Parallel Element Processing Ensemble
Encyclopedia
The Parallel Element Processing Ensemble (also known as PEPE) was one of the very early parallel computing
systems. This computer was designed and built in the mid 1970s by Burroughs Corporation at their Great Valley Labs engineering facility in Paoli, Pennsylvania
. The original goal was to build a computer system that could simultaneously track up to 288 incoming ballistic missile
warhead
s.
The design featured an array of 288 (8 x 36) identical processing elements and associative addressing. Each processing element contained a minimum of control logic, the bulk of the control being concentrated in a common control unit. The control unit decoded and issued instructions to all processing elements simultaneously so that the elements were required to execute exactly the same instruction at exactly the same time. The elements were capable of executing a complete single address instruction repertoire permitting any desired arithmetic or logical operation.
A Burroughs B1700
computer system was used as a test and diagnostic computer. A custom software package, called TRANSET, which executed on the B1700 was used to debug and maintain PEPE's processing elements.
Burroughs delivered PEPE to the Ballistic Missile Defense Advanced Technology Center (part of US Army's Strategic Defense Command) in Huntsville, Alabama
in 1976.
Parallel computing
Parallel computing is a form of computation in which many calculations are carried out simultaneously, operating on the principle that large problems can often be divided into smaller ones, which are then solved concurrently . There are several different forms of parallel computing: bit-level,...
systems. This computer was designed and built in the mid 1970s by Burroughs Corporation at their Great Valley Labs engineering facility in Paoli, Pennsylvania
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Paoli is a census-designated place in Chester County near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated in portions of two townships: Tredyffrin and Willistown...
. The original goal was to build a computer system that could simultaneously track up to 288 incoming ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
warhead
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
s.
The design featured an array of 288 (8 x 36) identical processing elements and associative addressing. Each processing element contained a minimum of control logic, the bulk of the control being concentrated in a common control unit. The control unit decoded and issued instructions to all processing elements simultaneously so that the elements were required to execute exactly the same instruction at exactly the same time. The elements were capable of executing a complete single address instruction repertoire permitting any desired arithmetic or logical operation.
A Burroughs B1700
Burroughs B1700
The Burroughs B1000 Series of computers consisted of three major generations which were the B1700, B1800, and B1900 series machines originally introduced in the 1970s and continued later on....
computer system was used as a test and diagnostic computer. A custom software package, called TRANSET, which executed on the B1700 was used to debug and maintain PEPE's processing elements.
Burroughs delivered PEPE to the Ballistic Missile Defense Advanced Technology Center (part of US Army's Strategic Defense Command) in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
in 1976.