For more information, contact:

John Wagner
IKOR President
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
970.407.6824

Marna Shillman
Corporate Communication Manager
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
970.407.6280
marna.shillman@aei.com



IKOR® Modules Power the CPUs of the World’s Fastest, IA64-Based Supercomputer*

State-of-the-art, patented technology delivers power to the microprocessors that enable the bedrock performance, availability, and reliability needed for NASA’s most powerful supercomputer*

 

FORT COLLINS, Colo., January 26, 2004—IKOR, an Advanced Energy Inc. company, announced it has been providing microprocessor Power Pods to Silicon Graphics’ (NYSE: SGI) Altix servers since the system’s introduction in January 2003. Consequently, IKOR Power Pods were an integral part of the recent 10,240 processor Altix supercomputer, built in collaboration by NASA, SGI, and Intel.

According to NASA, the new supercomputer, named Columbia, is comprised of an integrated cluster of 20 interconnected SGI Altix 512-processor systems, for a total of 10,240 Intel Itanium® 2 processors. According to Dick Harkness, Vice President of SGI's manufacturing facilities in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, using just 16 of Columbia's 20 installed systems, the new supercomputer achieved a record-setting, sustained performance of 42.7 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) as the system was being built. The fully operational system reported 51.7 teraflops, the second fastest in the world.

John Wagner, President of IKOR, noted, “We have a close relationship with SGI and a history of solid performance from the SGI and IKOR power team. We are proud and honored to contribute to this incredible, high performance system. This is yet another example of IKOR’s continuing ability to deliver competitive advantage to our customers.”

The Columbia Project
“This amazing new supercomputer dramatically increases NASA's capabilities and revolutionizes our capacity for conducting scientific research and engineering design,” said NASA Ames Research Center Director G. Scott Hubbard. “It is one of the fastest, largest, and most productive supercomputers in the world, providing an estimated ten-fold increase in NASA's supercomputing capacity. It is already having a major impact on NASA's science, aeronautics, and exploration programs, in addition to playing a critical role in preparing the Space Shuttle for the upcoming safe Return to Flight.”

IKOR Technology: Robust 12 V, 100 A Power Pods
Each Altix system processor uses one, high-density IKOR Power Pod to deliver fast transient response, tight regulation, efficiency and reliability. IKOR’s low-voltage, high-current converters incorporate multi-patented, high-frequency resonant technology that enable 100 A/µs transient response—ten times that of traditional technology. While competing designs often require exotic parts that increase manufacturing complexity and cost, IKOR’s programmable-output Power Pods use easily accessible and standard components as well as a chip ceramic bypass solution.

About IKOR
IKOR is a technology-driven supplier of power solutions for original equipment manufacturers in the sub-one volt computing and office automation, telecommunications and data communications, industrial as well as automated test equipment markets. IKOR is focused on developing patented technology to power ever more difficult and complex loads. As conventional technology and design approaches reach their limitations, IKOR’s unique solutions offer customers a strong competitive advantage. IKOR technologies provide solutions tailored to customers’ exacting requirements. IKOR delivers power-conversion modules as well as embedded solutions and licensed technology. IKOR products are developed in North America and manufactured at strategic, high-volume production facilities in Asia. More information can be found at www.ikor-power.com

IKOR is an Advanced Energy Industries, Inc., company (Nasdaq: AEIS). AE is a global leader in the development and support of technologies critical to high-technology manufacturing processes used in the production of semiconductors, flat panel displays, data storage products, compact discs, digital video discs, architectural glass and other advanced product applications. More information can be found at www.advanced-energy.com