Image Correlation: A Case Study to Examine SIMD/MIMD Trade-offs for Scalable Parallel Algorithms

A mixed-mode parallel machine's processing elements are capable of operating in and switching between the SIMD and MIMD modes of parallelism. This paper analyzes various mappings of image correlation algorithms onto a mixed-mode parallel processing system. The trade-offs that exist between the SIMD and MIMD modes are the primary basis employed in comparing different mappings of a parallel algorithm onto a mixed-mode system. The scalability of the image correlation algorithms discussed here is shown to be impacted by the mode of parallelism used. The analytical results are supported by experiments on the PASM prototype.