Reconfigurable processing with field programmable gate arrays

In-system-programmable, SRAM-based Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) can be used to create processors and coprocessors whose internal architecture as well as interconnections can be reconfigured to match the needs of a given application. Exploiting the inherent speed and parallelism of a hardware solution, FPGA-based coprocessors can execute computationally-intensive tasks while maintaining the flexibility of a programmable solution. The successes of this approach have led to the introduction of the first FPGA devices designed for coprocessing applications; the XC6200 FPGA architecture features an SRAM control store, abundant registers, on-chip memory capability, support for high-speed full or partial reconfiguration, and a flexible, hierarchical routing scheme.