3 ms·

Feynman also ranted about how much processing within the memory would speed computing in the 80's. He challenged those "computer scientists" to figure it out :P

Feynman also ranted about how much processing within the memory would speed computing in the 80's. He challenged those "computer scientists" to figure it out :P .... this lecture: http://cse.unl.edu/~seth/434/Web%20Links%20and%20Docs/Feynman-future%20computing%20machines.pdf http://cse.unl.edu/~seth/434/Web%20Links%20and%20Docs/Feynma...

tCfD 9y ago
That's how I heard of them referred to since at least the early 90's, as processor-in-memory. I didn't know memristor was referring to the same concept.
unixhero 9y ago
Very insightful post. Thanks for that. I skimmed the paper and enjoyed the illustrations, and the photos at the end :). So Memristors are about reversible gates instead of non-reversible NAND gates?
- 52-6F-62 9y ago
  I think what he implied was that more reliable calculations would come from reversible gates, though they'd ultimately be slower. The speed being one of the main reasons they weren't used in processor design. One of the solutions for that problem was the parallel design that could compensate for the slowdown of individual calculations by the ability to run many at the same time, and of course the increased rate of transmission by performing the calculations right within the memory instead of the added latency of fetching and storing values every values and performing every calculation synchronously. So I think it's more that memristors would be a solution that allows the use of reversible gates making for more reliable processors. If anybody else has any better insight, fire away.
tim333 9y ago
I think maybe the relevant bit - kind of a job to find in 16 pages: >. Another plan is to distribute very large numbers of very simple central processors all over the memory. Each one deals with just a small part of the memory and there is an elaborate system of interconnections between them. An example of such a machine is the Connection Machine made at M.I.T. It has 64,000 processors and a system of routing in which every 16 can talk to any other 16 and thus 4000 routing connection possibilities.

tCfD 9y ago

That's how I heard of them referred to since at least the early 90's, as processor-in-memory. I didn't know memristor was referring to the same concept.

unixhero 9y ago

Very insightful post. Thanks for that. I skimmed the paper and enjoyed the illustrations, and the photos at the end :). So Memristors are about reversible gates instead of non-reversible NAND gates?

52-6F-62 9y ago
I think what he implied was that more reliable calculations would come from reversible gates, though they'd ultimately be slower. The speed being one of the main reasons they weren't used in processor design. One of the solutions for that problem was the parallel design that could compensate for the slowdown of individual calculations by the ability to run many at the same time, and of course the increased rate of transmission by performing the calculations right within the memory instead of the added latency of fetching and storing values every values and performing every calculation synchronously. So I think it's more that memristors would be a solution that allows the use of reversible gates making for more reliable processors. If anybody else has any better insight, fire away.

tim333 9y ago

I think maybe the relevant bit - kind of a job to find in 16 pages: >. Another plan is to distribute very large numbers of very simple central processors all over the memory. Each one deals with just a small part of the memory and there is an elaborate system of interconnections between them. An example of such a machine is the Connection Machine made at M.I.T. It has 64,000 processors and a system of routing in which every 16 can talk to any other 16 and thus 4000 routing connection possibilities.