A task graph execution manager for reconfigurable multi-tasking systems

Reconfigurable hardware can be used to build multi-tasking systems that dynamically adapt themselves to the requirements of the running applications. This is especially useful in embedded systems, since the available resources are very limited and the reconfigurable hardware can be reused for different applications. In these systems computations are frequently represented as task graphs that are executed taking into account their internal dependencies and the task schedule. The management of the task graph execution is critical for the system performance. In this regard, we have developed two different versions, a software module and a hardware architecture, of a generic task-graph execution manager for reconfigurable multi-tasking systems. The second version reduces the run-time management overheads by almost two orders of magnitude. Hence it is especially suitable for systems with exigent timing constraints. Both versions include specific support to optimize the reconfiguration process.