Simulation Framework for Performance Prediction in the Engineering of RC Systems and Applications

Reconfigurable computing (RC) is rapidly emerging as a promising technology for the future of high-performance computing, enabling systems with the computational density and power of custom-logic hardware and the versatility of softwaredriven hardware in an optimal mix. Novel methods for rapid virtual prototyping, performance prediction, and evaluation are of critical importance in the engineering of complex reconfigurable systems and applications. This approach can yield insightful tradeoff analyses while saving valuable time and resources for researchers and engineers alike. The research described herein provides a methodology for mapping arbitrary applications to targeted reconfigurable systems in a simulation environment. By splitting the process into two domains, the application and simulation domains, characterization of each element can occur independently and in parallel, leading to fast and accurate performance prediction results. This paper presents the design of a novel new framework for simulative performance prediction, along with a single-node case study performed with a synthetic-aperture radar application to provide validation results and a component tradeoff analysis, illustrating the effectiveness of our approach at the node level.