[comp.sys.transputer] Improving disk access for PC hosted TransIdris

pes@cs.nott.ac.uk (Peter Sutton) (02/09/90)

Does any one out there use TransIdris (enhanced version (?) of which runs on
the Parsys SN1000 etc.. ) on a PC transputer board?

I am running TransIdris on a 1Mb T414 board in an IBM PC XT clone. (TransIdris
was developed by Real Time Systems (Isle of Man) and is based on Whitesmith's
Idris a Unix 6 (?) lookalike).

I have managed to get two users up and running which works quite well as long
as they do not do anything that accesses the disk drive - therefore both can
be using microemacs quite adequately. However the hard disk that I have is
only 60ms access time! Even an 'ls', 'cd' etc take an inordinate amount of time
as the disk is accessed. Compiling is virtually impossible.
I know that I could get a faster hard disk, but this would probably be crippled
by the slow CPU speed of the XT (supposedly 8MHz). Yes I could also get a 386
machine but I would then run UNIX V on it.
What I would like to know is if there are any manufacturers who make transputer
hard disk cards (there are some) that will intercept the disk calls from
TransIdris to the PC and pump information back via the link so avoiding the PC
bus altogether. I believe this is done by Transtech etc.. for TDS and Helios(?).
Or, if the software to do this does not exist for TransIdris and its PC server,
can someone give me some idea as to how difficult it would be to implement
such an intercepting system?

Thanks,

Peter

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*	 Electronic Publishing Research Group, Computer Science Dept.,	      *
*     University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.     *
*	  Email: pes@cs.nott.ac.uk   Phone: UK (0602) 484848 Ext.2765	      *
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