High-speed 2-D convolution with a custom computing machine

Custom computing machines, a class of computational platforms consisting of reconfigurable functional units with reconfigurable interconnection networks, provide a middle-ground between special-purpose hardware, which provide high execution speed, and general-purpose computers, which offer flexibility. The Splash-2 system, one such custom computing machine, is an experimental platform for complex computations requiring the high speed of special-purpose hardware. The reconfigurability and modularity of Splash-2, along with automated synthesis tools, allow for rapid, staged development of applications. This paper demonstrates the applicability of Splash-2 to the image-processing area and gives an introduction to the programming environment used in developing applications. An example image-processing application based upon two-dimensional convolution is described and the operating procedures of custom computing machines are presented. Also presented are the details of directly implementing two-dimensional convolution in a straight-forward, systolic fashion in reconfigurable hardware.