Feng’s classification

Introduction

● In 1972, Tse-yun Feng suggested the use of degree of

parallelism to classify various computer architecture.
● It is based on sequential and parallel operations at a bit and
word level.
Maximum degree of parallelism

● The maximum number of binary digits that can be processed within a unit time by a
computer system is called the maximum parallelism degree P.
● If a processor is processing P bits in unit time, then P is called the maximum degree
of parallelism.
Average Parallelism and Processor utilization

Let i= 1, 2, 3, ..., T be the different timing instants and P1, P2, ..., PT be the corresponding bits
processed. Then,

Average parallelism,

Pa = (P1 + P2 + ....PT) / T

Processor Utilization,

μ= Pa/P
● In general, Pi ≤ P. We define the utilization rate μ of a computer system within T cycles.

● If the computing power is fully utilized (or the parallelism is fully exploited), we have Pi=P
for all i and μ=1 for 100 percent utilization.

● The utilization rate depends on the application program being executed.

Types of classification

According to Feng’s classification, computer architecture can be classified into four.

● Word Serial Bit Serial (WSBS): One bit of one selected word is processed at a time. This
represents serial processing and needs maximum processing time.

● Word Serial Bit Parallel (WSBP): It is found in most existing computers and has been called
as Word Slice processing because one word of n bit is processed at a time. All bits of a selected
word are processed at a time. Bit parallel means all bits of a word.
● Word Parallel Bit Serial (WPBS): It has been called bit slice processing because m-bit slice
is processed at a time. Word parallel signifies selection of all words. It can be considered as
one bit from all words are processed at a time.

● Word Parallel Bit Parallel (WPBP): It is known as fully parallel processing in which an
array on n x m bits is processes at one time. Maximum parallelism is achieved here.
Limitations

● It fails to project the concurrency in pipeline processors, as degree of parallelism

doesn't account for concurrency handle by pipe-lined design