Synchronization in a multi-tile processing array

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer comprising: a plurality of processing units each having instruction storage holding a local program, an execution unit executing the local program, data storage for holding data; an input interface with a set of input wires, and an output interface with a set of output wires; a switching fabric connected to each of the processing units by the respective set of output wires and connectable to each of the processing units by the respective input wires via switching circuitry controllable by each processing unit; a synchronisation module operable to generate a synchronisation signal to control the computer to switch between a compute phase and an exchange phase, wherein the processing units are configured to execute their local programs according to a common clock, the local programs being such that in the exchange phase at least one processing unit executes a send instruction from its local program to transmit at a transmit time a data packet onto its output set of connection wires, the data packet being destined for at least one recipient processing unit but having no destination identifier, and at a predetermined switch time the recipient processing unit executes a switch control instruction from its local program to control its switching circuitry to connect its input set of wires to the switching fabric to receive the data packet at a receive time, the transmit time and, switch time and receive time being governed by the common clock with respect to the synchronisation signal.