FPGAs in reconfigurable computing applications

Since their introduction in 1985, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have been used in tens of thousands of systems spanning a broad range of applications. In most systems, FPGAs are used to implement “glue logic”, providing the advantages of high integration levels without the expense and risk of custom ASIC devices. However, as FPGAs have increased in capability, their use as in-system-configurable computing elements is receiving considerable attention. The subject of numerous research projects over the past few years, the use of FPGAs as reconfigurable computing elements is poised to expand rapidly in the commercial market, where FPGA-based processors will compete with parallel computers and even supercomputers in computationally-intensive applications. Indeed, reconfigurable FPGA technology holds the potential for re-shaping the future of computing by providing the capability to dynamically alter a computer´s hardware resources to optimally service the immediate computational needs