What the hell is a NightHawk 5800?

From: Bill/Carolyn Pechter <pechter_at_shell.monmouth.com>
Date: Wed Aug 19 06:48:22 1998

>
> At 09:26 PM 8/19/98 -0400, you wrote:
> >Almost sounds like something from the government - even the name.
>
> Very likely. Harris does a LOT of government work. Their satellite
> division (and others) are literally right around the corner from this place.
>

Harris had a number of computer lines. I can't guarrantee the following
info -- but I think it's accurate. The Nighthawk was a (mostly) military
real-time Unix machine based off the Masscomp 500 and 5000 line and RTUv3
(they started as OEM's doing a secure version of the OS and then began using
stuff of their own design).

Masscomp was eaten by Concurrent Computer (formerly Perkin Elmer, formerly
Interdata) which was swallowed by Harris about 4 years ago. Harris
took the Concurrent name, though.

Harris also came up with both a firewall application (now sold by a different
company now -- at the merger Harris spun off the firewall operation and
the secure Unix, I think). They now do real-time Unix and are trying
to crack the Video Server business.

Masscomp and Concurrent used the 68000 family (Masscomp folks used to be
DEC and DG types with Real-time experience on 11/23 Mincs).

Masscomp kind of filled the need for small lab real-time stuff when DEC
went off to chase the Vax $$$ and let real-time slip away in the mid
80's. They added DEC's AST's to System III to get a soft real-time
system for labs and instrument and industrial control.

HISTORY...

Concurrent did real-time on their proprietary systems (OS/32) and
saw a need to get away from OS/32 and into real-time Unix so they bought
Masscomp. Concurrent failed in every small machine they tried to
put together before Masscomp and pretty much put the last nail in Masscomp's
coffin. Concurrent failed to come up with a good software development
environment on OS/32. DEC cleaned their clock on everything but
hardware price/performance. They had the most hardware bang
for the buck and needed the OEM's to make them a winner (where
DEC moved more into a systems and SOFTWARE company). I worked for
DEC and later Concurrent (at the time of the Masscomp deal.)

PROCESSORS...

Masscomp went from 68k to Mips R3000 in the early 90's and then
merged with Harris.

Harris used 68k and then went to 88k (I think) and then Power PC.

Harris also made commercial supermini's (24 bit machines).


Bill
Received on Wed Aug 19 1998 - 06:48:22 BST