A multicomputer type DSP system for super signal processing

The architecture and performance of a massively parallel DSP system called NOVI-II is discussed. The NOVI-II system has been designed to examine methods for organizing parallel DSP systems and developing parallel programs for a wide range of super signal processing applications. NOVI-II adopts a multicomputer-type architecture, which allows the combination of more than 512 processing elements (PEs). In each PE, a transputer (T800) is used as a CPU, along with a vector processor, 2-MB external RAM, and parallel program development assistant (PDA) probe fabricated on two gate arrays. The PDA system facilitates powerful debugging functions that allow all program states to be observed. Optical links and optical networks are introduced to provide stable and flexible communications between PEs. The expected performance of the system with a large-grain scheduling technique for real-time video processing is discussed