Core Communication Interface for FPGAs

The use of pre-designed and pre-verified complex hardware modules, also called IP cores, is an important part of the effort to design and implement complex systems. However, many aspects of IP core manipulation are still to be developed. This paper presents an approach to solve problems related to the dynamic interconnection of hard IP cores inside VLSI reconfigurable devices. The approach targets system-on-a-chip designs built in a single large FPGA. The paper proposes a communication interface that allows IP cores replacement during FPGA normal operation. The same interface also allows the communication among distinct IP cores to take place. 1