Surviving UK Transputer systems...

[Joe R.]

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