Supercomputer facts for kids
A supercomputer is a computer with great speed and memory. This kind of computer can do jobs faster than any other computer of its generation. They are usually thousands of times faster than ordinary personal computers made at that time. Supercomputers can do arithmetic jobs very fast, so they are used for weather forecasting, code-breaking, genetic analysis and other jobs that need many calculations. When new computers of all classes become more powerful, new ordinary computers are made with powers that only supercomputers had in the past, while new supercomputers continue to outclass them.
Electrical engineers make supercomputers that link many thousands of microprocessors.
Contents
Types
Supercomputer types include: shared memory, distributed memory and array. Supercomputers with shared memory are developed by using a parallel computing and pipelining concept. Supercomputers with distributed memory consist of many (about 100~10000) nodes. CRAY series of CRAYRESERCH and VP 2400/40, NEC의 SX-3 of HUCIS are shared memory types. nCube 3, iPSC/860, AP 1000, NCR 3700, Paragon XP/S, CM-5 are distributed memory types.
History
Array type computer ILIAC started at 1972 and since that, CF-11, CM-2, Mas Par MP-2(that has array type) is developed. Lately, array type supercomputer is beginning to make a mark. And movements that use physically separated memory like one shared memory bring T3D, KSR1, and Tera Computer.
Related pages
Images for kids
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IBM's Blue Gene/P supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory runs over 250,000 processors using normal data center air conditioning, grouped in 72 racks/cabinets connected by a high-speed optical network.
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A Cray-1 preserved at the Deutsches Museum
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A Blue Gene/L cabinet showing the stacked blades, each holding many processors
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An IBM HS20 blade
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Wide-angle view of the ALMA correlator.
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Example architecture of a grid computing system connecting many personal computers over the internet
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Distribution of TOP500 supercomputers among different countries, as of November 2015
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Top 20 Supercomputers in the World, as of June 2013
See also
In Spanish: Supercomputadora para niños
