computer science

Minisupercomputer

Minisupercomputer is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Minisupercomputer rather than just read about it. In short: Minisupercomputers constituted a short-lived class of computers that emerged in the mid-1980s, characterized by the combination of vector processing and small-scale multiprocessing. As scientific computing using vector processors became more popular, the need for lower-cost systems that might be used at the departmental level instead of the corporate level created an opportunity for new computer vendors to enter the…

Key takeaways

Minisupercomputer belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Minisupercomputer to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Minisupercomputer from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Minisupercomputers constituted a short-lived class of computers that emerged in the mid-1980s, characterized by the combination of vector processing and small-scale multiprocessing. As scientific computing using vector processors became more popular, the need for lower-cost systems that might be used at the departmental level instead of the corporate level created an opportunity for new computer vendors to enter the market. As a generalization, the price targets for these smaller computers were one-tenth of the larger supercomputers. Several notable technical, economic, and political attributes characterize minisupercomputers. First, they were architecturally more diverse than prior mainframes and minicomputers in hardware and less diverse in software. Second, advances in VLSI made them less expensive (mini-price). These machines were market targeted to be cost-effective and quickly manufactured. Third, it is notable who did not manufacture minisupercomputers: within the USA, IBM and the traditional mainframe makers, outside the USA: the Japanese supercomputer vendors and Russia (despite attempts to manufacture minicomputers). The superminicomputer sector underwent a wave of consolidation in 1988 amidst intensifying price competition, increased losses, and the prospect of bankruptcy leading to several of the vendors with weaker finances seeking buyers, leading to Floating Point Systems acquiring the assets of Celerity Computing. The appearance of even lower-priced scientific workstations (e.g., Dana Computer/Ardent Computer/Stellar Computer (the merger of these companies)) based on microprocessors with high performance floating point units (FPUs) during the 1990s (such as the MIPS R8000, IBM POWER2), and Weitek eroded the demand for this class of computer. The industry magazine Datamation coined the term "Crayette" which in short order meant instruction set compatible to Cray Research, Inc.

Notable minisupercomputer companies This list is sorted alphabetically, and many entries here are to companies that no longer exist.

Ametek Alliant Computer Systems (founded 1982 as Dataflow Systems; went bankrupt in 1992) American Supercomputer (founded by Mike Flynn, failed 2nd round funding) Astronautics (Division founded by Jim Smith, U. Wisc) BBN Technologies (Acquired by Raytheon in 2009) Convex Computer (founded 1982 as Parsec; acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 1995) Culler Harris (CHI) Culler Scientific Cydrome (founded 1984, closed in 1988) DEC (VAX 9000) (Acquired by Compaq in 1998, who was acquired by HP in 2002) Elxsi Corporation (founded 1979) (Acquired by Tata) Encore Computer (founded 1983; acquired in 2002 by Compro Computer Services) Evans & Sutherland Flexible Computer Floating Point Systems (founded 1970; acquired by Cray Research in 1991) Guiltech/SAXPY HAL Computer Systems (Closed in 2001) ICL (DAP) (Acquired by Fujitsu in 2002) Kendall Square Research (Closed in 1994) Key Laboratories MasPar (Ceased operations in 1996) Meiko Scientific (Ceased operations in 1991) Myrias Research Corporation (Canadian firm, Edmonton, AB) Multiflow Computer (founded 1984; ceased operation in 1990) nCUBE (Acquired by C-COR in 2005) Prisma Parsytec Pyramid Technology (Acquired by Siemens in 1995) Scientific Computer Systems (founded 1983; switched to high-speed network development in 1989; now defunct) Sequent (Acquired by IBM in 1999) Solbourne (Acquired by Deloitte in 2008) SUPRENUM (Started as research in 1985, cancelled in 1990) Supertek Computers (Founded 1985; acquired by Cray Research in 1990) Thinking Machines Corporation (Acquired by SUN in 1994) Vitesse Corporation (Closed the computer division in 1987)

References

External links Book on the history of Multiflow

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Minisupercomputer

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Minisupercomputer claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Minisupercomputer before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Minisupercomputer ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Minisupercomputer

In research: Minisupercomputer appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Minisupercomputer in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Minisupercomputer is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Classes of computers, Vector supercomputers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Minisupercomputer outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Minisupercomputer in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Minisupercomputer means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Minisupercomputer out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Minisupercomputer in simple terms?

Why does Minisupercomputer matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Minisupercomputer?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Minisupercomputer.