Designing a Java microprocessor core using FPGA technology

Abstract

Ever since its introduction from Sun Microsystems three years ago, Java has been widely accepted in the computing and Internet industry. However the run-time performance is still not good enough for Java to become a general purpose programming language. This paper shows how to implement a Java microprocessor core in silicon to speed up the execution of Java. For a reconfigurable and flexible design, the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is chosen as a target technology for the Java microprocessor. By applying a top-down hardware design methodology to the FPGA design process, it becomes easier and more flexible to implement Java in a FPGA. The DFT technique is added for better testability.