A Dynamic Instruction Set Computer

A Dynamic Instruction Set Computer (DISC) has been developed that supports demand-driven modification of its instruction set. Implemented with partially reconfigurable FPGAs, DISC treats instructions as removable modules paged in and out through partial reconfiguration as demanded by the executing program. Instructions occupy FPGA resources only when needed and FPGA resources can be reused to implement an arbitrary number of performance-enhancing application-specific instructions. DISC further enhances the functional density of FPGAs by physically relocating instruction modules to available FPGA space. 1 Introduction Developing customized stored-program processors is a convenient design technique that combines the enhanced performance of application-specific circuits with the flexibility of general-purpose programmable processors. Application-specific instruction sets, customized I/O and optimized control can substantially improve the performance of even the simplest programmable pro..