MODERN EMBEDDED MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS must perform a variety of high-performance, real-time tasks, such as audio and image compression or decompression, and channel coding or encoding. High hardware production costs dictate the need to reuse these architectural platforms for as many applications as possible. Reconfigurable computing is emerging as a promising means to tackle the everrising cost of ASIC design and masks. Adding a reconfigurable portion to a commercial off-the-shelf IC potentially enables it to support a broader range of applications than a more traditional ASIC, microcontroller, or DSP can handle. Moreover, runtime reconfigurability lets developers adapt the hardware to changing needs and evolving standards. Thus, a reconfigurable platform offers the advantages of both embedded software and custom hardware, providing higher performance and lower power consumption than a traditional processor.
展开▼
