Circuit simulation on a distributed computer system

摘要

This research demonstrates the applicability of distributed computing to the circuit simulation class of problems. It will also show that improved through-put can be obtained using a distributed parallel processor assembled from a local network of computers. Distributed simulation will allow larger simulations than can be effectively simulated on a single node by aggregating the resources available in the local area network.;The approach taken in solving this problem was to characterize the interprocess communication performance. The feasibility of the distributed architecture was demonstrated by solving a simple numerical sorting problem and Green's Jigsaw Puzzle Problem. The difficulty experienced while manually coordinating many computer processes across several nodes led to the development of a simple Distributed Operating System layer. In the next phase of the research, Sprinkle, a Spice derivative, was developed with the addition of a remote modeling mechanism. It is this remote modeling abstraction which allows the simulator to function in a parallel manner across the distributed system.;The primary contribution of this dissertation is the successful application of the distributed architecture to the circuit simulation class of problems. This simulation application achieved reasonable speedup and efficient results using the distributed architecture. This is significant and unique because a distributed memory computer of this nature has never been successfully demonstrated or documented. It is also a useful technique for achieving faster and accurate results without additional hardware investment.