25 Oct
2010
25 Oct
'10
1:01 p.m.
Just picked up an nCUBE 2 from a list member, but I know almost nothing
about the machine (beyond wikipedia and my own examination of the machine
physically). I have the Sun 4/470 that front-ends it and, in theory, all
the software. But I've got no idea on how to actually _use_ it.
No one has donated nCUBE documentation to BitSavers, which pretty much
totally buggers me up. Is there anyone out there who is familiar with
these machines that, perhaps, could give me some pointers?
Muchas gracias all;
- JP
25 Oct
25 Oct
1:42 p.m.
JP Hindin wrote:
Just picked up an nCUBE 2 from a list member, but I
know almost nothing
about the machine (beyond wikipedia and my own examination of the machine
physically). I have the Sun 4/470 that front-ends it and, in theory, all
the software. But I've got no idea on how to actually _use_ it.
Oooh, nice. I culled a ad for those from October 1989's issue of "What's new
in Computing" - sounded like a nice setup (up to 8192 processors, 60 billion
ips, 27 billion flops).
The ad also claimed that NCube would be releasing a SysV-based OS for it so
that it could "run UNIX apps" - which to my mind is different from it being a
bunch of slave processors with a separate machine running UNIX and acting as
the front-end. Perhaps that never actually happened - but are you sure that
your Sun is the machine interface, rather than just there as a diagnostic
console or something?
How physically large is it? Hard to tell from the picture in the ad that I
have, but with a max of around 8000 processors, I imagine it's a pretty hefty
beast.
cheers
Jules
26 Oct
26 Oct
8:10 a.m.
On Mon, 25 Oct 2010, Jules Richardson wrote:
JP Hindin wrote:
Hey Jules;
Sorry if I got your hopes up, it's just a little baby nCUBE - 64
processors. :)
http://www.kiwigeek.com/hjp/comps/nCUBE_2/
You can see it suffered a little physical damage. It's an ex-Purdue
machine so, personally, I blame Pat Finnegan. I'm sure it's his fault.
There were a series of coloured buttons on the back but they are no more,
which kind of makes it difficult to determine, from the outset, which
button was the "START" and which was the "STOP"... or whatever it was
they
may have been.
I am not positive of how it operates at all, but the previous owner said
that was how it functioned. I'm vaguely tempted to call the people that
now own nCUBE, ARRIS, but since it went through three holding company
changes, I highly doubt they have anything on the pre-Video on Demand
nCUBEs.
- JP
Just picked up an nCUBE 2 from a list member, but
I know almost nothing
about the machine (beyond wikipedia and my own examination of the machine
physically). I have the Sun 4/470 that front-ends it and, in theory, all
the software. But I've got no idea on how to actually _use_ it.
Oooh, nice. I culled a ad for those from October 1989's issue of "What's
new
in Computing" - sounded like a nice setup (up to 8192 processors, 60 billion
ips, 27 billion flops).
The ad also claimed that NCube would be releasing a SysV-based OS for it so
that it could "run UNIX apps" - which to my mind is different from it being a
bunch of slave processors with a separate machine running UNIX and acting as
the front-end. Perhaps that never actually happened - but are you sure that
your Sun is the machine interface, rather than just there as a diagnostic
console or something?
How physically large is it? Hard to tell from the picture in the ad that I
have, but with a max of around 8000 processors, I imagine it's a pretty hefty
beast. 
9 a.m.
On 10/26/10 11:10 AM, JP Hindin wrote:
Sorry if I got your hopes up, it's just a little baby nCUBE - 64
processors. :)
http://www.kiwigeek.com/hjp/comps/nCUBE_2/
You can see it suffered a little physical damage. It's an ex-Purdue
machine so, personally, I blame Pat Finnegan. I'm sure it's his fault.
There were a series of coloured buttons on the back but they are no more,
which kind of makes it difficult to determine, from the outset, which
button was the "START" and which was the "STOP"... or whatever it was
they
may have been.
I am not positive of how it operates at all, but the previous owner said
that was how it functioned. I'm vaguely tempted to call the people that
now own nCUBE, ARRIS, but since it went through three holding company
changes, I highly doubt they have anything on the pre-Video on Demand
nCUBEs.
I thought all nCube machines acted as attached processors that are
accessed via libraries on the host (SunOS) OS.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Just picked up an nCUBE 2 from a list member, but I
know almost nothing
about the machine (beyond wikipedia and my own examination of the machine
physically). I have the Sun 4/470 that front-ends it and, in theory, all
the software. But I've got no idea on how to actually _use_ it.
Oooh, nice. I culled a ad for those from October 1989's issue of "What's
new
in Computing" - sounded like a nice setup (up to 8192 processors, 60 billion
ips, 27 billion flops).
The ad also claimed that NCube would be releasing a SysV-based OS for it so
that it could "run UNIX apps" - which to my mind is different from it being a
bunch of slave processors with a separate machine running UNIX and acting as
the front-end. Perhaps that never actually happened - but are you sure that
your Sun is the machine interface, rather than just there as a diagnostic
console or something?
How physically large is it? Hard to tell from the picture in the ad that I
have, but with a max of around 8000 processors, I imagine it's a pretty hefty
beast. 
1:33 p.m.
On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, JP Hindin wrote:
You can see it suffered a little physical damage.
It's an ex-Purdue
machine so, personally, I blame Pat Finnegan. I'm sure it's his
fault.
Hey, now....
As surprising as it is, I'm not Mr. Purdue. :)
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
1:47 p.m.
On Tue, 26 Oct 2010, Patrick Finnegan wrote:
On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, JP Hindin wrote:
;)
Any chance there's still the original documentation in a central facility
at Purdue? (A long, long shot with the hope they're anal-retentive
organised out there)
- JP
You can see it suffered a little physical damage.
It's an ex-Purdue
machine so, personally, I blame Pat Finnegan. I'm sure it's his
fault.
Hey, now....
As surprising as it is, I'm not Mr. Purdue. :)
3:15 p.m.
On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, JP Hindin wrote:
On Tue, 26 Oct 2010, Patrick Finnegan wrote:
Not really. I think that it was a part of the long-gone Electrical
Engineering Parallel Processing lab.
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, JP Hindin wrote:
;)
Any chance there's still the original documentation in a central
facility at Purdue? (A long, long shot with the hope they're
anal-retentive organised out there) You can see it suffered a little physical damage.
It's an
ex-Purdue machine so, personally, I blame Pat Finnegan. I'm sure
it's his fault.
Hey, now....
As surprising as it is, I'm not Mr. Purdue. :) 
3:39 p.m.
Any chance there's still the original
documentation in a central facility
at Purdue? (A long, long shot with the hope they're anal-retentive
organised out there)
I asked some Purdue friends of mine over Twitter. One remembers the machine
vaguely, but he doesn't remember where or what it was doing specifically.
--
------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com
-- Watch your mouth, kid, or you'll find yourself floating home. -- Han Solo --
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7 comments
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participants (5)
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jplist2008＠kiwigeek.com -
jules.richardson99＠gmail.com -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
pat＠computer-refuge.org -
spectre＠floodgap.com