Multi-transputer systems with dynamic reconfiguration control based on the serial bus

Abstract

The paper presents new architectures of dynamically reconfigurable multi-transputer systems based on first generation transputers. Transputer link connections in the proposed systems are organized in crossbar switches on demand in the application program at run-time. Link connection reconfiguration control is based on transmission of control messages through the serial bus compatible with the transputer link protocol. The bus is built using the TRANSBUS controller proposed and designed by IRESTE University of Nantes.¹ Two dynamically reconfigurable multi-transputer architectures are discussed. The first one, called GARTS, is based on nine-worker transputer clusters with unrestricted dynamic link connectivity. Inter-cluster connections are also dynamically organized. The second architecture, called HP-MODTRANS, is based on three-transputer fully connected clusters with dynamically organized inter-cluster link connections. The structures and functional properties of both architectures are discussed. Then, analytical model for reconfiguration control communication overheads and some performance figures obtained using these models are presented for the discussed architectures.