diff --git a/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/compute_node.py b/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/compute_node.py
index 2fb7620f..2482f399 100644
--- a/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/compute_node.py
+++ b/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/compute_node.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def connect(self, other, edge, kwargs=None):
             pe = self.get_name()
             new_conns = {
                 f'pe_to_reduce': [
-                    ([(pe, "res"), (other_red, f"data_in")], 17),
+                    ([(pe, "res"), (other_red, f"reduce_data_in")], 17),
                 ]
             }
             return new_conns
@@ -151,6 +151,12 @@ def configure(self, attributes):
         comment = attributes['comment'].strip('"')
         print(c_op)
         op_code = 0
+        # configuring via sam, it is a sparse app
+        use_dense = False
+        # mapping to pe only, configuring only the pe, ignore the reduce
+        pe_only = True
+        # data I/O should interface with other primitive outside of the cluster
+        pe_in_external = 1
         if c_op == 'mul':
             op_code = 1
         elif c_op == 'add' and 'sub=1' not in comment:
@@ -158,6 +164,9 @@ def configure(self, attributes):
         elif c_op == 'add' and 'sub=1' in comment:
             op_code = 2
         cfg_kwargs = {
-            'op': op_code
+            'op': op_code,
+            'use_dense': use_dense,
+            'pe_only': pe_only,
+            'pe_in_external': pe_in_external
         }
-        return op_code, cfg_kwargs
+        return (op_code, use_dense, pe_only, pe_in_external), cfg_kwargs
diff --git a/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/merge_node.py b/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/merge_node.py
index 9b1f1ae7..c0b3d158 100644
--- a/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/merge_node.py
+++ b/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/merge_node.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def connect(self, other, edge, kwargs=None):
             other_red = other.get_name()
             new_conns = {
                 f'merge_to_reduce_inner': [
-                    ([(merge, f"cmrg_coord_out_{0}"), (other_red, f"data_in")], 17),
+                    ([(merge, f"cmrg_coord_out_{0}"), (other_red, f"reduce_data_in")], 17),
                 ]
             }
 
diff --git a/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/reduce_node.py b/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/reduce_node.py
index 5caac658..6ed41cf7 100644
--- a/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/reduce_node.py
+++ b/sam/onyx/hw_nodes/reduce_node.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def connect(self, other, edge, kwargs=None):
             new_conns = {
                 'reduce_to_wr_scan': [
                     # send output to rd scanner
-                    ([(red, "data_out"), (wr_scan, "data_in")], 17),
+                    ([(red, "reduce_data_out"), (wr_scan, "data_in")], 17),
                     # ([(red, "eos_out"), (wr_scan, "eos_in_0")], 1),
                     # ([(wr_scan, "ready_out_0"), (red, "ready_in")], 1),
                     # ([(red, "valid_out"), (wr_scan, "valid_in_0")], 1),
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def connect(self, other, edge, kwargs=None):
             new_conns = {
                 'reduce_to_reduce': [
                     # send output to rd scanner
-                    ([(red, "data_out"), (other_red, "data_in")], 17),
+                    ([(red, "reduce_data_out"), (other_red, "reduce_data_in")], 17),
                     # ([(red, "eos_out"), (wr_scan, "eos_in_0")], 1),
                     # ([(wr_scan, "ready_out_0"), (red, "ready_in")], 1),
                     # ([(red, "valid_out"), (wr_scan, "valid_in_0")], 1),
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def connect(self, other, edge, kwargs=None):
             new_conns = {
                 f'reduce_to_pe_{other_conn}': [
                     # send output to rd scanner
-                    ([(red, "data_out"), (pe, f"data{other_conn}")], 17),
+                    ([(red, "reduce_data_out"), (pe, f"data{other_conn}")], 17),
                     # ([(red, "eos_out"), (wr_scan, "eos_in_0")], 1),
                     # ([(wr_scan, "ready_out_0"), (red, "ready_in")], 1),
                     # ([(red, "valid_out"), (wr_scan, "valid_in_0")], 1),
@@ -102,7 +102,19 @@ def connect(self, other, edge, kwargs=None):
     def configure(self, attributes):
         # TODO
         stop_lvl = 2
+        # bypassing the fifos in the pe, get result in a single cycle
+        pe_only = False
+        # configuring both the pe and the reduce
+        pe_connected_to_reduce = True
+        # data I/O to and from the PE should be internal with the reduce
+        pe_in_external = 0
+        # op is set to integer add for the PE TODO: make this configurable in the sam graph
+        op = 0
         cfg_kwargs = {
-            'stop_lvl': stop_lvl
+            'stop_lvl': stop_lvl,
+            'pe_connected_to_reduce': pe_connected_to_reduce,
+            'pe_only': pe_only,
+            'pe_in_external': pe_in_external,
+            'op': op
         }
-        return stop_lvl, cfg_kwargs
+        return (stop_lvl, pe_connected_to_reduce, pe_only, pe_in_external, op), cfg_kwargs