abstract

The age of adaptive computing is upon us, empowering the engineering community with the next big leap in computing; one in which algorithmic elements are mapped directly on to dynamic hardware resources to create the exact hardware needed for a task, clock cycle by clock cycle. The outcome of this powerful concept is a computing platform that combines the best of hardware and software into a powerful enabling technology for design and innovation. The Adaptive Computing Machine (ACM) is the first instantiation of adaptive computing. The ACM offers ASIC-class performance and low power consumption by means of a highly flexible architecture that is dynamically configured, both spatially and temporally, so that software becomes the needed hardware. The inherent adaptability and high performance of the ACM enable next-generation mobile and wireless devices to become personal communicators with multifunctionality that includes advanced features, such as streaming media and digital imaging, as well as software defined radio (SDR) for world phone capabilities.