PRAGMA: A Partial-Reconfigurable Audio Platform
S. Krijgsman · Research Repository (Delft University of Technology) · 2009
As the area of applications for Field Programmable Gate Arrays, or FPGAs, continues to expand, designers are searching for new methods to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of these devices. A technique called Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration is based on a principle of reconfiguring a small region of the FPGA, while the remainder of the device remains operational. This thesis will investigate the current status of the field of dynamic partial reconfiguration and select the most promising technique for implementation. A proof-of-concept system will be designed and implemented using the selected technique in order to clearly uncover the properties and possibilities of dynamic partial reconfiguration. The implemented system is an audio processor, capable of manipulating sound through the use of several filters. All filters can be replaced while the system remains functional by performing partial reconfiguration. As such, this system also provides a platform upon which new filters can be designed and tested. The MOLEN polymorphic processor is a processor architecture that supports the notion of partial reconfiguration. The technique for partial reconfiguration selected in this thesis will be tested for compatibility with the existing implementation of the MOLEN processor.