COTS-based Real-time Avionics Parallel Computer

This proposal addresses the problem of designing a parallel computer with an excellent cost-performance ratio for real-time avionics computations. This problem is important because shrinking budgets drive the ever increasing need for excellent cost-performance ratios in parallel computers. Our proposed solution is to develop a rational parallel computer architecture design technique in which the application is paramount over the architecture and the underlying hardware is based upon commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Our methodology is in two parts. First, we will examine real-time avionics computations for their fundamental computational behaviors. Second, we will develop appropriate modeling tools in which the behavior of the avionics computations drive the parallel computer architecture design. From this Phase I effort, we will produce the high-level design of a COTS-based parallel computer (with an excellent cost-performance ratio) specifically intended to solve real-time avionics computations. The Principal Investigator has performed research in the area of parallel computer architecture, and the Key Personnel have considerable software engineering experience in designing and implementing tools. The long term commercialization result will be a methodology by which to design and build high performance, low cost parallel computers for specific application domains.