Advances in Reconfigurable Computing for Embedded Systems Based on FPGAs and SoCs

Dear Colleagues,

Reconfigurable computing based on System-on-Chip (SoC) and Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) stands at the forefront of the development of modern embedded systems. These platforms, which integrate reconfigurable logic with a variety of processors and adaptive computing elements, play a pivotal role in accelerating AI inference and fostering energy-efficient embedded systems. Reconfigurable SoCs and FPGAs are essential for real-time systems like industrial automation, robotics, autonomous drive and navigation, and communication systems from aerospace, military, astronomical, and ground segment applications. These reconfigurable platforms are now instrumental in crafting self-adaptive systems that autonomously reconfigure themselves in response to environmental conditions and workloads, thereby optimizing their performance and power consumption in a dynamic manner. Notably, advances in low-power SoCs and FPGAs further enhance energy efficiency, rendering them ideal for battery-powered systems.

Moreover, they play a crucial role in contributing to the advancement of quantum computing, aiding tasks like error correction and classical–quantum interface development. In the realm of security, they offer an attractive avenue for implementing secure systems, including post-quantum cryptography.

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools are advancing significantly, but efficiently programming these modern heterogeneous architectures is an ongoing effort. Finally, open-source SoCs, FPGAs and toolchains aim to democratize heterogeneous custom computing and development, reduce vendor lock-in, and increase accessibility for smaller developers and researchers.

We are pleased to invite researchers, scholars, and experts to submit their original research papers and articles to this Special Issue on advances in reconfigurable computing for embedded systems. Authors are encouraged to share their valuable insights and findings in the form of research papers. Submitted works should be of high quality, relevance, and significance with regard to the following topics:

• Novel and custom heterogeneous architectures;
• AI inferencing and machine learning acceleration;
• Quantum computing acceleration;
• Security and post-quantum cryptography;
• Energy-constrained and battery-powered applications;
• Auto-adaptive systems;
• Real-time processing and mixed-criticality systems;
• High-level tools and abstractions;
• Open-source SOC and FPGAs;
• Open-source EDA tools and ecosystems;

This Special Issue reflects the versatility of FPGAs and SoCs in addressing the demands of modern embedded systems across various domains, including aerospace, astronomy, communications, edge computing, and emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Guerrieri
Dr. Mohamed El-Hadedy Aly
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• reconfigurable computing
• SoCs
• FPGAs
• heterogeneous architectures
• embedded systems