Related Topics

Network Processors

• EDN Access Article Network processors: The sky's the limit
• Intel IXP 1200 Product Page (1 RISC + 6 Microengines)
• C-Port Digital Communication Processors Product Page (16 RISCs + 5 Coprocessors)
• EZChip (4 Specific Processors)
• Agere (Fast Pattern Processor + Routing Switch Processor - Functional Protocol Language)
• Solidum (Programmable State Machine)
• SiTera
• SiberCore  (CAM Technology)
• MMC Third Generation Network Processor Press Release
• Lucent Programmable Network Processor Announcement
• EE Times Article on Zilog's Cartezian Communication Engine (Tensilica + N RISCs)
• Chameleon - (Arc + Reconfigurable Logic)
• List with dozens of network processors vendors
• List with dozens of network processors related products
• ....

Configurable Architectures

• Pleiades - The goal is to achieve ultra-low power high-performance multimedia computing through the reconfiguration of heterogeneous system modules.
• Mescal - Modern Embedded Systems: Compilers, Architectures, and Languages. The goal is to provide a programmer's model and software development environment that allows for efficient implementation of an interesting set of applications onto a family of fully-programmable architectures/microarchitectures.
• RaPiD - Reconfigurable Pipelined Datapath: Configurable computing for embedded applications.
• ....

Implementation Architectures

• Xilinx
  • XC4000XL FPGA (datasheet; app notes)
  • CoolRunner CPLD (datasheet; app notes)
  • Virtex FPGA (datasheet, app notes)
• Altera
  • Flex FPGA (datasheet; app notes)
  • MAX PLD (datasheet; app notes)
  • Apex Embedded PLD (datasheet; app notes)
• Low-Power FPGA (PDF)
• Low-Power PLD
• ....

Interconnect Implementation

• Core Interface Standards
  • VSI Alliance  - Specifications for "VSIA compliance"
  • Sonics  - Open Core Protocol
• Flexible Interconnect
  • Sonics  - FastForward IA Suite is a tool to allow IP core reuse without redesign. 
    Tools generate synthesizable RTL for a global bus called the SiliconBackplane.
  • Pleiades - MAIA processor uses a statically reconfigurable interconnect
  • Benes, Martin.  "Design and Implementation of Communication and Switching Techniques for the Pleiades Family of Processors." MS Thesis, 1999.