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High Performance General-Purpose Microprocessors: Past and Future

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Abstract

It can be observed from looking backward that processor architecture is improved through spirally shifting from simple to complex and from complex to simple. Nowadays we are facing another shifting from complex to simple, and new innovative architecture will emerge to utilize the continuously increasing transistor budgets. The growing importance of wire delays, changing workloads, power consumption, and design/verification complexity will drive the forthcoming era of Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs). Furthermore, typical CMP projects both from industries and from academics are investigated. Through going into depths for some primary theoretical and implementation problems of CMPs, the great challenges and opportunities to future CMPs are presented and discussed. Finally, the Godson series microprocessors designed in China are introduced.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Computer System and Architecture, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, P.R. China

    Wei-Wu Hu, Rui Hou, Jun-Hua Xiao & Long-Bin Zhang

Authors
  1. Wei-Wu Hu
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  2. Rui Hou
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  3. Jun-Hua Xiao
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  4. Long-Bin Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei-Wu Hu.

Additional information

Survey: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Distinguished Young Scholar under Grant No. 60325205, the National High Technology Development 863 Program of China under Grants No. 2002AA110010, No. 2005AA110010, No. 2005AA119020, and the National Grand Fundamental Research 973 Program of China under Grant No. 2005CB321600.

Wei-Wu Hu received his B.S. degree from University of Science and Technology of China in 1991 and his Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Computing Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1996, both in computer science. He is currently a professor in the Institute of Computing Technology. His research interests include high performance computer architecture, parallel processing and VLSI design.

Rui Hou is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Institute of Computing Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interest includes high performance computer architecture.

Jun-Hua Xiao is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Institute of Computing Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interest includes high performance computer architecture.

Long-Bing Zhang received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2002. And he completed the postdoctoral work in Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2004. He is now an associate researcher in Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include microprocessor design, system architecture, and cluster computing.

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Hu, WW., Hou, R., Xiao, JH. et al. High Performance General-Purpose Microprocessors: Past and Future. J Comput Sci Technol 21, 631–640 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11390-006-0631-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11390-006-0631-6

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