Taking advantage of reconfigurable logic

The availability of programmable logic devices based on static memory cells allows the implementation of "soft" hardware - that is, logic devices whose functions can be changed while they remain resident in system. A growing number of SRAM-based Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) users are taking advantage of this capability. In general, these applications of reconfigurable logic fall into three categories: System with built-in diagnostic or test logic, "adaptable" system designs, and systems with "multi-purpose" hardware.<<ETX>>