The role of simulation in the development of task-oriented computer architectures

With the recent improvements in the technology of inlegrated circuits there has been increasing interest in task-oriented computer architectures. At Carnegie-Mellon University we have built a multi-microprocessor architecture tailored to the execution of the Harpy speech understanding system (Harpy Machine). While doing this, we have been confronted with the non-trivial problem of developing software for a lask-oriented multiprocessor. This paper is concerned with one approach to the problem of software development: the use of an ad-hoc simulator as a cheap software development tool (as opposed to the typical use of a simulator as a design evaluation tool). The experience made with the simulator in the development of the software for the Harpy Machine is also discussed.