New WE 32200 VMEbus board

[M.HARRISON]

Those of you who have been following this group are aware that
Microproject Corporation has had a VMEbus Single Board Computer
based upon the new AT&T WE 32200 chipset under development.  The
first board was delivered to us here in Holmdel last month,
and this posting reports our experiences and impressions thus far.

The board was plugged into an existing 32100-based system with the
clock speed at 24 MHz (the top speed of the 32100 is 18 MHz).
Our initial thrust was to get the existing release of UNIX
System V/VME for the 32100 to boot ---
and it booted the first time.  We were able to successfully put the
system through its paces and log multiple users on simultaneously.
So far no hitches and several pleasant surprises.

Our next effort was aimed at enabling the on-chip 4 Kbyte two-way
set associative data cache, a new feature of the 32200 which adds
significant performance over the 32100.  This required some firmware
and operating system modifications.  Again, we were able to boot and
execute flawlessly.

In absolute terms, the sheer performance of the board is what is
most impressive, offering roughly 8 MIPs of system throughput.
The bottom line - at a system level the performance is roughly
twice that of an 18 MHz 32100 system and 2.6 times that of a 14
MHz box (this is quite impressive considering that neither the bus
nor disks get any faster).
Microproject can supply a more complete and detailed benchmark report
to anyone who's interested, call them at (213) 306-8000 or
...!uunet!mpusa!inquiry .

For anyone who's interested, the board is currently in (very)
limited production, with high volumes available by years' end.
We at AT&T are in the process of completing the UNIX System
development and should also have this done in a few months.

What follows is a press release from Microproject.
(Normally, I would post only to the new products group, but I've
gotten so many calls from readers of this group, please use 'N' key
if you're not interested!)

			Marc Harrison
			AT&T - Holmdel
			(201) 949-1779
			Cornet 233-1779
			...!att!hotps!mlh

             (PLEASE NOTE NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS!)


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>  MICROPROJECT INTRODUCES 8 MIPS, WE32200 UNIX SYSTEM
>  Offers Special Prices for Universities


>  Microproject Corporation has announced the introduction of its UNICORN
>  B200 UNIX computer system. Based on the 24 MHz WE32200 microprocessor,
>  the UNICORN B200 offers 100 percent software compatibility with AT&T's
>  3B2 line of computers. Initial industry standard benchmark tests of the
>  UNICORN B200 have demonstrated performance in the range of 8 MIPS.

>  The UNICORN B200 also features the open architecture of the VMEbus,
>  providing tremendous flexibility to the user. At the heart of the
>  UNICORN B200 is a single-board computer, the MP322SBC, which has been
>  designed by Microproject to maximize UNIX performance. In addition
>  to the AT&T WE32200 chipset, it features either 4 or 8 on-board,
>  dual-ported RAM, an MMU with 4 KB cache, as well as 2 RS-232C serial
>  ports.

>  The UNICORN B200 is available in either 6, 12, or 20 VMEbus-slot
>  configurations. An intelligent (68020-based) SCSI controller and 16
>  intelligent RS-232C serial ports are standard with either
>  configuration. Using these intelligent modules to handle
>  computationally intensive I/O tasks greatly improves the overall system
>  performance. A wide range of disk and tape storage options are also
>  available, as are specially priced upgrade packages for current users
>  of AT&T's WE321SB VMEbus Single Board Computer.

>  For the next two months, Microproject will be extending a special
>  discount on the UNICORN B200 to universities and other academic
>  institutions. Microproject is offering the 12-slot UNICORN B200 to
>  these customers for $39,995. This compares favorably with AT&T's
>  WE32200-based 3B2/700, which lists for $70,000 to $75,000.

>  "We are anxious to establish a strong presence in the university
>  environment," said Ken Sims, Microproject's marketing manager. "The
>  UNICORN B200 offers superior system performance and provides full
>  compatibility with existing AT&T UNIX System V applications software.
>  In addition, AT&T maintenance coverage is available for the UNICORN
>  B200," Sims added.  Special pricing has also been established for
>  AT&T organizations.

>  For information about the UNICORN B200, please contact either Ken Sims
>  or Zion Bar-el at (213) 306-8000 or write to:

>  		Microproject Corporation
>  		4551 Glencoe Avenue, Suite 225
>  		Marina del Rey, CA 90292

>  		FAX: (213) 305-1493
>  		Email: ...!uunet!mpusa!inquiry

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