Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!aglew From: aglew@oberon.crhc.uiuc.edu (Andy Glew) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Electro-optic bus Message-ID: Date: 18 Jul 90 14:01:41 GMT References: <647@dg.dg.com> <1990Jul18.041829.6640@nlm.nih.gov> Sender: usenet@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Distribution: comp Organization: University of Illinois, Computer Systems Group Lines: 22 In-Reply-To: usenet@nlm.nih.gov's message of 18 Jul 90 04:18:29 GMT >>In addition to the 4 Si microprocessors and the GaAs hub, we can have >>at least two "connecting" chips, which would allow us to expand the >>network indefinitely on a two-dimentional plat. Of course, if we have >>three "connecting" chips, then we can do it on three-dimention. > >The technology which is really going to make or break this scheme is >connectors. If you can build an optical socket that couples an >independently fabricated module onto board level optical channels, >then you have a winner. If you can't manufacture the electrooptical >modules separately or you can't make optical boards with fairly complex >interconnect patterns, it is not going to fly. That's one of the reasons for thinking about only small numbers of processors (just large enough to saturate an electrical bus, which nowadays isn't much). You can punt on the connector/termination problem by leaving your chips naked, and having the light come in on top in freespace. Means that your optical transmitters have to be that much more powerful, though. -- Andy Glew, aglew@uiuc.edu