Brian Chase wrote:

>   This VAX system is the first one to offer integrated vector processing.
>   A single board vector coprocessor can be attached to a scalar processor.
>   Up to 2 scalar/vector pairs are supported.  The vector coprocessor runs
>   at a 45ns cycle and achieves peak megaflops rates of 45 megaflops in
>   double precision, and 90 megaflops in single precision.  The vector
>   coprocessor has it's own 1MB cache.
> 
> So I imagine with the maximum of two scalar/vector processors, you'd be
> doing roughly 90 Mflops double precision and 180 Mflops single precision.
> Not too bad.

The other thing is, your XMI cage gets pretty crowded with all of 
this. Put in 6 (scalar) processor cards, pair 2 of em up with 
vector cards plus 4 x 128 MB memory plus 1 KFMSA plus the 2 BI
adaptes is 15 cards, one too many. Adding the vector processors
might even reduce the total number of scalar processors you can
have ... isn't the XMI cage divided into two halfs so that memory
has different power supply than processors? Besides, I never 
understand why the KFMSA and the SCSI adapter are built as XMI
modules instead of VAXBI, my BI cages are almost all empty!

> The VAX 9000 on the other hand can have up to 4 scalar/vector processors
> with the scalar processors running at 30-40 VUPs each and the vector
> processors peaking at 125 Mflops each.  Vroooom.

So, lets get a 9000 and have even more power hookup worries :-)

-Gunther

PS: anyway, I have located two vector modules ranging between
$400 and $350. That's too much for me, but maybe some of you
want to take them? I can give you the addresses. I just look 
forward to the day when all of those used part retailers will 
throw out their inventory on ebay, it'll be like christmas :-).
But, I have seen prices come down already. In fact, the one
RF73 DSSI drive I bought on ebay is now cheaper with one of 
the retailers I found.

-- 
Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D.                    gschadow@regenstrief.org
Medical Information Scientist      Regenstrief Institute for Health Care
Adjunct Assistent Professor        Indiana University School of Medicine
tel:1(317)630-7960                         http://aurora.regenstrief.org