Architectural implications of nanoscale integrated sensing and computing

Authors:
Constantin Pistol;Wutichai Chongchitmate;Christopher Dwyer;Alvin R. Lebeck
Affiliations:
Duke University, Durham, NC, USA;Duke University, Durham, NC, USA;Duke University, Durham, NC, USA;Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Venue:
Proceedings of the 14th international conference on Architectural support for programming languages and operating systems
Year:
2009

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Abstract

This paper explores the architectural implications of integrating computation and molecular probes to form nanoscale sensor processors (nSP). We show how nSPs may enable new computing domains and automate tasks that currently require expert scientific training and costly equipment. This new application domain severely constrains nSP size, which significantly impacts the architectural design space. In this context, we explore nSP architectures and present an nSP design that includes a simple accumulator-based ISA, sensors, limited memory and communication transceivers. To reduce the application memory footprint, we introduce the concept of instruction-fused sensing. We use simulation and analytical models to evaluate nSP designs executing a representative set of target applications. Furthermore, we propose a candidate nSP technology based on optical Resonance Energy Transfer (RET) logic that enables the small size required by the application domain; our smallest design is about the size of the largest known virus. We also show laboratory results that demonstrate initial steps towards a prototype.