The PAPIA system

In 1983 an Italian research program was begun for the design, simulation and construction of a multiprocessor image processing system. After a first phase devoted to the comparison of suggested and existing systems and to the definition of a set of benchmarks, a new system was defined. The structure of this new system is introduced here: it is based on a fine-grained pyramid of processors built up by means of a pyramidal cell implemented on a VLSI multiprocessor chip. The peculiarities and the capabilities of the processing element are highlighted. The complete hardware and software system has been fully designed and is described. A first working prototype has been built and is now operational.