Favorite External Links

Citeseer – While not an actual site per se, this is the most comprehensive online library of scientific papers on computer architecture, electrical engineering and MPU design, as well as many other subjects. This vast collection is accessed through Citeseer, a search engine designed by NEC’s Research Institute.

HP’s Developer and Partner Site – This site contains comprehensive technical information and support on all HP products, such as the PA-RISC and Alpha line as well as the Superdome servers, and their vast array of OSes; OpenVMS, NSK, Tru64, HP-UX and Linux.

HP Labs – This is the home of HP’s research arm and features news, technical reports, research papers as well as information on all the various HP research groups around the world.

IBM Journal of Research and Development – Each issue of IBM’s bimonthly research publication focuses on a specific topic, such as CMOS scaling or system on a chip designs. Typically between six and twelve research papers by IBM scientists will be presented in each journal along with a foreword discussing the relevance of the topic.

IBM Micro News – IBM Microelectric’s quarterly publication includes recent research relating to silicon production, microprocessor and systems design and other areas of interest. Each journal is typically composed of seven to ten articles by IBM researchers.

IBM Redbooks – This is the archive of information on all of IBM’s server lines, such as the Intel based xSeries and the Power based pSeries. In addition to hardware, there are also extensive Redbooks on software and operating systems such as AIX and Linux.

Intel’s Developers Site – This site contains almost everything you could want to know about Intel’s various products, ranging from datasheets on the i960 embedded controller to compilers optimized for the IA64 platform. Intel has a vast array of resources for the curious, including recent research, FAQs, forums, event listings, software such as VTune and Intel’s latest compilers.

Intel Technology Journal – A quarterly periodical, each publication focuses in on a specific area of Intel’s research, such as Simultaneous Multi-Threading or the packaging for microprocessors. Each journal is composed of between five and nine research papers by Intel Fellows and is a good resource to learn about current research efforts in the industry.

Tru64.org – This website is dedicated to Digital’s flavor of Unix, as well as the Alpha platform. Tru64.org contains many resources such as roadmaps for the Tru64 to HP-UX transition, a newsletter, FAQs, forums as well as Tru64.org merchandising.

OpenVMS.org – One of the most comprehensive resources on all things VMS. This site contains news, FAQs, road maps and forums all focusing on the operating system that refused die, outliving VAX, Alpha and perhaps even IA64.

LinuxHPC.org – This site focuses on the usage of Linux in the high performance computing sector, providing documentation, FAQs, forums, as well as articles written by Terry Shannon of Shannon Knows High Performance Computing (SKHPC).

EnterpriseLinux.org – One of the newest trends in technology is the emerging use of Linux for commercial applications that were previously the domain of proprietary operating systems. Enterprise Linux provides articles on the economic aspects of Linux, such as the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), as well as news and articles by Terry Shannon.

EnterpriseUnix.org – This site focuses on commercial oriented Unices; providing HP-UX, Tru64 and other Unix related coverage, as well as providing roadmaps and forums.

Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation – SPEC provides the standard benchmark for single processor performance, SPEC2000, as well as benchmarks for DSPs, multiprocessor systems and many other systems and applications. They also maintain a database of all benchmark results which can be searched using their internal engine.

Transaction Processing Performance Council – TPPC created the TPC series of benchmarks, which are considered the industry standard for commercial computing systems. They focus on database oriented computing and have a collection of results, each accompanied by an extensive report by the submitting company.

Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach – This classic, by Hennessey and Patterson is unlike everything else listed here, in that it is actually a hardback book. It covers most of the basics of computer architecture and engineering as well as some more advanced concepts and case studies.

Simple Scalar – Simple Scalar is a company that was grew out of research done at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. They are the creators of Simple Scalar, a hardware simulation tool, that has given rise to many other tools including Wattch, a power modeling tool and SIMCA a simulator for the Superthreaded Architecture.

Ars Technica – Ars Technica covers a wide range of material, from game reviews to the latest science news to articles on the fundamentals of microprocessors.

Chip Architect - Chip Architect is a fairly sophisticated technical analysis site run by Hans DeVries. His articles cover issues ranging from AMD's business prospects to the fabrication process used by Motorola.

The Inquirer – Mike Magee’s famous online newspaper provides news, speculation and roadmaps ahead of the competition.

Lost Circuits – Michael Schuette's site, Lost Circuits contains a good mix of introductory material, such as reviews, and more sophisticated technical analysis, such as the serial vs. parallel device article.

Sandpile.org – The ultimate resource for anything x86 related, Sandpile has complete documentation on all x86 architectures as well as on the numerous implementations, including lesser known cores such as the NexGen Nx686.