MATRIX: a reconfigurable computing architecture with configurable instruction distribution and deployable resources

MATRIX is a novel, coarse-grain, reconfigurable computing architecture which supports configurable instruction distribution. Device resources are allocated to controlling and describing the computation on a per task basis. Application-specific regularity allows us to compress the resources allocated to instruction control and distribution, in many situations yielding more resources for datapaths and computations. The adaptability is made possible by a multi-level configuration scheme, a unified configurable network supporting both datapaths and instruction distribution, and a coarse-grained building block which can serve as an instruction store, a memory element, or a computational element. In a 0.5 μ CMOS process, the 8-bit functional unit at the heart of the MATRIX architecture has a footprint of roughly 1.5 mm×1.2 mm, making single dies with over a hundred function units practical today. At this process point, 100 MHz operation is easily achievable, allowing MATRIX components to deliver on the order of 10 Gop/s (8-bit ops)