OpenFPGA Membership |
HeadlinesUpcoming Events Manchester Reconfigurable Supercomputing Conference – Manchester, England, March 28-29, 2007 FPGAworld 2006 November 16-17, 2006 SC06 Activities and Events in Reconfigurable Computing Visit the OpenFPGA website or stop by the OpenFPGA booth (booth number L8) to pick up information on reconfigurable computing activities at SC06. A webpage on the OpenFPGA website has been created for all to use, providing a list of all reconfigurable computing activities underway during the week of SC06. If there are events, vendors, vendor presentations (even within booths), please send email to Olaf Storaasli (olaf AT ornl dot gov) with the any additions or modifications. http://www.openfpga.org/press/2006/sc2006.shtml Working Group Highlight - OpenFPGA First Benchmark Specification Apples to apples comparison for FPGA implementations of key algorithms and solutions remains a challenge. Not only is their diversity in the hardware and implementations, there is diversity in the specific algorithm implemented. The OpenFPGA Benchmarking working group has defined a general specification for the proven Smith-Waterman algorithm as a first in a series of application specifications to be used to evaluate relative FPGA performance on a common footing. OpenFPGA will be accepting benchmark performance reports from contributors and posting these to the OpenFPGA website. Performance reports should include the following information: Specification: Submit questions, comments and candidate performance reports to openfpga-bench-owner AT osc DOT edu. When submitting a performance report, please use the subject: Submitted performance reports will be posted at the OpenFPGA website. New Web Resources at OpenFPGA Website The web resources list has been updated at the OpenFPGA website to include, among other things, a recent FPGA library developed at George Washington University. The web resource list currently includes previous tutorials, overviews and summary experiences using reconfigurable computing. Initiated by recent activity on the OpenFPGA mailing list, a new feature currently in development, for the OpenFPGA web resource list is an overview of tools available for FPGA application development. The list will include all tools regardless, commercial and non-commercial alike. Stay tuned for future updates on the development tool list. Look for existing resources at http://www.openfpga.org/web_resource.shtml The OpenFPGA Technology Roundtable biweekly discussions have primarily centered around defining next steps and long-term directions for the working groups. With many of the early objectives already being realized, the working groups are looking to future challenges and setting direction for activities in the coming months. Equipped with increased support provided through OpenFPGA sponsorships, the working groups are developing common efforts, objectives and projects to advance towards the goal for interoperable and increasingly portable reconfigurable computing. The balance of discussions in the Technology Roundtable have been on recent developments (such as is the case with the recent FPGA library developed by GWU) and planning for the markedly increased presence of reconfigurable computing at SC06 (see opening story) Members Charting the Future for OpenFPGA OpenFPGA continues to make progress in building a worldwide community working to define and realize a future for increasingly portable and interoperable reconfigurable computing. As progress is made, members of OpenFPGA will be increasingly called upon to direct the efforts as OpenFPGA grows and gathers momentum, resources and support. Consider becoming a member of OpenFPGA. In addition to supporting working group activities, members of OpenFPGA enjoy the benefits of increased exposure within the community, voting participation in OpenFPGA related issues, special promotional deals with industry training and access to resources and project opportunities offered through OpenFPGA. Visit the membership page at the OpenFPGA website for more details and stay tuned for some exciting developments. Establishing industry standards and best practices for interoperability among and within computing systems incorporating reconfigurable computing requires worldwide community support. OpenFPGA has developed sponsorship opportunities to deliver additional resources crucial to support the efforts of the working groups and mission of OpenFPGA. Ranging from major sponsorship to support for targeted projects in support of the OpenFPGA mission, these new opportunities are making a difference. Already, OpenFPGA has developed a small project opportunity, available to members of OpenFPGA. |