Cellular digital array processor

Abstract

A rectangular digital logic array for performing transformations on data matrices for solving wave equations, image processing problems and the like, includes a plurality of identical cells each having a processing element which receives one of its inputs from a single bit accumulator and provides its output to a similar single bit accumulator. The input accumulators of each row in the array are formed by a single parallel input, parallel output shift register and the output accumulators of each column in the array are similarly formed by a parallel input, parallel output shift register. The shift registers operate to connect each cell except those at the edge of the array with two neighboring cells along one axis and two neighboring cells along the orthogonal axis. Four edge shift registers bordering the array allow data to be transferred into and out of the cells and a central processor connected to each of the cells controls the sequence of cell operations and the transfer of data between cells for all cells simultaneously. The simple cell and interconnection structure allows the economical formation of large arrays so that very high processing speeds may be achieved despite the multiple processing steps which each elemental cell must undergo in order to perform a complex computation.