ukola%adam.Caltech.Edu@Hamlet.Caltech.Edu (Adam Kolawa) (12/03/87)
ABSTRACT
The PC-CUBE, An IBM PC-Based Hypercube
This abstract discusses PC-CUBE, an IBM PC or compatible based
hypercube. Personal computers are connected in a hypercube
topology with ordinary computer cables. This is the least
expensive way to learn about developing parallel systems. The
code developed on PC-Cube can be transferred to a larger system
such as the iPSC or the NCUBE hypercubes.
Communication occurs at the rate of 115.2 K-bauds via the RS-232
serial links. Available for the PC-CUBE is the Crystalline
Operating System III (CrOS III), CUBIX (a model for
programming hypercubes without programming the control
processors), and Mercury Operating System ( supports both
synchronous and asynchronous message passing.) A CrOS performance
monitor has been developed which facilitates the measurement of
communication and computation time of a program and its effects
on performance. Also available is GRAFIX and PLOTIX which
are graphics routines for the EGA and CGA, and a general
profiler for determining execution time spent by program
subroutines.
PC-CUBE provides a programming environment
similar to all hypercube systems running CrOS III. In addition,
every node (personal computer) has its own graphics display
monitor and storage devices. These allow data to be
displayed or stored at every processor, which has
instructional value and enables easier debugging of applications.
Some application programs which are taken from the book "Solving
Problems on Concurrent Processors" by Fox, et. al. have been
implemented with graphics enhancement on PC-CUBE. The
applications range from solving the Mandelbrot set, Laplace
equation, wave equation, long range force, to Wator, an
ecological simulation.
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The system is available from ParaSoft Corporation.
The price of the system is $1,000.00 per copy. If you are
interested please contact Larry Lesser at (714) 380-8375 or write
to Larry at 27415 Trabuco Circle, Mission Viejo, CA 92692, or
send email to ukola@cithex.caltech.edu or ukola.cithex.caltech.bitnet.