US 5,355,508 A · Parallel data processing system combining a SIMD unit with a MIMD unit and sharing a common bus, memory, and system controller

Abstract

There are SIMD type parallel data processing systems having a single instruction stream and multiple data streams and MIMD type parallel data processing systems having multiple instruction and data streams in the parallel data processing field for performing high-speed data processing. They have both merits and demerits and each have their suitable application fields. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to cover a wide range of application fields with either one of the systems. Then, a SIMD type parallel processing unit (50) and a MIMD type parallel data processing unit (51) are connected to each other by a common bus (41) and a memory (42), and a system controller (43) is provided to allow each of the parallel data processing units to perform its suitable processings, thus making it possible to apply the optimum parallel processing system to a wide range of application fields. That is, simple processings of a large volume of data are allocated to the SIMD type parallel data processing unit, while complex processings of a small volume of data are allocated to the MIMD type parallel data processing unit, whereby processings which have been difficult for a conventional computer to accomplish within an effective time, such as large-scale and complex processings of images, can be performed within a practical time at a high speed.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A parallel data processing system comprising:

a first parallel data processing unit, including a number of interconnected processing elements of a first type and that is directable to execute a single stream of instructions on multiple streams of data, wherein each processing element is capable of storing a quantity of data and of processing an amount of data per unit time;
a second parallel data processing unit, including a number of interconnected processing elements of a second type and that is directable to execute multiple streams of instructions on multiple streams of data, wherein each processing element is capable of storing a quantity of data and of processing an amount of data per unit time;
a common bus and a common memory connecting said first and second processing units;
a system controller having means for directing the first unit to execute the single stream of instructions on multiple streams of data and for directing the second unit to execute the multiple streams of instructions on multiple streams of data;
wherein the quantity of data storable in the first type of processing element is less than the quantity of data storable in the second type of processing element;
wherein the amount of data processable per unit time by the first type of processing element is less than the amount of data processable per unit time in the second type of processing element;
and
wherein the number of processing elements of the first type exceeds the number of processing elements of the second type.

5 more elements

A parallel data processing system comprising:

a first parallel data processing unit, including a number of interconnected processing elements of a first type and that is directable to execute a single stream of instructions on multiple streams of data, wherein each processing element has a memory capable of storing a number of bits and an arithmetic unit capable of processing a number of bits per instruction;
a second parallel data processing unit, including a number of interconnected processing elements of a second type and that is directable to execute multiple streams of instructions on multiple streams of data, wherein each processing element has a memory capable of storing a number of bits and an arithmetic unit capable of processing a number of bits per instruction;
a common bus and a common memory, connecting said first and second processing units;
a system controller having means for directing the first unit to execute the single stream of instructions on multiple streams of data and for directing the second unit to execute the multiple streams of instructions on multiple streams of data, and for controlling execution of an application program, the application program containing a function including means for specifying a data processing unit;
and
said system controller including means, responsive to a specification of a data processing unit, for executing the function including said specification on the specified processing unit;
wherein the number of bits per instruction processable by the arithmetic unit in the first type of processing element is less than the number of bits per instruction processable by the arithmetic unit in the second type of processing element.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Parallel data processing system combining a SIMD unit with a MIMD unit and sharing a common bus, memory, and system controller

Life of this patent

Parallel data processing system combining a SIMD unit with a MIMD unit and sharing a common bus, memory, and system controller

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25