Some assorted links

Recently, Luke and I have been working on implementing threads for a multiprocessor. We have been working on making Hydra a multiprocessor so that we will have a machine to test the threads/multiprocessor support on. Ideas have involved using a Pentium II board in conjunction with the existing M2 mainboard. Recently, we have decided to scrap this idea, as the Pentium II board is not interfacing well with the M2. Alternative ideas have been to construct a multiprocessor with a number of RISC-based microprocessors. These would be such a chip as the PIC16F877. For more information, go to Microchip's website. This is an 8-bit microcontroller, but would be ideal for such a multiprocessing application. As OS/C is a microkernel operating system, it will run fine on a small, eight-bit system. Also, the PIC16F877 can easily address small caches of EEPROM and RAM. It would be very efficient with memory addressing. Another idea is to use the PIC18cxxx line of microcontrollers, but although the speed is good (40MHz vs. 10MHz), the price is too high to purchase more than one at this time. If anyone has any advice, please email us at projectosc@yahoo.com.