Architecture for expandable and modular compute nodes.
Journey defines how reusable compute nodes, product modules and peer nodes form maintainable systems through documented interfaces and explicit control and recovery behavior.
Conventional computing platforms often combine memory initialization, boot firmware, vendor services, drivers, an operating system, filesystems and applications in one failure and update domain. Compatibility layers accumulated across hardware generations add code and board-specific dependencies. A fault in any required stage can prevent the complete platform from starting or recovering.
Journey divides those responsibilities between independently controlled nodes. Each node owns its memory and execution, and may use the smallest suitable runtime. A separate supervisor can retain power, reset and recovery control when another node fails.
Inter-node latency affects only work that crosses a node boundary. Tight control loops and high-rate shared state remain local. Whole services exchange bounded messages over links with measured latency and bandwidth. Journey scales by responsibility rather than by treating several nodes as one shared-memory processor.
- Physical separation of memory and execution faults
- Smaller boot and runtime stacks where appropriate
- Explicit power, reset, firmware loading and recovery
- Predictable local timing and resource ownership
- Service-based scaling with measured communication costs
- Low-power supervision while other nodes are inactive
- Replaceable hardware with independent software lifecycles
- No required processor architecture or operating system
Published PDFs are kept in Docs. The editable LaTeX files remain in Source/docs.
Source/docs/specification: architecture specificationSource/docs/shared: publication style, metadata and TikZ diagramsSource/docs/assets: publication assetsDocs: published documents
The architecture specification is processor, operating-system and product independent. Implementation profiles define exact mechanical, electrical, control, discovery, data and recovery contracts.
Journey is released under the MIT License by Open System Query.