maxj

MaxJ is a high-level programming language developed for the Maxeler Technologies dataflow acceleration platform. It provides a Java-like syntax for describing streaming dataflow graphs that execute on Maxeler Dataflow Engines (DFEs). The language abstracts hardware details and allows developers to implement kernels that process streams of data with deterministic, pipelined execution. Programs in MaxJ define input and output streams, operators, and kernels, enabling construction of dataflow graphs that map onto the accelerator hardware. The compiler translates MaxJ programs into a hardware configuration and a runtime that executes on DFEs, enabling high-throughput, low-latency processing for compute-intensive tasks.

MaxJ is designed to integrate with the broader Maxeler toolchain, typically including a compiler suite and software development kits that support host-side code, scripting, and benchmarking. It emphasizes streaming data processing, where data flows through a chain of kernels with parallelism and pipelining exploited by the hardware. Use cases have included financial analytics, bioinformatics, signal processing, and networking workloads where latency and throughput are critical.

The language features a Java-like syntax, object-oriented elements, and explicit declaration of streams and data types. It supports modular design through reusable kernels and templates and provides facilities for timing, synchronization, and datawidth control, common in dataflow programming.

Limitations include the need for Maxeler hardware or compatible emulation, and a learning curve associated with dataflow-oriented design. As a proprietary toolchain, MaxJ is primarily used within organizations employing Maxeler’s DFEs.