Online Computer Terms Dictionary - B

BBN Butterfly

<computer> A supercomputer developed at BBN Technologies, named after the "butterfly" multi-stage switching network around which it was built. It could have up to 512 CPUs connected to allow every CPU access to every other CPU's memory, albeit with about 15 times the latency than for its own. The earlier GP-1000 models used up to 256 Motorola 68020s. The later TC-2000 models used up to 512 Motorola 88100s.

Language developed for, or ported to, the BBN Butterfly were Butterfly Common LISP, Butterfly Scheme, Delirium, and MultiScheme.

http://www.paralogos.com/DeadSuper/Misc/BBN.html.

(2003-11-10)

BBN Technologies

<company> A company, originally known as Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Inc. (BBN), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

BBN were awarded the original contract to build the ARPANET and have been extensively involved in Internet development. They are responsible for managing NNSC, CSNET, and NEARnet.

The language LOGO was developed at BBN, as was the BBN Butterfly supercomputer.

BBN Home.

(2003-11-10)