Subject: Re: Multi-processor?
To: Ben Harris <bjh21@netbsd.org>
From: Anthony Hilton <ajh@tinshill.f9.co.uk>
List: port-acorn32
Date: 05/07/2003 21:22:17
In <URL:news:local.netbsd.acorn32> on Wed 07 May, Ben Harris wrote:
> On Wed, 7 May 2003, Anthony Hilton wrote:
> 
> > In <URL:news:local.netbsd.acorn32> on Wed 07 May, Ben Harris wrote:
> > > In article <Marcel-1.53-0507070856-f7fZSTv@risco.home> you write:
> > > >I saw on Drobe yesterday, and in csa.announce today that Simtec have a
> > > >clearance sale (see http://www.simtec.co.uk/products/clearance/)
> > > >inculding Hydra multi-processor cards for ukp50 (+VAT and carriage).
> > > >
> > > >Can NetBSD/acorn32 make use of multi processors using the Hydra card?
> > >
> > > No.  Well, if you use code from the bjh21-hydra branch, you might be
> > > able to spin up the slave processors and run some kernel code on them,
> > > but that's about it.
> >
> > There are better ways to spend 50 quid on ARM kit then.
> 
> Yep.  Don't forget that you need CPU cards as well (though mine were only
> a quid a throw).
> 
> > Is hydra capable of takin SA-110 processor cards or is it tied to ARM6/7
> > processors?
> 
> I believe that the last versions of the Hydra FPGAs support SA-110s, but
> making them work with NetBSD would be even harder because they've got
> write-back caches (and ISTR they don't work quite right in write-through
> mode).
> 
> > How about Kinetic cards?
> 
> Again, I expect they'd work, but you'd then have /n/ CPUs each with
> their own memory, but sharing an I/O system.  Not really an SMP at all,
> and certainly not something NetBSD can currently run on.

I thought as much from your first response. Thank you for taking the time to
respond to my obviously niaive questions and suggestions.

Anthony

-- 
ajh@tinshill.f9.co.uk