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The ND-500 was a 32-bit superminicomputer delivered in 1981 by Norsk Data. It relied on a ND-100 to do housekeeping tasks and run the OS, SINTRAN III. A configuration could feature up to four ND-500 CPUs in a shared-memory configuration.

Hardware implementations[edit]

The ND-500 architecture lived through four distinct implementations. Each implementation was sold under a variety of different model numbers.

ND also sold multiprocessor configurations, naming them ND-580/n and an ND-590n, where n represented the number of CPUs in a given configuration, 2, 3, or 4.

ND-500/1[edit]

Sold as the ND-500, ND-520, ND-540, and ND-560.

ND-500/2[edit]

Sold as the ND-570, ND-570/CX, and ND-570/ACX.

ND-505[edit]

A 28-bit version of the ND-500 machine. Pins were snipped on the backplane, removing its status as a superminicomputer, allowing it to legally pass through the CoCom embargo.

Samson[edit]

Sold as the ND-5200, ND-5400, ND-5500, ND-5700, and ND-5800. The ND-120 CPU line, which constituted the ND-100 side of most ND-5000 computers, was named Delilah. As the 5000 line progressed in speed, the dual-arch ND-100/500 configuration increasingly became bottlenecked by all input/output (I/O) having to go through the ND-100.

Rallar[edit]

Sold as the ND-5830 and ND-5850. The Rallar processor consisted of two main VLSI gate arrays, KUSK (En: Jockey) and GAMP (En: Horse).

Software[edit]

LED was a programmer's source-code editor by Norsk Data running on the ND-500 computers running Sintran III. It featured automatic indenting, pretty-printing of source code, and integration with the compiler environment. It was sold as an advanced alternative to PED. Several copies exist, and it is installed on the NODAF public access ND-5700.

In 1982–83, Logica PLC in London undertook a project, on behalf of ND, to port Unix Berkley Software Distribution (BSD) 4.2 to the ND-500. A C compiler from Luleå University College in Northern Sweden was used. The goal was to port Unix BSD to the ND-500 and use the ND-100 running Sintran-III as the front end. Thus, all I/O had to go through the ND-100 which proved very inefficient. For example, running vi on the ND-500 brought the ND-100 to its knees. The purpose of the effort was so that ND could sell the 500 to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), who were buying VAXes from Digital Equipment Corporation. But the ND-500 was unable to meet CERN's goals. Although the ND-500 processor was very fast for its time, it couldn't compete with the superior VAX I/O architecture.

External links[edit]

ND-500 Reference Manual (PDF). Norsk Data. 1987. ND-05.009.3 EN.

This minicomputer-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|32-bit superminicomputer delivered in 1981 by Norsk Data}}
 {{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
-[[Image:ND-560.jpeg|thumb|A typical large ND-500 configuration.]]
-The '''ND-500''' was a 32-bit [[superminicomputer]] delivered in 1981 by [[Norsk Data]]. It relied on a [[NORD-100|ND-100]] to do housekeeping tasks and run the OS, [[SINTRAN III]]. A configuration could feature up to four ND-500 CPUs in a shared-memory configuration.
+[[File:ND-560.jpg|thumb|A typical large ND-500 configuration.]]
+The '''ND-500''' was a [[32-bit computing|32-bit]] [[superminicomputer]] delivered in 1981 by [[Norsk Data]]. It relied on a [[NORD-100|ND-100]] to do housekeeping tasks and run the OS, [[SINTRAN III]]. A configuration could feature up to four ND-500 CPUs in a shared-memory configuration.
 == Hardware implementations ==
@@ Line 10: / Line 12: @@
 ===ND-500/1===
-Sold as the '''ND-500''', '''ND-520''', '''ND-540''', and '''ND-560'''.
+Sold as the ''ND-500'', ''ND-520'', ''ND-540'', and ''ND-560''.
 ===ND-500/2===
-Sold as the '''ND-570''', '''ND-570/CX''', and the '''ND-570/ACX'''.
+Sold as the ''ND-570'', ''ND-570/CX'', and ''ND-570/ACX''.
 ===ND-505===<!-- This section is linked from [[Norsk Data]] -->
@@ Line 19: / Line 21: @@
 ===Samson===
-Sold as the '''ND-5200''', '''ND-5400''', '''ND-5500''', '''ND-5700''', and '''ND-5800'''. The ND-120 CPU line, which constituted the ND-100 side of most ND-5000 computers, was named Delilah. As the 5000 line progressed in speed, the dual-arch ND-100/500 configuration increasingly became bottlenecked by all I/O having to go through the ND-100.
+Sold as the ''ND-5200'', ''ND-5400'', ''ND-5500'', ''ND-5700'', and ''ND-5800''. The ND-120 CPU line, which constituted the ND-100 side of most ND-5000 computers, was named Delilah. As the 5000 line progressed in speed, the dual-arch ND-100/500 configuration increasingly became bottlenecked by all [[input/output]] (I/O) having to go through the ND-100.
 ===Rallar===
-Sold as the '''ND-5830''' and '''ND-5850'''. The Rallar processor consisted of two main VLSI gate arrays, '''KUSK''' and '''GAMP''' - meaning "Jockey" and "Horse", respectively.
+Sold as the ''ND-5830'' and ''ND-5850''. The Rallar processor consisted of two main [[VLSI]] gate arrays, ''KUSK'' (En: Jockey) and ''GAMP'' (En: Horse).
 ==Software==
-LED was a programmer's editor by Norsk Data running on the ND-500 computers running [[Sintran III]]. It featured automatic indenting, pretty-printing of [[source code]], and integration with the [[compiler]] environment. It was sold as an advanced alternative to [[PED (Editor)|PED]]. There are several remaining copies, and it is installed on the NODAF public access [[ND-500#Samson|ND-5700]].
+LED was a programmer's [[source-code editor]] by Norsk Data running on the ND-500 computers running [[Sintran III]]. It featured automatic indenting, pretty-printing of [[source code]], and integration with the [[compiler]] environment. It was sold as an advanced alternative to [[PED (Editor)|PED]]. Several copies exist, and it is installed on the NODAF public access [[ND-500#Samson|ND-5700]].
-In 1982-83 I lead a project at Logica PLC in the UK to port UNIX 4.2BSD to the ND-500. We used a C compiler from The University of Lulea in Northern Sweden. The idea was to port BSD UNIX to the ND-500 and use the ND-100 using Sintran-III as the front end. Therefore all I/O had to go through the ND-100 which proved very inefficient. For example, running vi on the ND-500 brought the ND-100 to its knees. The purpose of the effort was so that ND could sell the 500 to CERN, who were buying VAX's. I do not think ND were able to meet their goals. Although the ND-500 processor was superfast for its time. it couldn't compete with the VAX superior I/O architecture.
+In 1982{{En dash}}83, Logica PLC in London undertook a project, on behalf of ND, to port [[Unix]] [[Berkley Software Distribution]] (BSD) 4.2 to the ND-500. A [[C (programming language)|C]] compiler from [[Luleå University of Technology|Luleå University College]] in Northern Sweden was used. The goal was to port Unix BSD to the ND-500 and use the ND-100 running Sintran-III as the front end. Thus, all I/O had to go through the ND-100 which proved very inefficient. For example, running [[Vi (text editor)|vi]] on the ND-500 brought the ND-100 to its knees. The purpose of the effort was so that ND could sell the 500 to the European Organization for Nuclear Research ([[CERN]]), who were buying [[VAX]]es from [[Digital Equipment Corporation]]. But the ND-500 was unable to meet CERN's goals. Although the ND-500 processor was very fast for its time, it couldn't compete with the superior VAX I/O architecture.
+==External links==
+* {{cite manual|url=http://bitsavers.org/pdf/norskData/ND-500-RM-ND-05.009.3_ND-500_Reference_Manual_Jun87.pdf|title=ND-500 Reference Manual|id=ND-05.009.3 EN|date=1987|publisher=[[Norsk Data]]}}
 {{Norsk Data}}
@@ Line 33: / Line 38: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nd-500}}
 [[Category:Norsk Data minicomputers]]
+[[Category:32-bit computers]]
+{{Mini-compu-stub}}
-{{mini-compu-stub}}

v t e Norsk Data
History	Benham Park Dietz Computer Systems Dolphin Server Technology FUNN Økernsenteret SAM Tandberg
Minicomputers	Nord-1 Nord-5 Nord-10 Nord-50 Nord-100 ND-500 ND-5000
Software	LED Ndix Notis Nord Programming Language Norsk Data Assembler Nord-TSS Nortext PED PLANC Sibas Sintran Sintran III
People	Tor Alfheim Per Bjørge Erik Engebretsen Kolbjørn Johansen Lars Monrad-Krohn Rolf Skår