Experiments with VLSI Ensemble Machines

Abstract

Our ongoing research at Caltech in VLSI architecture and design is entering a phase in which we are doing experiments with the design, programming, and applications of working concurrent systems of useful size and performance. The three systems to be discussed, cosmic cube, mosaic, and super mesh, are all structured as ensembles of identical elements that operate concurrently sad communicate by message passing. These systems differ in many significant respects: element size, communication plan, MIMD vs SIMD, and consequently in programming style and applications. This paper presents the common principles and issues that have guided these designs, reports preliminary results, and discusses plans for research and system building experiments that we hope and expect will yield significant results over the next several years.