The Boeing Company

Christopher A Young

Arnold W Nordsieck

Kou-Chuan Chang

William M Yost

Bus interface units (BIUs)(54) perform fault detection, identification, and reconfiguration for all information transfers between redundant central processing units (CPUs)(56) and memory or input/output (I/O)(57A-C) in a mesh interconnected array of a highly reliable fault-tolerant computer system. Errors are detected by self-checking within the BIUs, signal parity checks by the BIUs, cross channel comparisons, and mesh transaction assessments. Fault identification and mesh reconfiguration for the mesh is performed such that no faulty unit remains active in decision making after reconfiguration, and the number of good units isolated during reconfiguration is minimized.

Mesh interconnected array in a fault-tolerant computer system

A method for interconnecting integrated circuits (ICs) mounted on a multichip module so as to minimize spacing between the ICs and maximize their density. A multichip module (20,80) includes a plurality of ICs (22,82) that are mounted on a substrate (24,84). The ICs are electrically connected to pads (28), spaced apart from each other and offset from the boundaries of the ICs to define vertical routing channels (35) and horizontal routing channels (42). The horizontal routing channel includes a top routing channel (36), a bottom routing channel (38), and a central routing channel (40). Initially, a minimal number of tracks are provided in the central routing channel. Each pad has an electrical connection point or pin (44,46) associated with it and the pins are organized into nets. The method provides for dividing the nets into two pin subnets. Each subnet in the horizontal routing channel is assigned to a vertical track so as to minimize violation of a constraint graph. Horizontal tracks are assigned to the subnets so as to minimize an associated element in a COST matrix of subnets and tracks. The method uses a conventional maze router approach to connect pins in subnets not otherwise connected. If any subnet then still remains unconnected, an additional track is added to the central routing channel and the steps of method are then repeated. Use of the top and bottom routing channels reduces the need for routing interconnections through the central routing channel and thus allows the ICs to be mounted more closely together.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Christopher A Young