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From: jww@bonnie.UUCP (Joel West)
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Re: Caltech's Cosmic Cube
Message-ID: <405@bonnie.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 21:36:40 EST
Article-I.D.: bonnie.405
Posted: Mon Feb  4 21:36:40 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Feb-85 05:16:13 EST
References: <68@mot.UUCP> <2671@csu-cs.UUCP>
Organization: CACI -- La Jolla, Calif.
Lines: 40

> []
> Dec 27's Electronic Design makes reference to a 64-node parallel processor
> using 8086/87's having solved a high-order physics problem which, heretofore,
> folk had only had the temerity to try out on a Cray.
> 	I'm curious.  Anyone know about this or know literature references?
> --------------------
> Fred Christiansen, Motorola Microsystems, 2900 S Diablo Way, Tempe, AZ 85282
> {allegra,ihnp4}!sftig!mot!fred      {ihnp4,seismo}!ut-sally!oakhill!mot!fred
> {ihnp4,amdahl}!drivax!mot!fred                       arizona!asuvax!mot!fred

I can add a little more.  JPL/CalTech have several machines planned.  The 
research on the "Hypercube" (as I have always heard it termed within JPL) is 
being funded by several different government organizations, each of which hopes 
to eventually use one to solve its own particular computational problems.

A machine consisting of 16 x {8086, 8087, 256kb} is known as a "Mark II".
The architecture encourages (2^N)-node networks by making the maximum distance 
between nodes to be N links; hence, "hypercube".  I understand that different
configurations of the Mark II are being built, up to possibly 128-node.

The next version, a "Mark III", is tentatively set to be 64 x {16 mhz 68020, 
68881, 1-4mb } for delivery in 1987.  For my purposes (massive discrete event 
simulations) that begins to look interesting.  I've heard claims that the 
68020/68881 pair is faster than a VAX-11/780...can someone comment on this?
Some also claim that 1024 x {8086...} would be better but I would strongly
disagree (a side-flame I'll ignore.)  

I've also heard a rumor that a major firm plans to market its own Intel
386-based hypercube.  I don't know enough about the 386 performance or
schedule to know when this would be or whether the 68020 would be better.

The problem of effectively using this computing power is non-trivial
(ask the folks with Illiac IV).  For simulation purposes, David Jefferson
of UCLA (Jefferson@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA) has come up with an interesting
approach that JPL plans to try.
-- 
	Joel West
	CACI, Inc. - Federal 3344 N. Torrey Pines Ct La Jolla 92037
	jww@bonnie.UUCP (ihnp4!bonnie!jww)
	westjw@nosc.ARPA