<p>Novo-G got the first part of its name from the Latin term for “make anew, change, alter,” and the second from “G” for “genesis.”<br /><br />The supercomputer is “reconfigurable,” which means it can rearrange its internal circuitry like Lego blocks, creating the most appropriate architecture for each assignment.<br /><br />As a result, a reconfigurable computer is 10 to 100 times faster than other traditional and special-purpose computers while using five to 10 times less energy, ScienceDaily reported.<br /><br />Traditional computers use so-called “fixed logic devices” to perform a large variety of tasks. <br /><br />But this jack-of-all-trades approach requires a substantial amount of overhead in space and energy, no matter what work needs to be done.<br /><br />On the other hand, special-purpose computers can be built to perform certain tasks very well but are not flexible. <br /><br />Reconfigurable computers make the best of both worlds, Alan George, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of UF’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing, said.</p>
<p>Novo-G got the first part of its name from the Latin term for “make anew, change, alter,” and the second from “G” for “genesis.”<br /><br />The supercomputer is “reconfigurable,” which means it can rearrange its internal circuitry like Lego blocks, creating the most appropriate architecture for each assignment.<br /><br />As a result, a reconfigurable computer is 10 to 100 times faster than other traditional and special-purpose computers while using five to 10 times less energy, ScienceDaily reported.<br /><br />Traditional computers use so-called “fixed logic devices” to perform a large variety of tasks. <br /><br />But this jack-of-all-trades approach requires a substantial amount of overhead in space and energy, no matter what work needs to be done.<br /><br />On the other hand, special-purpose computers can be built to perform certain tasks very well but are not flexible. <br /><br />Reconfigurable computers make the best of both worlds, Alan George, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of UF’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing, said.</p>