Lowell, Mass. (June 22, 1992)--Wang Laboratories, Inc. today introduced a
family of high-performance computer systems based on Intel's i486 CPU and
featuring the 32-bit EISA (Extended Industry-Standard Architecture) bus.
The new TC 480E Series includes the i486SX-based 25-Megahertz (MHz) TC
480E/25SC, the i486DX-based 33MHz TC 480E/33C, and the i486DX2-based 50MHz
TC 480E/50C.

All three systems feature a highly modular design that permits easy field
upgrades of the CPU and allows the systems to be configured to include up
to 13 storage devices. The systems are housed in a very flexible, yet
compact low-profile chassis that can be located almost anywhere in an
office environment to satisfy a wide variety of customer needs.

The TC 480E Series models can be used as local area network (LAN) servers,
host computers, or high-end computing engines for demanding applications.
Support for SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) disk drives and
Digital Audio Tape (DAT) drives makes these systems ideal servers at the
workgroup or department level. They can be configured for use as imaging,
database, network, or file servers. They can also support large-volume
document storage and retrieval. The systems are aggressively priced, while
offering a rich set of features.

System Design

The TC 480E Series chassis is designed to be Wang's basic server platform.
The chassis consists of two internal compartments, with one half providing
a shielded space for CPU electronics. This will allow the TC 480E Series
systems to run future higher-speed CPU implementations without requiring a
chassis modification for cooling and emissions control.

The other half of the chassis holds a modular AT-form factor power supply,
a mounting system for disks, and power and signal distribution. Each
component is designed modularly to allow customers to benefit quickly from
advances in technology while preserving their platform investment. The
chassis is compact, measuring only 17.5 inches by 13.6 inches by 17
inches. 

Architecture

The TC 480E Series uses a scalable, modular architecture. The system board
features a ZIF (zero insertion force) CPU socket for safe and easy
insertion or removal of the microprocessor. Both 25MHz and 33MHz clocks
are available on the standard system board to support various CPUs, with
only a jumper change required. The EISA bus and associated input/output
(I/0) slots are also on the system board.

To enable customers to benefit fully from Intel's clock-doubling
technology, the TC 480E Series system board includes second-level cache
memory that allows the CPU to spend more time running at the higher clock
speed. The board comes standard with 128 kilobytes (KB) of
high-performance secondary cache, which can be field-upgraded to 256KB.

TC 480E Series products are field-upgradable to use a variety of Intel i486
CPUs. The 25MHz TC 480E/25SC can be upgraded to a 25MHz i487SX CPU or to
50MHz or 66MHz overdrive technology. The 33MHz TC 480E/33C can be upgraded
to 50MHz or 66MHz operation, while the 50MHz TC 480E/50C is upgradable to
66MHz operation.

The system board includes a socket for an optional Weitek WTL4167 math
coprocessor. The Weitek coprocessor is set up as a memory-mapped
peripheral resident on the host bus.

The TC 480E Series systems come with 4 megabytes (MB) of memory standard
and support up to 64MB. They provide 8 32-bit EISA slots, of which 6 are
bus-master-capable. 

Storage Options

The TC 480E platform supports a wide range of storage options. The chassis
accepts 8 internal 3.5-inch SCSI disk drives and 5 external half-height
devices. A Wang multifunction card provides a diskette controller and an
IDE (Integral Drive Electronics) disk drive connector. In addition,
optional ISA (industry-standard architecture) and EISA SCSI host adapters
are available.

Two exciting new plug-in options for use with the EISA SCSI adapter will
allow users to make more efficient use of SCSI disk storage. One is a 16MB
disk cache module that complements Wang's existing 4MB disk cache module.

The second is a mirroring module that implements Berkeley RAID (Redundant
Array of Inexpensive Disks) Level 1 mirroring of one or two pairs of
drives. This module automatically writes to each pair simultaneously and
reads from the first drive available so that operation can continue if one
drive in a pair fails. The mirroring option also implements automatic
patching of bad sectors. This disk mirroring module works with DOS, OS/2,
NetWare, VINES, and SCO UNIX and is transparent to system and application
software. This approach frees the processor from performing
fault-tolerance functions, allowing it to run applications faster and more
effectively. 

Diskette drive choices include 1.2MB 5.25-inch and 1.44MB 3.5-inch diskette
drives, as well as a combination 1.2MB/1.44MB diskette drive that occupies
a single half-height device space. IDE disk drive options are available in
80MB, 120MB, 200MB, and 330MB capacities, all in 3.5-inch format. SCSI
3.5-inch drive options range from 330MB to 540MB and 1 gigabyte (GB) in
3.5-inch format. Alternatively, up to four 337MB 5.25-inch half-height
SCSI drives may be installed in the external drive bays.

Additional SCSI storage options are a 150/250MB streaming tape drive and a
1.3GB DAT drive. To facilitate tape backup, Wang introduced three optional
tape backup software packages. They are AIM (Archive Information Manager)
tape backup software for DOS, AIM tape backup software for Windows, and
AIM tape backup NLM for NetWare, all from Maynard, an Archive Company. In
addition, Wang added a new 250MB streaming tape cartridge to complement
its existing 150MB tape option.

The TC 480E servers support a wide range of operating systems and networks.
They are compatible with MS-DOS, OS/2, the Microsoft Windows graphical
environment, and SCO UNIX. The systems also support the Banyan VINES and
Novell NetWare network operating systems. The systems support ISA and EISA
communications cards from Wang and other vendors. 

Pricing and Availability

Base configurations including 4MB of memory, 128KB of level-two CPU cache
memory, 8 EISA slots, 5 external half-height drive bays, 8 internal
3.5-inch drive bays, a diskette controller, an IDE controller interface,
two serial ports, one parallel port, system diagnostics and EISA utility
software, and a keyboard, are priced at $4,195 for the TC 480E/50C, $3,995
for the TC 480E/33C, and $3,595 for the TC 480E/25SC. Initial shipments
are scheduled for July, with volume shipments to start in August.

Wang Laboratories, One Industrial Ave, Lowell, MA 01851
508-459-5000

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