Network Systems Corp, Minneapolis has extended its Hyperchannel family of high-speed intercomputer buses or local area network systems with the Hyperchannel-DX, which is designed to enable users to develop networks of networks connecting heterogeneous computers that support different standards, and using multiple protocols concurrently. The Hyperchannel-DX controllers are built around 16MHz Motorola 68020s with 1Mb to 16Mb, supporting a 400Mbps bus for a maximum data transmission rate of 100Mbps and up to eight concurrent sessions, which can be between different networks using different transmission standards and protocols. The system supports co-axial, fibre optic, twisted pair or telephone lines, and transmission modes and protocols supported include Ethernet, TCP/IP and the company’s own Hyperchannel, with Open Systems Interconnection and Fibre Distributed Data Interchange, FDDI. First versions of Hyperchannel-DX on offer are the N130 for use with Cray Research machines, N220 for IBM and other mainframes using the FIPS channel standard; N400 for minis, micros and workstations with Direct Memory Access channel; and the N700 for connecting a computer or up to four networks to one or two telecommunications links. Prices range from $60,000 to $200,000 and first ships of the new products is set for the fourth quarter of 1988.
