Kalray claims 25 customers for 256-core processor

Applications galore

Monnier stressed that although Kalray is just starting out in a number of professional-class applications where chip volumes are not as large as in consumer applications its foundry supplier TSMC has been very supportive. "We are not a small volume chip company although it may take one, two, three years to become accepted in different markets," Monnier said. "We started out two years ago with MPW [multiproject wafer] runs to do test circuits but this chip [MPPA-256] is based on a full mask set for Kalray.

Monnier said he did not regret leaving off a mainstream processor, such as an ARM core for housekeeping, off the chip or to ease integration with other computational units. "It's not an issue for Kalray. Linux is running on the processor," he said. He added that the software development support that makes MPPA-256 easy to use and program is an important part of the company's offering. "We have a C-like language for dataflow applications and can run it intermixed with C/C++ routines. The chip also has ample I/O channels including multiple DDR, PCI and Interlaken interfaces.

But that could expose one problem. It may be hard for the MPPA-256 to achieve its theoretical maximum performance of 500-GOPS with the quoted typical 5-W power consumption. Monnier admitted that with all the I/O going there could be instantaneous demands that would push the device. "Everything going at full speed could be 30 to 40 watts," he said.

Kalray has a roadmap that includes the MPPA-512 and MPPA-1024 chips with corresponding increases in the processing core count but he declined to forecast when, or in what process technology, they would arrive. Instead he emphasized derivatives of the MPPA-256. "There will be some derivatives of the basic product to make them more specific for different applications.

Kalray is also expecting to make sales of board-level and boxed products that can act as accelerators for connection to a desktop computer or server.

"Early next year we will offer a Kalray developer board with one MPPA-256 with an Intel motherboard as a development tool for customers. Another board will have multiple MPPA chips, a minimum of four, maybe six," said Monnier. After nearly four years in development sales traction for the 50-person team will, no doubt, be welcome.


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