“ Self - Adaptive Embedded Technologies for Pervasive Computing Architectures ” Contract Number : IST - 027611 F IRST ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT ON SANE H ARDWARE

Abstract: This report deals with the progresses done during the first year of the ÆTHER project concerning the hardware sub-project. The major objective for sub-project 1 that is addressed by this document is the proposal of a suitable hardware architecture based on “on the fly” reconfigurable hardware. For this purpose, we define self-adaptation from the hardware point of view in order to extract some requirements related to a self-adaptive computing architecture. This preliminary phase leads us to propose a basic computing unit which has the ability to change its behaviour and its operations in order to react to some events. This self-adaptive computing element called SANE (for Self-Adaptive Networked Entity) is intended to work within a network made up of several similar units that cooperate with each other to form complex but manageable systems. The relevance of the high-reconfiguration rate property is discussed as well as some implementation tracks studied by SP1 partners. These various implementations range from reconfigurable hardware architectures such as advanced FPGA structures to more unconventional approaches. The SANE concept is then illustrated by some demonstration tracks which will be developed during the last two years. They address specific points of the overall SP1 framework to demonstrate the viability of the approach and its coherency with respect to the project objectives. Finally, the relationships between SP1 and the other scientific sub-projects (especially SP2) are given and future directions of SP1 based on the work of this first year are presented.