System for distributing command/data packets tagged by their unit identifier for parallel processing by a ready processing unit and recombination
US5325493A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jun 28, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F15/17
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A device for distributing a serial stream of commands and associated data to a parallel array of processing units so that the data processed by the parallel processing units can be recombined in the original order in which the serial stream was received. The command distributor of the invention hands out commands to the parallel processing units using a true "first come, first serve" algorithm using fast bus arbitration hardware. Each parallel processing unit requests data to be input when all of its data has been processed, and bus arbitration is used to prevent conflict when a plurality of requests are received. The ID of the processor to which a command is assigned is used in recombining the processed data into a serial data stream having the same order as the original. Means are also provided by which single commands which require considerable processing may be executed in parallel on more than one of the processors, with each portion of the result coming from a different processor, yet maintaining the sequentiality of the output data stream. Processing speed is further enhanced by broadcasting global commands to all processors at once.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.