Build flow for implementing artificial intelligence applications in programmable integrated circuits

A system, comprising:

• one or more hardware processors configured to initiate operations including:
• for a design for a programmable integrated circuit that is synthesized and includes an inference engine and a data transformer, designating a portion of the design including the data transformer as a dynamic function exchange (DFX) module, wherein the inference engine is excluded from the DFX module;
• implementing, by placing and routing, the design such that the DFX module is confined to a defined physical area of the programmable integrated circuit;
• generating an abstract shell for the design specifying boundary connections of the DFX module as placed and routed;
• generating a locked version of the design as placed and routed with the DFX module removed;
• and
• implementing a different data transformer as a further DFX module for the design using the abstract shell.

A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage mediums having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by computer hardware to cause the computer hardware to initiate executable operations comprising:

• for a design for a programmable integrated circuit that is synthesized and includes an inference engine and a data transformer, designating a portion of the design including the data transformer as a dynamic function exchange (DFX) module, wherein the inference engine is excluded from the DFX module;
• implementing, by placing and routing, the design such that the DFX module is confined to a defined physical area of the programmable integrated circuit;
• generating an abstract shell for the design specifying boundary connections of the DFX module as placed and routed;
• generating a locked version of the design as placed and routed with the DFX module removed;
• and
• implementing a different data transformer as a further DFX module for the design using the abstract shell.