A Defect-Tolerant Computer Architecture: Opportunities for Nanotechnology

Teramac is a massively parallel experimental computer built at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories to investigate a wide range of different computational architectures. This machine contains about 220,000 hardware defects, any one of which could prove fatal to a conventional computer, and yet it operated 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1998-06, Vol.280 (5370), p.1716-1721
Main Authors: Heath, James R., Kuekes, Philip J., Snider, Gregory S., Williams, R. Stanley
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Applied sciences
Architecture
Children
Computer architecture
Computer memory
Computer software
Computer systems
Computer technology
Computers
Computers, microcomputers
Data lines
Electronic Equipment
Electronics
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Hardware
Information management
Innovations
Logical Thinking
Machinery
Manufacturing
Nanotechnology
Parallel computers
Review
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Description
Summary:Teramac is a massively parallel experimental computer built at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories to investigate a wide range of different computational architectures. This machine contains about 220,000 hardware defects, any one of which could prove fatal to a conventional computer, and yet it operated 100 times faster than a high-end single-processor workstation for some of its configurations. The defect-tolerant architecture of Teramac, which incorporates a high communication bandwith that enables it to easily route around defects, has significant implications for any future nanometer-scale computational paradigm. It may be feasible to chemically synthesize individual electronic components with less than a 100 percent yield, assemble them into systems with appreciable uncertainty in their connectivity, and still create a powerful and reliable data communications network. Future nanoscale computers may consist of extremely large-configuration memories that are programmed for specific tasks by a tutor that locates and tags the defects in the system.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.280.5370.1716