🚀 go-pugleaf

> I have a new (Transtech) transputer-based system here, and would like
> to think about mixing in C40's in the future.  However, I don't know
> how various vendors are making this feasible.  Does TI have any info on
> its third-party supporters that would be mailable, or should one
> contact individual vendors first?

Our 3L Parallel C product supports mixed networks of transputers and C40s. 
Tasks can be booted onto C40s through a network of transputers, and vice
versa.  A transputer task can talk to a task running on a neighbouring
C40 using the same chan_out_message/chan_in_message functions as usual. 

These facilities obviously depend on the transputer links being mated to
the C40 communication ports via a hardware interface as described in
Steve Bradshaw's posting.

I have an application note from Mark Bell at Hull University which
describes the design of such a link bridge.  They have used it to
connect two TIM-40 C40 modules on a Hunt Engineering motherboard to an
existing T800-based measurement and control system.  The C40s were used
to speed up the control loop processing.  The paper describes some
pretty impressive performance gains.  It has been submitted for
publication in TI's upcoming C40 Application Databook; contact me if you
would like a copy of the paper.

Another mixed C40/transputer application I know of uses Hema
Elektronik's DSP1 C40 board, which has an on-board C40 comms port to
T800 link adapter.  Their client's application was optical surface
inspection in manufacturing quality assurance.  This application and
several others are described in a paper on "Initial Applications of 3L
Parallel C for the C40" which I will be presenting at PACTA'92 in next
month in Barcelona.  Again, contact me if anyone wants a copy.


> Is there a list of current vendors who are offering support (hardware
> and software) for the C40?

3L Parallel C for the C40 currently supports these development boards:

* ASPI Vortex
* DSP Research TIGER-40 
* Hema DSP1
* Hunt Engineering HEPC2
* Loughborough Sound Images/Spectrum DPC/C40
* Transtech TDB416

Support is under development for, among others:

* Ariel V-C40 Hydra
* Sang Computersysteme Mega-Link C40-AT