JPH0695658B2 - Multiprocessor system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a multiprocessor system capable of mutually transmitting and receiving signals.

[Prior Art] In recent years, processors have been used in various fields, but in order to use them more highly and effectively, a multiprocessor system capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from each other at the same time is constructed. Is preferred. In this type of multiprocessor system, conventionally, a communication path connecting the respective processor systems has been based on electrical wiring.

[Problems to be Solved] In the above, complicated wiring for electrically connecting the processors to each other is required, and wiring costs such as wiring construction cost are high. Therefore, in reality, it was forced to sacrifice the increase in wiring cost and sacrifice the number of processors capable of transmitting and receiving at the same time.

As a result, when the amount of communication between processors is large, the performance of the entire system has deteriorated.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate wiring between processor systems, reduce costs therefor, and realize an inexpensive and high-performance multiprocessor system.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a receiving unit that receives an optical signal, a processor that receives the signal received by the receiving unit and sends a signal to another processor system, and A plurality of processor systems each of which is configured to optically transmit the signal of (1), and the receiver of each processor system is arranged to receive the optical signal from the transmitter of each processor system. Each receiving unit can receive the signals from each transmitting unit at different positions by the image sensor, and the destination processor system can be discriminated from the receiving position. Moreover, each processor system has a unique identification. Information is assigned, and the signal to the local processor system is discriminated based on this identification information. The above-mentioned object is achieved by constructing the device so that it can be loaded and processed.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a set of processor systems, in which 1 is a processor, 2 is a transmitter, which is composed of a transmitter circuit 2a and a light emitting element 2b, and which optically transmits signals to other processor systems. It is intended to be transmitted. Reference numeral 3 denotes a receiver, which is an optical system 3a forming an image forming means, an image sensor 3b composed of pixels for receiving light arranged in a matrix, a selection circuit 3c for sequentially selecting each pixel of the image sensor 3b, and controlling this selection. It also comprises a control circuit 3d for selecting a signal addressed to its own processor system and a receiving circuit 3e for receiving a signal from the selected pixel. The image sensor 3b and the selection circuit 3c
Are configured on the same semiconductor chip.

By using a plurality of sets of the processor system having the above configuration, for example, a multiprocessor system is configured as shown in FIG.
That is, only the transmitters 2 to 2 of each processor system are
The light emitting elements are stacked so as to form a matrix, and only the receiving units 3 to 3 are stacked in the same manner.
The optical signals transmitted from No. 2 are arranged so as to face each other so as to be incident on the optical system of each of the receiving units 3 to 3. The pixel arrangement of the image sensor in each receiving unit corresponds to the matrix arrangement of each transmitting unit so that the optical system 3a images the optical signals from the transmitting units 2 to 2 on different pixels. .

The processors 1 to 1 are also superposed in the same manner.

In this arrangement, it is only necessary to electrically wire between the processor 1, the transmitter 2 and the receiver 3 which form one processor system, and wiring between the processor systems is not necessary. That is, for example, the transmission unit 21 of FIG.
The receiving unit 31 and the processor 11 form a set of processor systems, and the processor 11 and the transmitting unit 21 and the processor 11 and the receiving unit 31 are electrically connected to each other.
Further, the transmitting unit 22, the receiving unit 32, and the processor 12 constitute another set of processor systems.
And the processor 12 and the receiver 32 are electrically connected to each other. And it is not necessary to electrically connect the processor systems of each set.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. Since the transmission unit and the reception unit of each processor system are arranged to face each other, the optical system of each reception unit 3 to 3 receives the optical signal from all the transmission units 2 to 2, and the image thereof is an image sensor. Imaged on 3b. Therefore, the optical signals of the transmitters 2 and 2 superposed in a matrix form an image at a position peculiar to each on the image sensor 3b, and a signal from which processor system depends on the image formation position. It is possible to determine whether or not.

Further, each processor system is provided with an identification number, which is unique identification information, in advance, and the signal transmitted from each processor has a format including the identification number of the partner processor system according to the transmission partner. . The identification number in this format makes it possible to determine to which processor system the signal is transmitted.

Therefore, it is possible to determine from which processor system the signal is transmitted from the imaging position on the image sensor 3b, and to which processor system the signal is transmitted from the format of the received signal. can do. That is, it is checked whether or not the received signal includes the identification number addressed to its own processor, and if it does, the signal is fetched. Since the processor system of the transmission source can be determined from the image formation position of this signal, appropriate signal processing can be performed within the processor, and signals can be transmitted and received between the processor systems.

Next, a specific operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the receiver 3, the selection circuit 3c first selects the first pixel of the image sensor 3b, and the output thereof is received by the reception circuit 3e and supplied to the control circuit 3d. It is determined whether the identification number in the format of this signal is for the own processor system. This operation is sequentially performed for all pixels, and if there is a signal to the own processor system, this is accepted, the partner processor system is discriminated from the position of the pixel, and the content of the received signal and what it is. Whether it is from the processor system or not is sent to the own processor.

On the other hand, when the signal is sent from the own processor to another processor system, the identification number of the partner processor system is sent to the transmitting unit 2 together with the contents. This signal is transmitted by the transmitter 2.
Is converted into an optical signal and transmitted.

Further, when the processor receives a signal from another processor system, the signal indicating the reception is transmitted to the processor system of the transmission source via the transmitter 2.

As described above, signals are simultaneously transmitted between the processor systems to construct an advanced multiprocessor system.

As described above, the system is applicable to supercomputers, transaction processing systems, telephone exchanges, computer networks and the like.

In addition to visible light, infrared light or the like may be used as the optical signal.

Further, the optical system of the receiving unit is not limited to the lens, and it is possible to use a pinhole.

Further, the control circuit 3d monitors the image on the image sensor and changes the position of the image sensor when detecting the displacement of the position, so that the displacement of the image due to vibration or the like can be immediately corrected. Become.

Further, in the above example, the number of the light emitting elements in the transmitting unit is one and the signal is serially transmitted, but a plurality of light emitting elements may be arranged to transmit the signal in parallel.

[Effects] According to the present invention, wiring for electrically connecting the processor systems to each other is not necessary, a signal addressed to the own processor system can be selected and taken in, and the processor system of the transmission source It is possible to construct an inexpensive multiprocessor system that can be identified and can be transmitted and received between arbitrary processor systems. Moreover, since the number of processor systems that can simultaneously communicate is not limited, the performance of the entire system can be improved. Further, it is easy to remove a part of the processor system while the entire system is in operation, which results in excellent maintainability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a multiprocessor system according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of a control circuit. 1 ... Processor 2 ... Transmitter 3 ... Receiver 3a ... Image forming means 3b ... Image sensor 3d ... Control circuit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04B 10/00 10/22

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A receiving unit for receiving an optical signal, a processor for receiving the signal received by the receiving unit and transmitting a signal to another processor system, and an optical signal for transmitting the signal from the processor. A multiprocessor system including a plurality of processor systems each including a transmitter, each processor system being assigned unique identification information. Of the processor system, the receiving section of each processor system is arranged so as to be able to receive the optical signal from the transmitting section of each processor system, and the receiving section of each processor system has each of the above transmission signals. Image sensor to receive the signal from the transmitter and the optical sensor from each transmitter. The image forming means for forming an image at a different position on the image sensor, and the identification information of the destination processor system among the signals from the respective transmitters imaged on the image sensor are the identification of the own processor system. A multiprocessor system comprising: a control circuit that selects a signal that is information and sends it to a processor.