Mercury Computer Systems Brings the Cell BE Processor to the PC Workstation Architecture
Mercury's latest Cell BE processor-based offering enables supercomputer-like performance for rendering, imaging, and other compute-intensive applications
BOSTON, July 31 -- Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY) announced the Mercury Cell Accelerator Board (CAB), its latest Cell Broadband Engine(TM) (BE) processor-based product offering, at SIGGRAPH 2006 (Booth #828, Hall A). The Mercury CAB is the first product with Cell Technology for commercially available PC workstations.
"We have been actively working with customers to migrate data-intensive applications to the Cell BE processor since late last year," said Randy Dean, Vice President, Business and Technology Development at Mercury. "With the CAB, customers can achieve supercomputer-like performance right inside their workstation."
Featuring the Mercury MultiCore Plus(TM) Advantage, the CAB is designed to deliver an unprecedented 180 GFLOPS of performance in a PCI Express® ATX form factor suitable for compute-intensive applications such as rendering, ray tracing, video and image processing, and signal processing.
The CAB extends the portfolio of Mercury Cell BE processor-based products, including the BladeCenter®-compatible Dual Cell-Based Blade, the 1U Blade Server, and the highly rugged and deployable PowerBlock(TM) 200 product -- each of which offers a Cell BE processor-based solution. When deploying the CAB, customers can leverage the Mercury MultiCore Plus Advantage, including available software development tools and libraries such as the MultiCore Framework (MCF), optimized Scientific Algorithm Library (SAL), and the Mercury Trace Analysis Tool and Library (TATL(TM)).
As with Mercury's other Cell BE processor-based offerings, the CAB supports Linux via a Yellow Dog(TM) Linux BSP (board support package) from Terra Soft Solutions.
The Mercury MultiCore Plus Advantage
The Mercury MultiCore Plus Advantage employs sophisticated middleware that abstracts hardware capabilities and manages the distribution of data across multiple computing elements working in tandem. By leveraging the MultiCore Plus Advantage from Mercury, customers can benefit from patented cooling technologies, lightweight system-on-chip (SoC) management software, multicore implementations of key algorithms, visualization tools designed for clusters, algorithm tuning, and more.
Prototypes of the Mercury CAB are now available in limited volumes. Production availability is planned for the first quarter of calendar 2007. Pricing for the Mercury Cell Accelerator Board starts at US$7,999 for a single board, with discounts available on higher volumes. The Cell Workstation Development System includes a CAB, high-end dual-processor Opteron workstation running Linux® and Windows®, and the Mercury MultiCore Plus Advantage software. Contact Mercury for pricing information.
For more information on the Mercury CAB, visit Mercury at SIGGRAPH 2006, Booth #828, Hall A; visit mc.com/cell; or contact Mercury at 866-627-6951.
About Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.
Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY) is the leading provider of high-performance embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing solutions. Mercury's solutions play a critical role in a wide range of applications, transforming sensor data to information for analysis and interpretation. In military reconnaissance and surveillance platforms the Company's systems process real-time radar, sonar, and signals intelligence data. Mercury's systems are also used in state-of-the-art medical diagnostic imaging devices including MRI, PET, and digital X-ray, and in semiconductor imaging applications including photomask generation and wafer inspection. Mercury provides advanced 3D image processing and visualization software and optimized systems to diverse end markets including life sciences, geosciences, and simulation. The Company also provides radio frequency (RF) products for enhanced communications capabilities in military and commercial applications.
Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Mercury serves customers in North America, Europe and Asia through its direct sales force and a network of subsidiaries and distributors. Visit Mercury on the web at www.mc.com.
Contacts:
Kathy Donahue,
Public Relations Manager
Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.
Tel: 978-967-1126
kdonahue@mc.com
Christian Potts,
Director,
Greenough Communications
617-275-6521
cpotts@greenoughcom.com
SOURCE: Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.
