Surviving UK Transputer systems... - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

4 Nov 2004

The transputer CPU was made by INMOS (which was later bought out by
SGS-Thompson which became ST-Microelectronics).  However, there were several
manufacturers of transputer equipment.  Some of the popular ones are INMOS,
Transtech, Niche, Parsytec, Sundance, and Parsys.  See the specs page for a
list of vendors.  This is not complete at all and only contains vendors I
have info on.  What type of INMOS stuff do you have???

Thanks,

Ram

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe R. [mailto:rigdonj@cfl.rr.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 9:11 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: RE: Surviving UK Transputer systems...

At 08:17 AM 11/4/04 -0500, Ram wrote:
...
 A transputer is just like any other processor with
memory, etc, etc.  
Except that it has two unique attributes:

1) Has communication links so that you can hook it up to other 
transputer nodes (or other peripherals).  This allowed you to create a 
multiprocessor system with several nodes (seen transputer networks of 
1024 nodes at one time).  It was like LEGO for parallel processing.  
The technology that was designed for the transputer is  now slowing 
creaping into modern processors. Not bad for a mid 80's processor....

2) Has micro-coded scheduler which allows you to create multi-processes 
inside a single CPU.  It supported two priorities in high and low.  You
could do parallel processing in assembly with this baby!   This is all
embedded inside the CPU core.  Designed around the mid 80's and had an 
EOL
(End-of-life) around the late 90's.  Quite a remarkable CPU and it was quite
...
 fast too compared to the 386 of that era.  See my
website at
http://www.classiccmp.org/transputer for more info/links... 

   I looked at the data sheets on your website so that I would know that the
parts and part numbers looked like. Does anyone other that INMOS and
Thompson make these?  I find lots of parallel computing equipment so there
should be some transputer stuff in there too. I have found a lot of high
speed parallel stuff with INMOS parts but I think it's older (early 80s)
than the transputers. But the transputer stuff should show up one day.

    Joe

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