In the two decades since field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) were introduced, they have radically changed the way digital logic is designed and  deployed. By marrying the high performance of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and the flexibility of microprocessors, FPGAs have made possible entirely new types of applications. This has helped FPGAs supplant both ASICs and digital signal processors (DSPs) in some traditional roles.

To make the most of this unique combination of performance and flexibility, designers need to be aware of both hardware and software issues. Thus, an FPGA user must think not only about the gates needed to perform a computation but also about the software flow that supports the design process. The goal of this book is to help designers become comfortable with these issues, and thus be able to exploit the vast opportunities possible with reconfigurable logic.

We have written Reconfigurable Computing as a tutorial and as a reference on the wide range of concepts that designers must understand to make the best use of FPGAs and related reconfigurable chips—including FPGA architectures, FPGA logic applications, and FPGA CAD tools—and the skills they must have for optimizing a computation. It is targeted particularly toward those who view FPGAs not just as cheap, slow ASIC gates or as a means of prototyping before the “real” hardware is created, but are interested in evaluating or embracing the substantial advantages reprogrammable devices offer over other technologies. However, readers who focus primarily on ASIC- or CPU-based implementations will learn how FPGAs can be a useful addition to their normal skill set. For some traditional designers this book may even serve as an entry point into a completely new way of handling their design problems.

Because we focus on both hardware and software systems, we expect readers to have a certain level of familiarity with each technology. On the hardware side, we assume that readers have a basic knowledge of digital logic design, including understanding concepts such as gates (including multiplexers, flip-flops, and RAM), binary number systems, and simple logic optimization. Knowledge of hardware description languages, such as Verilog or VHDL, is also helpful.

We also assume that readers have basic knowledge of computer programming, including simple data structures and algorithms. In sum, this book is appropriate for most readers with a background in electrical engineering, computer science, or computer engineering. It can also be used as a text in an upper-level undergraduate or introductory graduate course within any of these disciplines.