Computer Modules

Abstract

This paper describes the architecture of Computer Modules, or CMs. They are large digital modules of about minicomputer complexity that are specifically designed to take advantage of the rapidly advancing semiconductor technology. These modules are intended to be interconnected into systems that implement a wide range of computational structures. The main features of a CM include a small processor as the primary control element and memory distributed among the CMs in the system rather than centralized into memory modules as in current multiprocessors. CMs are interconnected into a network via buses that each have their own virtual address space to facilitate efficient inter-module memory sharing. This paper includes an ISP description of the address translation mechanisms as well as a discussion of several important implementation issues such as the avoidance of deadlocks in CM networks and the width of the inter-CM buses.