VLSI Implementation of a Run-time Configurable Computing Integrated Circuit - The Stallion Chip

Abstract

Reconfigurable computing architectures are gaining popularity as a replacement for general-purpose architectures for many high performance embedded applications. These machines support parallel computation and direct the data from the producers of an intermediate result to the consumers over custom pathways. The Wormhole Run-time Reconfigurable (RTR) computing architecture is a concept developed at Virginia Tech to address the weaknesses of contemporary FPGAs for configurable computing. The Stallion chip is a full-custom configurable computing "FPGA"-like integrated circuit with a coarse grained nature. Based on the result of the first generation device, the Colt chip, the Stallion chip is a follow-up configurable computing chip. This thesis focuses on the VLSI layout implementation of the Stallion chip. Effort has been made to explain many facts and advantages of the Wormhole Configurable Computing Machine (CCM). Design techniques, strategies, circuit characterization, performance estimation, and ways to solve problems when using CAD layout design tools are illustrated.