On the optimal reconfiguration of multipipeline arrays in the presence of faulty processing and switching elements

The reconfiguration of multipipeline arrays in the presence of both faulty processing elements (PEs) and switching elements (SEs) is addressed. Different fault models are used for the PEs and SEs: a PE can be either fault free or faulty; a SE is modeled using a novel functional approach which relates its switching capabilities to its status. This permits a PE to retain a partial functionality in the presence of a fault. An appropriate transformation of the multipipeline array reconfiguration problem to a maximum flow problem is then presented. The conditions under which this transformation is possible, are fully analyzed. A reconfiguration algorithm based on the maximum flow algorithm is presented; the proposed algorithm is optimal as the number of reconfigured pipelines is maximized.<>