An efficient scheme for interprocessor communication using dual-ported RAMs

An approach for interprocessor interconnection is described in which communication between the processor nodes involves writing into and reading from a common memory area. The communicating processors do not have to contend for a common bus as in the case of shared-memory systems, since they have independent access to the common memory units shared between them. Only the memory access time of the processors limits the communication speed. Processor-to-processor communication does not use intermediate buffers, input/output ports, or DMAs. The example of a three-dimensional cube is used to illustrate the advantages of this scheme. The implementation of the interprocessor communication scheme on a 64-node cube configuration is discussed.<>