Chairman: Luís Paulo Santos

Mário Henriques

António Cambotas

Joaquim Gonçalves

Chairman: João Luís Sobral

Anália Lourenço

Hugo Pires

João Lemos

Nuno Rodrigues

Chairman: António Esteves

João Rocha

Carlos Moura

Nelson Freire

Paulo Martins

Chairman: João Miguel Fernandes

Ilídio Oliveira

Pedro Maia

Marta Jacinto

Mário Henriques

Abstract: The survival of supercomputers required innovative approaches to their architecture. A review of the advantages and the drawbacks of the major architecture supercomputing models is presented here. Newer trends in their evolution include the virtual shared memory model and an attempt to carry near vector and parallel architectures.

António Cambotas

Abstract: X

Joaquim Gonçalves

Abstract: Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architecture keeps delivering exponential performance gains. This architecture model provides a new system design for breaking through the bus-based memory bandwidth limitations - which impaired scalability in SMP systems - and frees the application designer from data distribution and coherency maintenance, which are the main MPP disadvantages. This communication gives an overall view of a NUMA system, including its main advantages, and implied risks.

Anália Lourenço

Abstract: This paper gives an overview of the more relevant concepts behind current computer architectures and peripheral buses. It highlights today’s most important standards in I/O and backplane buses: the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), the FireWire (IEEE 1394) and the Universal Serial Bus (USB). It also shows the advantages of each one of these buses as well as their weaknesses and provides a comparison between FireWire and USB.

Hugo Pires

João Lemos

Abstract: Optimisation requirements in video surveillance systems opened a path to the design of specific video compression processors. An evaluation of several coding and compressing techniques - H.261, H263, MPEG1, MPEG2 and MPEG4 - is performed, suggesting H.261 as the best standard for a given case study (the UM campa in Braga and Guimaraes). A RISC processor with a specific coprocessor (AxPe640V) and its multiprocessor version (MAXPE9) are two alternative implementations. Their performance and architecture are analysed.

Nuno Rodrigues

Abstract: This communication analyses Network Computers (NC), NetPC’s and PC/TV. It shows the main steps in the evolution from the traditional PC’s into the new specifications of NC’s, NetPC’s and WebTV: NC’s and NetPC's had the initial target to reduce the computing costs; however, the WebTV had the target to get the computers and the Internet closer to the common citizen, trying to transform this object into a consumer electronics product. Although it is still too early to evaluate the success of these technologies, some resistance in its implantation has noticed itself face to the initial expectations of its main promoters.

João Rocha

Abstract: A superscalar processor fetches, executes and completes more than one instruction in parallel. This communication presents an evaluation study of two current superscalar microprocessors: the MIPS R10000 and the UltraSPARC-I. An attempt is made to point out the main design features of these processors.

Carlos Moura

Abstract: The main goal of this communication is to present the relevant features of the new processor architecture IA-64, code named Merced, as an innovative follow-up of the current Intel and HP family of success processors, the Pentium and the PA-RISC. An overview of these processors is followed by a presentation of IA-64, a VLIW architecture renamed by Intel and HP to Explicit Parallel Instruction Computer (EPIC). It uses advanced techniques to extract more parallelism from code, instruction predication, branch elimination and speculative loading.

Nelson Freire

Abstract: X

Paulo Martins

Abstract: This communication presents the methodology used to benchmark Web servers: how to measure and report Web server performance results based two relevant Web servers benchmarks: WebStone and SPECweb96. It provides a view of the most pertinent Web servers - concerning HTTP software and the system architecture - and summarises the major factors that determine the performance of a Web server.

Ilídio Oliveira

Abstract: This communication presents a survey on current handheld computers architecture, identifying the major inherent challenges. After discussing the specific requirements of a handheld targeted architecture, the paper describes five CPU implementations currently used in PDA models.

Pedro Maia

Abstract: This communication presents the organisations for standardisation and their importance in today's society, overviewing its history and how standards were created. A reference is made to the most used terms in computer terminology, stressing some of the most relevant de facto standard terms in the industry.

Marta Jacinto

Abstract: Smartcards are plastic cards with an embedded microcomputer chip, making them safer to use than the simpler memory cards. The architecture of such dedicated microcomputers is presented in this communication, complemented with a short overview of the terminal architecture required to handle smartcards. The communication closes showing how the use of smartcards in a healthcare environment in Portugal seem promising in the near future.