EMUL-a parallel processor emulator

Abstract

EMUL is a user-friendly computer program that emulates the operation of a parallel processor. EMUL's capacity to emulate down to the chip or up to the cell level of a parallel processor gives EMUL powerful applications. Its capability to specify a parallel processor down to the chip/noise level, without regard for low-level electronic details such as drivers and resistors, permits the user to research extensively the development of a cell within any parallel processor design. This allows the user to develop a better understanding of the innate behavior of a parallel processor. Also, since each chip has complete specification freedom, EMUL encourages examination of numerical performance, quantization effects, data dependency, and error analysis. Finally, the ability of EMUL to specify a parallel processor up to the cell level furnishes the user with a convenient tool to verify actual chip and cell operations once the design layout is realized in hardware. A length three direct-form finite-impulse response filter is considered as an application example.<>