Topologix Inc, the Denver, Colorado company that builds Inmos International Plc Transputer-based parallel processing boards for use with Sun Microsystems Inc workstations, is now so confident of its prowess that it has created a full-scale parallel processor that it rates at 250 MFLOPS peak in double-precision work. Such a configuration consists of eight cabinets, each […]
Topologix Inc, the Denver, Colorado company that builds Inmos International Plc Transputer-based parallel processing boards for use with Sun Microsystems Inc workstations, is now so confident of its prowess that it has created a full-scale parallel processor that it rates at 250 MFLOPS peak in double-precision work. Such a configuration consists of eight cabinets, each resembling a Sun Microsystems workstation in both appearance and colour – it is still front-ended by a Sun – and features 256 status lights on its front panel to monitor processing functions. Up to eight of the Topology 1000 parallel boards – each with four processors and up to 16Mb of associated memory – can be installed in the Topology 1 cabinet. To create the maximum system, eight cabinets are interconnected to provide 256 processing elements. Hitherto the number of Topology boards that can be installed in a Sun station is limited to eight. The new cabinet is 30 by 12 by 28 high, but it takes up to 5MW power. Pricing starts at $27,500 with the first processing board and first ships are set for the second quarter.