VAX9000 unearthed

[Lee Courtney]

Paul,

What was the timeframe for the MPP?

Lee

On Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 6:47 AM Paul Koning via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
>
> > On Feb 18, 2022, at 7:08 AM, Joerg Hoppe via cctalk <
> cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > my computer club c-c-g.de could acquire the remains of a VAX9000 !
> > The machine ran at the GWDG computing center in Göttingen, Germany,
> around 1993.
> > Parts of it were in stock of their museum for 20+ years.
> >
> > See lots of hires-pictures at
> >
> > https://c-c-g.de/fachartikel/359-vax-9000-ein-starker-exot
> >
> > (scroll to the bottom for a slide show).
> >
> > Joerg
>
> Excellent photos!
>
> I didn't realize the 9000 had a vector processor.
>
> One reason the design was so expensive is that it was originally planned
> as a water-cooled machine -- code name "Aquarius".  At some point that idea
> was dropped and switched to air cooling -- code name "Aridus".  I guess
> those skinny pipes with red and blue markers carry jets of cooling air, but
> were originally going to carry water.
>
> The 9000 also had its own I/O bus, XMI, different from BI.  I don't know
> how its performance compares, whether it was worth the effort.
>
> Speaking of vector processors: there's a very obscure DEC processor, the
> DEC MPP.  I remember seeing the processor architecture document when it was
> being designed, not sure why.  It's a very-RISC machine, just a few
> instructions, but lots of cores especially for that time -- 256?  More?
> Recently I saw it mentioned in some documents, apparently it did get
> produced and shipped, perhaps only in small numbers.  I wonder if any have
> been preserved.  As far as I know there is no family connection between
> that machine and anything else DEC did before or since.
>
>         paul
>
>
>

-- 
Lee Courtney
+1-650-704-3934 cell