Microgrid - The microthreaded many-core architecture

Abstract

Traditional processors use the von Neumann execution model, some other processors in the past have used the dataflow execution model. A combination of von Neuman model and dataflow model is also tried in the past and the resultant model is referred as hybrid dataflow execution model. We describe a hybrid dataflow model known as the microthreading. It provides constructs for creation, synchronization and communication between threads in an intermediate language. The microthreading model is an abstract programming and machine model for many-core architecture. A particular instance of this model is named as the microthreaded architecture or the Microgrid. This architecture implements all the concurrency constructs of the microthreading model in the hardware with the management of these constructs in the hardware.