Reconfigurable Operator-Block Pipeline for Von Neumann Bottlenecks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The von Neumann Architecture in digital computers faces inefficiencies due to program instructions and data being stored in the same RAM, leading to performance limitations and bottlenecks, as information is read and deciphered one at a time, and the common Bus restricts simultaneous reading and writing.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor belt architecture using reconfigurable hardware platforms like FPGAs to interconnect Operator Blocks, allowing data manipulation as it moves through the chain, eliminating the need for simultaneous CPU-RAM interactions and enabling autonomous, asynchronous processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If program instructions and data are stored in the same RAM with von Neumann Architecture, then the system structure is simple and unified, but the processing speed is limited and bottlenecks occur due to sequential access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the unified memory system into separate data memory and instruction memory, allowing simultaneous access to both data and instructions without contention. This segmentation enables parallel processing operations while maintaining the simplicity of a unified processor architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension by organizing memory access in parallel paths - one path for data retrieval and another for instruction fetch. This dimensional separation allows the system to bypass the sequential bottleneck of traditional von Neumann architecture while keeping the overall structure manageable.
2Ease of manufacture
If the common Bus is used for data transmission between CPU and RAM, then the system is easy to implement, but simultaneous reading and writing are restricted causing performance limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single common bus into separate data bus and instruction bus pathways. This allows the processor to simultaneously read data from data memory and fetch instructions from instruction memory, eliminating the mutual exclusion problem of the common bus while preserving implementation simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces separate bus interfaces as intermediaries between the processor and the two memory types. These intermediary bus structures enable parallel data and instruction flow without requiring a completely complex interconnection network, balancing ease of implementation with enhanced performance.
3Ease of operation
If information is read and deciphered one at a time in sequential order, then the system is simple to control, but the throughput is limited and processing power is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having instructions pre-fetched and stored in instruction memory while data is being processed. This allows the next instruction to be ready and waiting in the instruction register, enabling the processor to maintain a steady pipeline of operations without complex control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuity of useful action by establishing parallel data flow paths where data can be continuously supplied to the processor while instructions are continuously fetched. This eliminates idle cycles and maintains constant processing throughput without requiring complex out-of-order execution or speculative execution mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A reconfigurable hardware platform uses, in place of a portion of software, a chain of reconfigurable hardware Operator Blocks to manipulate data as the data moves down the chain. This conveyor belt architecture, or chain of Operator Blocks, moves data from Operator Block to Operator Block. This conveyor belt architecture processor may be combined with a conventional front-end processor to process complex information or critical loops in hardware while processing a rest of a program as software.