Automata

History of creation

In November, 2013 the Micron Technologies company announced that its new developments can change the computer architecture developing decades. It is about the new Automata processor in which changeable cages of memory which can be reprogrammed for the solution of different tasks, including parallel computings are used.

According to Paul Dlagosh (Paul Dlugosch) who is responsible in Micron for creation of the new processor, Automata has thousands of modified "cells" of memory which can be turned into processing blocks. At the same time such cells / storage cells are non-volatile and can be reprogrammed. "It is really new architecture, it is based on memory", - he noted, having added that on creation of the processor 7 years left.

In Automata kastomiizirovanny columns of memory can integrate for faster processing of tasks, than on normal computers. In processors there are no set amounts of data so instructions can be rewritten on the fly for the purpose of the solution of specific tasks. Data at the same time are distributed on all memory directly during processing (processing) so, unlike standard architecture, it is not necessary to wait here until data are taken from memory.

Automata processors

According to Dlagosh, the standard computer architecture used from 1940th years assumes that between memory and the processor there is a physical space, and they are connected by instructions and logical links. In this sense of Automata, of course, will not be able to replace standard processors completely: new chips use a combination of interfaces logical and DDR of memory, but also need also the central processor, FPGA, the network processor or other computing blocks for obtaining instructions of higher level.

At the moment Automata can be used as the coprocessor for processing of applications in such areas as, for example, bioinformation science, security and processing of video. Also possible field of their application – the analysis of unstructured data.

Let's add that developments similar Automata were conducted for a row of years by different startups, but they did not manage to achieve success. However, before practical use of Automata there can pass years. In the developments in the field Micron cooperates with the Missouri University and the University of Virginia (USA). So far the vendor did not announce date of deliveries of processors to the market, but building tools of applications under Automata will become available in 2014.