General Discussions

[bkelly]

Are there any products using AMD processors with a hardware profile of a small board with one or more multiple core processors and a minimum of support hardware?  The goal is to build a small home sized super computer.  Lean how to use one or a few, then expand the board count.

Some details: Someone started a company and designed and build a credit card sized board.  On the board was a controlling CPU to manage the I/O, memory, and a multi core processor.  It booted from a micro SD card.  Not much else.  Really just a hardware support package for a multi-core processor, about the size of a credit card.  From what I read they did not garner sufficient software support and the project died. The entry level board was $99 with 16 cores, 2 cores for the controller chip and 16 for the processor chip.

 Now I am looking for that concept with an AMD core.

The goal is to acquire some number of them, maybe four cards, maybe 64 or 128 or more cores, interconnect with Ethernet, and the result is a small super computer.  Size is not critical, but, the main goals are a small size, minimum hardware count, low power.

Have you any thoughts along this line?

[elstaci]

I guess what you are talking about is something in the line of a Raspberry PI using a AMD 

Found this rival of Raspberry PI that uses a AMD APU with Vega graphics: https://www.axiomtek.com/Default.aspx?MenuId=Products&FunctionId=ProductView&ItemId=25592&upcat=270

Here is data on the AMD Processor the above credit card size board uses:

[bkelly]

I want much more than an R-Pi has to offer.  It has only one core, I don't know, maybe two.  I don't want video, USB, com ports, nothing but CPU and what is directly needed to support it.  Maybe as few as four chips: A controlling CPU, a processor with multiple cores, memory, and Ethernet.  Maybe something to control power.

[leyvin · Accepted solution]

What you're looking for is a Pre-Existing Solution... but there isn't one.

Now the closest you're going to get is Ryzen Embedded (V2000)., but keep in mind this is based on Zen 2 Architecture; which is 2 Generations behind what is currently available for the Desktop; and there are Board Partner Solutions ... although what will suit your needs (and budget) I'm not sure.

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Realistically I'd say what you're actually looking for simply doesn't exist... at least not as "Ready to Go" Solution.
Instead what you'll have to do is talk to AMD about about a Semi-Custom Solution, and likely have to design the Mainboard yourself.

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Remember until recently AMD never really had any Low-Power Solutions.
Sure, they've always had their R-Series and G-Series APU/GPU; but remember those are still Excavator (K15) Based Processors., meaning that the Intel Atom or ARM Solutions were just better.

Why do you think ARM was used in Raspberry Pi and practically every Mobile Device?

This said., AMD has partnered with Samsung co-developing a new Mobile Processor Platform "Eyxnos"; which is Ryzen with RDNA Architecture.

And I think this is where things get a little more interesting.
Remember that AMD can produce Semi-Custom Solutions based on any of their existing Architecture.

Prototypes obviously can be quite expensive; and you would have to design you own Board and Controller Chipset... not to mention Software to Drive said Platform... but you could co-develop what you want to suit your needs. 
Problem is, I think you're looking for a solution that SOMEONE ELSE has already designed and developed; and those more or less just don't currently exist. 

Embedded Board Partner Catalog | AMD

[bkelly]

Re: Why do you think ARM was used in Raspberry Pi and practically every Mobile Device?

Because RISC is much easier to design and produce than CISC and many application do not need the complexity.

Re: Problem is, I think you're looking for a solution that SOMEONE ELSE has already designed and developed; and those more or less just don't currently exist. 

That may well be the case.  But, I perceive there is a need to computers with multiple processors for parallel work.  I don't want to use the phrase massively parallel, but, something on the order of 100 to 1000 cores is now affordable to most/many people at home.  IF, the hardware is available.

The device that brought me here is called Parallella made by Adeptiva.  The entry level board had 16 cores for $99 and the size is on the order of a credit card.  They went to 64 and 1024 cores.  However, from my readings, they concentrated on the hardware and not the software.  They are out of production.  But, just for practice, I might be able to acquire four of the boards and develop some software.  They also had more functionality on the board than is strictly needed.  

To recap, I think the time is ripe for a small and very simple board as described.  People at home at in universities can build a small super computer and learn how to write code for parallel processing.  How much might it cost to get a board built with existing chips and from 5 to 10 chips on a small board?