Pilchard - a reconfigurable computing platform with memory slot interface

A reconfigurable computing development environment called Pilchard, employing a field programmable gate array (FPGA) which plugs into a standard personal computer´s (PC) 133 MHz synchronous dynamic RAM Dual In-line Memory Modules (DIMMs) slot is presented. Compared with a traditional PCI interfaced reconfigurable computing board, the DIMM interface offers higher bandwidth, a simpler interface and lower latency. A comparison of the transfer rate of the Pilchard board compared with a standard PC132 reconfigurable computing board is presented as well as an implementation of the data encryption standard (DES). Together, the board and interface generator provide an easy to use, low cost and high performance platform for reconfigurable computing.