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From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: info on array processors wanted
Message-ID: <143@phri.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 11:55:01 EST
Article-I.D.: phri.143
Posted: Wed Jan 16 11:55:01 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 09:11:11 EST
References: <278@packard.UUCP>
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
Lines: 35

> Does anyone have any information on array processors that run
> under UNIX? ...  We're running System V.
> 
>Mike Ressler, Commercial Union Capital Corporation,   ..!pyuxvv!cucc!ressler

I researched this a while ago while preparing a NSF grant application which
is now pending, and this is what I discovered.

Floating Point Systems makes a number of models which hook up to a Unibus.
There is a company called "Apunix Computer Services" which seems to do nothing
except write Unix software for the FPS Hardware (I found out about them through
my FPS salesman).  They supply a package including a kernel driver, C (and
F77??) compiler, assembler for their special 'down to the bare metal' FPP
language, a whole package of canned routines, simulator for development of
FPP programs, and debugger.  It all looks wonderful on paper.  Aparantly, they
have taken great pains to avoid the problem of needing 10mS of kernal overhead
in system calls to perform 50uS of calculations on the FPP.

The guy to contact is Peter Berens, Apunix Computer Services, 1380 Garnet
Ave, Suite E-292, San Diego, CA 92109  (619)-452-7819, (619)-272-5155.
Sorry, I can'l locate the number for FPS, but just look for their ads in
most of the trade 'zines.

Note, I have not actualy had any experience with any of the hard/soft-ware,
this is all from the sales literature and talking with the salesman.  (If
any body out there >>has<< had any experience with this stuff, I'd be
interested to here your opinions).  For what it's worth, we asked for a
FPS 5205 which we intend to hang off an 11/750, possibly springing for
a second unibus adaptor if the unibus bandwidth gets to be a big problem.
-- 
Don't blame me, I just work here....

{allegra,seismo,ihnp4}!vax135!timeinc\
                 cmcl2!rocky2!cubsvax >!phri!roy  (Roy Smith)
                      philabs!cubsvax/