An evaluation of memory effect to performance on a real reconfigurable computing system

Advance of VLSI technology allows programmable devices to implement the high-speed and large circuits, as well as ASIC. This fact drives forward concept of reconfigurable computing (RC). RC can establish an efficient computing system that has the characteristics of the software flexibility and the high-speed hardware. Although many RC systems have developed, evaluations including the behaviors of memory system, IO devices, operating system and so on were few. We have developed an RC system called RCPII (reconfigurable processor) system using off-the-shelf products. RCPII system stands on the motherboard of personal computer (DOS/V machine) having the main memory, hard disk, display and so on. Therefore, the RCPII system can perform the evaluations taking into account of the real system behaviors. In this paper, we report an effect of real memory system on RC using the RCPII system.