Dynamically reconfigurable logic for mixed hardware/software systems

User configurable logic devices have the potential to revolutionise the way we design systems. With the current generation of reconfigurable arrays, the distinction between `hardware´, `software´ and `firmware´ blurs, permitting the designer to mix and match according to application. The promise of logic systems that can be configured in fractions of a microsecond holds out the very real possibility of designing adaptive hardware, machines that can optimize themselves for their environment. The effective exploitation of these systems will depend to a large extent on the ability of the designer to specify their behaviour. Inappropriate specification and design is likely to lead to products that either lack versatility or whose behaviour is difficult to verify. The paper describes techniques and tools under development at the University of York that allows the designer to make effective use of reconfigurable logic in hybrid hardware/software systems