A PCI based Network Interface Controller for IEEE 1355 DS Links

Peter van der Stok

Appeared in: proceedings of WoTUG21: Architectures, Languages and Patterns for Parallel and Distributed Applications, Concurrent Systems Engineering Series (ISSN 1383-7575), pp. 49-68, IOS Press (1998)

ABSTRACT

We have investigated the construction of a parallel computer using IEEE 1355 high-throughput low-latency DS link networks and high-performance commodity processors running a standard operating system. In this context a DS Network Interface Controller (DSNIC) has been developed. The board's hardware, controlled by FPGA firmware, together with host software provides a CSP based message passing interface between standard OS processes. This paper describes how the design and realisation of the DSNIC reflect our aim: low-latency high-throughput inter-process communication. We show the benchmark results, their analysis, and suggest further performance gains that might be possible.

Postscript