Application systems in real-time processing fields, in addition to those systems whose most important requirement is to complete processing within a given response time, also include systems whose aims are to raise throughput within the response time restrictions, in which a high degree of multi-tasking is of primary importance. The paper makes proposals on task scheduling and OS functions in highly multi-tasking real-time processing domains, and outlines a research project presently being undertaken in NTT to study real-time OS performance evaluation methods geared to these domains.>

The FPC (floating-point process controller) chip design and the AMD Am29325 32-b floating-point processor mathematics chip form a two-chip cell designed for one- or two-dimensional systolic arrays which can be used to implement a wide variety of signal processing applications. The FPC controls the Am29325, routes data to and from it, and routes data and control to other cells in the array. Unique features include two interchangeable data memories, an input port which can be used as either a local or global port, and a 32-b instruction word that provides concurrent use of all cell resources. Additional features include a program memory, two data streams, and three control streams. The novel architectural features of the cell are described, and a matrix multiplication example is used to demonstrate their usefulness.>