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Conference nesbit::modular

Title:Embedded and Real Time Modular Computing Conference
Moderator:IRNBRU::GRANT
Created:Tue Sep 05 1995
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:235
Total number of notes:1091

180.0. "PRESS RELEASE: Digital - Second-generation Alpha SBC is industry's fastest" by afirm1.ayo.dec.com::Gordon (Gordon McNab) Wed Mar 05 1997 13:43


Northern Hemisphere-centric press release follows:


 Digital - Second-generation Alpha SBC is industry's fastest
	{Livewire, Worldwide News, 4-Mar-97}
   Today DIGITAL is announcing at the Computer Telephony exposition in
 California a second-generation Alpha Single-Board Computer (SBC) for its
 DIGITAL Modular Computing Components (DMCC) family.  Based on the 64-bit 21164
 Alpha microprocessor, the new SBC is the industry's fastest with estimated
 performance of 16 SPECfp95 and 13 SPECint95 for the 500 MHz version.
   DIGITAL is also introducing two 19-slot PCI-bridged passive backplanes and a
 20-slot enclosure designed to support the next generation of high-performance
 64-bit PCI options.
   The new products on display at the exposition are based on the PICMG (PCI
 Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group) specification.
   "DIGITAL's new Alpha single-board computer and PCI-bridged backplanes
 provide robust performance and I/O for large computer telephony voice
 applications," says Jeff Brew, president of Performance Interactive Systems.
 "Because the products use an open-architecture approach with standard Dialogic
 T1 cards and the DIGITAL 64-bit UNIX operating system, we are assured of
 platform longevity. The microprocessor architecture allows us to manage nearly
 200 simultaneous lines on a single shelf running database-intensive
 applications -- that's more lines than we could manage with any other
 microprocessor architecture."

   New processor speeds for Alpha SBC

   The new Alpha SBC is available in 366 MHz and 500 MHz versions.  It features
 onboard synchronous RAM of 1MB and 2MB respectively, ECC memory configurations
 of up to 512MB, and traditional I/O and peripherals.  It supports DMCC server
 management functions, including the PCI Interrupt Accelerator and the Operator
 Control Panel, offering OEMs a robust high-availability solution.
   SBCs running DIGITAL UNIX, Microsoft Windows NT, and Wind River Systems'
 VxWorks operating systems will be available in May. Support for the OpenVMS
 operating system will follow this summer.

   Passive backplanes and enclosures

   Two new 19-slot passive backplanes are now available for DIGITAL's SBC
 products. They feature DIGITAL's PCI-bus interrupt accelerator technology and
 PCI bridge-chip technology, and the following combination of slots: 13 PCI, 5
 ISA, and 1 CPU; or 10 PCI, 8 ISA, and 1 CPU.
   To complement the new backplanes, DIGITAL also is announcing a 20-slot
 enclosure that can be deployed in either rackmount or tower configurations.
 This industrial enclosure features a 570-watt power supply and an operator
 control panel to provide system status information. The
 backplane-and-enclosure combination can be purchased pre-assembled.


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<><><><><><><><>   VNS Edition : 3755   Wednesday  5-Mar-1997   <><><><><><><><>



T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
180.1What about DIGITAL VxWorks for Alpha?ZYDECO::REDDYWed Mar 05 1997 19:1211
    
    
    >> SBCs running DIGITAL UNIX, Microsoft Windows NT, and Wind River 
    >> systems' VxWorks operating systems will be available in May.
             
    Are you sure it's Wind River Systems' VxWorks and not DIGITAL VxWorks
    for Alpha that will run on these SBCs?
    
    Sumithra
    
    
180.2RLTIME::COOKWed Mar 05 1997 19:237



   It also talks about supporting 2 Mbytes of syncronous RAM.  Shouldn't that be sycronous cache?

ac
180.3HELIX::CLARKThu Mar 06 1997 01:3513
>    Are you sure it's Wind River Systems' VxWorks and not DIGITAL VxWorks
>    for Alpha that will run on these SBCs?

  On these DMCC Alpha CPU cards (the EBM2* family?), it's VxWorks for
  Alpha...
  On the DMCC Intel CPU cards, it's "Wind River Systems' VxWorks".

  (I'm interjecting because I updated the DMCC web pages [March update]
  accordingly after seeing your question...)
  
  In some general sense, VxWorks for Alpha is a DIGITAL implementation of
  "WRS's VxWorks"...  Just as DIGITAL implemented what is essentially
  "Microsoft's Windows NT"...    - Jay
180.4ref 180.2NESBIT::MCILEARThu Mar 06 1997 18:075
The 21164 SBC doe support 1MB or 2MB of synchronous Static RAM (cache), think you maybe getting confused with DRAM.

Billy Mcilear
Technical Support Engineer 
DMCC Ayr
180.5before anyone moans about still having a Teletype machineafirm1.ayo.dec.com::GordonGordon McNabThu Mar 06 1997 18:517
> The 21164 SBC doe support 1MB or 2MB of synchronous Static RAM (cache),
> think you maybe getting confused with DRAM.
> 
> Billy Mcilear
> Technical Support Engineer 
> DMCC Ayr

180.6re: commentsSHRCTR::WADAMSThu Mar 06 1997 20:0710
    VxWorks is still trademarked by WindRiver....proper credit is given to
    avoid legal recourse.
    
    Sometimes, some details get modified w/o notice due to a number of
    non-technical reviewers/approvers in the loop....ie S-SRAM vs S-RAM.
    (don't like when it happens...but it is a fact of life.....we have all
    seen enough blooper ads....many TV shows and magazines prey on such
    items.  Rather boring to make something of S-RAM......sort of like
    Monkey on back, #76...why doesn't everyone leave technical text alone!)
    
180.7re .6ZYDECO::BODARealtime Expertise CenterFri Mar 07 1997 00:0917
>VxWorks is still trademarked by WindRiver....proper credit is given to
>    avoid legal recourse.

Does this mean that Digital Equipment Corporation is unable to advertise
products using the official name "VxWorks for Alpha"?  One could always
put as a footnote as we do in our documentation:

    "VxWorks is a registered trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc."

Wind River would be more than happy to sell this product along with 
support services for this Alpha-based product.  They then turn around 
to get the support services for the Alpha-based products from us for free.

Somehow there has to be a fair legal way of making these announcements
without shortchanging Digital.

/atb
180.8CIMCAD::PIERSONFri Mar 07 1997 02:025
    Howsomever, the cache (synchronous ram) fit is fixed at manufacture
    time and is locked to the cpu speed.  2m for 500MHz, 1M for 366.
    
    regards
    	dwp
180.9HELIX::CLARKFri Mar 07 1997 03:0322
> Does this mean that Digital Equipment Corporation is unable to advertise
> products using the official name "VxWorks for Alpha"?  One could always
> put as a footnote as we do in our documentation:
> 
>     "VxWorks is a registered trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc."

  We use the official/legal name "VxWorks [Real-time Tools] for Alpha" --
  with the appropriate trademark ack to Wind River Systems, Inc. -- in all
  kinds of places, including all manners of hardcopy & Web literature.
  
  All when referring exclusively to the Digital-ported VxWorks...
  
  I suspect the "Wind River Systems' VxWorks" that popped up in the press
  release was inherited from the larger DMCC frame of reference, in which
  you're sometimes collectively referring to Alpha and Intel variants of
  VxWorks.  In that case, and maybe in others, you might want to emphasize
  the familiness, not the differences.

  In the March update of the OEM InfoCenter > DMCC web pages, I finessed it
  by using "VxWorks" in Alpha/Intel neutral contexts (that we brag about),
  "VxWorks for Alpha" in Alpha contexts, and "Wind River Systems' VxWorks"
  in Intel contexts.    Fwiw...   - Jay