Norsk Data A/S yesterday introduced a range of mechanical computeraided design and manufacturing workstations built around its new 32-bit ND5000 processor. The new Technostation family, which runs Norsk Data’s Technovision mechanical engineering software, uses the 32-bit CMOS gate array ND5000 CPU supported by a dedicated ND120 16-bit input-output processors working together with one or two 16MHz 68020 used as the graphics processors. Despite the fact that these machines are billed as workstations, the ND5000-ND120 combination is standard on all the current Norsk Data machines: most of the Sintran III operating system runs on the 120, passing back to the 32bit CPU only the operating system code it needs for the task in hand. The Technostation line comes in four models supporting one or two users. Prices range from UKP30,000 for the Model 21 single user two dimensional system, to UKP80,000 for the top of the range Model 72 with two workstations. All configurations feature the ND120 processor with 2Mb or 4Mb memory for single and two users respectively; main memory can be 4Mb or 8Mb. Up to 610Mb of hard disk is available, back-up is handled by a 155Mb tape streamer while a 1.2Mb floppy disk comes as standard on all systems.
