Multicore processor — Architecture and programming

In the past, speedup has been achieved in a processor by increasing clock speed. Multicore processors are the new direction semiconductor companies are focusing on to get a boost in the performance. This tutorial first covers the concept of multicore, introducing its need and the challenges. The key aspects of multicore architecture design and the detailed architecture with reference to XMOS multicore microcontroller will be presented. The tutorial then covers the parallel programming concepts and introduces the language constructs that exploits the architectural features specific to XMOS processors. A few case studies on the application-specific design in the domains of industrial communication and image processing will be presented. Sample programs will be demonstrated to get a clear understanding of programming on multicores. The participants will also try these demos for getting hands-on experience in multicore programming.