[comp.edu] Parallel hardware for undergraduate instruction

meyer@canisius.UUCP (Dr. R. Mark Meyer) (09/20/90)

We are looking at hardware to use in teaching parallel programming
and operating systems for Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.  One
obvious idea is to get some transputer boards and plug them into
PCs.  

Are there are any other ideas people can think of?  We don't want
to spend more than about $75,000.  Our goal is actual parallel hard-
ware that allows our students to see real speed-up, so a purely
software solution isn't desirable.  We do not have the megabucks to
buy a Sequent or a Multimax.

Mark Meyer                    meyer@klaatu.cs.canisius.edu
Asst. Professor               Buffalo, NY 14208
Canisius College

phorgan@cup.portal.com (Patrick John Horgan) (09/24/90)

Robert Diersing had a parallel machine in an S-100 Buss box.  It
used several Z-80s.  He presented a paper on using it as a tool to
inexpensively teach parallel architecture (I believe at an IEEE
conference).  Last I heard he was teaching a Corpus Christi State
University in Texas (part of the Texas A&M system).  Wish I could
remember more information, but if you contact the schools computer
science department they can put you together with Robert.  If you
talk to Robert tell him I said hello:)

Patrick Horgan                     phorgan@cup.portal.com

Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (09/30/90)

Dr. R. Mark Meyer asks:
>We are looking at hardware to use in teaching parallel programming
   ...
>Are there are any other ideas people can think of?  We don't want
>to spend more than about $75,000.     ...
 
Have you looked at the ATW (Atari Transputer Workstation)..?
 
I'm afraid I don't know much about it other than it uses T-800s and runs
the Helios operating system (and is supposed to be somewhat inexpensive)
 
Does anyone know anything more about this system?
 
BobR