FPGA Message Routing for Location-Transparent Partial Reconfiguration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ORB implementations for hardware components like FPGAs face challenges in providing robust communication between hardware modules and requiring complex CORBA and Object-Oriented Programming knowledge, leading to performance bottlenecks and limited reconfigurability.

Innovation Solution

A communication system with a dispatch logic on integrated circuits that routes messages transparently between application hardware modules or software programs without prior knowledge of their addresses or paths, using middleware-enabled application blocks with transmit and receive operation adapters and a message router, allowing partial reconfigurability of FPGA application blocks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional ORB implementations are used for hardware components, then communication between hardware modules is achieved, but design complexity increases and performance bottlenecks occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication robustnessVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The ORB functionality is segmented into separate hardware modules: a message router module that handles message routing, and application-specific hardware modules that perform actual processing. This segmentation isolates the complexity of ORB implementation into dedicated routing infrastructure, simplifying the design of individual application modules while maintaining robust communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A dedicated message router module acts as an intermediary between application hardware modules, managing all communication protocols and routing decisions. This intermediary absorbs the complexity of ORB implementation, allowing application modules to communicate reliably without each module needing to implement full ORB functionality, thus reducing overall design complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If hardware modules are designed with fixed functionality, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware module stabilityVSAvoidreconfigurability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs dynamic reconfiguration capabilities where application hardware modules can be reprogrammed or replaced without affecting the underlying message router infrastructure. The message router dynamically adapts to different application modules, allowing the system to transition between fixed and configurable states, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while enabling adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The message router module is designed as a universal communication infrastructure that can support multiple different application hardware modules with various functionalities. This universal router handles routing, addressing, and protocol management for diverse applications, allowing individual modules to have fixed, precise functionality while the overall system maintains high adaptability through the versatile router.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If location transparency is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication transparencyVSAvoidrouting infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The message router serves as an intermediary that implements location transparency by automatically managing message routing without requiring application modules to know each other's locations or addresses. The router handles all addressing and routing logic, providing a simple interface to application modules while containing the complexity within the routing infrastructure itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The message router implements self-service routing mechanisms where it autonomously determines message destinations and routes messages appropriately without external intervention. This self-managing routing infrastructure provides location transparency to application modules, allowing them to operate simply while the router handles the complex routing decisions independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8689244B2Hardware communications infrastructure supporting location transparency and dynamic partial reconfiguration

Publication Date: 2014.04.01 OBJECTIVE INTERFACE SYSTEMS

AI summary

A communication system according to one aspect of the present invention, comprises one or more integrated circuits. The one or more integrated circuits comprise at least one of a local integrated circuit and a remote integrated circuit. At least one sending application hardware module located on the local integrated circuit has a sending logic that controls the sending of messages from the sending application hardware module. At least one receiving application hardware module is located on at least one of the local integrated circuit or remote integrated circuit. A sending application hardware module sends messages to a receiving application hardware module without its sending logic having been constructed with a priori knowledge of the address of or the path to said receiving application hardware module. A dispatch logic located on the local integrated circuit that routes at least one or more.