Reconfigurable multiprocessor machine for signal processing

{
  "publication_number": "US5050065A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Reconfigurable multiprocessor machine for signal processing",
  "abstract": "In a multiprocessor machine comprising K channels of different signals, the signals are converted to digital samples by K analog-to-digital converters connected respectively to each channel. N monolithic elementary processors are connected by means of a sample acquisition bus which is common to all of the K analog-to-digital converters. They are also connected by a ring bus which is common to all of the processors so as to permit circulation between processors of the results of computation performed on the samples received by each processor. A control unit and at least one transfer automat synchronized by a common clock signal initiate respectively on the one hand the performance of computations to be carried out by the processors on the samples which they receive as well as on the other hand the transfer of samples on the acquisition bus and the transfer of the results of computation between processors on the ring bus.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A multiprocessor machine for signal processing of the type in which the analog signals to be processed are received from K different signal channels and converted to the form of digital samples by K analog-to-digital converters connected respectively to each channel, comprising: N monolithic elementary signal processors, each connected by means of a sample acquisition bus common to all of the N processors, to the K sample outputs of said K analog-to-digital converters and also inter-connected to each other by way of a ring bus common to all of the N processors so as to permit circulation between each of said N processors of the results of computation performed on the samples received by each processor; a control unit for controlling accesses to and from said N processors and for controlling the performance of computations to be carried out by said N processors on the samples received by them as well as the transfer of samples on the acquisition bus; and at least one transfer automat means synchronized by a common clock signal for controlling the transfer of the computation results between processors on the ring bus, said each processor comprising a computation unit and a program memory wherein the computation unit is for carrying out indifferently tasks of computation in the single instruction multiple data (SIMD) or multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) mode under the control of an instruction derived from the unit for control of instructions contained in its own program memory (MIMD mode) or from instructions supplied by the control unit (SIMD mode) and wherein each processor further comprises: a data memory; and a memory interface circuit for coupling the data memory either to the computation unit or to the ring bus.",
    "2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the transfer automat means comprises: a first automat and a second automat for transmitting on a transfer microinstruction bus which is common to all of the processors control micro-instructions; wherein said first automat is for controlling the transfer of samples to the acquisition bus and said second automat is for controlling an interprocessor transfer of data on said ring bus.",
    "3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the transfer automat means further comprises: a priority circuit which initiates blocking of the second automat when a transfer of samples is to be made on said acquisition bus.",
    "4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the control unit comprises: a pilot processor and a control processor having structures which are similar to those of the N elementary signal processors disposed on the ring, the pilot and control processors being connected to each other and to the ring bus by means of an internal interface circuit.",
    "5. A machine according to claim 4, wherein each elementary processor is capable of performing in parallel and independently of any other tasks being performed by the other processors of the machine a task of computation in the MIMD mode or in the SIMD mode, a task of acquisition of data on the acquisition bus or else a task of transfer on the ring bus, the computation tasks being performed sequentially under the control of the pilot processor, the acquisition and transfer tasks being carried out sequentially under the control respectively of the first and second automat, with the assignment of the tasks being performed by the control processor.",
    "6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the format of each micro-instruction for control of a transfer on the acquisition bus comprises at least a first source field for indicating the analog-to-digital converter employed, a second field for indicating a group of elementary processors concerned by the transfer, a third address field for access to the memory of the elementary processor concerned, and a fourth field for indicating a write access of the elementary processor concerned; and wherein the format of each micro-instruction for control of a transfer on the ring bus comprises at least one fifth field indicative of any activity on the ring for performing the operation in a first direction or in a second direction, a sixth field for indicating the source or the destination of the transfer according to the direction of transfer and for indicating the group of elementary processors concerned, a seventh field which is made active, at the time of writing or reading in the memory of the elementary processor concerned so as to indicate such reading or writing activity, an eighth field for writing/reading which indicates the type of access to the memory of the elementary processor concerned, the assembly of fields being concatenated in order to form a single micro-instruction and to permit particularization of the sub-groups of elementary processors for transfer on the ring and acquisition on the bus in order to permit processing of signal; wherein the processing algorithms for the processors are symmetrical."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a reconfigurable multiprocessor machine for signal processing.\n\nThe invention is primarily applicable to the construction of radioelectric receivers, radiogoniometers, radars or sonars and in a general manner to all devices for signal-processing in which the performance of processing operations calls for high computing power with a high degree of parallelism in the algorithms.\n\n2. Description of the Prior Art\n\nIn known multiprocessor machines for signal processing, the computing powers employed depend on the algorithms, on the types of processing operations and on the number of lines of the signal spectrum. At the present time, these powers vary typically from one to a few hundred million operations per second. Depending on the applications which are contemplated, the number of receiving channels of the receivers or of the sensors employed for acquisition of the signals can vary between a few units and a few hundreds of units and the passbands are of greater or lesser widths as a function of the outputs which can amount to several tens of millions of samples per second.\n\nIn many applications, the output is continuous and must be processed in real time as the samples arrive, on the one hand because the available memory volume is limited and on the other hand in order to avoid any loss of information.\n\nMoreover, certain applications such as those relating to alarm detections in goniometers impose a short response time between the moment at which the information enters the machine and the moment at which the results are available.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 17/10",
    "G06F 15/17343",
    "G06F 15/8015"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 15/173",
    "G06F 15/80",
    "G06F 17/10"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Thomson CSF SA"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Luc Dartois",
    "Eric Lenormand"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1988-11-02",
  "publication_date": "1991-09-17",
  "grant_date": "1991-09-17",
  "priority_date": "1987-11-06",
  "application_number": "US-26614788-A",
  "family_id": "9356568",
  "cited_by_count": 66,
  "citations": [
    "US4096566A",
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    "US4644461A",
    "GB2157860A",
    "EP0147857A2",
    "US4675803A",
    "US4672530A",
    "US4884204A",
    "EP0236762A1"
  ]
}