Leveraging reconfigurability in the design process

We are investigating an on-chip design methodology for embedded computing systems implemented on FPGAs. The objective is to exploit the platform´s reconfigurability, such that system development can occur on the final implementation platform. This is comparable to the software development process where applications are typically designed on a workstation that is representative of the final product´s platform, not a simulator that models the processor. Designing on the target technology is also appealing for FPGA designs. An on-chip design methodology better leverages the main advantage of reconfigurability - the user may redesign the system while avoiding non-recurring costs, such as mask redesign costs. It also allows the user to quickly obtain real-time information about system performance.