Cell BE - A Network on a Chip

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_On_Chip ''Network on a chip''] ('''NOC''') is a paradigm in the design of parallel hardware architecture.  It differs from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System-on-a-chip ''System on a chip''] ('''SOC''') by featuring generic communication channels between processor elements instead of specialized buses to simplify chip design.  Network on a chip systems have the ability to have processing elements operating on different data elements simultaneously without special framework.  These characteristics allow better energy-performance characteristics[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_On_Chip <nowiki>[1]</nowiki>].  The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(microprocessor) ''Cell Broadband Engine''] ('''Cell BE''') is a network on a chip design in production by Sony, Toshiba and IBM (STI).  The Cell BE demonstrates these characteristics in a high performance, scalable production architecture.