A Java Virtual Machine for Runtime Reconfigurable Computing

Reconfigurable Computing (RC) is a technology that makes use of programmable logic (FPGAs) in conjunction with a traditional microprocessor to accelerate generalpurpose computations. RC machines have demonstrated impressive speedup on a variety of applications. Unfortunately, they are often difficult to program. This paper presents an experimental new RC platform, the RTR-JVM, which executes ordinary Java programs and makes use of online algorithms to select customized hardware at runtime. The RTR-JVM is thus a means of automating reconfigurable computing.