dtj v06-02 1994

This document is the Spring 1994 issue (Volume 6, Number 2) of the Digital Technical Journal, published by Digital Equipment Corporation. It focuses on several key technological advancements and collaborations involving Digital's Alpha AXP microprocessor and other Digital products.

The main topics summarized in this issue are:

1. Alpha AXP Partners – Cray, Raytheon, Kubota:

   • Cray Research: Discusses the Cray T3D massively parallel processor, which utilizes Alpha AXP 64-bit microprocessors and a shared memory architecture for high-performance computing.
   • Raytheon: Details the E²COTS System, an effort to adapt Digital's Alpha AXP VME module (AXPvme 64) to create ruggedized, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) computer systems for military applications.
   • Kubota Graphics: Explores Volume Rendering with the Kubota 3D Imaging and Graphics Accelerator on Digital's AXP workstations, highlighting its capability for interactive, high-performance 3D visualization in areas such as medical imaging and scientific research.

2. Digital's DECchip 21071/21072 PCI Chip Sets: This article describes the development of these chip sets and the EB64+ evaluation kit. Their purpose was to enable system designers to build cost-effective and high-performance PCI-based personal computers using the DECchip 21064 Alpha AXP microprocessor, accelerating the adoption of the Alpha AXP architecture in the PC market.

3. DLT2000 Tape Drive: An analysis of data compression in the DLT2000 magnetic tape drive, which uses a variant of the Lempel-Ziv (DLZ1) algorithm. Performance testing showed that DLZ1 provided superior data capacity and throughput for typical data compared to the IDRC algorithm, despite IDRC's higher theoretical bandwidth.

In essence, the journal showcases Digital's strategy to expand the reach of its Alpha AXP architecture through strategic partnerships for high-end applications (supercomputing, military, graphics) and through its own chip set developments to enable its use in broader PC markets, alongside advancements in its storage solutions.