FPGA-based reconfigurable supercomputer

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2 September 2009 News

Information from Frost & Sullivan Technical Insights

Contemporary computer architectures use fixed logic devices for performing a variety of tasks. However, this approach consumes a lot of energy and the architecture is also not very space efficient.

This challenge is magnified for supercomputers and highly powerful computers. While it is possible to configure special-purpose computers specifically built to perform certain specific tasks, these computers are not flexible and cannot be utilised easily for purposes other than that for which they were built. Reconfigurable computers have been touted to be the ideal solution for this challenge, but this concept is still at a very nascent stage of research.

Researchers from the University of Florida (UF) have, however, finally developed a one-of-its kind supercomputer, based on reconfigurable computing elements. The novel reconfigurable computer, called Novo-G, is capable of arranging its computing circuits in accordance with specific computational tasks. Consequently, the computer can facilitate speeds of up to 10 to 100 times faster than contemporary computers, while simultaneously consuming about five to 10 times less energy.

The groundbreaking research was spearheaded by Alan George, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UF and director of UF’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Centre for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing (CHREC).

Novo-G derives its unique abilities from the individual reconfigurable computing elements from which it is made. The supercomputer is based on peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Express field programmable gate array (FPGA) cards and filled with high-performance Stratix III FPGAs from Altera. More specifically, Novo-G links 96 Stratix III FPGAs in 24 servers and relies on 576 GB memory and 20 Gbps Infiniband connectivity.

Programming on these cards has been carried out with an Impulse C Platform Support Package (PSP) developed at the CHREC lab. With such advanced capabilities, the Novo-G is among the most powerful reconfigurable computing machines ever used for research.

The choice of the underlying components for this novel supercomputer was dictated by the need for reliability, ease of use and potential for scalability. Novo-G caters to a wide variety of applications, including research on supercomputers and space satellites. CHREC researchers are also working towards developing several scalable applications for the Novo-G.

For more information contact Patrick Cairns, Frost & Sullivan, +27 (0)21 680 3274, [email protected], www.frost.com

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FPGA-based reconfigurable supercomputer

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