Russian supercomputer

Russia has started production of PS-2000 computers capable of performing 200 million operations per second. Any computer performs many functions: in addition to number processing the computer controls the whole computing process and determines the sequence in which information is to arrive at its processors. In fact, the computer takes only one-tenth of its total operating time to do the computing. Russian supercomputer is a computer with computing elements free from all other functions. This becomes possible if supervision is assigned to special processors acting as managers. Operating with computing circuits these processors give instructions and run the queue of information to enter the processor from storage, etc.

The new computer concept attracted interest from the American Control Data Corporation (CDC) and resulted in the production of the Cybers, the fastest computers in the USA. It works like an assembly line with individual operations. Data have to pass through the entire length of the conveyer, no matter how many processors are there to process them. The Russian approach differs radically from the above. We suggested a principle whereby all processors respond to a single control command that leaves them a certain margin of freedom, with the possibility to sort out their data independently. Receiving a command " command" they all start off doing similar operations, later switching over to successive operations until the whole problem is solved. The efficiency of this parallel system is obvious.

First, similar operations can be handled at any speed as it depends on the number of processors involved. Second, a single control system for all processors is simple and, consequently, low-cost.

So far there are no computers in this class in the West. It is high-speed and low-cost. It can be used in weather forecasting, to predict patients' post-operational states or the behaviour of an airfoil which only exists in a blue-print, and also helps to pinpoint drilling sites for oil and gas, etc. The American Cyber-73 takes nearly two hours for pinpointing drilling sites. The Russian computer performs this operation in ten minutes.

Notes:

to run the queue [kju: ] – управлять очередностью

the CDC – фирма, выпускающая вычислительное оборудование

cyber ['saibə ] – кибер (от слова «кибернетика»)

whereby – посредством которого

a certain margin – определенный предел

until the whole problem is solved – до тех пор, пока задача не будет решена полностью

weather forecasting – прогноз погоды

an airfoil – профиль крыла

to pinpoint – указывать

drilling sites – места для бурения скважин

13. Read Text С. Find the answers to the following questions:

What kinds of memories do you know?

What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

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