CReconfigurable finite field instruction set architecture
Nathan Jachimie, Fernando Martinez-Vallin, Jafar Saniie · 2007
Reconfigurable computing can provide a significant speed-up factor to cryptographic and error correcting code algorithms. Finite field arithmetic is essential to both, but is difficult to implement efficiently. Finite field instruction set extensions and a reconfiguration framework have been constructed to enable a finite field multiplier to be regenerated via software control. A performance evaluation has been created by generating a Finite Field Extensions Unit with MicroBlaze processor in a Xilinx Virtex2Pro FPGA. By utilizing the in-system partial reconfiguration capability, the finite field multiplier can be customized to a particular size and definition. With a customized GF(2163 ) multiplier, a speed-up factor of 1530X has been demonstrated versus execution of the same algorithm on the MicroBlaze processor alone.