DASP: a general-purpose MIMD parallel computer using distributed associative processing

This paper presents a general purpose MIMD (Multiple Instruction Stream Multiple Data Stream) loosely-coupled parallel computer called DASP (Distributed Associative Processor). The DASP organization partitions the communication and application functions. The communication functions are performed by custom-made communication handlers called Network Communication Modules, while application functions are performed by any general purpose processor suitable for the application. The communication subsystem of DASP takes advantage of the properties of loosely-coupled MIMD parallel computers: the very short inter-processor distances and the locality of task reference. By pipelining the time slices of the bus hierarchically with the CITO (Content Induced Transaction Overlap) protocol, DASP provides virtual full-connectivity to the application processors without physical full connections; thus, its architecture exhibits a very high degree of extensibility and modularity. Analytical and simulation results have validated the DASP approach. A prototype has been constructed and several algorithms have been successfully implemented on the prototype.