CRAY-2 Reboot

The CRAY-2 Computer System set the standard for the next generation of supercomputers in 1985. It was characterized by a large Common Memory (256 million 64-bit words), four Background Processors, a clock cycle of 4.1 nanoseconds (4.1 billionths of a… more »

The CRAY-2 mainframe was elegant in appearance as well as in architecture. The memory, computer logic and DC power supplies were integrated into a compact mainframe composed of 14 vertical columns arranged in a 300°arc. more »

Technological innovations on the CRAY-2 included the use of liquid immersion cooling and the eight-layer, three-dimensional modules.   Liquid Immersion Cooling Effective cooling techniques were central to the design of high-speed computational systems.… more »

In addition to the cooling technology, the CRAY-2's extremely high processing rates were achieved by a balanced integration of scalar and vector capabilities and a large Common Memory in a multiprocessing environment.   The significant architectural… more »

The CRAY-2 hardware is constructed of synchronous networks of binary circuits. These circuits are packaged in approximately 320 pluggable modules. The modules each contain 750 integrated circuit packages. Total integrated circuit population in the… more »

Circuit Board Construction Each circuit board was four inches wide and eight inches long. Each board had six layers. The two outside layers, referred to as the vertical and horizontal layers due to the orientation of their foil runs, carried logic… more »

The CRAY-2 is made up of up to 320 pluggable modules, each module had a specific function. Below is a complete list of the module names, their description, and placement in the system. more »

General Description The CRAY-2 module is made up of eight printed circuit boards. The boards are stacked one on top of another. An assembled module is four inches wide, eight inches long, and one inch deep. Assembled Module Layout Each board of the… more »

About The CRAY-2 Address Multiply functional unit is located on the AM module. The multiply unit performs 32-bit integer multiplication of two A register operands. The Address Registers, which are both the source and destination for the multiply unit,… more »

Below is the block diagram for the CRAY-2 Address Multiply Module, also known as the AM Module. [image:29] more »