Development of a high-performance universal computing element-PULCE*

Since the first introduction of the microprocessor, various kinds of microprocessors have been developed. There have been remarkable achievements both in the level of integration and processing speed. However, most microprocessors develqped to date are oriented to device control applications or low class minicomputer replacement. It is true that some bit-sliced microprocessors can operate at very high speeds, but they are neither one-chip, nor do they have much functional capability. On the other hand, with the current state of the art in semiconductor technology, it seems possible to integrate considerable amounts of computing power in a chip and at the same time to achieve high speed operation comparable to existing discrete processors. The Electrotechnical Laboratory and Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co. (Toshiba) R&D center are engaged in a research effort in this area and have developed a new high-performance universal computing element-PULCE. This paper describes its architectural design, 1,2 as well as the semiconductor technology develped for its implementation.