A Microcode Real-time Executive For Numeric Support Nodes Distributed Within Embedded Networks

Abstract

The mix of nodes within heterogeneous embedded networks typically includes some highly specialized, numerically oriented nodes particularly adept at efficient manipulation of regularly structured, multi-element array operands. Such “Array Processing” (AP) nodes usually serve other more general-purpose (GP) nodes. Local node-level control of each AP is maintained by a microcoded AP-resident executive program (APX). The APX is carefully microcoded and tuned to minimize overhead incurred by the computation-or-throughput-intensive tasks using or sharing AP resources.