Clearspeed Technology Share Discussion Threads

[tradx666] 12/4/2005 09:14

Simon,

I didn't cross my wires, I was more pointing at the fact that the 'bang for buck' argument as opposed to raw compute power was about to shift again in the marketplace..in other words do you 'trade' off the number of platforms for the cost of CSDs products and what is the correlation of the compute cost per cycle based on this changing dynamic...I have a couple of fears with CSD, namely that optimisation may well be software application i.e. Computational Fluid Dynamics programs, and that the actual cost of their add-in boards/processors is beginning to look increasing expensive and this may well limit it's take up?

regards

T..

[simon self] 10/4/2005 11:43

Tradx666,

I think you may have got your wires crossed here. Clearspeed`s CSX-600 will not be competing with AMD and Intel`s new products, but instead will be able to be incorporated into their systems.

The following article I found on www.znet.com, explains what market Clearspeed`s CSX600 will be aimed at far better than I can.
It seems there could be vast scope for this type of chip with a multi billion dollar market waiting to be exploited.
...................

By Michael Kanellos, CNET News.com
Published on ZDNet News: October 6, 2004, 8:44 AM PT

Chip designer ClearSpeed has put 96 computing cores onto a single semiconductor, as the race to secure a niche in the emerging market for co-processors heats up.

Code-named Avebury, the company's upcoming chip contains 96 separate internal units tuned for doing particular types of math problems. Inserted into Intel- or Advanced Micro Device-based servers, Avebury will handle the repetitive, computational grunt work involved in preparing a study on how a single protein will react with thousands of others or a financial analysis that charts how slight changes in a stock portfolio could affect a person's financial position over the course of several years.

"This allows for local, high-performance computing, so technical users can complete their work on a small cluster or their desktop," said David Hoff, director of technical marketing at ClearSpeed, which has offices in Los Gatos, Calif., and Bristol, England.

Chips that help a computer's main microprocessors perform specific types of math problems are becoming a big business once again, decades after companies like Intel integrated these chips into main microprocessors to cut costs.

RIKEN, an anglicized acronym for Japan's Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, revealed details earlier this summer about a chip called MDGrape 3 that can perform a quadrillion operations per second. That's more than existing supercomputers, although the MDGrape 3 can only handle certain types of functions.

Azul Systems, meanwhile, recently announced it is concocting a chip with 24 processing cores for accelerating Java applications.

Energy conservation
The driving force behind the move to co-processors is power consumption. General-purpose high-end microprocessors run in the 3GHz range. Partly as a result, some of these chips require 100 watts or more of power, more than household light bulbs, and generate tremendous amounts of heat.

Co-processors conserve energy by running at lower speeds but performing more tasks at the same time. Avebury, for instance, runs at 250MHz and coasts on 5 watts. But with its 96 processing cores, it can churn 50 billion floating point operations (math problems that involve a decimal point) per second. A typical microprocessor on the market today will have three floating point units and generally perform less than 10 billion operations per second.

The architecture works because the underlying equations in instructions in many applications are often identical--only the numerical variables change. In biological research, for instance, scientists will prepare data on the hundreds of different ways a single protein can be folded, and then need the same exact corpus of data on folding for thousands of separate proteins.

Currently, several national labs, some oil companies and a few universities are experimenting with Avebury, Hoff said.

Another benefit comes in gradual degradation. If a single processing element burns out or fails to work, the remaining 95 will continue to function. At that point, the chip will provide slightly less performance, or can be sped up to compensate for a loss of performance.

Handing off work
ClearSpeed is currently working with software developers and hardware makers to optimize their products so that the main microprocessor will hand off this sort of work to the co-processor.

"The application has to be accelerated ahead of time," Hoff said. "They need to be recompiled."

The company last year came out with a chip with 64 computing cores, called the CS-301, to seed the market. Avebury not only increased the number of computing cores by 50 percent, it runs at a slight faster speed. Despite the addition of the new processing cores, the older and newer chips are the same size.

"The CS-301 was never optimized for cost or real estate," Hoff said.

Samples of Avebury now exist. Commercially available versions, which will then be called CSX-600, will come out in the first quarter of 2005. IBM's Semiconductor unit serves as the foundry.

[tradx666] 07/4/2005 08:06

simon,

I suspect that many felt that it's marketcap had got seriously ahead of itself...and perhaps it did, also profit taking can be a very difficult thing to resist sometimes!

And let's not forget that AMD's dual core CPU will be hitting the streets in anger in May..and I suspect that Intel will not be as far behind as many think, so certainly in some sections those who are demanding more and more compute are beginning to wonder just what role CSD will play in this space...?

Answers on a postcard..!

regards

T..

[simon self] 06/4/2005 11:10

Just been having a look at this and it looks a steal at present prices. The only explanation for the recent drop seems to be the resignation of the finance director six weeks ago.
There was no bad news following the resignation so it must have been a better offer elsewhere that spirited him away.
Tipped at 220p by New Star on the 1st of January as their tip of the year, it shot up to 290p in about 4 weeks before dropping back following the resignation. It now seems to have bottomed and is beginning to move back up.
An announcement of the appointment of a new finance director plus overdue news of further pipeline advances could send this into orbit again. imho.

[ppowerscourt] 29/3/2005 08:33

As analysed by Horneblower that the chart was heading down towards 220p. (See previous posts.)

Now there seems to be a further slide. What the future chart holds, IMHO, depends on the next release of news. However, the CSD technology reassures on the fundamental scope.

[ch8rlie2000] 26/3/2005 21:56

Anyone any thoughts on the current trend?

[taylor20] 09/3/2005 13:21

Recruiting in Bristol at the moment, strangely not listed on the website...

[www.icresources.co.uk]

EDIT: (These are for technical roles by the way, haven't seen any adverts for Financial Directors yet...)

[ppowerscourt] 03/3/2005 15:21

Jungle

You said to me on the KYS bb that you would keep an eye on the CSD chart.

[jungle jim] 03/3/2005 13:09

ppowerscourt, how on earth did you know I lurk on this thread? I've never posted on it, I don't think. Scarey!

I'm not a chartist, I'm the opposite, I don't believe they work on small stocks. I'm afraid this particular hi-tech is not in my field of expertise. I keep an eye on this from time to time, but I've not researched the company or the products greatly, and can't really add anything to the debate.

[ppowerscourt] 03/3/2005 09:42

Jungle Jim,

What's your opinion here? being a hi-tech man yourself and a chartist.

Is this a case of under-exposure on Clearspeed's advanced technology?

Regards,

[horneblower] 26/2/2005 11:37

What was the story regarding the cell needing 125 volts power? Is this true or was I dreaming?

pp: Yes I do forecast shares going down sometimes. It's just that most things have been going up recently.

[tradx666] 26/2/2005 10:27

horneblower,


thanks for that, it does make sense..

ppowerscourt,

totally agree...I can tell you that almost he whole of the HPC/clustering/GRID market is closely monitoring their progress, my view is they will have a readily and willing market, when the time comes..

regards

T..

[ppowerscourt] 26/2/2005 09:52

HB:

It's good to hear you speak (for a change) on the downside charting probabilities! Thanks! I think the fundamental technology end of CSD is positive but will require time; just like a mining co with a proven good asset base will require waiting for the actual production to come onstream.

[horneblower] 26/2/2005 09:04

Tradx666:
My reading of the chart is that it is breaking down, maybe only temporarily, but you may get back to 200p. If it goes back up but doesn't reach 295p (ie makes a peak lower than 295p) then sell immediately.

[tradx666] 26/2/2005 07:22

I have to admit to willing this to fall further....I know selfish..but another go at around £2 would suit me fine!!

This has been one of my best in recent times, and still I am a lonely litle investor here ! LOL!!

regards to all lurkers..

T..

[tradx666] 21/2/2005 10:13

Some profit taking..?

And why not!

LOL!!

regards

T.

[tradx666] 16/2/2005 12:25

supernumeracy,

I have a sneaking feeling that the cell processor may never see the light of day - we will see of course, as for Cringely, I suspect people think he is more influential than he actually is, I suspect he fits more in teh 'legend in his own lunchtime' category! LOL!!

We are still holding..and I expect some further news soon.

regards

T..

[supernumerary] 13/2/2005 19:08

Interesting take on the cell processor - bear with the rant about Carly Fiorina. I hadn't realised it needed 130 watts. Maybe Clearspeed should contact Cringely - he's hugely influential stateside :

[cleoboy] 10/2/2005 23:18

Tradx - u hv mail.

Cleo

[tradx666] 10/2/2005 19:46

Hi Cleoboy,

yep, have to say that the last few weeks(months!) have been very very kind to me..even I am truely astonished at recent returns!

Clearly, this incredible run will end soon... (Fingers crossed as I post this!)..

And as you say, even my 'laggard' TEO is beginning to stir.. DA. and SEO have simply astonished me this past week or so...although I have to be careful, the wife keeps popping into my study - I can't let here get wind of the size of the profits! - but I think she is beginning to guess as she keeps coming in as I'm doing a jig! LOL!!

Anyway, good to hear from you - you know where I am..

be lucky

regards

T..

[ppowerscourt] 10/2/2005 09:53

advfn charts malfunctioning today.

CSD up 11p by Comdirect ,15mins delay.

[cleoboy] 10/2/2005 09:31

Good Morning Tradx

Cant help thinking that with the FD only been there for 12months he wasnt upto scratch.

Nice start today anyway.

I see yr having a very good week. Well done - even TEO has come good.

regards


Cleo

[m.t.glass] 10/2/2005 09:29

advfn's Level 2 shows price up 12p (4.4%) at 280-287p, yet advfn charts show it flat at 271.5p

Whassat all about?

9:36 edit: L2 now slipped a little at 280-85p and chart still wrong

[tradx666] 10/2/2005 09:21

Well, it seems the effect of the FD leaving to try pastures anew...has had absolutely zero effect...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Let's hope there is more news from the lady in Bristol soon..

regards

T..