Force Computers Launches Industry's First UltraSPARC IIi-based VME Computing Platform.SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1998-- High-Performance teraforce-50 Delivers Full Ultrasparc IIi Workstation Functionality for Embedded Industrial and Telecommunications Applications Force Computers, Inc., a Solectron subsidiary (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :SLR (1) (Scalable Linear Recording) A line of magnetic tape drives from Tandberg Data that evolved from the QIC Data Cartridge format. See QIC. (2) (Single Lens Reflex) A camera that uses the same lens for viewing and shooting. ) and a leader in embedded computing, today extended its popular teraforce(TM) family of embedded computing platforms with the industry's first UltraSPARC(TM) IIi-based VME (Virtual Machine Environment) An operating system from Fujitsu Services (formerly ICL) that runs on its Series 39 mainframes. Introduced in 1975, VME is a comprehensive product that provides a variety of utilities for datacenter operations. system. The new teraforce-50 combines the high performance and low power consumption of the UltraSPARC IIi processor with Force's embedded computing expertise to deliver a flexible, reliable, space-saving solution for high-end embedded control applications, and to move the teraforce platform into the telecommunications applications arena. The teraforce-50 is a 20-slot VMEbus-based computing platform, designed for optimum performance in an embedded computing environment. The 300MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. UltraSPARC IIi processor -- the latest 64-bit processor for the Solaris(TM) operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. -- delivers high performance while using 30 percent less power than UltraSPARC I implementations, so that systems stay cooler and embedded applications run more reliably. At the same time, in the teraforce-50's standard configuration, processing elements take up only two VME slots -- leaving an additional 18 for peripherals -- to conserve valuable systems space and deliver maximum functionality per square inch. Said Ray Alderman, executive director of VITA, the VME standards organization A standards organization, also sometimes referred to as a standards body, a standards development organization or SDO (depending on what is being referenced), is any entity whose primary activities are developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, , "It is rewarding to see the marriage of VMEbus and UltraSPARC IIi technologies in such a robust systems package. VITA's own website is powered by a SPARC-based teraforce system, which has proven to be a real workhorse -- never skipping a beat as it handles millions of accesses per year." Applications Flexibility The teraforce-50 is also designed to be extremely flexible, allowing customers to configure precisely targeted solutions and to rapidly bring those solutions to market. Expansion to three slots, for example, accommodates the addition of Sun Creator Graphics for applications requiring advanced 2D and 3D graphics, or the addition of up to one gigabyte of memory. Up to four storage modules can also be accommodated, for mixing and matching hard disk, CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , tape or floppy drives, while dual Ethernet and dual fast SCSI-2 interfaces are standard. For further flexibility, the teraforce-50 provides a choice of back-panel loadable power supplies -- 110/220 volt AC today for most industrial applications, and 48 volt DC by Q4/98 to extend the teraforce family into telecommunications applications typically requiring a DC power source. Said Chris Williams, vice-president of marketing at Force Computers, "The flexibility of the teraforce-50 opens up a wealth of possibilities for both systems designers and for Force Computers. From an inexpensive platform for drafting or running telecommunications applications to a highly reliable UltraSPARC IIi workstation for industrial applications to a powerful Solaris-based graphics workstation -- the teraforce-50 covers a lot of computing territory." In addition to its performance and applications flexibility, the teraforce-50 continues the teraforce family's reputation for easy maintainability. Power supplies can be swapped out through the rear panel, while all boards plug in easily from the front. The teraforce-50 is immediately deployable in virtually any embedded environment, due to its wide range of agency approvals, including FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. , CE Class A, VCCI VCCI Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry VCCI Voluntary Control Council for Interference VCCI Virtual Channel Common Index (Cisco) Class A and UL approvals. Pricing and Availability The teraforce-50 is available now, and is list priced at US$15,620. About Force Computers Force Computers (www.forcecomputers.com) was founded in 1981 and is a leading worldwide supplier of open, scalable system and board-level computer platforms for communications and industrial control applications. The processor-independent company delivers products based on SPARC (Scalable Performance ARChitecture) A family of RISC CPUs from Sun that runs mostly under Sun's Solaris, but also under Linux and BSD operating systems. After development began in the mid-1980s by David Patterson of the University of California at Berkeley and Bill (R), Pentium(R) and PowerPC(TM) technologies. An ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001 certified company, Force Computers practices Total Quality Management principles in all phases of the company's global operations. Force's corporate headquarters is located in San Jose, Calif. Force's European headquarters is located in Munich, Germany, and the company's Japanese headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan. Force Computers is a subsidiary of Solectron Corp. of Milpitas, Calif. Note to Editors: All referenced brands are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. CONTACT: Force Computers (USA Contact) Mia Bradway, 408/369-6276 Mia.Bradway@fci.com or Force Computers GmbH, Europe and Asia Ulrike Mueller, +49 89 608 14-0 ulmu@force.de |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion