International Business Machines Corporation

Clive Allan Collins

James Warren Dieffenderfer

David B Rolfe

Michael C Dapp

Billy J Knowles

Thomas Norman Barker

Vincent John Smoral

Richard Edward Nier

Eric Eugene Retter

Robert Reist Richardson

Donald Michael Lesmeister

Richard Ernest Miles

Peter Michael Kogge

Paul Amba Wilkinson

Nicholas Jerome Schoonover

James Robert Stupp

David Christopher Kuchinski

Donald G Grice

Donald George Grice

Christine M Desnoyers

James A McDonald

David Christoper Kuchinski

A parallel array processor for massively parallel applications is formed with low power CMOS with DRAM processing while incorporating processing elements on a single chip. Eight processor memory elements on a single chip have their own associated processing element, significant memory, and I/O and are interconnected with a hypercube based, but modified, topology. These nodes are then interconnected, either by a hypercube, modified hypercube, or ring, or ring within ring network topology. The architecture uses all the pins for networking. Each chip has eight 16 bit processors, and eight respective 32K memories. I/O has three internal ports and one external port shared by the plural processors on the chip. Significant software flexibility is provided to enable quick implementation of existing programs written in common languages. The scalable chip has internal and external connections for broadcast and asynchronous SIMD, MIMD and SIMIMD (SIMD/MIMD) with dynamic switching of modes. A fully distributed programmable router is provided by the processing memory elements that form a node. There is program compatibility for the fully scalable system.

APAP I/O programmable router

A parallel array processor for massively parallel applications is formed with low power CMOS with DRAM processing while incorporating processing elements on a single chip. Eight processors on a single chip have their own associated processing element, significant memory, and I/O and are interconnected with a hypercube based, but modified, topology. These nodes are then interconnected, either by a hypercube, modified hypercube, or ring, or ring within ring network topology. Conventional microprocessor MMPs consume pins and time going to memory. The new architecture merges processor and memory with multiple PMEs (eight 16 bit processors with 32K and I/O) in DRAM and has no memory access delays and uses all the pins for networking. The chip can be a single node of a fine-grained parallel processor. Each chip will have eight 16 bit processors, each processor providing 5 MIPs performance. I/O has three internal ports and one external port shared by the plural processors on the chip. Significant software flexibility is provided to enable quick implementation of existing programs written in common languages. It is a developable and expandable technology without need to develop new pinouts, new software, or new utilities as chip density increases and new hardware is provided for a chip function. The scalable chip PME has internal and external connections for broadcast and asynchronous SIMD, MIMD and SIMIMD (SIMD/MIMD) with dynamic switching of modes. The chip can be used in systems which employ 32, 64 or 128,000 processors, and can be used for lower, intermediate and higher ranges. Local and global memory functions can all be provided by the chips themselves, and the system can connect to and support other global memories and DASD. The chip can be used as a microprocessor accelerator, in personal computer applications, as a vision or avionics computer system, or as workstation or supercomputer. There is program compatibility for the fully scalable system.

Fully distributed processing memory element

A computer system having a plurality of processors and memory including a plurality of scalable nodes having multiple like processor memory elements. Each of the processor memory elements has a plurality of communication paths for communication within a node to other like processor memory elements within the node. Each of the processor memory elements also has a communication path for communication external to the node to another like scalable node of the computer system.

Advanced parallel array processor (APAP)

A parallel array processor for massively parallel applications is formed with low power CMOS with DRAWM processing while incorporating processing elements on a single chip, with nodes connected in an n-dimensional modified non-binary hypercube. In a 4-dimensional modified non-binary hypercube embodiment, each node includes either processor memory elements on a single chip, each processor memory element having its own associated processing element, significant memory, and I/O, with each processor memory element supporting an external port. Pairs of ports are associated with each dimension, labeled X, Y, W, and Z. Eight nodes are connected in the X dimension to form a ring. Corresponding nodes from eight such rings are connected into rings in the Y dimension to form an 8.times.8 array of nodes, referred to as a cluster. Corresponding nodes of eight clusters are connected into ring (64 rings) in the Z dimension, forming an 8.times.8.times.8 array of nodes referred to as a 'cluster ring'. Corresponding nodes of eight cluster rings are connected into rings in the W dimension.

N-dimensional modified hypercube

SIMD/MIMD processing memory element (PME)

A fast I/O for a multi-PME computer system provides a way to break into a network coupling to alternate network couplings. The system coupling is called a zipper. Our I/O zipper concept can be used to implement the concept that the port into a node could be driven by the port out of a node or by data coming from the system bus. Conversely, data being put out of a node would be available to both the input to another node and to the system bus. Outputting data to both the system bus and another node is not done simultaneously but in different cycles. The zipper passes data into and out of a network of interconnected nodes is used in a system of interconnecting nodes in a mesh, rings of wrapped tori. such that there is no edge to the network, the zipper mechanism logically breaks the the rings along a dimension orthogonal to the rings such that an edge to the network is established. The coupling dynamically toggles the network between a network without an edge and a network with an edge. Data passes into the network or out of the network through the edge when it is active, and the coupling permits dispersal of data entering the network or collection of data leaving the network such that the data rate through the edge matches both the sustained and peak data rates of the system external to the network.

Advanced parallel array processor I/O connection

A parallel computer system providing multi-ported intelligent memory is formed of a plurality of nodes or cells interconnected to provide a shared memory with processors of the network and their memory providing the network routing and shared memory. Each of the nodes provides a functional unit with a processor, shared memory, and communication interface. K zipper ports in addition provide a switching function to interconnect the distributed memory and processors providing the shared memory. The resulting multi-ported shared intelligent memory switch can be used to connect (switch) a variety of computer system elements (CSEs) including computers and direct access storage devices (DASDs). The multi-ported intelligent memory shared memory organized into a collection of cells or nodes and is called the hedgehog. Each node comprises a finite computer memory, a processing unit, and communication interface and at least K of the nodes of the device have a zipper port. The computing system element combines the characteristics of a switch with those of a shared memory. In addition, objects in the shared memory can change state without the intervention of computing system elements (CSEs) that are interconnected to the device (CSE and port) which is a hedgehog switch. A zipper and ISA architecture for the chip are described for implementation of the zipper node of the shared memory device.

Parallel computer system providing multi-ported intelligent memory

Advanced parallel array processor(APAP)

A high performance computer system package integrates the switches and memory in the core of the package with the processors distributed about the periphery of this core. The request and response switches and the input or output lines are on platters and storage modules are coupled between the platters.

High performance computer system with platters and unidirectional

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Clive Allan Collins