A Bridging Layer for Run-Time Reconfigurable Hardware Operating Systems

Current computer systems have evolved following a near exponential increase in performance of the different hardware components that they are based on. However, problems are appearing at various fronts. There are issues related to the production of semiconductors and others related to the tools used to design new electronics systems. "This paper presents a solution that provides a new paradigm in the design of hardware systems which uses proven methods found in the field of software design. In specific, it presents the bridging layer of a hardware operating system (HOS) that provides the link between the abstract model of a reconfigurable architecture and its actual hardware. A description of how the bridging layer uses a protocol to manage the application execution is also presented. Finally, the performance of an implemented system is evaluated.