Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!ll-xn!ames!pioneer!lamaster From: lamaster@pioneer.arpa (Hugh LaMaster) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: What with these Vector's anyways? Message-ID: <2408@ames.arpa> Date: Sun, 26-Jul-87 18:30:04 EDT Article-I.D.: ames.2408 Posted: Sun Jul 26 18:30:04 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jul-87 22:42:54 EDT References: <218@astra.necisa.oz> <142700010@tiger.UUCP> Sender: usenet@ames.arpa Reply-To: lamaster@ames.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster) Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Lines: 40 Keywords: vector Cray Cyber CDC Cpu Supercomputers In article <687@elmgate.UUCP> jdg@aurora.UUCP (Jeff Gortatowsky) writes: >In article <2378@ames.arpa> lamaster@ames.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster) writes: >[..............] >>vectors. If the vectors are not contiguous, then the advantage disappears. >Could someone out there explain to me what the basic idea is behind >supercomputer CPU's? I know what a interrupt vector is (ie an address In the simplest terms, a "vector" computer is one which permits a single CPU instruction to specify an operation on multiple operands. The operations may then proceed in parallel, or serially (usually using a "pipeline"). Many, but certainly not all, engineering and scientific programs can be speeded up on a machine with a vector instruction set. A vector machine is NOT the same thing as a SUPERCOMPUTER. A supercomputer is a loose term generally applied to this year's two or three fastest (usually vector) or most expensive (:-) machines. But there are now minicomputers with vector CPU's and we can expect to see microcomputers with vector CPU's REAL SOON NOW. A vector micro might have a 100ns clock and a peak vector speed of 20MFLOPS, while a vector supercomputer might have a clock of 4ns, say (Cray 2) and a peak speed of 500 MFLOPS. If you are doing numerical simulations or graphics you will probably benefit from a vector machine, even if it is "only" a vector mini or micro. Hugh LaMaster, m/s 233-9, UUCP {seismo,topaz,lll-crg,ucbvax}! NASA Ames Research Center ames!pioneer!lamaster Moffett Field, CA 94035 ARPA lamaster@ames-pioneer.arpa Phone: (415)694-6117 ARPA lamaster@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov "IBM will have it soon" (Disclaimer: "All opinions solely the author's responsibility")"