Computers as Components, 3rd Edition

8.5 MPSoCs and Shared Memory Multiprocessors

Shared memory processors are well-suited to applications that require a large amount of data to be processed. Signal processing systems stream data and can be well-suited to shared memory processing. Most MPSoCs are shared memory systems.

Shared memory allows for processors to communicate with varying patterns. If the pattern of communication is very fixed and if the processing of different steps is performed in different units, then a networked multiprocessor may be most appropriate. If the communication patterns between steps can vary, then shared memory provides that flexibility. If one processing element is used for several different steps, then shared memory also allows the required flexibility ...