Researchers harness chaos theory for new class of cpus

DePurpereWolf

Researchers harness chaos theory for new class of CPUs

In general, processors that are dedicated to a single task are faster and more efficient than a general purpose processor like the ones Intel provides. That's why a small, low-power chip dedicated to decoding video can easily handle a task that can strain a CPU. The downside is that they're only good for the task they're made for. It's only recently that devices like field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have provided a best-of-both-worlds option. FPGAs can be reconfigured on the fly to perform a single task. But a competing technology is in the works that may be able to compete with FPGAs, and it's based on chaos theory.

Those who think of chaos as completely unpredictable are likely to be wondering how unpredictable behavior can be used to perform logic operations. But chaos theory isn't concerned with unpredictability; instead, it focuses on what are called nonlinear functions, ones where the ultimate output is very sensitive to the initial conditions. When you can control the initial conditions, you can still predict the output.

That ability is at the heart of a chaotic processor. The authors of a recent paper in Chaos describe what they call "chaogates," which use simple, nonlinear functions to perform logic operations. The basic idea is that, ultimately, you want a logical output, a binary 1 or 0. It's possible to convert the output of even a complex function into that sort of binary distinction using a strategically placed less than or equal to (<=) operation. If this sort of function is hardwired into the chip, then it's simply a matter of knowing how to select your inputs so that you get the operation of your choice.

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lees verder: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/1...ass-of-cpus.ars

Bron: Ars Technica

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Researchers harness chaos theory for new class of CPUs

Daar heb ik ook nog een presentatie over gegeven, en er mij even in verdiept. Bijna alle grote firmas kijken hier de kat uit de boom, omdat er een grote paradigmashift voor nodig is; even groot of groter als de shift van serieel naar parallel programmeren...

DePurpereWolf

Dat denk ik ook. Het is natuurlijk ook niet enkel een CPU maken, je moet er ook een moederbord bij plakken, en software, op verschillende niveaus. Een enorme opgave.

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