computer science

PowerPC applications

PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications rather than just read about it. In short: Microprocessors belonging to the PowerPC/Power ISA architecture family have been used in numerous applications. Personal computers Apple Computer was the dominant player in the market of personal computers based on PowerPC processors until 2006 when it switched to Intel-based processors.

Key takeaways

PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PowerPC applications from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Microprocessors belonging to the PowerPC/Power ISA architecture family have been used in numerous applications.

Personal computers

Apple Computer was the dominant player in the market of personal computers based on PowerPC processors until 2006 when it switched to Intel-based processors. Apple used PowerPC processors in the Power Mac, iMac, eMac, PowerBook, iBook, Mac mini, and Xserve. Classic Macintosh accelerator boards using PowerPCs were made by DayStar Digital, Newer Technology, Sonnet Technologies, and TotalImpact. There have been several attempts to create PowerPC reference platforms for computers by IBM and others: The IBM PReP (PowerPC Reference Platform) is a system standard intended to ensure compatibility among PowerPC-based systems built by different companies; IBM POP (PowerPC Open Platform) is an open and free standard and design of PowerPC motherboards. Pegasos Open Desktop Workstation (ODW) is an open and free standard and design of PowerPC motherboards based on Marvell Discovery II (MV64361) chipset; PReP standard specifies the PCI bus, but will also support ISA, MicroChannel, and PCMCIA. PReP-compliant systems will be able to run OS/2, AIX, Solaris, Taligent, and Windows NT; and the CHRP (Common Hardware Reference Platform) is an open platform agreed on by Apple, IBM, and Motorola. All CHRP systems will be able to run Mac OS, OS/2-PPC, Windows NT, AIX, Solaris, Novell Netware. CHRP is a superset of PReP and the PowerMac platforms. Power.org has defined the Power Architecture Platform Reference (PAPR) that provides the foundation for development of computers based on the Linux operating system. List of computers based on PowerPC:

Amiga accelerator boards: Phase5 Blizzard PPC. Phase5 CyberStorm PPC. Apple iMac PowerMac Xserve Mac mini iBook PowerBook Eyetech AmigaOne Genesi Pegasos Open Desktop Workstation (ODW). EFIKA IBM RS/6000 AIX workstations ACube Systems Srl Sam440 (Samantha) Sam460ex (Samantha)

Servers Apple Xserve Rack server. Genesi Open Server Workstation (OSW) with dual IBM PowerPC 970MP CPU. High density blade server (rack server). IBM Rack server.

Supercomputers IBM

Blue Gene/L and Blue Gene/P Supercomputer, keeping the top spots of supercomputers since 2004, also being the first systems to performa faster than one Petaflops. System p with POWER5 processors are used as the base for many supercomputers as they are made to scale well and have powerful CPUs. All supercomputers of Spanish Supercomputing Network, built using PowerPC 970 based blade servers. Magerit and MareNostrum are the most powerful supercomputers of the network. Roadrunner is a new Cell/Opteron based supercomputer that will be operational in 2008, pushing the 1 PetaFLOPS mark. Summit and Sierra, currently the world's first and second fastest supercomputers, respectively. Apple

System X of Virginia Tech is a supercomputer based on 1100 Xserves (PowerPC 970) running Mac OS X. First built using stock PowerMac G5s making it one of the cheapest and most powerful supercomputer in its day. Cray

The XT3, XT4 and XT5 supercomputers have Opteron CPUs but PowerPC 440 based SeaStar communications processors connecting the CPUs to a very high bandwidth communications grid. Sony

The PlayStation 3 is the base of Cell based supercomputer grids running Yellow Dog Linux.

Personal digital assistants (smartphones and tablets) IBM released a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) reference platform ("Arctic") based on PowerPC 405LP (Low Power). This project is discontinued after IBM sold PowerPC 4XX design to AMCC.

Game consoles All three major seventh-generation game consoles contain PowerPC-based processors. Sony's PlayStation 3 console, released in November 2006, contains a Cell processor, including a 3.2 GHz PowerPC control processor and eight closely threaded DSP-like accelerator processors, seven active and one spare; Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, released in 2005, includes a 3.2 GHz custom IBM PowerPC chip with three symmetrical cores, each core SMP-capable at two threads, and Nintendo's Wii console, also released in November 2006, contains an extension of the PowerPC architecture found in their previous system, the GameCube. Several arcade system boards were also powered by PowerPC-based processors, such as Sega Model 3, powering games such as Scud Race, Sega Rally 2 and Daytona USA 2, Konami Viper, which was used in Police 911 and Silent Scope EX, as well as Taito Type Zero, which powered the first two games in the Battle Gear series, as well as Densha de Go! 3. Because they are based on PowerPC-based console hardware, the Triforce, based on the GameCube, and Namco System 357, based on PlayStation 3, also use PowerPC-based processors.

TV set-top boxes / digital recorder IBM, Sony, and Zarlink Semiconductor had released several Set Top Box (STB) reference platforms based on IBM PowerPC 405 cores and IBM Set Top Box (STB) System-On-Chip (SOC)

Sony set-top box (STB). Motorola set-top box. Dreambox set-top box. TiVo (Series1) personal TV/video digital recorder (VDR).

Printers/graphics Global Graphics, YARC Raster Image Processing (RIP) system for professional printers. Hewlett-Packard, Kyocera, Konica-Minolta, Lexmark, Xerox laser and inkjet printers.

Network/USB devices Buffalo Technology Kuro Box/LinkStation/TeraStation network-attached storage devices Cisco routers Culturecom - VoIP in China. Realm Systems BlackDog Plug-in USB mobile Linux Server

Automotive Ford, Daimler Benz cars and other car manufacturers.

Medical equipment Horatio - patient simulator for training doctor and nurse. Matrox image processing subsystem for medical equipment: MRI, CAT, PET, USG

Military and aerospace The RAD750 (234A510, 234A511, 244A325) radiation-hardened processors, used in several spacecraft. Maxwell radiation hardened Single-board computer (SBC) for space and military projects. U.S. Navy submarine sonar systems.[1] Canadarm for International Space Station (ISS) created by MacDonald, Detwiller & Associates (MDA). Leclerc main battle tank fire control [2]

Point of sales Culturecom - Tax Point of Sales terminal in China.

Test and measurement equipment LeCroy digital oscilloscopes (certain series).

References

External links The OpenPOWER Foundation

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PowerPC applications

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications

In research: PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications 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: PowerPC applications is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of computer hardware, PowerPC architecture, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PowerPC applications in simple terms?

Microprocessors belonging to the PowerPC/Power ISA architecture family have been used in numerous applications. Personal computers Apple Computer was the dominant player in the market of personal computers based on PowerPC processors until 2006 when it switched to Intel-based processors.

Why does PowerPC applications 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 PowerPC applications?

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 PowerPC applications.