TIDE: An FPGA quantum-control processor for deterministic adaptive execution with guarded runtime program revision
Measurement-responsive quantum experiments require control programs that can revise future operations after execution has begun without disturbing events already committed to precise timing. We present Time-Deterministic and Instruction-Dynamic Execution (TIDE), an FPGA quantum-control processor that separates a runtime-revisable future from a hardware-timed committed-event stream. TIDE provides two complementary update paths: Dynamic Instruction Parameter Update (DIPU) applies a one-shot patch to the next matching event before parameter capture, while Dynamic Instruction Stream Overwrite (DISO) performs guarded replacement, logical deletion, and out-of-line insertion in future resident-program regions. Per-channel committed-event FIFOs isolate accepted descriptors from subsequent control-core and update activity. The implemented Xilinx ZCU102 design meets timing at 250 MHz for the control core and 425 MHz for the timing/update domain. With downstream ready, every tested descriptor committed at least one timing-domain cycle before its programmed timestamp was dispatched in the programmed cycle at the registered output interfaces. In separate post-commit tests, committed timestamps and payloads remained unchanged under the applied perturbations. The minimum all-success mapped DIPU margin was four 250 MHz control-domain cycles. Under continuous payload delivery, an L-word contiguous overwrite completed in L+5 update-domain cycles. Within the characterized guard-distance range, rejected DISO requests preserved the resident path, whereas all admitted replacement, deletion, and insertion transactions exercised here executed a complete revised sequence. TIDE therefore enables runtime adaptation of both parameters and instruction structure while preserving deterministic service of committed quantum-control events.