Is There Any Chance for Reconfigurable Processors Today?

Reconfigurable processors are an emerging alternative to the increasing complex and fixed ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) approach: they contain hardware resources that are not pre-allocated to the execution of pre-defined functions, but instead can be configured with some logic commands. This communication shows the main differences between the traditional processor architecture and the reconfigurable processor, with some reference to their internal organization, performances, compatibility and to companies that are pursuing this novel approach. This communication also points out the motivations behind the current availability of commercial reconfigurable processors.