Knowledge (XXG)

ICL Distributed Array Processor

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Operationally, there was an overhead to transfer computational data into and out of the array, and problems which did not fit the 64×64 matrix imposed additional complexity to handle the boundaries (65×65 was perhaps the worst case!)—but for problems which suited the architecture, it could outperform
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The design as described in Reddaway's 1973 paper is pretty much that which was implemented in the first commercial version except the facility to supply address bits from the processing elements was removed. This change greatly simplified hardware error detection. A notable extra facility was carry
123:(CPP). It was enhanced and made smaller and faster as the Gamma series. An 8-bit processor with some local 8-bit wide memory was added to the processor and fast IO capabilities were implemented. It could be programmed in either 44:
The initial Pilot DAP was designed and implemented by Dr Stewart F Reddaway with the aid of David J Hunt and Peter M Flanders at the ICL Stevenage Labs. Their manager and a major contributor was
131:. These were more flexible than DAP FORTRAN, in particular they automatically took care of choosing a mapping from user specified matrix and vector bounds to the underlying hardware. 79:(SIMD) architecture. Each operation could be performed under the control of a mask which controlled which elements were affected. Array programs were executed as 1114: 435: 1104: 394: 950: 999: 95:
was not a popular machine and this held back the use of the DAP as an attached processor was restricted initially to this one range.
76: 1099: 33: 32:. The original paper study was complete in 1972 and building of the prototype began in 1974. The first machine was delivered to 444: 45: 25: 945: 907: 706: 1043: 955: 935: 29: 1058: 1053: 768: 428: 120: 1048: 960: 820: 530: 525: 520: 515: 510: 505: 497: 1038: 1023: 1007: 116: 1109: 135: 408: 487: 482: 421: 990: 975: 716: 303: 413: 192:
system (so was sometimes called the PERQ-DAP), and the ruggedised military version was called the
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A smaller 32x32 version was created between 1984 and 1987. The commercial version was called the
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and its memory was mapped into the mainframe's memory. Programs for the DAP were written in
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Proceedings of the 1st Annual Symposium on Computer Architecture, (Gainesville, Florida)
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extended with 64×64 matrix and 64 element vector primitives. DAP Fortran compiled to an
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of normal mainframe FORTRAN programs and IO was handled by the mainframe.
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called APAL (Array Processor Assembly Language). The DAP had a
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pipeline architectures by two orders of magnitude. The
165: 48:, designer of the Basic Language Machine and known for 989: 897: 810: 758: 725: 642: 539: 496: 452: 99:propagation to simplify vector mode addition. 429: 8: 436: 422: 414: 387:Massively parallel computing with the DAP 246:"From Torsional Mode Delay Lines to DAP" 236: 28:(ICL) was the world's first commercial 331:"DAP - a distributed array processor" 7: 385:Dennis Parkinson; John Litt (1990). 119:(AMT) which was then taken over by 302:Parkinson, Dennis (17 June 1976). 134:Sample DAPs are in storage at the 14: 244:Gordon G Scarrott (Summer 1995). 77:single instruction, multiple data 55:The ICL DAP had 64×64 single bit 995: 994: 903: 902: 816: 815: 764: 763: 498:English Electric System 4 series 263:Stewart Reddaway (Spring 2004). 152: 1115:International Computers Limited 445:International Computers Limited 26:International Computers Limited 365:"Mil-DAP Resurrection Project" 1: 363:Brian Russell (Summer 2001). 281:10.1016/j.lungcan.2004.09.011 121:Cambridge Parallel Processors 1105:Massively parallel computers 141:CPP ceased trading in 2004. 304:"Computers by the thousand" 107:The DAP was sold off to a 30:massively parallel computer 18:Distributed Array Processor 1131: 188:, normally attached to a 117:Active Memory Technology 1100:ICL mainframe computers 344:(4). ACM Press: 61–65. 329:S. F. Reddaway (1973). 136:Computer History Museum 265:"Letter to the editor" 991:Programming languages 369:Computer Resurrection 350:10.1145/633642.803971 269:Computer Resurrection 250:Computer Resurrection 404:DAP personal history 145:Mini-DAP and Mil-DAP 57:processing elements 310:. pp. 626–627 206:Connection Machine 164:. You can help by 34:Queen Mary College 1087: 1086: 1064:ApplicationMaster 899:Operating systems 396:978-0-273-08809-7 182: 181: 73:assembly language 1122: 998: 997: 906: 905: 819: 818: 767: 766: 438: 431: 424: 415: 400: 373: 372: 360: 354: 353: 335: 326: 320: 319: 317: 315: 299: 293: 292: 260: 254: 253: 241: 177: 174: 156: 149: 1130: 1129: 1125: 1124: 1123: 1121: 1120: 1119: 1090: 1089: 1088: 1083: 993: 985: 901: 893: 814: 806: 762: 754: 721: 644:ICL 2900 Series 638: 541:ICT 1900 series 535: 492: 448: 447:(ICL) 1968-2002 442: 397: 384: 381: 376: 362: 361: 357: 333: 328: 327: 323: 313: 311: 301: 300: 296: 275:(33): 149–150. 262: 261: 257: 243: 242: 238: 234: 202: 178: 172: 169: 162:needs expansion 147: 109:venture capital 105: 42: 12: 11: 5: 1128: 1126: 1118: 1117: 1112: 1110:SIMD computing 1107: 1102: 1092: 1091: 1085: 1084: 1082: 1081: 1076: 1071: 1066: 1061: 1056: 1051: 1046: 1041: 1036: 1031: 1026: 1021: 1015: 1010: 1004: 1002: 987: 986: 984: 983: 978: 973: 968: 963: 958: 953: 948: 943: 938: 933: 928: 923: 918: 912: 910: 895: 894: 892: 891: 886: 881: 876: 871: 866: 861: 856: 851: 846: 841: 836: 831: 825: 823: 808: 807: 805: 804: 799: 794: 789: 784: 779: 773: 771: 756: 755: 753: 752: 747: 742: 737: 731: 729: 723: 722: 720: 719: 714: 709: 704: 699: 694: 689: 684: 679: 674: 669: 664: 659: 654: 648: 646: 640: 639: 637: 636: 633: 630: 627: 624: 621: 618: 615: 612: 609: 606: 603: 600: 597: 594: 591: 588: 585: 582: 579: 576: 573: 570: 567: 564: 561: 558: 555: 552: 549: 545: 543: 537: 536: 534: 533: 528: 523: 518: 513: 508: 502: 500: 494: 493: 491: 490: 485: 480: 475: 470: 465: 459: 457: 450: 449: 443: 441: 440: 433: 426: 418: 412: 411: 406: 401: 395: 380: 379:External links 377: 375: 374: 355: 321: 294: 255: 235: 233: 230: 229: 228: 223: 218: 213: 208: 201: 198: 180: 179: 159: 157: 146: 143: 104: 101: 50:Iliffe vectors 41: 38: 24:) produced by 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1127: 1116: 1113: 1111: 1108: 1106: 1103: 1101: 1098: 1097: 1095: 1080: 1077: 1075: 1072: 1070: 1067: 1065: 1062: 1060: 1057: 1055: 1052: 1050: 1047: 1045: 1042: 1040: 1037: 1035: 1032: 1030: 1027: 1025: 1022: 1019: 1016: 1014: 1011: 1009: 1006: 1005: 1003: 1001: 992: 988: 982: 979: 977: 974: 972: 969: 967: 964: 962: 959: 957: 954: 952: 949: 947: 944: 942: 939: 937: 934: 932: 929: 927: 924: 922: 919: 917: 914: 913: 911: 909: 900: 896: 890: 887: 885: 882: 880: 877: 875: 872: 870: 867: 865: 862: 860: 857: 855: 852: 850: 847: 845: 842: 840: 837: 835: 832: 830: 827: 826: 824: 822: 813: 809: 803: 800: 798: 795: 793: 790: 788: 785: 783: 780: 778: 775: 774: 772: 770: 761: 760:Minicomputers 757: 751: 748: 746: 743: 741: 738: 736: 733: 732: 730: 728: 727:ICL Series 39 724: 718: 715: 713: 710: 708: 705: 703: 700: 698: 695: 693: 690: 688: 685: 683: 680: 678: 675: 673: 670: 668: 665: 663: 660: 658: 655: 653: 650: 649: 647: 645: 641: 634: 631: 628: 625: 622: 619: 616: 613: 610: 607: 604: 601: 598: 595: 592: 589: 586: 583: 580: 577: 574: 571: 568: 565: 562: 559: 556: 553: 550: 547: 546: 544: 542: 538: 532: 529: 527: 524: 522: 519: 517: 514: 512: 509: 507: 504: 503: 501: 499: 495: 489: 486: 484: 481: 479: 476: 474: 471: 469: 466: 464: 461: 460: 458: 456: 451: 446: 439: 434: 432: 427: 425: 420: 419: 416: 410: 407: 405: 402: 398: 392: 388: 383: 382: 378: 370: 366: 359: 356: 351: 347: 343: 339: 332: 325: 322: 309: 308:New Scientist 305: 298: 295: 290: 286: 282: 278: 274: 270: 266: 259: 256: 251: 247: 240: 237: 231: 227: 224: 222: 219: 217: 214: 212: 209: 207: 204: 203: 199: 197: 195: 191: 187: 176: 167: 163: 160:This section 158: 155: 151: 150: 144: 142: 139: 137: 132: 130: 126: 122: 118: 114: 110: 102: 100: 96: 94: 90: 84: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 61:ICL mainframe 58: 53: 51: 47: 46:John K Iliffe 39: 37: 35: 31: 27: 23: 19: 1069:ReportMaster 889:One Per Desk 812:Workstations 711: 453:Predecessor 386: 368: 358: 341: 337: 324: 312:. Retrieved 307: 297: 272: 268: 258: 249: 239: 211:Goodyear MPP 193: 185: 183: 170: 166:adding to it 161: 140: 133: 129:Fortran-Plus 106: 97: 87:the current 85: 54: 43: 21: 17: 15: 1079:DAP FORTRAN 531:System 4/75 526:System 4/72 521:System 4/70 516:System 4/50 511:System 4/30 506:System 4/10 478:Elliott 803 81:subroutines 65:DAP FORTRAN 40:Development 1094:Categories 797:System Ten 455:mainframes 232:References 67:which was 956:Executive 936:superNova 802:System 25 173:June 2008 103:After ICL 36:in 1979. 1000:category 981:MultiJob 908:category 879:DRS 6000 874:DRS 3000 821:category 769:category 750:Level 80 745:Level 60 740:Level 50 735:Level 30 473:ICT 1501 468:ICT 1301 409:PERQ-DAP 289:15777984 226:SUPRENUM 221:Parsytec 200:See also 186:Mini-DAP 115:company 113:start-up 111:-funded 93:ICL 2980 1013:Fortran 971:MINIMOP 966:MAXIMOP 916:OpenVME 869:DRS 500 864:DRS 400 859:DRS 300 854:DRS 200 849:DRS 100 194:Mil-DAP 69:FORTRAN 1044:Pascal 961:GEORGE 844:DRS 20 393:  314:7 July 287:  216:MasPar 1029:COBOL 1018:ALGOL 931:VME/K 926:VME/B 629:1907F 626:1907E 620:1906S 617:1906F 614:1906E 611:1906A 605:1905F 602:1905E 596:1904S 593:1904F 590:1904E 587:1904A 581:1903T 578:1903S 575:1903A 569:1902T 566:1902S 563:1902A 557:1901T 554:1901S 551:1901A 463:LEO I 334:(PDF) 252:(12). 1034:JEAN 1024:SOBS 1008:PLAN 884:PERQ 839:7561 834:7503 829:7502 792:ME29 787:2905 782:2904 777:2903 707:CAFS 702:2988 697:2982 692:2980 687:2976 682:2972 677:2970 672:2966 667:2960 662:2956 657:2955 652:2950 635:1909 632:1908 623:1907 608:1906 599:1905 584:1904 572:1903 560:1902 548:1901 488:KDF9 483:KDF8 391:ISBN 371:(5). 316:2024 285:PMID 190:PERQ 89:Cray 16:The 1074:RPG 1059:SFL 1054:SCL 951:TME 946:DME 941:CME 921:VME 717:OCP 712:DAP 346:doi 277:doi 168:. 127:or 125:C++ 22:DAP 1096:: 1049:S3 1020:60 367:. 340:. 336:. 306:. 283:. 273:48 271:. 267:. 248:. 196:. 138:. 1039:C 976:J 437:e 430:t 423:v 399:. 352:. 348:: 342:2 318:. 291:. 279:: 175:) 171:( 20:(

Index

International Computers Limited
massively parallel computer
Queen Mary College
John K Iliffe
Iliffe vectors
processing elements
ICL mainframe
DAP FORTRAN
FORTRAN
assembly language
single instruction, multiple data
subroutines
Cray
ICL 2980
venture capital
start-up
Active Memory Technology
Cambridge Parallel Processors
C++
Fortran-Plus
Computer History Museum

adding to it
PERQ
Connection Machine
Goodyear MPP
MasPar
Parsytec
SUPRENUM
"From Torsional Mode Delay Lines to DAP"

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