This project will establish a parallel processing laboratory to provide undergraduate students with the hands-on experience of programming in a parallel environment and to increase their understanding of the theoretical aspects of parallel computing through implementation and experimentation. Projects are being created to expose the students to such issues as the coordination and synchronization of parallel processes, resource management, load balancing, and the related costs and tradeoffs of various architectural models and algorithmic techniques. The laboratory will consist of a transputer-based, multi-user parallel processing system. This system will be comprised of 64 transputers connected to six PCs. A transputer-based system will permit the various architectural topologies to be studied, since the interconnection structure of the transputers can be configured to implement networks such as rings, meshes, trees, toroids, and HyperCubes. OCCAM, a parallel-programming language designed specifically for use with transputers, will be utilized by the students to implement course projects. In addition, the C programming language will also be available for use in independent studies and undergraduate research opportunities.
