ND-5830¶
The first Rallar machine. The fourth CPU type of the ND-5000 line.
| Introduced | 1989-90 |
| Type | Model of ND-5000, CPU type 4 |
| Word length | 32-bit |
| Needs a host? | Yes - needs an ND-120 |
| Replaced | ND-5800 |
| Replaced by | - |
| Survivors | Not recorded |
The short version¶
Rallar is an improved Samson, not a different machine. ND's own parts index files it as "N-5000 Basic CPU IV" - the fourth CPU type inside the ND-5000 family, numbered in the same series as Samson's types I, II and III. The functionality is the same; what changed is the implementation. Better ASICs meant fewer boards for the same job, and the CPU assembly now carries its own memory.
Whether it was actually faster is not established here. Rallar is specified by CPU frequency (25 or 45 MHz) while Samson was specified by master-clock period (70 or 156 ns), and those are different measurements from different documents - they cannot be compared directly. [?]
Specification¶
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| CPU type | 4 (Rallar) |
| Gate arrays | KUSK the controller and GAMP the workhorse, plus DSB on the arithmetic module |
| Made by | Dolphin - the company formed from ND's hardware R&D in 1989 |
| Board count | Fewer than Samson, because the ASICs do more per chip |
| Functionality | Same as Samson |
| Performance vs Samson | Not established - the two are specified in different units [?] |
| Clock | 25 MHz or 45 MHz depending on part |
| Local memory | 8, 16, 32 or 64 MB on the CPU assembly itself |
| Arithmetic | RAAP - Rallar Additional Arithmetic Processor. DSB handles division, square root and BCD |
| Modules | Motherboard PCB 6201, local memory 6202, CPU 6203, ICA 6204, DCA 6205 |
| Operating system | SINTRAN III from the M-version onward |
What was new¶
- Same functionality as Samson in fewer boards, using better ASICs.
- Memory moved onto the CPU assembly.
- Specified by clock frequency in MHz, where Samson was specified by clock period in ns.
Configurations¶
| Machine | What differs |
|---|---|
| ND-5850 | The faster Rallar |
| ND-5950 | Multi-CPU Rallar |
Sources¶
- Repo reference:
SINTRAN/ND5000/ND5000-FAMILY-MODELS-REFERENCE.md- primary-based and carefully graded - Secondary: chip details from the sintran.com collector's catalogue - single-sourced [?]
Full context: MACHINE-TIMELINE.md.