Basic HTML version of Foils prepared 10 Sept 1996

Foil 12 Technologies for High Performance Computers

From New CPS615Master Foils-- 26 August 96 Basic Simulation Track for Computational Science CPS615 -- Fall Semester 96. by Geoffrey C. Fox


We can choose technology and architecture separately in designing our high performance system
Technology is like choosing ants people or tanks as basic units in our society analogy
  • or less frivolously neurons or brains
In HPCC arena, we can distinguish current technologies
  • COTS (Consumer off the shelf) Microprocessors
  • Custom node computer architectures
  • More generally these are all CMOS technologies
Near term technology choices include
  • Gallium Arsenide or Superconducting materials as opposed to Silicon
  • These are faster by a factor of 2 (GaAs) to 300 (Superconducting)
Further term technology choices include
  • DNA (Chemical) or Quantum technologies
It will cost $40 Billion for next industry investment in CMOS plants and this huge investment makes it hard for new technologies to "break in"



© on Tue Oct 7 1997