Reconfigurable custom computing as a supercomputer replacement

Reconfigurable computers are a new class of customizable computers constructed using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). They offer us the potential for supercomputing performance at high-end workstation costs for a range of niche applications. The performance achievable is a direct consequence of the machine architecture which gives the user direct exposure to the inherent parallelism present in the underlying FPGA circuits, in contrast to classical, sequential, von Neumann architectures. FPGAs are reprogrammable so giving reconfigurable computers the unique combination of software-like reprogrammability with custom hardware performance.