A dynamically reconfigurable system-on-chip for implementing wireless MACs

Abstract

This paper presents the architecture of a dynamically reconfigurable platform being developed specially for implementing wireless protocols' MAC layer for consumer wireless devices. The cornerstone of this architecture is the exploitation of substantial overlaps in the functionality of the three MACs considered. By using function-specific reconfigurable functional units that are based on the overlaps in the MAC functionality, and by using a heterogeneous architecture with restricted flexibility, we have argued that the architecture we have presented will give substantial power-savings over an equivalent FPGA or software implementation.