Intelligent Sensor Fabric Computing on a Chip - A Technology Path for Intelligent Network Computing

Cognitive intelligent computing technologies are a new generation of computing that can support real-time network applications in diverse markets. Low cost, high volume sensor nodes are realizable due to a high level of chip integration (i.e. System-on-a-chip). These sensor nodes can operate more efficiently in a distributed environment using cognitive reasoning for making collaborative decisions, improving the quality of information and real-time sensing control. Fabric computing (FC) provides the flexible connectivity of these sensor nodes that can adapt in real time to service dynamic application needs. One underlying technology for FC is the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) reconfigurable technology. FC easily integrates other key devices to provide a distributed computing fabric that offers computing at the edge of the network (near the users or sensors). The ultimate goal of providing real-time sensing using FC is to provide distributed services and processing near the sensors, referred to as "power to the edge." In this paper we evaluate general trends for intelligent computing on the edge of the network using reconfigurable computing fabric formed as cells that can scale from global network to chips. We show a simple abstract model for fabric cell and describe challenges for migration path to a system-on-a-chip configuration for the sensor fabric computing integration.