Microprocessors for non-numeric processing

The problem of processing of non-numeric data has received considerable attention in the last few years. This is primarily motivate by the pressing needs in the are a of data base management. It has long been recognized that the parallel processing capabilities of an associative processor are fundamentally well suited to this environment. However, the complexity and cost of truely associative memories make this approach impractical. In this paper, the demands that non-numeric processing place on memory and processor hardware are discussed. Some emerging trends are presented, and a suggestion is given regarding the development of a “general purpose” microprocessor that is suited to this environment. Basically, the microprocessor discussed here is capable of performing simple search and update functions on a high speed, serial data stream. Therefore, it is suited to any application where such a situation is encountered, such as in digital communications.