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A Look at Photonic Clocking
zymano writes "In an article on the Electronic Engineering Times site James Siepmann shares a few thoughts about Photonic Clocking. Siepmann states: 'Copper interconnects are reaching their limit as data-transmission bandwidth and processor speed continue to rise. [..] Photonic clocking not only solves the limitations of electronic clocking, but also reduces jitter, skew, delay, crosstalk and power consumption while maintaining clock signal integrity for longer distances.'" Are Photonic Processors the next logical step, or will the almighty buck shuffle them aside because of cost?
Are Photonic Processors the next logical step, or will the almighty buck shuffle them aside because of cost?
Yeah, 'cause technology never gets cheaper. Hey, I've got an AT&T 8086 PC with a lovely green monitor that you can have for $5000, if you act now...
Hang on to it. In a few years, you can haul it down to Antiques Roadshow and have 'em tell you it's "worth between $2000 and $4000, but for insurance purposes..."
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Dude, you and your photonic chips can suck my voltage.
No, this isn't just a copper out, I'm serious. You photonic people seem to think that we're living in a dark age. If photonic processors were at all realistic, we all would have seen the light long ago.
Anyway, take your Star Wars chip and put it in a country where people have never seen George Lucas's masterpiece, Episode 1.
I actually read that as photonic cooking...but to each their own :)
Join the TWIT army now!
Touche.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Here, let me explain. The processor is made from a neutronium-alloy, which siphons quantum energy from a Sea of Dirac to produce a photonic current. This is channelled via plasma conduits to the high-frequency phase conducer, where creates a precision clock signal with an error margin of less than 0.000000386 parsecs.
You look beautiful! Incidentally, my favorite artist is Picasso.
LaForge: Gee, I don't know... These RocketIO bus are mighty archiac and PCI even more so.
Data: RocketIO is rated at 9.8 Gbps and PCI-X6 is rated at even slower rate of 8 Gbps aggregated.
LaForge: Yeah, right. Nothing compare to our photonic bus of 980 THz over each of the 2^1024 channels.
Scotty: Ayie! Why don't they get with the program, laddies? I kin nev'r understind them, bloody buses.
The "almighty buck" won't shuffle it aside...people will. If the processor is not cost-effective then it won't catch on. However, the processor may become the SUV of chips. It may not be the most cost-effective solution but a purchaser may feel it helps him compensate for his undersized penis.
You know, when I started writing this post that's honestly not where I was going. I was going to make some point about how marketing may overcome the possible lack of value of the chip (a la VHS vs Beta) but then the post just headed south...
I thought the article said "platonic" clocking... I was thinking... I would hope they loved their clock..
Note to self: Don't read Slashdot too late at night..
AMD will also sue Intel now, in fear that the last part comes true.
Slash-for-Thought
And move on to Photonic CANNONing. After all, the Borg are gonna hit is one of these days, and not just through Bill
Judging by what's coming out of Hollywood lately, the other thing must be shit.
--S
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