AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COST AVOIDANCE THROUGH INFUSION OF COMMERCIAL PROCESSOR TECHNOLOGY

REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGHER THROUGHPUT CAPABILITIES DRIVE SYSTEM DESIGNERS TO SPECIAL PURPOSE COMPUTERS, OR PROCESSORS. THESE ARE OFTEN COMBINATIONS OF MODULAR PROCESSING RESOURCES, MEMORY, CONTROL, AND I/O.AS THE NUMBER AND CAPABILITY OF THESE REQUIRED TO SOLVE EACH PROBLEMGROWS, THE ARCHITECTURE, OR "GLUE", THAT HOLDS THEM TOGETHER BECOMESOF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. CURRENT PROCESSING RESOURCES, WHETHER FOR SIGNAL OR INFORMATION PROCESSING ARE OFTEN BOTTLENECKED BY THE THE SYSTEM WITH ENOUGH SPEED SO THAT THE PROCESSORS ARE NOT IDLE. MANY EXISTING PROJECTS HAVE DEVELOPED APPLICATION SOFTWARE WHICH IS CURRENTLY ADEQUATE BUT WHICH WILL REQUIRE ENHANCEMENT OR EXPANSION IN THE FUTURE TO MEET THE NEW THREATS. MUCH OF THIS APPLICATION ENHANCEMENT COULD BE PERFORMED IN A NON-MILITARY SYSTEM IF THE EXISTING SOFTWARE COULD BE EXECUTED IN A COMMERCIAL, MODULARLY CONFIGURABLE PROCESSOR SYSTEM USING STATE-OF-THE-ART PROCESSING RESOURCES. THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING SOFTWARE AND PERMIT RESOURCE EXPANSION SO THAT ADDITIONAL SENSORS COULD BE PROCESSED, AUGMENTED PROCESSING MODES COULD BE ADDED, OR ADDITIONAL BANDWIDTH COULD BE USED. THESE CAPABILITIES COULD BE ADDED WITHOUT THE COMPLETE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE APPLICATION SOFTWARE IF THE COMMERCIAL SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE WERE CAPABLE OF EFFICIENTLY EXECUTING THE EXISTING SOFTWARE WHILE ALLOWING FOR THE REQUIRED ENHANCEMENTS TO BE ADDED. ADVANCED PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURES WHICH USE NEW TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR COMPUTING AND MEMORY RESOURCES COULD PROVIDE THE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE NECESSARY FOR ENHANCED THREAT DETECTION.