Beaverton, Oregon-based FPS Computing – the legal name is still Floating Point Systems Inc – has introduced a Unified Application Compiler Technology, which it claims will enable high-end scientific and engineering applications to use all the features of the Model 500 Integrated Heterogeneous Supercomputer, which can be configured to include scalar, vector, and parallel matrix processor technologies to deliver a peak performance of 6.7 GFLOPS. The Compiler combines automatic optimisation techniques from Kuck & Associates Inc with FPS Computing’s own code generator, and the industry’s first data locality optimisation for maximising use of fast register and cache memories by enhancing data re-use, reducing the need to access slower main memory. The Kuck & Associates technology automatically directs sections of Fortran or C applications code to the most appropriate combination of processors on a Model 500EA – processors can include a 64-bit ECL RISC scalar processor, an ECL Sparc scalar processor, VectorPlus co-processors, and matrix co-processors for applications such as molecular modelling, geophysics, design engineering, signal and intelligence processing. The Sparc code generator in the Unified Application Compiler Technology is compatible with the Sparc Applications Binary Interface definition developed by Sparc International so that all Sparcware applications can run on the Sparc processor. The compiler also provides an integrated development environment for parallel applications. Application developers can create new codes for, or transfer existing codes to, an FPS Computing without manual coding or special purpose efforts, the company claims and the compiler makes the Model 500EA fully compatible with Fortran applications developed for Cray Research Inc supercomputers and DEC VAX systems. The Kuck & Associates technology accepts the syntax of both Cray and DEC compilers, in addition to ANSI Fortran-77. The environment supports graphical user interfaces such as X Window, Open Look, and OSF/Motif, and will be available in the second quarter of 1991. No indication of prices was given.
