Custom Computing Machine

IEEE Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines Systems, (FCCM 04) pp. 308-309, 2004... 

Leeser, M., Miller, S., Yu, H. (2004, April). Smart camcaa based on reconfigurable hardware enables diverse real-time applications. In 12th Annual IEEE Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines, 2004. FCCM 2004 (pp. 147—155). 

Baker, Z., Gokhale, M., Tripp, J. (2007, April). Matched filtru computation on FPGA, Cell and GPU. In I5th Annual IEEE Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines, 2007. FCCM 2007 (pp. 207-218). 

This chapter provides an overview of parallel compufer architectures, including the traditional Flynn classification scheme and a discussion of computation nodes and the networks connecting them. We also present an overall system view of a parallel computer, describing the hierarchical nature of parallel archifecfure, machine reliability, and the distinction between commodity and custom computers. 

Another approach is the use of facsimile (fax) transmission to a dedicated computer equipped with software such Teleform software that can be customized to fit the needs of the clinical trial. Scannable forms are designed with specialized software and distributed to the participating sites to complete. SCs are equipped with fax machines to fax the completed forms to the central location. Advantages of this technology include the speed at which forms can be sent to a coordinating center and the fact that fax communications are very much standardized. Its drawbacks include the discipline required in form development and transmission. 

Anytime a company markets an expensive product, such as a major appliance, computer system, car, or some other type of machine, one of the first steps for enticing consumers is to provide a brochure that lists the product s unique benefits and features. The sales brochure is designed to get customers excited about the product before they actually see it firsthand. Similarly, when it comes to landing a job, your resume is the brochure you will use to market yourself. Your resume must get potential employers interested enough in you so that they invite you in for that all-important interview. From that point on, your chances of securing the job rely on your ability to sell yourself in person, but more on that later. 

In some ways, mass production has become so sophisticated that it is no longer true mass production. Many products come with a variety of options, and the customer can choose whatever combination of options he or she desires. When buying a computer from some manufacturers, for example, a customer can specify the size and make of the hard drive, how much memory they want and other details. Many theorists see a time in the near future when clothes are customized too. People would have their measurements taken, and when they order clothes, the clothes would be cut to their precise size by lasers at the clothes factory. The product would be created by specialized labor with the aid of machines, each shirt or pair of pants would be made using the same process, but by virtually any definition, this no longer would be mass production. 

A customer complains that they can t get their computer to work. When they turn it on, they get no video and hear a series of beeps. The heeps are in the sequence of one long beep, then two short heeps. You tell the customer to bring the machine in. Upon further examination you are able to reproduce the problem. What is your next step ... 

Before the PC, most computers were sold as kits. This meant that the customer had to assemble the machine, install the OS, etc. IBM debuted their IBM PC as a machine that anyone could use, because it was "ready to go" right out of the box. 

For example, consider a simulation model of a production line. As the computer runs the model, a series of decisions is made. How long does a job take on machine one On machine two Does machine three break while job four is being processed on it As the model runs, statistical data (utihzation rates, completion times, etc.) are collected and analyzed. Since this is a random model, each time the model is run, the results may be different. Statistical techniques are used to determine the average outcome of the model as well as the variability of this outcome. Also, varying different input parameters allows different models and decisions to be compared. For example, different distribution systems can be compared utilizing the same simulated customer demand. Simulation is often a useful tool for understanding very complex systems that are difficult to analyze analytically. 

All software for the laboratories home-made computers was created in-house, of necessity. When the first commercial machines—UNIVAC I and IBM 701 were delivered, minimal manufacturer-developed software accompanied them. Customers were expected to develop their own software, tailored to local requirements. In a paper entitled Operating Experience with the Los Alamos 701 given at the 1953 Eastern Joint Computer Con-... 

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