A Dual Cache for Performance and Energy Aware Reconfigurable HW

Nowadays, reconfigurable HW can be used to implement a run-time HW multi-tasking platform where new HW tasks are loaded at run-time using partial reconfiguration, and all the active loaded tasks are executed concurrently. Thus, it is possible to build flexible and adaptable systems that execute optimized HW tasks. These systems are especially suitable for highly dynamic applications. Nevertheless, all this run-time flexibility is not for free. For instance, a dynamic event may trigger the execution of a set of tasks, and loading them generates important execution delays. Moreover, each reconfiguration entails an energy cost. These overheads are often neglected. However, they can severely degrade the systems results, and remove all the advantages that reconfigurable HW introduces. Therefore, developing techniques to minimise these penalties is a critical issue for reconfigurable systems.