Strange Loop

Programming a 144-computer chip to minimize power

GreenArrays is shipping its 144-core asynchronous chip that needs little energy (7 pJ/inst). Idle cores use no power (100 nW). Active ones (4 mW) run fast (666 Mips), then wait for communication (idle).

Tight coding to minimize instructions executed will minimize power. The programmer can also reduce instruction fetches, transistor switching and duty cycle.

Chuck Moore

GreenArrays, Inc.

A computer engineer specializing in software, hardware and silicon. Invented the Forth computer language in 1968. Forth, Inc still programs embedded apps from telescope to data base. Designed a Forth gate-array in 1983 and circuit boards to sell it. It's successor (RTX2000) is orbiting Saturn. Filed a valuable asynchronous patent in 1989, embodied in the Sh-Boom microprocessor. Then laid-out fast, low-power Forth microprocessors. In 1998 invented colorForth and used it to position Forth microcomputers into multi-core arrays. GreenArrays is now selling a 144-core ultra low-power chip.