The use of runtime configuration capabilities for network embedded systems

Summary form only given. Reconfiguration is a very helpful feature that can improve the design life cycle of an embedded system and its quality. Reconfiguration means that software and hardware parts may be updated in the field. The update of system hardware implies the use of FPGAs in a shipped system. Normally, the update is done server controlled, which means that the active role comes from an external instance. We present a new automatic reconfiguration approach that stores all system configuration data in XML format. The system itself searches for the related components, a component broker, and sets up during start up. A case study shows that especially when dealing with permanently connected devices, we achieve promising results while spending a reasonable price.