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From: wcs@ho95e.UUCP (x0705)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: Avalon AP/10A attached processor for VAX.
Message-ID: <448@ho95e.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-Jan-86 23:43:31 EST
Article-I.D.: ho95e.448
Posted: Fri Jan 31 23:43:31 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 20:13:54 EST
References: <135@uwslh.UUCP>
Reply-To: wcs@ho95e.UUCP (Bill Stewart 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs HO 2G202)
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 23

In article <135@uwslh.UUCP> dem@uwslh.UUCP writes:
>I recently received a brochure from Avalon Computer Systems for
>their AP/10A attached processor system.
>It is an auxiliary cpu that plugs into the VAX unibus.
>You add a device driver and recompile your programs so that they
>will be loaded into the new cpu rather than run by the VAX cpu.
	Last time I looked at them, they only supported 4.*BSD, and not
	System V.  Does anybody know of a System V version?
>It apparently runs only one process at a time in the attached processor.
>How do you deal with someone trying program1|program2|program3
>where more than one of the programs has been compiled to run on the
>attached processor.
	If your program is written properly, it will check a file or
	other semaphore mechanism, then run either the coprocessor version 
	or the main  CPU version depending on what's free.
>Has anyone actually tried one of these?  Is it worth the trouble?
	We have a similar device that lives out on an RS232 port
	and does troff.  It's hard to say if it's worth while,
	aminly because of the time to transmit the files down to the
	box and back.  If it were on a network that didn't require too
	much CPU to transfer files, it would be a big win.
-- 
# Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G-202, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs