AN MPP RECONFIGURABLE ARCHITECTURE USING FREE-SPACE OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS AND PETRI-NET CONFIGURING

A reconfigurable MIMD architecture based on free-space optical interco nnection is presented. A matrix-addressed spatial light modulator (SLM ) is used as an optical switch, through which different processors com municate. Petri nets are used to specify connections between processor s in an application, These are translated to the control instructions for the SLM for actual configuring. Special arithmetic Petri net model s are also used for specifying functions to be performed by the proces sors. Configuration was demonstrated for two architectures: dataflow a nd mesh. Our aim is to combine the desirable properties of optics and Petri nets, and study their viability for implementing massively paral lel processing (MPP) systems of the future.