The ACP (Advanced Computer Program) multiprocessor system at Fermilab
The Advanced Computer Program at Fermilab has developed a multiprocessor system which is easy to use and uniquely cost effective for many high energy physics problems. The system is based on single board computers which cost under $2000 each to build including 2 Mbytes of on board memory. These standard VME modules each run experiment reconstruction code in Fortran at speeds approaching that of a VAX 11/780. Two versions have been developed: one uses Motorola's 68020 32 bit microprocessor, the other runs with AT and T's 32100. both include the corresponding floating point coprocessor chip. The first system, when fully configured, uses 70 each of the two types of processors. A 53 processor system has been operated for several months with essentially no down time by computer operators in the Fermilab Computer Center, performing at nearly the capacity of 6 CDC Cyber 175 mainframe computers. The VME crates in which the processing ''nodes'' sit are connected via a high speed ''Branch Bus'' to one or more MicroVAX computers which act as hosts handling system resource management and all I/O in offline applications. An interface from Fastbus to the Branch Bus has been developed for online use which has been tested error free at 20 Mbytes/sec for 48 hours. ACP hardware modules are now available commercially. A major package of software, including a simulator that runs on any VAX, has been developed. It allows easy migration of existing programs to this multiprocessor environment. This paper describes the ACP Multiprocessor System and early experience with it at Fermilab and elsewhere.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03000
- OSTI ID:
- 6941971
- Report Number(s):
- FNAL/C-86/132; CONF-860701-58; ON: DE87002280
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 23. international conference on high-energy physics, Berkeley, CA, USA, 16 Jul 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
High performance parallel computers for science: New developments at the Fermilab advanced computer program
ACP/R3000 processors in data acquisition systems
Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
ACCELERATOR FACILITIES
ARRAY PROCESSORS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DEC COMPUTERS
FORTRAN
MICROPROCESSORS
COMPUTERS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
SIMULATION
430300* - Particle Accelerators- Auxiliaries & Components
990210 - Supercomputers- (1987-1989)