Ambric
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Ambric, Inc., is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2003 and based in Beaverton, Oregon. Ambric produces Massively Parallel Processor Array (MPPA) chips, for high-performance embedded systems and hardware acceleration of desktop computer and server applications.
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[edit] Architecture and Programming Model
Ambric's architecture is a massively parallel distributed memory multiprocessor, based on the Structural Object Programming Model.[1][2] Each processor is programmed in conventional Java or assembly code. They send data and control messages to one another through an interconnect of reconfigurable channels, which provide both communication and synchronization.[3] The model of computation is very similar to a Kahn process network with bounded buffers.
[edit] Devices and Tools
The Am2045 device has 336 32-bit RISC processors and 336 2-kB memories, which run at up to 300 MHz. It has an Eclipse-based integrated development environment including editor, compiler, assemblers, simulator, configuration generator, source-code debugger and libraries.
[edit] Applications
Ambric's MPPA devices are used for broadcast-quality high-definition video compression, transcoding and analysis, image recognition, medical imaging, network processing, software defined radio and other compute-intensive streaming media applications, which otherwise would use FPGA, DSP and/or ASIC chips. The company claims advantages include higher performance and energy efficiency, scalability, higher productivity due to software programming rather than hardware design, and off-the-shelf availability.
[edit] Related
Other MPPAs include picoChip and IntellaSys, and the ASAP research chip. Related multicore devices include Aspex, Cavium, ClearSpeed, SPI, Tilera and others. The more established processor companies Texas Instruments and Freescale are also starting to do multicore products, but at present with a lower number of processors (typically 3-8).
[edit] Recognition
Microprocessor Report gave a 2006 MPR Analysts’ Choice Award for Innovation to Ambric "for the design concept and architecture of its massively parallel processor, the Am2045".[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Mike Butts, Anthony Mark Jones, Paul Wasson, "A Structural Object Programming Model, Architecture, Chip and Tools for Reconfigurable Computing", Proceedings of FCCM, April 2007, IEEE Computer Society
- ^ Anthony Mark Jones, Mike Butts. "TeraOPS Hardware: A New Massively-Parallel MIMD Computing Fabric IC", IEEE Hot Chips Symposium, August 2006, IEEE Computer Society
- ^ Mike Butts, "Synchronization through Communication in a Massively Parallel Processor Array", IEEE Micro, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 32-40, September/October 2007, IEEE Computer Society
- ^ Microprocessor Report Announces First Group of Winners for the Eighth Annual MPR Analysts’ Choice Awards, February 20, 2007, [1]
[edit] Further reading
- Tom Halfhill, "Ambric's New Parallel Processor", Microprocessor Report, October 10, 2006.
- Tom Halfhill, "MPR Innovation Award: Ambric", Microprocessor Report, February 20, 2007.
