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The Computer Journal 1987 30(4):289-294; doi:10.1093/comjnl/30.4.289
© 1987 by British Computer Society
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A Method for Speeding up Serial Processing in Dataflow Computers by Means of a Program Counter

M. Sowa *

Department of Computer Science, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu 376, Gunma, Japan

The introduction of a program counter and an accumulator into a dataflow computer can improve its speed during serial processing. This paper describes a possible implementation together with a simple performance analysis.

In dataflow processing, more than one processor can be used to execute parts of a single program in parallel. Performance is good, but some parts of many programs are inherently serial (sequential). Serial execution requires that explicit expressions be used for transferring data between instructions and for link manipulation, which makes serial processing in a dataflow computer slower than in a computer specially designed for the task. However, it is possible to arrange for the serial processing to be carried out by only one processor and for almost all of the instructions to be arranged in the correct order for execution. Link manipulation can then be achieved implicitly by using the program counter of a von Numann computer and one of the data items can be passed through an accumulator in the processor. It seems likely that the introduction of these features into the architecture of a dataflow computer would result in a substantial speeding up of serial processing. Analysis anticipates that the speed can be improved by between 20 and 50%.

Received January 1985.

* Department of Computer Science, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu 376, Gunma, Japan


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