Bull DPX/2

from a paper of Jean-Louis Guédé

Introduction

The DPX/2 product line correspond to an evolution of the somewhat confusing set of UNIX products introduced before 1985 separately by Bull and Honeywell.

They still came of different origin and did not share the same architecture, not even the same version of software.

Bull wanted to position those products in the business application market where they were to displace the GCOS4 and GCOS6 product lines, and also to take the place of GCOS6 in the hopeful market of application specific servers.

The line includes three different systems:

• DPX/2-100
  an UNIX SCO system based on an Intel PC platform
• DPX/2 200
  a UNIX BOS (Bull Open Software) based on a 68030 platform on Multibus II built in Echirolles
• DPX/2 300
  an extensible SMP system based on another 68030 platform and Multibus II built by Pregnana engineering

DPX/2 100

This model was inspired by early attempts made by Boston to derive a UNIX platform on an Intel 386 PC platform. The basic UNIX port was SCO, the problem was to provide adequate drivers to support competitive peripherals. That condition cause the rapid obsolescence of DPX/2 100 unable to be maintained at par with the standard Microsoft platform (with Windows NT). It was withdrawn a few months after its introduction in 1990.

DPX/2 200 <to be supplied>

DPX/2 300 <to be supplied>

Conclusion

The DPX/2 product line essentially was delivered as a convergence of Motorola 680x0 based Unix servers developed separately by Honeywell Italy and Bull. It had to be discontinued in 1991 because  Motorola did not pursue the 680x0 line and switched to the PowerPC (agreement with IBM and Apple).

Index

Last modified: juillet 04, 2001