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...
Cheers,
Ram
-----Original Message-----
From: charlesb_at_otcgaming.net [mailto:charlesb_at_otcgaming.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 6:34 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Surviving UK Transputer systems...
excuse the stupid question, but what's a transputer? is it just like a
cluster in a box ?
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Honniball" <coredump_at_gifford.co.uk>
To: <julesrichardsonuk_at_yahoo.co.uk>; "General Discussion: On-Topic and
Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: Surviving UK Transputer systems...
> Jules Richardson wrote:
>> Does anyone know of any complete Transputer systems (i.e. several
>> processors, cabinet, front-end control system etc.) from the '90's
>> that still survive within the UK?
---
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Received on Thu Nov 04 2004 - 07:17:15 GMT