For systems with several thousands of processors, the node degree of r
egular networks become prohibitively large. Hierarchical interconnecti
on networks (HINs) have been proposed with a view to maintain low node
degree with increasing network size. This paper discusses a new HIN c
alled the hierarchical directed de Bruijn (HDDB) network which is base
d on the directed de Bruijn graph. The topological characteristics and
features of the HDDB network are presented. The HDDB network has a co
st factor (in terms of degree diameter product) much lower than that o
f many of the existing networks. It is seen that the hierarchical desi
gn of the HDDB network allows easy mapping of algorithms designed for
de Bruijn networks. The issues of routing, fault tolerance and expanda
bility are also addressed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.