AREA-TIME TRADE-OFFS IN ARRAYS WITH OPTICAL PIPELINED BUSES

A general model for determining the computational efficiency of a part icular class of electro-optical systems is described. The model is an abstraction of parallel systems that use digital electronic processors and optical pipelined buses for communication. Minimum requirements i n terms of area (volume for three-dimensional structures) and time nec essary in order to solve a problem are obtained. Different application s are investigated, and a matching area-time upper bound is given for the barrel-shift problem, simulated on an array with reconfigurable op tical pipelined buses. The types of problems for which these lower bou nds seem to be realistic are described. (C) 1996 Optical Society of Am erica