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The project is over eight months in the making and works out details using the Basic Stamp 1 for parallel clustered processing, serial Rx and Tx, one wire interface, and wireless radio communications for talk with other Basic Stamp Supercomputers or individual equipped-Stamps. The developed applications include a new interpreter language for use with any of the collective cores.
Objectives
The objective of creating this project is to have an enjoyable learning experience, expand education, learn more about supercomputers (principles of supercomputing, clustering hardware and parallel programming), and to serve as a platform for some very interesting experiments and demonstration projects. It also promotes the new concept of the Stamp Hobby Supercomputer. The Baby could be the basis of an educational classroom project, a science fair dream, or the fundamental idea in your next exciting Stamp project. The SBS can become an Adjunct to more Stamp supercomputers or any single computer.
Computing Power & Ratings
Comparing Stamps to Stamps, the novel SEED has a powerful cluster of ten BS1s, each in a Project Board that amplifies the power of a single stamp by a factor of ten. It creates a super Basic Stamp. The port count goes upward from 8 to 80. Speed gains escalate from 4 to 40Mhz. Instruction code capacity in EEPROM grows from 80 to 800. Software is transformed from a single linear program to 10 programs running simultaneously in parallel. Program execution speed increases from 2,000 IPS to 20,000 IPS.
Breadboard real estate goes up ten times. The addition of both software and hardware programming adds great flexibility. In general, the computing power is in the number of ports, new capabilities of hardware clustering, and revolutionary new software. It is rated not by the speed of conventional supercomputing but rather its comparison to ten times the speed of a single hobby Stamp processor and innovative software.
In the Works
In the works: a complete assembly manual, new code examples, schematic, and applications, to be added in the near future. Below are post areas reserved for these information topics that will be filled when the material is completed.
Summary
Of course the big advantage to this new Stamp supercomputer is the new software that changes the way the supercomputer functions. Originally dubbed the "Hive Algorithm," SEED is the software that feed this supercomputer in a new way.
Unique Experiences
There was an interesting experience that happened when the unit was first powered up, and it was completely unexpected. The construction of the individual Parallax Stamp 1 Project Board is unique. As a result, all bright red power LEDs lit up and began to twinkle like a Christmas tree!!! It was an awesome effect, not intended, but fully explainable. More on this later. |