AEG AG’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Modular Computer Systems Inc has extended its Tri-Dimensional family of real time computers with launch of the Real/Star Series of Motorola 88000 RISC- and 68000 family-based uni- and multiprocessor systems, which also run the Real/IX real-time Unix System V operating system. The series includes Modcomp’s first multiprocessor RISC machines. The Real/Star models based on the 88000 microprocessor meet the Posix 1003.1 standard and are designed to be binary compatibility standard- and object compatibility standard-compliant. The company is pitching the line at real-time data acquisition and control, government and aerospace applications, simulation, communications, process control and factory automation markets. The Real/Star 1000 models are uniprocessor Motorola 68000 and 88000-based models offering computational performance ranging from 2.2 to 22 Whetstone MIPS. The Real/Star 2000 symmetrical multiprocessors are Motorola 88000-based multiprocessors rated at 43 to 86 Whetstone MIPS. They support automatic load balancing of tasks across multiple CPUs but users can also explicitly assign individual tasks to a specific CPU. The Real/Star 3000 multicomputers use both 68000s and 88000s in an asymmetrical multiprocessing architecture running Application Worksheet, a unifying software environment. The Real/Star 3000s go up to nine processors and span a performance range of 5 to 86 Whetstone MIPS. Initial shipments of the 2000 systems are expected in August 1991 at $33,000 to $110,000. The 1000 and 3000 systems are available now with 1000s starting at $25,000 and going to $110,000; the 3000s range in price from $37,000 to $240,000.
