Abstract: A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and system for an interface for integrating reconfigurable processors into a general purpose computing system. In particular, the system resides in a computer system containing standard instruction processors, as well as reconfigurable processors. The interface includes a command processor, a command list memory, various registers, a direct memory access engine, a translation look-aside buffer, a dedicated section of common memory, and a dedicated memory. The interface is controlled via commands from a command list that is created during compilation of a user application, or various direct commands.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and system for an interface for integrating reconfigurable processors into a general purpose computing system. In particular, the system resides in a computer system containing standard instruction processors, as well as reconfigurable processors. The interface includes a command processor, a command list memory, various registers, a direct memory access engine, a translation look-aside buffer, a dedicated section of common memory, and a dedicated memory. The interface is controlled via commands from a command list that is created during compilation of a user application, or various direct commands.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a method of simulating a hybrid instruction processor and reconfigurable processor implemented algorithm which utilizes a runtime selectable emulation library that emulates a reconfigurable processor and its resources, and a control-data flow emulator that emulates the reconfigurable logic for the algorithm. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of simulating a control-dataflow graph that includes building an internal representation of the control-dataflow graph that includes one or more dataflow code blocks, and simulating the control-dataflow graph as a sequence of code block dataflow executions, where control is passed from one code block to another code block based on the output value of the code block until EXIT is reached.

Abstract: A reconfigurable processor that includes a computational unit and a data prefetch unit coupled to the computational unit, where the data prefetch unit retrieves data from a memory and supplies the data to the computational unit through memory and a data access unit, and where the data prefetch unit, memory, and data access unit is configured by a program. Also, a reconfigurable hardware system that includes a common memory; and one or more reconfigurable processors coupled to the common memory, where at least one of the reconfigurable processors includes a data prefetch unit to read and write data between the unit and the common memory, and where the data prefetch unit is configured by a program executed on the system. In addition, a method of transferring data that includes transferring data between a memory and a data prefetch unit in a reconfigurable processor; and transferring the data between a computational unit and the data prefetch unit.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a mechanism for explicit communication in a clustered multiprocessor system that supports low-latency, protected, user-mode, communication across the machine boundaries of a clustered multiprocessor. Data transport may be accomplished over persistent, unidirectional, point-to point connections, each of which may be embodied in a small amount of state at each end, along with a statically allocated per-connection memory buffer, which may be directly accessible to the transport mechanism at both ends of each notional link. System Memory protection may be afforded by operating system (“OS”) facilitated allocation of both restricted control of the network interface, and responsibility for data transport, to an application thread that may execute in the context of the processor-managed virtual address space. Connection buffer protection may be afforded by restricting access to connection state to those entries associated with the currently controlling thread.

Abstract: A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation.

Abstract: A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a system for partitioning a control-flow graph representation into a reconfigurable portion and an instruction processor portion. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of partitioning a control-dataflow graph representation that includes dividing the control-dataflow graph into two or more partition blocks, comparing the estimated performance of at least one of the partition blocks as reconfigurable logic versus instruction processor code; and assigning said at least one of the partition blocks to reconfigurable hardware or an instruction processor based on said comparing step.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and system for an interface for integrating reconfigurable processors into a general purpose computing system. In particular, the system resides in a computer system containing standard instruction processors, as well as reconfigurable processors. The interface includes a command processor, a command list memory, various registers, a direct memory access engine, a translation look-aside buffer, a dedicated section of common memory, and a dedicated memory. The interface is controlled via commands from a command list that is created during compilation of a user application, or various direct commands.

Abstract: A reconfigurable processor that includes a computational unit and a data prefetch unit coupled to the computational unit, where the data prefetch unit retrieves data from a memory and supplies the data to the computational unit through memory and a data access unit, and where the data prefetch unit, memory, and data access unit is configured by a program. Also, a reconfigurable hardware system that includes a common memory; and one or more reconfigurable processors coupled to the common memory, where at least one of the reconfigurable processors includes a data prefetch unit to read and write data between the unit and the common memory, and where the data prefetch unit is configured by a program executed on the system. In addition, a method of transferring data that includes transferring data between a memory and a data prefetch unit in a reconfigurable processor; and transferring the data between a computational unit and the data prefetch unit.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a method of simulating a hybrid instruction processor and reconfigurable processor implemented algorithm which utilizes a runtime selectable emulation library that emulates a reconfigurable processor and its resources, and a control-data flow emulator that emulates the reconfigurable logic for the algorithm. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of simulating a control-dataflow graph that includes building an internal representation of the control-dataflow graph that includes one or more dataflow code blocks, and simulating the control-dataflow graph as a sequence of code block dataflow executions, where control is passed from one code block to another code block based on the output value of the code block until EXIT is reached.

Abstract: A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes a system for partitioning a control-flow graph representation into a reconfigurable portion and an instruction processor portion. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of partitioning a control-dataflow graph representation that includes dividing the control-dataflow graph into twp or more partition blocks, comparing the estimated performance of at least one of the partition blocks as reconfigurable logic versus instruction processor code; and assigning said at least one of the partition blocks to reconfigurable hardware or an instruction processor based on said comparing step.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a mechanism for explicit communication in a clustered multiprocessor system that supports low-latency, protected, user-mode, communication across the machine boundaries of a clustered multiprocessor. Data transport may be accomplished over persistent, unidirectional, point-to point connections, each of which may be embodied in a small amount of state at each end, along with a statically allocated per-connection memory buffer, which may be directly accessible to the transport mechanism at both ends of each notional link. System Memory protection may be afforded by operating system (“OS”) facilitated allocation of both restricted control of the network interface, and responsibility for data transport, to an application thread that may execute in the context of the processor-managed virtual address space. Connection buffer protection may be afforded by restricting access to connection state to those entries associated with the currently controlling thread.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and system for an interface for integrating reconfigurable processors into a general purpose computing system. In particular, the system resides in a computer system containing standard instruction processors, as well as reconfigurable processors. The interface includes a command processor, a command list memory, various registers, a direct memory access engine, a translation look-aside buffer, a dedicated section of common memory, and a dedicated memory. The interface is controlled via commands from a command list that is created during compilation of a user application, or various direct commands.