Developing a simulator for the USC Orthogonal Multiprocessor

The author describes the development of a CSIM-based simulator during the RISC (reduced instruction set computer) based design of a prototype multiprocessor, the Orthogonal Multiprocessor (OMP). The prototype machine is to be built with Intel i860 microprocessors and parallel memory modules that are 2-D interleaved and orthogonally accessed using custom-designed spanning buses. Initial application areas for the machine are image processing, computer vision, and neural network simulation. After briefly describing the machine architecture and the simulator, the authors discuss the interplay between simulation and design, and show specific cases where simulation results have impacted the design. The simulator has been used to project machine performance and evaluate design choices.<
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