Stacked Adaptive Computing Module

"ISC proposes to develop an adaptive computing module by stacking commercially available, programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors and memories to provide a universal hardware commonality which will ease system design and delay obsolescence. It willalso alleviate the need for ASIC processors and controllers in many applications, as RISC versions of high-end microprocessors can also be emulated. Using currently available FPGAs, it will even be possible to reconfigure on-the-fly, such that softwarefor different platforms may be run on the same system, with the transitions being transparent to the user. Projecting a step further, developers may be able to customize the behavior of the processor to optimize for a specific complex task, or mix andmatch the best of multiple processors, all within software. ISC is in a unique position to develop such a system. Using a novel 3D stacking method, we can turn a prototype system of COTS components into a monolithic device, bypassing the IC design andwafer manufacturing steps. This approach has the added benefit that we can readily upgrade the system as the component COTS technologies are advanced. The complexity and the performance improvement provided by stacking will allow the stacked modules tohave performance similar to monolithic ASICs."