The Computer Engineering department is offering a new course next semester (051) about reconfigurable computing. Actually, the course was offered this semester but due to low enrollment, it has been cancelled.
Below is a description of the course. For more information, contact Dr. M.E.S. El-Rabaa (elrabaa@ccse.kfupm.edu.sa).
:Course Description
This course aims to introduce students to the emerging non-conventional computing field of reconfigurable computing. This includes technologies, architectures, methodologies and applications. The following topics will be covered: Reconfigurable Fabrics (Logic and Interconnect), Software-Hardware partitioning, Co-Design and Co-Simulations, Dynamic Re-partitioning (i.e. Run-time Re-configuration), Platform-based designs and Instruction-set-specific-processors.
:Course Rational
The defining lines between software and hardware systems are rapidly fading away. The huge increase in integrated-circuit capacity coupled with the ever-increasing demand for system-level flexibility in trading performance for power consumption have lead to the development of reconfigurable computing. Software-Hardware partitioning need not be frozen at design time. This boundary can be moved during product utilization depending on the user’s requirements. If more performance is desired, more functions are delegated to hardware. If there is a need to conserve power, some hardware units can be shut down and their functions are delegated to software. The system clock can be even throttled back and forth to reduce power and QoS or increase them. Reconfigurable architectures are the enabling catalyst for all of this. This course will introduce the students to the technologies, methodologies and architectures behind reconfigurable computing.
Prerequisites:COE308 and COE305