Architecture and Applications for an All-FPGA Parallel Computer

The Reconfigurable Computing Cluster (RCC) project has been investigating unconventional architectures for high end computing using a cluster of FPGA devices connected by a high-speed, custom network. Most applications use the FPGAs to realize an embedded System-on-a-Chip (SoC) design augmented with application-specific accelerators to form a message-passing parallel computer. Other applications take a single accelerator core and tessellate the core across all of the devices, treating them like a large virtual FPGA. The experimental hardware has also been used for basic computer research by emulating novel architectures. This article discusses the genesis of the over-arching project, summarizes results of individual investigations that have been completed, and how this approach may prove useful in the investigation of future Exascale systems.