Vector Processor

The idea of taking a large number of arithmetic units that has local memory, and follows instructions from a single control unit lead to the design of vector processors. The first successful processor was the Illiac IV, which was funded by the government, and only one system was partially completed.

Pipeline Architecture

In my opinion the pipeline architecture doesn’t fit in the scheme of SIMD vector processors. The advantage of a pipeline system is that data marches through separate units and many operations happen over the same clock cycle. The FPS-120 processor is an example of the pipeline architecture.

ILLIAC IV
 

References	Computer Structures Readings and examples ,Bell and Newell, Mcgraw Hill 1971
Florida State lecture	http://aspen.csit.fsu.edu/pss/talks/beijing/hpf/introduction/node4.html
Architecture	Single control unit, 64 processing elements
Languages	Fortran like (CFD computaqtional Fluid dynamics)
	Glypnir (Algol like)
	Programmer had to control parallel operations by low level code
Key features	64 bit data paths, 32 bit instructions hosted by Burroughs B6500
Date built	Design started 1966, first successful run 1973
Still in use	no
Applications	Scientific and military modeling applications.
Operating systems	Not specified, dependent on host computer
Interconnection network	64 bit data path to 4 nearest neighbors
Pipeline or SIMD	SIMD

Floating Point Systems FPS-120
 

References	Parallel Computers , by Hockney and Jesshope,Adam Hilger Ltd,1981
Architecture	Array processor (heavily pipelined)
Languages	APEX Array Processor Executive
	Programmers worked in Fortran with library calls
	APAL Assembly code for array processor
Key features	Back end computer connected to host. Multiple pipelines feeding arithmetic unit
Date built	Delivered 1976
Still in use	No
Applications	Oil industry seismic data processing
Operating systems	APEX Array Processor Executive, software interface to host
Interconnection network	None
Pipeline or SIMD	Pipelined