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Researchers Build Million-Core Neuromorphic Supercomputer with Massive ARM CPU Array

Discussion in 'HardForum Tech News' started by AlphaAtlas, Nov 7, 2018.

  1. Nov 7, 2018 #1
    AlphaAtlas

    AlphaAtlas [H]ard|Gawd Staff Member

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    Researchers from the University of Manchester have constructed a million-core supercomputer that can allegedly "model more biological neurons in real time than any other machine on the planet." The contraption took over 10 years and many millions of dollars to construct. Unlike traditional supercomputers, the system uses a neuromorphic architecture with a special interconnect. The machine was switched on for the first time last Friday, and the creators say they've already used the architecture to simulate parts of the brain and control a robot.

    Check out a video of the supercomputer here.

    The SpiNNaker engine is a massively-parallel multi-core computing system. It will contain up to 1,036,800 ARM9 cores and 7Tbytes of RAM distributed throughout the system in 57K nodes, each node being a System-in-Package (SiP) containing 18 cores plus a 128Mbyte off-die SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory). Each core has associated with it 64Kbytes of data tightly-coupled memory (DTCM) and 32Kbytes of instruction tightly-coupled memory (ITCM). The cores have a variety of ways of communicating with each other and with the memory, the dominant of which is by packets. These are 5- or 9-byte (40- or 72-bit) quanta of information that are transmitted around the system under the aegis of a bespoke concurrent hardware routing system. The physical hierarchy of the system has each node containing two silicon dies - the SpiNNaker chip itself, plus the Mobile DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM, which is physically mounted on top of the SpiNNaker die and stitch-bonded to it. The nodes are packaged and mounted in a 48-node hexagonal array on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), the full system requiring 1,200 such boards. In operation, the engine consumes at most 90kW of electrical power.
     
    AlphaAtlas, Nov 7, 2018
    AlphaAtlas, Nov 7, 2018
    #1
    Red Falcon likes this.
  2. Nov 7, 2018 #2
    Lothar

    Lothar Limp Gawd

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    And so it begins.
     
    Lothar, Nov 7, 2018
    Lothar, Nov 7, 2018
    #2
    OnceSetThisCannotChange, Meeho and the901 like this.
  3. Nov 7, 2018 #3
    Oldmodder

    Oldmodder Gawd

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    They also used to to order takeout from pizza hut.
     
    Oldmodder, Nov 7, 2018
    Oldmodder, Nov 7, 2018
    #3
    NemesisX likes this.
  4. Nov 7, 2018 #4
    drescherjm

    drescherjm [H]ardForum Junkie

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    I like the usage of SATA cables. I would have liked to see more details of the individual boards.
     
    drescherjm, Nov 7, 2018
    drescherjm, Nov 7, 2018
    #4
  5. Nov 7, 2018 #5
    AlphaAtlas

    AlphaAtlas [H]ard|Gawd Staff Member

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    AlphaAtlas, Nov 7, 2018
    AlphaAtlas, Nov 7, 2018
    #5
    Red Falcon, Crackinjahcs, spintroniX and 1 other person like this.
  6. Nov 7, 2018 #6
    Navilor

    Navilor Limp Gawd

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    Terminator-2---Judgment-Day-Laughs-in-Binary.png
     
    Navilor, Nov 7, 2018
    Navilor, Nov 7, 2018
    #6
    tesfaye, chili dog, btgorman and 4 others like this.
  7. Nov 7, 2018 #7
    J3RK

    J3RK [H]ardForum Junkie

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    Bespoke routing! Nice!

    :D
     
    J3RK, Nov 7, 2018
    J3RK, Nov 7, 2018
    #7
  8. Nov 7, 2018 #8
    Chebsy

    Chebsy Gawd

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    Its would be a hell of a job finding out which cpu failed if they had a problem. How do you diagnose 1 in a million cores ?
     
    Chebsy, Nov 7, 2018
    Chebsy, Nov 7, 2018
    #8
  9. Nov 7, 2018 #9
    MRAB54

    MRAB54 Gawd

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    Intel ME or Supermicro BMC
     
    MRAB54, Nov 7, 2018
    MRAB54, Nov 7, 2018
    #9
  10. Nov 7, 2018 #10
    purple_monster

    purple_monster Limp Gawd

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    did someone make the crysis joke yet
     
    purple_monster, Nov 7, 2018
    purple_monster, Nov 7, 2018
    #10
    Crystoff, MatthewK and Deleted member 93354 like this.
  11. Nov 7, 2018 #11
    viper1152012

    viper1152012 [H]ard|Gawd

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    Dang, thats a lot of work to try and speed run Galaga.

    Best of luck.
     
    viper1152012, Nov 7, 2018
    viper1152012, Nov 7, 2018
    #11
    J3RK likes this.
  12. Nov 7, 2018 #12
    Joust

    Joust 2[H]4U

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    Came here to do this. Let's not and say we did.
     
    Joust, Nov 7, 2018
    Joust, Nov 7, 2018
    #12
    tesfaye, Crystoff, Red Falcon and 2 others like this.
  13. Nov 7, 2018 #13
    J3RK

    J3RK [H]ardForum Junkie

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    You have to build a second one that can then diagnose the first through machine learning. :p
     
    J3RK, Nov 7, 2018
    J3RK, Nov 7, 2018
    #13
    Crystoff and Incontentia Buttocks like this.
  14. Nov 7, 2018 #14
    clockdogg

    clockdogg Gawd

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    This part:
    And this part:
    The performance per watt specs seem ideal for crypto mining as well.
     
    clockdogg, Nov 7, 2018
    clockdogg, Nov 7, 2018
    #14
  15. Nov 7, 2018 #15
    Galvin

    Galvin 2[H]4U

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    This computer can't play crysis, but it can actually play the game crysis as a player
     
    Galvin, Nov 7, 2018
    Galvin, Nov 7, 2018
    #15
  16. Nov 7, 2018 #16
    purple_monster

    purple_monster Limp Gawd

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    you are going to be having a crysis if you dont delete this message :)

    edit: that smiley looks threatening in this context. im so joking!
     
    purple_monster, Nov 7, 2018
    purple_monster, Nov 7, 2018
    #16
  17. Nov 7, 2018 #17
    velusip

    velusip [H]ard|Gawd

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    But can it run 3D Maze.scr?
     
    velusip, Nov 7, 2018
    velusip, Nov 7, 2018
    #17
    J3RK likes this.
  18. Nov 8, 2018 #18
    B00nie

    B00nie [H]ardness Supreme

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    By the time they finish connecting all the cores a single AMD server chip will have as many cores in one package...
     
    B00nie, Nov 8, 2018
    B00nie, Nov 8, 2018
    #18
    Pocatello likes this.
  19. Nov 8, 2018 #19
    TeeJayHoward

    TeeJayHoward Limpness Supreme

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    Pizza Hut continues their trend of being one of the firsts. IIRC, PizzaNet was the first web site you could order anything from and have it delivered to you. The precursor to Amazon.com.
     
    TeeJayHoward, Nov 8, 2018
    TeeJayHoward, Nov 8, 2018
    #19
  20. Nov 8, 2018 #20
    viivo

    viivo Gawd

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    So long as the machines don't spell out EVERY SINGLE FUCKING ACRONYM in paranthesis, then I look forward to them supping upon my fleshy parts.
     
    viivo, Nov 8, 2018
    viivo, Nov 8, 2018
    #20
  21. Nov 8, 2018 #21
    Crystoff

    Crystoff [H]Lite

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    I haven't heard that phrase in a very long time. ;-) [Though I think it was "Let's don't and say we did"...]
     
    Crystoff, Nov 8, 2018
    Crystoff, Nov 8, 2018
    #21
  22. Nov 8, 2018 #22
    J3RK

    J3RK [H]ardForum Junkie

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    3D Pipes... I want to know how fast it can draw those pipes.
     
    J3RK, Nov 8, 2018
    J3RK, Nov 8, 2018
    #22
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