aea1 $for ""8roa. The system performs e>ctrernely well in benchmark tests and outperforms all other UNIX based superOEM and end user applications the system is available in a variety of configurations and pre-packaged systemS. Nt computer is the perfect alternative to a larger and more costly VAX system. We would be pleased to bench- mark your lion on our system, just contact your local sales office. 8716 Production Ave., San Diego, CA 92121 · (619)578-0860 · TELEX 18-1776 CIRCLE NO. 2 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini·Mi1ral1111·1 MINI-MICRO WORLD News 35 Ungermann-Bass, GE team up to connect factory systems 37 Third parties give lead to IBM in scientific PCs 42 IBM's scientific graphics PC worries and helps third parties 46 Decision-support program boosts Al techniques 50 Mini-Micra's News Trivia Quiz: IBM ubiquity-winners and losers in 1984 53 DAI adds Macintosh-like interface to MS-DOS p. 117 .... .. MMS presents its annual state-of-technology report. Computer art created by Anne Tregay, art direction by Vicki Blake . 54 New DECmate and Professional computers receive lukewarm welcome 60 Heard on the Hill: Paradyne blasted by House and GAO; system integrators may be affected 62 Third-part,y developers concerned over IBM microcomputer software BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL Corporate and Financial OTHER GRAPHICS (LESS THAN 5 PERCENT) 69 IBM builds communications muscle with Rolm acquisition and joint ventures 75 Guest Forum: Will IBM Personal Computers set a new hardware bus standard? p. 37 . . IBM PCs: the engineer's choice International 79 DEC and Northern Telecom square off against HP and AT&T for best PBX interface 85 Overheard Overseas: IBM winning first battle with AT&T in European market war *European News: E1 Europeans readily adopt GKS graphics standard E2 British Telecom colors IBM PCs with digitized photos E7 UNIX vendors offer help in porting system p. 69 .. .. .. . . . . Rolm gets connected . · Appearing in the European edition only 2 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 A Cahners Publication Vol. XVII No. 15 December 1984 INTERPRETER 89 Office systems struggle for user acceptance 97 Graphical Kernel System (GKS) makes its mark in software markets INTEGRATOR 107 Automating circuit-card production p. 97 .. . ......... . . . Is GKS for you? FEATURES 115 Feature Highlights 117 Embedded servo controllers push up disk storage . . . fixing positioning information on data surfaces improves performance, reduces costs 127 Rigid disk heads keep pace with growing storage needs . . .technological advances in recording heads, magnetic media offer many storage options 137 Operating systems conform to application needs . .. as standardization efforts inch forward, operating systems adapt to demands of multiuser computer systems and real-time applications p. 107 . ... Circuit cards get automated 147 Protocol converters link incompatible devices . .. converters connect dissimilar peripheral units, communicating with them in required protocols 163 Teaching computers English proves easier than training people . . . if computers are to be true adjuncts to human nature, they must first learn to speak natural human languages 177 Multiprocessor architectures spark interest in 32-bit buses . . . VMEbus, NuBus, Futurebus and Multibus II are designed to accomodate multiple coequal processors ~ WllPA Ml' MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS {ISSN 0364·9342) is published monthly {with additional issues in spring , summer and fall) by Cahners Publishing Company, Division of Reed Holdings. Inc.· 221 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA 02116. Norman L. Cahners, Chairman ; Saul Goldweitz, President and Chief Executive Officer; Ronald G. Segel, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. MINl·MICRO SYSTEMS is published by the Cahners Magazine Division: J . A. Sheehan, President; William Platt, Executive Vice President. Circulation records are maintained at Cahners Publishing Co., 270 St. Paul St. , Denver. CO 80206. Second class postage paid at Denver, CO 80202 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to MINIMICRO SYSTEMS, 270 St. Paul St. , Denver. CO 80206. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS is circulated without charge by name and title to U.S. and Western Europe based corporate and technical management, systems engineers, and other personnel who meet qualification procedures. Available to others at the rate of $55.00 per year in the U.S.; $60.00 in Canada and Mexico; $75 surface mail in all other countries; $120 foreign air mail (16 issues). Special DIGEST issues, $15.00. Single issues $4.00 in the U.S.; $5.00 in Canada and Mexico; $6.00 in all other countries. © 1984 by Cahners Publishing Company, Division of Reed Holdings. Inc. All rights reserved . p. 163 . ... Teaching computers to talk DEPARTMENTS 4 Editorial Staff 11 Editorial 15 Letters 19 Breakpoints 188 New Products 202 Calendar 203 Classified Advertising 205 Career Opportunities 208 Index to Advertisers 210 Mini-Micro Marketplace MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 3 ·Full Bell 212A compatibility (0-300, 1200 baud) with remote digital loopback and internal self test. · 16 character security password. ·Designed for use with either "dumb" terminals or PCs. · Synchronous and Asynchronous transmission modes. ·Internal storage of nine names and numbers to forty characters in length. · Exclusive ability to "Reboot" your computer. · User-friendly help menu. · Rack mountable version available. Free "SuperScout" Communications Software This unique $249 software value allows data file transfer using a sophisticated error checking protocol. It also gives automatic access to COMPUSERVETM, Western Union's EASYLINKTM and 13 other data bases without individual sign-up or monthly minimum fees. A very broad warranty I The 212AD is a proved-in-service product whose high reliability allows Bytcoiµ to offer an Immediate Unit Replacement Warranty within the first two years of ownership. Details on request. Contact Bytcomfor additional information and name of your nearest distributor. ... Scltwatt Supplied,By ----- 8 Sl.PERSCOUT ~ ·' 4 CIRCLE NO. 3 ON INQUIRY CARD STAFF Vice President/Publisher S. Henry Sacks Editor-in-Chief George V. Kotelly Managing Editor James F. Donohue Assistant Managing Editor Bruce J. MacDonald Senior Western Editor: Jerry Borrell San Jose, (408) 296-0868 Senior Editor: Lori Valigra Senior Projects Editor: Rick Dalrymple Western Ed itor: Carl Warren , Los Angeles , (213)826-5818 Associate Editor: Frances T. Granville Associate Editor: Lynn Haber Associate Editor/Research: Frances C. Michalski Associate Editor: Tom Moran, San Jose, (408)296-0868 Associate Editor: David Simpson Associate Editor: Marjorie Stenzler-Centonze, New York, (516)595-2737 Associate Editor: Michael Tucker Associate Editor: Jesse Victor Assistant Editor: David Bright Assistant Editor/New Products: Eileen Mllauskas Assistant Editor/Research: Pamela Gorski Assistant Editor/Research: Megan Nields Contributing Editors: London : Keith Jones, (011-441-661-3040) Data Communications: Walter A. Levy Computer Architecture: Efrem Mallach Office Automation : John Murphy Frankfurt: Maureen O'Gara Artificial Intelligence: Steven Roberts Washington , D.C.: Stephen J . Shaw, (202)387-8666 Editorial Production Senior Copy Editor: Arsene C. Davignon Production Editor: Mary Anne Weeks Copy Editor: Gregory Solman Word Processing: Kathleen Ewing Administrative Assistant : Nancy Norton Editorial Services Sharon Hassell, Terri Gallegos Assistant to the Publisher: Linda L. Lovett Executive Editor, Cahners Computer Publications: Alan R. Kaplan Art Staff Art Director: Vicki Blake Assistant Art Dir'ector: Cynthia McManus Artist: Anne Tregay Director of Art Dept. : Norm Graf Production Staff VP Production: Wayne Hulltzky Supervisor: William Tomaselli Production Manager: Lisa Slsterhenm Composition: Diane Malone Editorial Offices Boston: 221 Columbus Ave ., Boston, MA 02116. (617)536-7780. Irvine: 2041 Business Center Dr., Suite 109, Irvine, CA 92715 . Los Angeles: 12233 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles , CA 90064. San Jose: 3031 Tisch Way, San Jose, CA 95128. New York: · 33 Arcadia Dr., Dix Hills, NY 11746. London: Business Press International, Quadrant House, Th e Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, England. Reprints of Mini-Micro Systems articles are available on a custom printing basis at reasonable prices in quantities of 500 or more. For an exact quote, contact Art Lehmann, Cahners Reprint Service, Cahners Plaza, 1350 E. Touhy Ave ., Box 5080, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Phone (312)635-8800. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 VARs meet market windows with systems from the leadingmakerof high- performance microprocessors. VARs can be leaders instead of followers with office systerns from Motorola/Four-Phase. Because when your systems supplier is also the leader in advanced microprocessors, you don't have to wait, react or redesign every time you want to upgrade your customers or enter new markets. No matter who your customers servebusiness, government, education, or healthcare. Motorola is the only major microprocessor company that ver- tically integrates its chips into systems, and systems into software. And that helps you make it to market. On time. On budget. Our systems are based on the industry-standard MC68000 CPU. Hardware is architecturally similar, saving you time and money when you need to upgrade or expand an existing system. We're continually working on enhance- 1973 Leading VARs in the medical field begin developing software around Four-Phase systems. These partnerships have helped Four-Phase become one of today's largest suppliers of systems to the medical market. 1980 Four-Phase establishes one of the first computer-dispatched service organizations, designed to serve both you and your customers.Today, one phone call from anywhere, at anytime, puts a hardware or software field engineer at your service. ati·on arket success. ments, too. You have a growth path SupJ?Ort Operation provide all the 10700 North De Anza Blvd., you can follow for years to come. service your customers need. Or MIS 52-3Bl, Dept. S, Cupertino, And that's not all. make your own arrangements. CA 95014. Motorola/Four-Phase sys- The option is yours. fil\ tems are designed around the UNIX* From silicon to systems to \CY operating system, with a host of software, Motorola/Four-Phase MOTOROLA Four-Phase Systems compatible software, languages and takes you through your own market industry-standard communication windows and on to VAR success. tools. Contact us today at 1-800-528-6050, As a VAR, you can even let ext. 1599. In Arizona, call 1-800- Motorola and @ are registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc. our award-winning Customer 352-0458, ext. 1599. Or write us at Four-Phase is a registered trademark of Four-Phase Systems, Inc. ·UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories, Inc. 1983 Motorola/Four-Phase makes enhance- ments to the Series 2000 line of rommunicating desktop computers. For your price-conscious customers with remote office sites, the 2000 features UNIX, the 68010 CPU, roncurrent SNA and high-capacity Winchester discs. 1984 We introduce the new UNIX-based Series 6000 family that supports up to 128 users. These multi-user, multi-taskmg systems deliver information processing performance today, and expansion flexibility for tomorrow. CIRCLE NO. 5 ON INQUIRY CARD JOll EUNal If ki've.always be on the first-string team, VAR :recruiters anxious to sign you up. u'll be joinjng ~ the most competitive, well- coordinated VAR p s ever created. First, we'll coach you with an ive marketing program to make sure you connect h your customers. Second, we'll support ou in the field with a dedi- cated, disciplined · rogram that's second to none. Finally, we'll clinclt he deal with the kind of .A'.Th:T Computers that customers-and you- will profit from. The 3B Computer line based on UNIX* System V, and .A'.Th:T Personal Computer, PC6300. The Rooting Section .A'.Th:T backs its VARs all the way. With a compre- hensive computer marketing program to generate sales leads and referrals. It consists ofwidespread advertising to support our product line and a co-op advertising program that enables you to reach your customers in your markets. Promotional materials and trade show support are provided as well. Comprehensive Field COverage We offer a competitive service-support package that's as comprehensive as you can get. A three-part program provides hardware, software, and system services. It features nationwide field-service team coverage and a full maintenance pack.age with a 24-hour hotline. Plus complete training on .AT&T's Computers and software and discounted demonstration development machines. UNIX System V Starting Line No other company can offer you our complete line of state-of-the-art, price-performance computers based on UNIX System V. They range from the mighty 3B2 sk-top super microco'biputers to the 3B20 s perminis h enough options to U.:Ckle any business p blem. IX System V enables the entire 3B Computer line to together beautifully. also offer the high-performance AW Personal Co ter, PC6.300, that runs popular buainess and grapJ · software, including most available MS-DOS** appli ns. What's more, our unique PC Interface allows o 3B Computers to communicate with your customers' existing personal computers. It bridges the MS.DOS and UNIX Operating Systems, allowing your cuefumers to use theirl>Cs as part of a laraer network. Arid because the computers are based on UNIX System V, jhey feature software portability, upward 00111patibility across vendor lines, and multi-user, multi-tasking capabilities. Besides offering you all this great eq ent, A.ThT offers you a program for buying and leasing it. A World Class Contender UNIX System Vis particularly important because of A.ThT's commitment to support it as an international operating system standard. This commitment includes a full marketing program reaching resellers, users, and senior business management. So, if you'relooking to join one of the most comprehensive, professional VAR programs in the business, A.ThT is eager to play ball with you. If you'd like to join the A.ThT VAR team, call us toll free at 1-800-833-9333 or send in the coupon. We'll send you informa- tion on the program. ~A·T oa. _l lT ©1984Kl'&TTechnoloilies, Inc. ·umx is a trademark olM&T BeD Laboratories , - - - - - - - - -. - - - - - ··MS-DOSis a trademarkofMicrosoft Corporation. Tu receive information on the program mail to: 1 AT&T Customer Communications Center I 4513 Western Avenue Lisle, Illinois 605.12 II Nam,..__ _ _ _ _ _...;:__ _ _ ____; I Company_ _ _ _ _ _--=--"-----__, I Addre.""-~~~~~-'-~~~~- City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~ I State._ _ _ _ _ _ ___:._ _Zip_ __ I Productinteres..___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ LI U_NI_X'"_Sys_tem_use_r _0_yes_ _0 nVoARMS_ _ WE'VE BEEN DELIVERING 31/2" WINCHESTER DISK DRIVES FOR OVER A YEAR. Rodime has been setting a new standard in Winchester disk drive storage for more than ayear. Its 3'Ii" drive with 5 and 10 megabytes of formatted storage has become the industry leader for sub 4" Winchester disk drives. Rodime has now delivered tens of thousands! New design horizons The compact size of Rodime's drive suddenly puts large-scale storage into areas never considered before. The 350 series is one-fourth the volume of a 5 1/4: Winchester drive. And the 250 series. which includes their products. There are other equally exciting areas such as desk top computer systems. intelligent terminals. point-of-sale terminals. industrial controllers. telecommunications systems. navigation and guidance systems . and portable instrumentation. In fact. the list of potential uses is only limited by the imagination of The proven compact drive and proven quantity supplier With thousands of its 3 1/i" Winchester drives in operation today Rodime has further demonstrated its reputation for reliability a major design consideration for its 3'Ii'' drive. and quality It has a rugged design with high resistance to shock. an important consideration for portability and for vibration prone environments. Using advanced large-scale integration. the entire electronics for the drive are on a single compact board and there are no adjustments or select-on-test components. mounting brackets and a face plate. fits into the same space as a half-height 5'14' Winchester offering even further shock and vibration isolation. Now, system designers have a new level offlexibility One area that has received attention is use with portable computers. Several major portable computer manufacturers have already incorporated Rodime 3 1/i'' Winchester disk drives into the system designer. A tradition of excellence In a few short years. Rodime has established itself as a major force within the Winchester disk drive industry Rodime is one of the few manufacturers that are delivering 5 '14' Winchester drives with a broad range of capabilities up to 54 megabytes. And is the only manufacturer delivering high-performance 31/i'' Winchester drives in produ ction quantities. For the compact 3'12" Winchester disk or other 51/4' Winchester requirements. look to Rodime. Rodime delivers. DIME E:~sE:~==:==::·;a;::~3431 lei: 0592 75JIM1 Tix: 728239 Western U.S. Sales otlke: 25801 Obrero-Sulte 6, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 lei: (7141 770-3085 Tix: 683466 Eastern U.S. Sales otnce: 6448 Highway 290 East. Suite E 100, Austin, TX 78723 «;J l984 Rodime. Inc CIRCLE NO. 7 ON INQUIRY CARD lei: (5121453-5135 nx: 767139 Editorial Japanese technology meets users' needs Consider the fact that the Japanese because recently I spent a week in Japan microcomputer product companies are steadily touring Epson facilities as a member of an increasing their share of the worldwide American trade press editors' delegation. marketplace. What does t his mean to U.S. Speaking for Epson, managing director system integrators and users? Well, for one Mitsuhiro Tsuchihashi states that his company thing, they both benefit from excellent has achieved worldwide market success original and innovative products. And these because it strives to meet users' diversified products perform reliably and demonstrate needs, strives to develop new and original high quality. More important, though, these quality products and strives to meet the products meet users' needs. You see, Japanese challenges of a growing world market. And product market strategy gives users top the company's methods to accomplish these priority. And the secondary priority helps efforts include five- and 10-year product plans users too. It provides user sales and service that are reviewed semi-annually and annually. support. Based on these plans, the company formulates But, meantime, what are many U.S. its marketing, research and development, microcomputer OEMs doing to meet this manpower and financial strategies. These competition? For one thing, they highlight strategies determine what representative technically superior, but expensive, products. products will be needed in the future Frequently overdesigned, these products marketplace. interest relatively few users. They are According to Epson's senior managing complex, hard to understand and even harder director Susumn Aizawa, after this strategy to use. Moreover, these products lack planning there comes the special challenge of definitive purpose. Users buy them, play with figuring out what users want and then them for a time (some studies say less than 10 fulfilling that need. Epson, as well as other percent of the work day), and then let them leading Japanese companies, have achieved gather dust on the shelf or in a closet. success because they listen to users via For another thing, the profit motive market research. These companies then plan, appears to drive the American pricing scale. develop and produce products to meet The cost of new American manufactured predicted demands, using whatever products is, in many cases, considered to be technology is indicated. When the product excessive by industry experts. And, to make becomes available, the users' needs usually matters worse, many American manufacturers emerge at the same time, thereby assuring a announce and ship new products without an market for the product. And even before the established sales and·service network. The product has time to earn success, Japanese result? Except for those U.S. microcomputer product designers are already structuring its companies who obey the market rules for replacement. satisfying users' needs, such as IBM Corp., For years, Japanese companies have been Apple Computer Inc., Tandy and Compaq criticized for copying American industrial Computer Corp., the number of American ingenuity. Now with Japanese companies as microcomputer manufacturers are rapidly prime movers in robotics, factory automation, dwindling. liquid crystal displays, fifth-generation What has been the Japanese formula for technology and productivity, American OEMs successful market share? To answer this would do well to replicate Japanese vision, question for a typical Japanese company, strategy and planning in new computer consider Epson Corp. Why Epson? Mainly, technology. MINI-MICRO SYSTE MS/December 1984 George V. Kotelly Editor-In-Ch ief 11 "Mother Nature, You're Under Arrest." Winchester-based mass storage 1s no longer at the mercy of the elements. With environment-independent Ranger, you can say hello to a whole new world of portable and severe-environment data processing applications. Ranger's unique suspension system, acoustic dampening and heat dissipating frame and contamination isolated HDA lock out all the bad guys including shock. vibration, heat. humidity, noise, dirt, st1ction, magnetic fields and radio frequency Stamp Out Designer Siege Mentality. Ranger brings a welcome breath of fresh air to portable product design The compact 1.625" X 4 O" X 5. 75" form factor and ultralight 2 lb. package gives designers room to maneuver. eliminating the stress of having to compromise on critical product features because of weight. size or environmental constraints. Every durable detail of Ranger's layout from the positioning system's opposing thermal loops to the shock and vibration isolated HOA, 1s configured for accurate, reliable performance, ease of manufacture and an exceptionally long service life. Freedom To Go Where The Action Is. Past environmental l1m1tat1ons are no longer a barrier to Winchester portab1l1ty Remote siting. exploration. testing and measurement: the possibilities are almost limitless. To find out how to target rugged Ranger for your design mission. please write LaPine Technology, Inc. 111 I Space Park Drive, Santa Clara. CA 95054. or call us at - 408-986-8676. · LAPIN: - - TECHNOLOGY CIRCLE NO. 9 ON INQUIRY CARD Letters PRICING POSTSCRIPT To the editor: I would like to acknowledge MMS for including AED Inc. in the July survey of graphics display terminals (MMS, July, Page 235). Unfortunately, the information published regarding our product pricing was incorrect. I would like to clarify the following prices: AED Graphics Terminals, Model 1024, $11,995.; Model 767, $7,495; Model 512, $4,995. These prices are quantity one, and without a 19-inch color monitor. I know MMS is committed to quality editorial features and articles. Any clarification you can provide to your readership will be appreciated. Robin Ratajczak Manager, Marketing Communications Advanced Electronics Design Inc. Sunnyvale, Calif. ·DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION To the editor: As president of one of the three manu- facturers highlighted in the article on diagnostic diskettes for flexible disk drives, (MMS, September, Page 143) I take exception to some of the unfounded assertions and conclusions contained in that article. It is simply untrue to state, as your article does, that diagnostic diskettes "may be too sophisticated to help the average end user." On the contrary, diagnostic diskettes, which automatically test the parameters affecting interchangeability when inserted into a flexible disk drive, have made it possible for microcomputer users without technical expertise and without sophisticated test equipment to verify the reliability of their drives. As indicated in your article, interchangeability refers to the ability of data stored on a disk to be read when the disk is transferred to a supposedly compatible drive. Diagnostic diskettes such as the RID (Recording Interchange Diagnostic) by Dymek Corp. provide a simple and cost-effective means of assuring interchangeability and protecting the integrity of data stored on flexible disks. In view of the substantial investment that software and data libraries represent, the importance of easy-to-use diagnostic diskettes, such as the RID, becomes obvious. The value of applications software is growing more than 40 percent annually, and Dataquest estimates that the average value of a data library is four times that of the system in which it is used. Isn't it worth $34.95 (the price of an RID diagnostic diskette) and 30 seconds a day (the time it takes the RID to perform its series of tests) to help protect those investments? I think the average microcomputer user will answer with a resounding "Yes". There is virtually no likelihood that a user could, as asserted by another source in your article, "misinterpret the information or use the diskette at the wrong time"- at least not with an RID disk. The Dymek RID performs seven diagnostic tests and gives the user a simple "pass" or "fail" response on the monitor after each test, along with remedial advice if necessary. It is so simple there is no need to interpret screen messages. As to the assertion that users will use the diagnostic diskette at the wrong time, which is voiced by more than one source, there is no foundation to this contention. The more frequently it is used, the more the potential benefit to the user. We recommend that users insert the RID into each flexible drive before each day's computing session. On another point, your article states that, "diagnostic diskettes simulate typical operation of .a drive and measure rotational speed, clamping, noise tolerance, read-write functions, track alignment, erase-crosstalk and positioner accuracy". It is true that these are the seven tests performed by the RID diskette, but it is highly inaccurate to imply by a general statement that all diagnostic diskettes perform these tests. Duane C. Meulners Dymek Corp. San Jose, Calif. Editor's response: I don't disagree with Mr. Meulners on much of what he says; but, then, neither does the article, which explicitly states that, for the most part, the diagnostic diskettes are easy to use. The question is, however, whether or not the average end user is knowledgeable enough to fully appreciate the value of the information he or she is getting. The answer is a resounding "No." Moreover, in order for any diagnostic diskette to be useful, it must be used--as you clearly stated-daily. Most analysts believe that it will not be used that frequently. Interestingly, the real test of disk drives' reliability is if they work when turned on. But that is when users first realize they have a problem. I do disagree, and so did the sources interviewed, that users can't misinterpret the information from the diagnostic diskette, especially when they use it at the wrong time--after the problem exists. Possibly, the market will prove otherwise. For the moment, it appears the real value of diagnostic diskettes is in the hands of system OEMs and resellers. To address another concern. While Mr. Meulners may consider his RID superior to the competition, the fact is, all of the other diagnostic diskettes do perform the seven tests he recites. The point, however, isn't whose are superior, but whether users need diagnostic diskettes at all. --C. Warren IN-SECURITY OVER ARTICLE To the editor: I notice in your July issue that you have a detailed article about call-back security systems in which the only system mentioned by name is the LeeMah system (MMS, July, Page 257). Even though we offer a competitive product I would have had no problem with that were it not for the fact that Jim Smith, the author of the article, at no point identifies himself as the chief engineer and designer of the LeeMah system. Indeed, he is so identified in an article about LeeMah appearing in INC. magazine earlier this year. Jim Smith, a fine fellow in his own right, leaves the impression in his article that he is a disinterested consultant; indeed, he receives a royalty for every LeeMah system sold. Mel Schwartz President Digital Pathways Inc. Palo Alto, Calif. ADDRESS CORRECTION To the editor: Our company's name was mentioned in a recent article on disk emulators (MMS, October, Page 139), but it was listed with the wrong address. The correct address is listed below. James Bell SemiDisk Systems Inc. P.O. Box GG Beaverton, Ore. 97075 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 15 © 1984 Apple Compuier Inc. Apple. tbe Apple logo. and Lisa are registered trade11uirks ofApple CompuJer Inc. Macintosh is a trademark licensed to Apple Computer Inc. Photographs not lo scale. ·Nebraska residents coO (800) 538-9696. When you pick the tech- Acomplete VAR program nology you'll be building your that not only includes the name on,we not-so-humbly standard technical documenta- suggest you pick the technology tion and programmers tool we built our name on. kits,but financial, marketing, Apple technology. , service and technical support. Not, mind you, because Plus VAR representatives to we're the only ones who can help you work out little details. offer VARs the technological Like how to merchandise your versatility of the Apple®II product. How to package it. family and the wizardry of How to develop it. How to pay MacintoshTM and Lisa® for it. Even how to lease. But because no matter Just call 800-445-8277 * which Apple you pick, you get and ask for the VAR sales repre- all the brain power behind the sentative nearest you. machines that made the com- Because picking our pany. And the company that brains is as easy as '- made the machines. picking up the phone. " CIRCLE NO. 10 ON INQUIRY CARD uncm· g elmestport of UNIX'"SystemV, from Perkin-Elmer. Unprecedented system responsiveness makes our XELOS"' operating system the finest port of UNIX System 5.2 worth considering. We've optimized the kernel to take full advantage of our unique, register-rich 32-bit architecture. Giving you high job throughput on our Series 3200 superminicomputers. With data 1/0 throughput up to 40 MB/second. XELOS runs on a full range of compatible, high-performance hardware. With a friendly, simplified user interface called the MenuMaker'." And a strong family of application software for office automation, decision support and data processing. All adding up to a highly productive programming and multiuser environment. So if you're serious about the UNIX system standard, why not go for the finest: XELOS, from Perkin-Elmer. To find out more, call us toll-free. Or write to The Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Two Crescent Place, Oceanport, NJ 07757. In NJ call (201) 870-4712. 800-631-2154 UNIX ts a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories XELOS and MenuMaker are trademarks of The Perkin-Elmer Corpcrat1on. PERKIN-ELMER CIRCLE NO. 11 ON INQUIRY CARD Breakpoints PRINTER ADD-ON HELPS PAPER 'REMEMBER' "Budget" memory using magnetized sheets of paper and a read-write head unit that can be installed in most dot-matrix impact printers is expected to be brought out in Japan this spring and available in export markets by early summer . Japan's Sankyo Seiki Manufacturing Co. has put a read/ write head mechanism in a covered roller that replaces the conventional platen on most dot-matrix impact printers. The head reads from, or writes to, what has been called electronic carbon paper, a special paper coated with high-coercivity (3,000 oersted) magnetic particles, priced at about five cents a sheet. The A4-size paper, slightly larger than customary American business stationery, has a 5K-byte memory capacity, or about 1,500 characters. The recording density is 210 bits per inch on 32 tracks. The $40 to $50 attachment shares the power supply and I/O of the host printer. The paper and head make it possible to print and reproduce software from floppy disks or to use the sheets as data-entry media.- r. KRJ.<ehashi RASTER TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES 3-D GRAPHICS TERMINAL Raster Technologies Inc., North Billerica, Mass., has developed a 19-inch graphics terminal that provides three-dimensional modeling independently of the host computer. The Model One/380 performs 32-bit floating point transformations with perspective, local light-source calculation, hidden surface removal and smooth shading. Non-interlaced resolution is 1,280 pixels by 1,024 pixels at 60 Hz, with up to 24 bits of image memory per pixel. The unit, which supports a superset of both the Siggraph CORE and Graphical Kernel System standards, displays 256 colors from a palette of 16 million. The system has a maximum display list memory of 4M bytes, and contains an internal debugger so basic development can take place without accessing the host. Prices start at $41,500.- lJ . Bright LOTUS TO 'JAZZ' UP MACINTOSH WITH INTEGRATED SOFTWARE Lotus Development Corp. plans March shipments of Jazz-its new integrated software package for Apple Computer Inc. 's 512K-byte Macintosh personal computer. The lack of applications software, particularly spreadsheet programs, has so far hindered Macintosh's usefulness. But Apple expects Jazz to quickly become a best seller and greatly increase the Macintosh's appeal, perhaps doing for the Macintosh what VisiCalc did for the Apple II. The $595 package, which resembles Lotus' 1-2-3 and Symphony packages for the IBM PC and PC-compatibles, comprises five functions : spreadsheet analysis, busi.ness graphics, word processing, database management and communications . Jazz also runs on Apple's Lisa computer.- D R r'i gllt C. ITOH TO INTRODUCE THERMAL PRINTERS C. Itoh Electronics Inc., Los Angeles, early next year should introduce its first thermal printers, the TlOOO and T90. Utilizing a 24-element printhead, the TlOOO produces near-letter-quality output at 40 characters per second (cps) and draft-quality output at 80 cps. The 40-column T90 thermal message printer plugs into a standard phone jack and prints messages MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 19 Breakpoints received by modem at 40 cps. The TlOOO will retail for approximately $350 , the T90 for approximately $150.-T. Moran CARROLL CUTS PRICE, SIZE OF TOUCH SYSTEMS To attract volume sales from OEMs and systems houses, Carroll Touch, Round Rock, Texas, has developed touch systems with 45 percent fewer parts, and at half the price of its previous products. The company's Smart Frames for 9-, 13- and 19-inch monitors sell for -$450, $595 and $795, respectively. The infrared sensors and electronics are all contained in a frame that mounts on the front of the monitors. Infrared beams create an invisible grid in front of the screen; when a finger or other object breaks the grid, the appropriate message is sent to the host computer. A user can paint graphics by tracing a finger across the screen, addressing areas as small as a pixel.-D Bright EMULEX PUTS SCSI ON MULTIBUS The device-independent MBOl host adapter from Emulex Corp., Costa Mesa, Calif., matches the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) bus with the IEEE-796 Multibus. Besides providing an 8-bit data path between the two buses, the eight-port MBOl includes dual in-line package-switch selection for serial or parallel bus arbitration, a direct-copy command for disk to tape backup, support for 8- and 16-bit microprocessors, and 8-, 16- or 32-bit addressing. The $695 adapter fits into any available slot on the Multibus backplane.-C. Warren MICROSYS EXTENDS STDBUS COMMUNICATIONS To extend the communications of STDbus systems , Microsys Inc ., Glendale , Calif., has introduced the models AM 1232 and 4232 communications cards. The $160 1232 is a two-channel add-on that handles RS422-to-RS232 communication conversion. Four-channel conversion of the RS422 format to the RS232 format is handled by the $95 4232. Both boards are expected to be shipped in volume this month.-C. Warren APPLE TO OFFER JAPANESE/ENGLISH TRANSLATOR FOR MACINTOSH Apple Computer Inc. expects to introduce by the end of the year a Macintosh word-processing software product that accepts text in either Japanese or English and translates from one language to the other. The $250 program will initially run on the 128K-byte Macintosh; a more complex version for the new 512K-byte Macintosh is currently under development . The package , which Apple jointly developed with an as-yet-unnamed company, has similar features to Apple's MacWrite word processing program.-T'. Moran TECH FILES: A QUICK LOOK AT INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS COMDEX HIGHLIGHTS: Despite the computer industry shakeout, this year's COMDEX show, held in mid-November in Las Vegas, attracted over 1,400 exhibitorsabout the same number as last year's show. Show sponsor, the Interface Group Inc., said the exhibits, which were spread out over 55 percent greater 20 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 ATs.T Ducommun DataSystems just opened up -- a whole new world forVARs. That's right. The world of AT&T. Their reliability. And youTI also get the UNIX* SystemV "'=" brand new line of computer systems. operating system, the standard for multi-user aiL·il" to be exact. And if you're a value-added environments. We're among more than 100 major Ml· reseller (VAR). that world can be yours. computer manufacturers and resellers licensed You can enter it through us - Ducommun for UNIX System V. And. as a result, we can pass Data Systems. Because we've been named a on lower development and upgrade costs to you. national master value-added systems distributor Plus, you can get the support of Ducommun for AT&T. And. Data Systems. and know you can't find better. working We're a division of Ducommun Incorporated. and closely with we're backed by the nationwide resources of AT&T, we're Docummun Electronics Group (which includes now selling Kierulff Electronics and MTI Systems). And and support- supplying and supportingVARs is our only reason in,e: the entire for existing. AT&T3Bfam- So if you want to enter the world of AT&T, ,give ily of multi- us a call at Ducommun Data Systems. And get the user systems. state-of-the-art computer systems you and your and theAT&T customers need. Right now. Right off the shelf. Personal Com- We think youTI agree exploring new worlds can puter 6300. be a very profitable experience. And we're selling it nationally to VARsjust like ylaorug.eNoor msmaatltle.r what quantities you're after- · Just think: now you can get the newest com- DUCOMMUN DATA SYSTEM S 10824 Hope Street, Cypre ss. CA 90630, puters from AT&T- an organization recognized (800) 338-8811 the world over as the symbol of innovation and *UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratortes. CIRCLE NO. 12 ON INQUIRY CARD ask OAK. Full Travel Membrane Technology Cylindrical Surface Sublimated Keycaps The big difference between Oak keyboards and other manufacturers' is Oak! And now, the Oak difference can go to work for you, in your special application, large or small volumes, with the Oak IBM workalike keyboard! More than just another IBM workalike, this keyboard features advanced, cost-effective membrane technology for life cycles in excess of 50 million; a choice of either 83 or 84 positions; patented keyswitch designs that offer you the choice of standard linear or fall-through tactile feel; environmental protection; light weight ... and more! Unique Patented Keyswitch Design KEYCAI' And, as always, you can count on Oak for commitment to quality, value and service. Ask Oak for your large volume needs. For smaller volumes we'll give you the name of your nearest authorized Oak distributor. Either way, you'll see why an Oak IBM work-alike keyboard is the right one for your special application. *IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation This product is manufactured by Oak Switch Systems Inc., and Oak is in no way affiliated with IBM. ···~Switch Systems Inc. P.O. Box 517 · Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014 Phone 815/459-5000 · TWX 910-634-3353 TELEX 72-2447 Circle no. 6 for sales call Circle no. 13 for literature Breakpoints booth space than last year, drew over 90,000 attendees, compared to 83,000 in 1983. Major product announcements, however, seemed fewer than in the past. IBM Corp. 's new PC-AT is already stimulating compatible products, some of which were in evidence at the show. Esprit Computer Products Inc., Montgomeryville, Pa., introduced the Esprit Xl6 microcomputer system running XENIX 3.0. Based on the Intel Corp. 80186 microprocessor, the system can be expanded to support eight users. Microsoft Corp. and Esprit added enhancements such as increased maximum-program size to the XENIX version ported from the AT. A system with Bl2K bytes of RAM, one floppy disk drive and a 40M-byte Winchester disk drive retails for approximately $9,000. Initial shipments are scheduled for the first quarter of next year .-! . B1·i~'lit With a rugged lOM-byte, 3%-inch Winchester disk drive, Hewlett-Packard Co., Greeley, Colo ., is planning on capturing a part of the add-on market for portable computers. The Model HP-97B01A requires only 9W of power and is the first Winchester disk drive of its size to use sputtered thin-film media. James Porter, president of Disk/ Trend Inc., Los Altos, Calif., says that since the HP unit is also the first captive 3112-inch Winchester, what its market impact will be is uncertain. The drive will sell for under $400 in quantities of 10,000.-C:. W·1rre11 While most U.S. sub-four-inch disk drive manufacturers are struggling to provide lOM- to 20M-bytes of storage in 3112-inch drives, Newbury Data Recording Ltd., Staines, Middlesex, England, is set to offer as much as BOMbytes in a four-platter drive, called the Penny. It comes in either a 2BMbyte two-platter model, or the BOM-byte four-platter version. Both have a 40-msec average access time and are expected to be in production by this April. The drives were designed by Cambrian Consultants Inc., Calabasis, Calif., and have STB06-/412-compatible interfaces. The company claims the drives will fit in either full- or half-height B%-inch form factors.- (' \flh1·1·~·11 Add Tokyo Juki Industrial Co. Ltd., Torrance, Calif., to the list of 3112-inch low-power flexible disk drive suppliers. Juki is offering four models that require 12V of direct current: the single-sided, 2BOK-byte Model 311; the double-sided, BOOK-byte Model 312; and the double-density Models 313 and 314, with respective unformatted capacities of BOOK bytes and lM byte. The models 311 and 312 have 40 tracks per inch (tpi) and a transfer rate of 67%K-bytes per second. The.Models 313 and 314 have 80 tpi and transfer rates of 13BK bytes per second. Shipments are expected to begin the first quarter of l 98B. Pricing has not been set. - '. Vf ·11·1 ·e : ·. Wyse Technology, San Jose, Calif., announced two IBM PC-compatible systems: the $1,99B WY-1100-1 and the $3,49B WY-1101-2. Both models include 2B6K bytes of RAM, two serial ports, a parallel printer port and a 14-inch monochrome monitor. The WY-1100-1 incorporates two 360K-byte MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 23 Breakpoints floppy disk drives, while the WY-1100-2 has one floppy drive and a lOMbyte Winchester disk drive.- T. Moran Following up IBM's recent endorsement of thermal-printing technology with its Quietwriter printer, Canon U.S.A. Inc. and Okidata Corp. both announced thermal printers . The $549 F -60 from Canon, Lake Success, N .Y., prints 80 characters per second (cps) in draft mode and 20 cps in letterquality mode . The $268 OKIMATE 20 from Okidata, Mount Laurel , N .J ., achieves 80 cps in draft mode and 40 cps in letter-quality correspondence mode. The OKIMATE 20 uses a three-color ribbon and offers dot-addressable graphics with a resolution of 144 by 144 dots per inch. The F -60 uses singlecolor ribbons and achieves a resolution of 360 by 180 dots.- D. Bright CIE Terminals introduced Model 30 of its CI-3500 serial matrix printer . The $1,995 unit emulates line printer protocols and prints 350 characters per second (cps), or 211 lines per minute (lpm), in 80-column format ; 138 lpm in 132-column format; and 87 cps or 50 lpm at letter-quality output . The Model 30 is available now.-T. Moran RANDOM DISK FILES: Newly formed Cherokee Data Systems Inc., Boulder, Colo ., is developing a 51A-inch optical disk drive, code-named " Pathfinder, " to be used in harsh environments. The drive, which will use laser-optical recording techniques, is expected to be ready in early 1986, says company vice president Thomas Taylor. Cherokee plans to use readily available laser modules for the read/ write functions , and is investigating media alternatives .- C. Warren Tandon Corp., Chatsworth, Calif., has boosted the capacity of the model TM-703 Winchester drive from 30M bytes (unformatted) to 36M bytes (unformatted) . In addition , the company is offering a model TM-755 51Mbyte (unformatted) Winchester drive with a 35-msec average access time. The three-platter drive uses a dedicated servo and a linear voice-coil actuator . Tandon expects to have evaluation models ready in January, and production underway in March. The price should be less than $1,000. Besides rigid drives, Tandon is introducing a l.6M-byte, 96-track-per-inch model TM-65-8 . Evaluation units of the single-speed drive should be ready this month, and full production is scheduled in January. OEM pricing should be less than $150.-C. Warren Microscience International Corp., Mountain View, Calif., soon will make available evaluation models of a 3¥2-inch, half-height 25M-byte (unformatted) Winchester drive. Called the HH325, the drive has an 80-msec average access time and requires only lOW of power, thus making it usable with virtually any microcomputer's internal power supply.- C. Wai'r'en MINI FILES: Digital Equipment Corp. plans to begin volume shipments of its most powerful computer, the VAX 8600, this April. DEC says the VAX 8600 , which is the company's first machine to use emitter-coupled logic circuits, delivers more 24 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 · LINE PRINTER COftPARISON CHART · STANDARD FEATURES CIE TERftlNALS CIE TERftlNALS DATAPRODUCTS PRINTRONIX · Cl-300 CI-600 · B-300/600 P-300/600 LOWEST PRICE x x · LQPRINTING x x x · COftPRESSED PRINT x x · GRAPHICS RESOLUTION · 60 x 72 x x x · 120 x 72 x x x · 200 x 144 x x · 200 x 288 x · BOLDFACE PRINTING x x · SLANTED PRINTING x x · CHAR. ENLARGEftENT x x · INT'L CHARACTERS x x · 'PtI".hh~1eo·~sC~peosrm1"l·n&p~·eeoot··uuittt·iopnr1·nt ~~:;~~~~~s:r~~~~~::~~~~~:~~~o~:re .I.~ ,y ~ .l! yy ~ C The chart above tells a I-600 Matrix Line Printers. tFelelaintugrsetoforryfaebato~uret,otuhr.eCyIo-3u0t-0parinndt .. many types of applications and computer systems. They provide both multimode printing and graphics plotting. Graphics resolution · on the CI-300 and CI-600 printers is the highest available on a line printer in their speed class, with excellent graphics quality for business, scientific and barcode applications. Barcode applications are easily developed with optional graphics card. Interfacing is not a problem either. RS232-C Serial, Centronics® and Dataproducts Parallel, and IBM-compatible interfaces accommodate most types of computer systems. The printers' sturdy design and small number of moving parts make them extremely dependable, and easy to maintain as well. The CI-300 and Cl-600 are the Matrix Line Printers with the versatility built in. And they're available immediately. To find out more, just write or call CIE Terminals, 2505 McCabe Way. Irvine, CA 92714. (714) 660-1421. Call toll-free 1-800-854-5959. In California, call toll-free 1-800-854-3322. .,I_. I ~T Pla~l~~lll!? Iii~ AC/TCW£lECT1KJWCSCO<fR<NY ®Dataproducts is a registered trademark of Dataproducts Corp. Printronix is a registered trademark of Printronix Corp. Centronics is a registered trademark of Centronix Data Computer Corp. Cl 1984 CIE Terminals. CIRCLE NO. 14 ON INQUIRY CARD Thev Called It llDOSSible. lnlelligent Workstation IBM PC We Call It Micronet~ Imagine IBM PCs, intelligent workstations and S-100 BUS multiuser systems all on the same local area network. Impossible? Not with MicroNet, Intercontinental Micra's networking solution. The key is a unique hardware and software approach to local area networks. You get the flexibility of 8-bit and 16-bit processors on the same network, the cost savings of shared peripherals, and expandability to over 4000 users. You simply organize the network the way you want, mixing IBM PCs, S-100 BUS multi-user systems, S-100 BUS file servers, and workstations. lntercontinental's sophisticated single board computers, 8-bit and 16-bit slaves, memory and interface boards make your job even easier. MicroNet will work with almost any S-100 BUS system including IMS, Teletek, and any other S-100 master featuring phantom deselection or extended addressing capability. The ability to run PC-DOS, MS-DOS, CP/M, MP/M, and other applications programs means whatever the future holds, MicroNet is ready. And so is Intercontinental Micro. You see, our S-100 BUS products revolutionized an industry. lntercontinental's slaves, masters and memory boards introduced advanced features like Direct Memory Access and Memory Management to micro environments. MicroNet~ The new net- working solution from the company that's been building networking solutions for years. Still think MicroNet's impossible? Then call, write or circle the bingo number below-we'll send you complete information on MicroNet and descriptions of all our products, including the most complete S-100 BUS product line in the business. OUR COMPLETE MICRONET ANO S-100 BUS PRODUCT LINE CPS4800X·SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER. 4 or 6 MHz processor (Z80A/B), onboard floppy disk controller, 64K RAM, 4 channel OMA controller, 24 line parallel 110 port, two serial 110 channels, real time clock. Memory mapped or 1/0 mapped capability. CPS·16X-16·BIT 8086 SLAVE PROCESSOR. 2561<, 512K or 1MB RAM, bank selectable, memory mapped, two serial ports, 24 line parallel 1/0 port, 8 MHz. TurboOOS is a Trademark of Software 2,000, Inc. ARCnet is aTrademark of Datapoint CPIM, CP/M86, MPIM, MPIM 86, CPIM PLUS, Concurrent CP/M 86 are Trademarks of Digital Research. PC-OOS, IBM-PC are Trademarks of International Business Machines. MS-ODS is a Trademark of Microsoft. TurbolAN, MicroNET are Trademarks of lntercootinental Micro Systems. CPS-BMX/MX-ZBO SLAVE PROCESSORS 4 to 6 MHz processors, 64K RAM or 128K bank selectable memory, two serial ports, 24 line parallel 1/0 port. 256KMB- MEMORY BOARD. Hard disk cache, linear addressable to two megabytes, bank selectable in 16K increments, configures for phantom deselection, parity error detection. LANSJOO- MICRONET FOR S·IOO BUS SYSTEMS ARCNET controller meets 696.2/02S-100 spec, coax cable interface, 255 nodes per network segment, 2.5 megabiUsec. data rate. LANPC MICRONET FOR THE IBMPC Plug-in expansion board with custom software drivers integrates IBMPC into MicroNet networks. 64K or 256K RAM options available. WS80X·DISKLESS WORKSTATION Converts almost any dumb terminal into intelligent workstation with networking capability. Floppy and hard disk options available. PERSONALITY BOARDS SASI, Centronix, PRIAM, Clock/Calendar, RS232, Modem, RS422, long distance serial communica- ~ / tions (up to 4000 Ft.) = Intercontinental Micro Systems 17- 4015 Leavenoo Ct, Anaheim, CA 92807, (714) 630·0964, TELEX: 821375 SUPPORT UD See our future advertising in Mini-Micro Systems. CIRCLE NO. 15 ON INQUIRY CARD Breakpoints than four times the performance of its industry-standard VAX-11 / 780 superminicomputer. The VAX 8600 uses the VAX instruction set and thus is compatible with the entire VAX line, DEC says . Prices of systems configured wih VAXcluster hardware begin at $576,000.- D. Bright, MICRO FILES: The new Pro-Lite portable computer from Texas Instruments' Data Systems group, Austin, Texas, weighs 10 pounds and is compatible with the TI Professional personal computer. The $2,995 Pro-Lite includes a 3112-inch microfloppy disk drive and a 25-line-by-80-column liquid crystal display. - T . M O l'a!l Fortune Systems Corp., Redwood City, Calif. , has developed a family of workstations that run both UNIX and PC-DOS. The Fortune 1000 desktop series comprises an ASCII terminal, an intelligent workstation, a graphics workstation and a UNIX- and PC-DOS-based , networked personal computer with color graphics.- T. M r'"ttl Xerox Corp. will market Apple Computer Inc. products in several Central and South American countries, including El Salvador, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela. Apple says the move is part of its plan to expand its distribution channels in emerging office markets. Xerox, in turn, says it can now offer its customers a full line of office products. The three-year agreement calls for Xerox to distribute all Apple products through authorized dealers and the Xerox sales-and-service network .- D. Bright SYSTEM FILES: Microtek Labs Inc., Gardena, Calif., has announced a desktop documentimaging system for less than $1,000. The yet-to-be-named scanner accepts text, graphics , drawings, pictures or mixed pages up to 8112 inches by 11 inches. It has a digitizing resolution of 200 pixels per inch. Also, Datacopy Corp., Mountain View, Calif. , has developed the model 700 imaging system, which is priced less than $4,000 and should be available in March 1985. Using a flat-bed scanner to capture images, the model 700 interfaces to an IBM Corp . Personal Computer or PC-compatible computer .- C Warren NOTES FROM OVERSEAS: Most Japanese trading houses, faced with slow or no growth, have turned to electronics to boost profits . C. Itoh &: Co. Ltd., a large trading house , and its C. Itoh Data Systems Co . subsidiary, have acquired 70 percent of Hamilton Avnet Electronics Japan Ltd. The acquisition of the semiconductor marketing company gives C. Itoh a stronger silicon-device market presence .- I. KakPl1:u:l1 i Optoelectronics is a high-priority research subject in Japan . One of the most active companies in the field , Fujitsu Ltd., has developed a transmission-reception optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) module that has been tested for digital signal transfer at 400M bytes per second over fiber optic cable . The device combines a light-emitting laser diode, a lightdetecting photodiode and other optical elements and electronic circuits. The MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 27 Breakpoints modules send information at 1 GHz and receive it at 300 MHz. OEICs are expected to be increasingly important in data communications, especially for local networks, factory control networks and long-distance data relays .- I. Kakehashi Sony Corp. of Japan is offering four new 4-bit CMOS single-chip microcomputers that ease software creation and testing. Called the SPC500 series, the four are available in modules claimed by Sony to be some of the first 4-bit microprocessing units with serial I/O, timers and peripherals that work without changing the central processor. The arrangement of circuit blocks by functions minimizes layout changes when ROM or RAM space is extended or when peripheral functions are added. There are eight address modes, which Sony says will permit execution of 83 percent of all typical computer commands. Sony's software development and evaluation package, with the necessary boards, keyboard and LED display, will have a suggested retail price in Japan of about $2,050. Prices of the devices vary with design and capacity.- I. Kakel'lashi Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is planning negotiations with other countries to extend its international high-speed, facsimile-based electronic mail service. The first satellite links, between Japan and West Germany, and Japan and the United States, were to begin late last month. The service would reduce the time required to mail a letter from one country to the other to two days or less. Regular air mail takes about five days. The Japanese expect the widest application of the service in the United States, where about 250 post offices already have facilities for electronic mail.- I. Kakehashi France's aerospace/ defense / electronics conglomerate, Matra Sa, has teamed up with Norwegian minicomputer maker Norsk Data AS to produce high-performance, 32-bit superminicomputers. The pact was signed despite opposition from France's government-owned Bull Group, which recently inked a similar agreement with U.S.-based Ridge Computers .- M. O' Gam Beating out ICL Plc., NV Philips, Olivetti SpA, and Sperry Corp., ITT Corp. walked away with the core operations of Christian Rovsing AB, the Danish data-communications vendor that recently went bankrupt. ITT has taken a 44 percent share of both the restructured company and its debts. The buy-in follows quickly on the heels of ITT's acquisition of a 49 percent interest in West German minicomputer vendor Computertechnik Mueller.- M. O'Gar"1 ICL is reselling the 932 Micro from Datamedia Corp., Nashua, N.H. Although the Clan, as the machine is dubbed, can run both the Pick and UNIX System V operating systems, only UNIX is currently offered. Priced between $25,000 and $100,000, the Clan supports up to 16 users and is being aimed at value-added remarketers rather than at ICL's end users.- M. O'Gara 28 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 CompuPro has now dra- matica11y increased your microcomputing power and speed. With our System 816/FTM supermicro with CPU 286/287TM board. The computer that gives you results. Fast. Built to provide sophisticated computer users with the fastest 16-bit system available, the System 816/F is a multi-user computer so powerful it virtually has no supermicro peer. The reason for such a strong statement? We configure the system around the 80286-among the most powerful 16-bit processors available anywhere and one that's built for speed. The 286/287 board lets you run anything from the 8086/8088 family and includes the 80287 math processor and as much as 16 Kb of EPROM on-board. But this board is only part of the story. CompuPro has included a long list of features that enhance this exclusive system even more. Like 1.5 Mb of our MDRIYE®/H-a solid-state disk with the capacity to dramatically increase the speed of the 286 processor even more ... 512 Kb of 16-bit main memory expandabl~ to 16 Mb ... 1.2 Mb floppy disk and up to 80 Mb of hard disk storage .. . 12 serial ports ... and much more. And even though our System 816/F has set some industry standards, we still designed it to conform to the IEEE 696/S-100 bus standard. And virtually no one else can say that. The time you save with CompuPro will save you money, too. Our System 816/F speeds up software development. So the quality and capacity of your programs is enhanced, and the value, maximized. The CompuPro System 816/F. It's the essential system for OEMs and system integrators who want all the power and speed they can get. And best of all , we 've shipped hundreds of them already. CIRCLE NO. 16 ON INQUIRY CARD The Essential ComputerTM GmeuPro. A GODBOUT COMPANY 3506 Breakwater Court, Hayward, CA 94545 (415) 786-0909 MDRIVE is a regis tered t rademark and System 816/F, CPU 286/287 and Th e Essent ial Computer are trade· marks o f CompuPro. Front panel show n is available from Fu ll Service CompuPro Sys tem Centers only. © 1984 CompuPro. DIGITAL'S SUPERMICRO FAMILY GIVES YOU THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: GROWTH. To give your OEM business the maximum opportunity for growth,you can 't focus on just one thing .Such as 1/0 speed at the expense of peripheral support. Or expansion capacity without software flexibility. You need to consider everything : processor speed ,system expansion, economy,reliability, software and networking capabilities. The decision is really very simple.If you want systems that can support your growth, choose Digital'ssupermicro family.You 'll have the high performance 16- and 32-bit systems you need today. Plus the ability.to grow your systems and add functionality when your needs expand tomorrow. And you'll have Digital'sworldwide support network behind you every step of the way. Whether you 're an OEM or an end user, you simply can 't find a better solution for your success. MICROPDP-11/73, THE 16-BIT SYSTEM WITH A 15 MHZ CHIP. Our MicroPDP-11 /73 '" system is based on our 15-megahertz J-11 '" chip. On-chip floating point and instruction pre-fetch increase © 01g11al Equ1pmenl Corporallon 1984 Dlg1lal,lhe D1g11al logo.MicroPDP-11 173. J-11 .0-bus.MicroPDP-11/23. MicroVAX,DIBOL.VAX.M1croVMS.VMS,PDP-11 .VAXELN.M1cr0Power Pascal.ULTRIX,and DECnel are trademarks of D191lal Equipment Corporation UNIX 1s a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories SNA 1s a trademark of International Busmess Machines Corpora11on 30 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 system throughput. An 8Kbyte 32-bit MicroVAX '" systems operating environments as your OEM partner. cache keeps frequently used maintain compatibility with our (including Digital'senhanced instructions resident for fast 16-bit MicroPDP- UNIX'" software). For realtime access.And the system's 11 /23 and MicroPDP- and multiuser applications. 0-busTMspeeds data between .on-~~'· 11 /73 systems in And you 'll have the entire heri- peripherals and processor at bus structure, tage of PDP-11 TM software at DECNET SOFTWARE tmYOUGO WHERE YOUR CLIENTS NEED YOU. a3.2 million byte per second peripheral support,languages your disposal - including tools Our supermicros are engi- block transfer rate. (FORTRAN, DIBOL'.", BASIC for development inadvanced neered for superior standalone The MicroPDP-11 /73 sys- and Pascal) , communications languages such as Cand Pas- performance. But their value tern provides the expansion options and packaging.This cal. So you 'll have numerous extends far beyond stand- capacity you need for your OEM solutions.It supports a31 million byte internal Winchester disk and can support as makes the transition between 16- and 32- bit functionality logical and straightforward, because you can keep all f J high level languages.Powerful alone applications because all .::-"i1 our systems can participate in .....' i local and wide a~~a networks . · '"·'· ~·': through DECnet software . many as 13 terminals or de- the peripherals you 've · · · · · You can share files and proc- vices.Memory isexpandable already configured in your development and debugging essing resources with other to 4 million bytes. Storage OEM products. tools.File,screen and periph- computers from Digital over options include a 26 million byte fixed/26 million byte And once you 've made the eral management utilities. ~ switch to MicroVAX sys- And achoice of over 2,000 Ethernet,leased lines or packet switched wide area removable disk drive, terns,you can keep on applications. networks.You can communi- dual 400 Kbyte diskette drive and60 million byte growing throughout our Or you can use your VAX cate with other vendors' sys- popular VAX'" --'--- , ~ systems to develop dedi- terns,too,via standard or streaming tape cartridge i\ familyof sys - cated Pascal-based SNA TM protocols.With our for disk backup. terns.Our Micro : realtime applications that networking capabilities,there Like all Digital'ssupermicros,the MicroPDP-11 /73 VMS '" operating system is our power- you can download to i distributed MicroVAX or are no boundaries to your computing growth. system is designed to fit on a desk.Under it. Or in acomputercabinet. MICROPDP-11/23, THE tow COST, HIGH RELIABILITY SOLUTION. For proven performance and a low cost entry to our supermicro family,you can choose the MicroPDP-11 /23 TM system.It's completely software compatible with the MicroPDP-11 /73 system ,and can support up to six terminals or devices.Memory and storage options,as well as packaging ,networking options and peripheral support are the same.This lets you expand the range of your OEM product offerings without extra development effort. MICROVA.f, YOUR BRIDGE TO 32-BIT CAPACITY. When you need the address capacity and functionality of avirtual memory 32-bit system,our supermicro ful VMS '" operating system for MicroVAX systems. RICH SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS MEAN i MicroPDP-11 target systems . MicroVAX systems provide dedicated Pascal execution through VAXELN '" soft- BEST ENGINEERED MEANS ENGINEERED TOA PLAN· . ware; MicroPDP-11 /23and Digital'sMicroPDP-11 /23, FASTER DEVELOPMENT. MicroPDP-11 /73 systems pro- MicroPDP-11 /73 and MicroVAX When you choose Digital's supermicro family for your OEM products,you 'll have the tools you need to get to market faster.MicroPDP-11/23 and MicroPDP-1 1/73 systems offer a choice of seven different vide this capability through MicroPower/Pascal TM software. And you can download your developed applications through PROMs,disks or communications links.Your options are never limited with Digital systems,like all Digital hardware and software products, are engineered to conform to an overall computing strategy. This means our systems are engineered to work together easily and expand economically.Only Digital provides you with asingle,integrated com- ULTRIX, DIGITAL 'S ENHANCED UNIX FOR 16 AND 32 BIT SYSTEMS. puting strategy,from chips to 32-bit VAX systems,and direct from desktop to data center. You can develop UNIX-based applications with our supermicro family because all our systems support ULTRIX · software,our implementation of the UNIX operating system.16-bit ULTRIX-11 software is an enhanced superset of Version 7of the UNIX operating system ,with the Berkeley 3.7full screen editor, large program user overlay scheme and a file system debugger. AC compiler as well as Assembler and FORTRAN languages are supported. Best of all,the applications you develop with ULTRIX software can be applied to our entire line of 16- and 32-bit hardware. Including all our supermicros.And all our 32-bit VAX If you believe that your company could benefit from our very growth-oriented supermicro family,contact your nearest Digital sales office.Or call us toll free by dialing:1-800-DIGITAL and ask for extension 230. THE BEST ENGINEERED COMPUTERS IN THE WORLD. computers.This means that you can expand your reach from a d i g i t a I single MicroPDP-11123 system to large VAX systems support- ing many users and massive databases. family can take you there.Our MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 CIRCLE NO. 17 ON INQUIRY CAR D 31 You can have it today. Eurocard architecture and availability. 32 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 -standard VMEmodule'" power, Over 100 other vendors agree. Today is the day for VMEmodules - Motorola's VMEbus-compatible board-level microcomputers that take you gracefully into tomorrow. Introduced by Motorola and other major international MPU manufacturers just three years ago. VMEbus is rapidly becoming the microsystem bus standard of the 80s.VMEbuscompatible products are now in wide use in industrial process control. image processing. engineering work stations, digital network communications and many other demanding applications. The new standard for 16- and 32-bit applications. Over 100 manufacturers offer more than 500 VMEbus-based hardware and software products, and VMEbus is being formally standardized for worldwide usage by both IEEE (Pl014) and the International Electrotechnical Committee. Rugged and reliable. The VMEbus employs Eurocard mechanical standards with dual 96-pin/socket connectors in convenient. modular, single and double card formats. The high-performance VMEbus has full 32-bit address and data paths, and a clean arbitration scheme for multiprocessing applications. True multiprocessing versatility. With theVMEbus,you have no limit on the number or types of processors you can use. You can add as many bus masters as you need. when you need them. ..and you can mix 8-, 16- and 32-bit processors in the VMEbus backplane. It operates asynchronously at high speed, providing seven Interrupt and four bus arbitration priority levels for total flexibility. Couple its multiprocessing capability with its reliability and Integrity features, its multiple sourcing and its 28megabytes-per-second performance and you see why it's today's international bus of choice. The logical extension: VMEsystem architecture. 1\vo supportlngVMEbus structures have been recently announced by Motorola and other suppliers: VMXbus. a high-speed memory expansion bus. and VMSbus, a selfarbitrating high-speed serial bus. With VMEbus, these two new buses expand the total VMEsystem architecture. These specifications will be expanded throughout 1984 to meet growing demand, and products will MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 be available soon to take advantage of these new architectural features. 1/0 Channel allows even greater flexibility. Unique 1/0 Channel provides modular 1/0 expansion on a local processor bus. It permits interconnection of slower peripherals (up to two megabytes per second) directly with their respective processor. freeing the VMEbus to handle simultaneous high-speed data exchange and multiprocessor activities requiring up to seven million, 32-bit data transfers each second.You can choose from a variety of1/0 Channelcompatible modules available today to meet widespread requirements for analog conversion. discrete 1/0. parallel and serial, plus mass storage 1/0. VMEmodules give you M68000 performance. While not limited to M68000-based systems, the VMEbus and 1/0 Channel are ideal complements for any application employing the high performance MC68000 MPU. A complete line of M68000 family-based VMEmodules is already available and an aggressive program for rapid expansion is In place with a full 32-blt MC68020 processor board soon to be available. VMEmodules are high performance building blocks, ideal for expanding and customizing Motorola's VME/ 10 OEM Microcomputer System. Add system software. such as our VERSAdosTM Operating System, and you have a totally compatible environment for controlling multiple tasks in real time with minimal design and programming. VMEbus: graceful growth and Motorola expertise. VMEbus clearly offers a graceful growth path to 32-blt systems while It can be used just as readily on today's 8- and 16-bit systems. Add Motorola's expertise, proven products, training and service support. and you can have the right choice today and for your future in VMEmodules. Write Motorola Semiconductor Products, Inc., P.O. Box 20912, Phoenix, AZ 85036. VMEsystem ARCHITECTURE MOTOROLA ~-----------------, I TO: Molorol· Semiconductor Product·. Inc., P.O. Box 20912, Phoenix, AZ 85038 Please send me more information on VMEbus and VMEmoduleS'. Name I I I Title I Call me: ( I Company --------------~ · Address - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - I City - - - - - - - - State __ Zip _ _ _ _ · L 213MMS120084 · -----------------~ 33 The PC Plotter: It will change the way business looks at graphics. The lowest-priced professional plotter on the market today is Houston Instrument's new fourpen PC Plotter. It is designed to produce the crisp graphics you need to compete - and communicate - in business. Just what makes this plotter so competitive? Let's take a look: Price - A multi-pen, compact, sing le-sheet plotter at $595 * isn't just a low price - it's an unbelievably low price. What an affordable way to link the power of graphics communication to your personal computer. Performance - Yours and Ours - Until the PC Plotter was born, it was too expensive to let the pictures do the talking . Now that's no longer true. So, the next time the boss walks into the office needing some "nice charts and graphs," you can quickly fill the request with clean, colorful, wonderful graphics. Who knows, you might even get a raise! As to our performance, we're the only plotter manufacturer offering you hundreds of graphics software packages which are compatible with the PC Plotter. That means you can produce any type of drawing you require. Flexibility - Depending on your needs, you can select from two PC Plotter models. One (PC Plotter Model 595 for $595.00*1) allows you to produce graphics or overhead transparencies on 8 \/2 " x 11" paper or film; the other (PC Plotter Model 695 for $695 .00*) permits either 8 \/2 " x 11" or 11" x 17" graphics . And we didn't forget the OEM . Houston Instrument will work with you to configure a plotter that's perfect for your particular application. For the name of your closest PC Plotter distributor or dealer, contact Houston Instrument, P .O. Box 15720, Austin, Texas, 78761 or call (512)835-0900. Outside Texas call 800-531-5205. In Europe, contact Houston Instrument, Belgium NV., Rochesterlaan 6, 8240 Gistel, Belgium. Tel. 059-27-74-45, Tix. 846-81399. CIRCLE NO. 18 ON INQU IRY CARD Du0rn0l50w 1na"trumen"t 4POl6 ·u.s. suggested list price . Mini-Micro World NEWS Ungermann-Bass, GE team up to connect factory systems Marjorie Stenzler-Centonze Associate Editor Most local area network (LAN) standards work has been directed at connecting various office computers and/or networks; factories have been more or less left on their own to plug equipment together. IBM Corp., which has installed more CAD/CAM equipment in factories than any other company, has yet to offer a comprehensive plan to tie its own equipment together, let alone connect non-IBM machines. General Motors Corp., the National Bureau of Standards, Boeing Computer Services Co. and 14 other companies demonstrated a pilot network at the recent National Computer Conference (MMS, July, Page 36) to connect equipment in both factory and office environments. But that network will not be completed until 1988. However, General Electric Co., Charlottesville, Va., and Ungermann-Bass Inc. , Santa Clara, Calif., recently formed a joint-venture company that will develop a network for factories. That factory network will tie into office networks. The project could take several years, so until it is ready, the joint venture, called Industrial Networking Inc., will provide an interim solution. Industrial Networking will use as its foundation Ungermann-Bass' office LAN based on the de facto-standard Ethernet LAN. Ethernet is currently under review by IEEE's 802.3 committee; that committee has approved a baseband Ethernet version and is considering a broadband version. While developing and selling products based on Ethernet, Industrial Networking will also build links into those prod- ucts for a less-developed proposal for a factory LAN called the token bus. The token bus is being considered by IEEE's 804.2 committee. The first product from Industrial Networking, due this month, is an industrialized prototype Ethernet LAN that will connect a variety of manufacturers' equipment found in factories. LAN for OEMs, integrators The Ethernet products from Industrial Networking will be sold through OEMs and system integrators. Although Ungermann-Bass owns a 60 percent share of the venture and initially will supply its management team, Ralph K. Ungermann, president and chief executive officer of Ungermann-Bass, stresses that his company will be Ralph K. Ungermann, president of Ungermann-Bass Inc., says the network products offered through the Ungermann-Bass!General Electric Co. joint venture will provide a clear path into token bus standards-based systems. STATUS REPORT: IEEE 802 LOCAL NETWORK STANDARDS COMMITTEES ETHERNET 802.3 802.4 I CSMA/CD BUS TOKEN BUS ] l ] 1 r l BASEBAND COAXIAL BROADBAND COAXIAL SINGLECHANNEL BROADBAND BROADBAND COAXIAL 802.5 TOKEN RING ] lWISTED PAIR 10M BPS 1-5M BPS 1M BPS 1M, 5M , 10M BPS (APPROVED) (UNDER (UNDER (UNDER CONSIDERATION) CONSIDERATION) CONSIDERATION) 1M, 4M BPS (DEFINED) OTHER STANDARD COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS: ·XEROX XNS ·DOD TCP/IP ·IBM SNA SOURCE: FUTURE COMPUTING INC. The IEEE is now working on three local networking standards, two of which will play a part in Industrial Networking Inc. 's products. Ethernet will be the first stage of a network scheme to link factory devices . When the factory-optimized token bus standard becomes firm, Industrial Networking will link its Ethernet-based offerings to it. The boxes stemming from the three standard proposals denote the medium used for transmission, under which the data speeds are listed. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 35 Mini-Micro World NEWS treated just like any other customer. "The joint venture is an arm'slength relationship between the parents and the independent company," he maintains. General Electric brings to the organization $6 million in financial muscle, plus expertise in industrial automation. Linking office to factory All Industrial Networking offerings will be compatible with existing Ungermann-Bass office LAN products, so Ungermann-Bass will be able to extend its current office network into the factory, to integrate both types of networks. · The Ungermann-Bass Ethernet products bring key technological el- ements to the venture, comments Christopher Fuselier, manager of industrial communications products operation in General Electric's Industrial Electronics Business Group. "The most widely applied networking systems outside the industrial environment are Ethernettype systems, and they are going to play an important... role in industrial installations,'' Fuselier says. The General Motors network also will help push Industrial Networking's Ethernet products into the market, explains Fuselier. The General Motors network uses the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP), which incorporates the proposed token bus standard. Industri- al Networking plans to supply token bus-based products that work with MAP. As General Motors pushes to make that network available in stages, users will want to start laying the groundwork to incorporate MAP, he explains. Fuselier says there will be a transitional period before all the pieces are available for a standard solution to tying together different vendors' equipment. "We needed an interim solution, namely an Ethernet solution, that would be available to industrial customers who want to start networking now and then have a migration path into [MAP] standards-based systems,'' he states. By the middle of next year, In- HOW AN INDUSTRIAL TOKEN BUS LAN MIGHT LOOK ROBOTIC DEVICE TERMINAL NETWORK MANAGEMENT CONSOLE PRINTER rh- TOKEN BUS NIU HEAD END REMODULATOR MODEL 5531 INDUSTRIALIZED IBM PC - HOST COMPUTER PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLER The Ungermann-Bass lnc./General Electric Co. joint venture will create factory local area networks such as this conceptual one that will conform to the emerging industrial token bus standards. 36 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 dustrial Networking plans to begin moving its original customers toward token bus technology. "The token bus standard is still emerging," Ungermann states, "so to commit a factory to it would be foolish. What we really want to do is commit to a known technology that has a nice clear path so later we can swap it out or make bridges into token bus," he remarks. Sidestepping confusion Focusing on the token bus is expected to accelerate development of the factory LAN market more quickly than its office LAN counterpart has moved. Ungermann says the office environment has set up a conflict for customers, confusing them with the technology claims of various technologies and access methods. "In the factory we have an alignment behind a single set of standards, and it's going to be very easy for a factory manager to make the decision to install a token bus product. He knows what the industry is lining up behind,'' Ungermann offers. The market for factory local area networks is pegged at about $22 million this year, taking into account revenue generated by network connections and software, according to Robert George, director of advanced manufacturing technologies at the research company Creative Strategies International, San Jose, Calif. That figure is projected to reach close to $150 million by 1989, George says. Some analysts expect the market to top $1 billion by the end of this decade. Ungermann-Bass and General Electric believe they are a step ahead of the industry by offering the ability to interconnect the wide variety of manufacturers' equipment found on most factory floors. "The majority of networking in factories to date has been on a more proprietary basis,'' Ungermann explains, "and proprietary networks are not nearly as appealing as a vendor-independent general purpose network." Potential customers of the joint venture include anyone who supplies LANs and integrated systems to the industrial environment-in- eluding IBM Corp., GE's Fuselier remarks. "We do not see IBM as a competitor at this point because it does not internally have the types of products we intend to bring to mar- ket," he says. Both Fuselier and Ungermann acknowledge, however, that that situation could change any time. D Third parties give lead to IBM in scientific PCs Lori Valigra, Senior Editor It's a rare company that can dominate a market it has not formally entered-unless that company is IBM Corp. Some analysts, after having accorded IBM's Personal Computer (PC) the top slot in commercial applications, now are declaring the giant's product the de facto winner in U.S. engineering and scientific installations. "IBM [PCs] now are the leading resident on engineers' desktops," contends Dr. Joel N. Orr, chairman of graphics consultancy Orr Associ- ates Inc., Danbury, Conn. Ironically, independent resellers had already propelled IBM to the top in that arena even before IBM introduced its own PC Engineering/Scientific (PC/ES) standalone microcomputer this fall. Orr explains: "The PCs are cheap compared with Digital Equipment Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) products, and they are ubiquitous. It's easy to buy IBM [products] through [any] corporation," because many companies have sanctioned IBM as a safe buy. Orr further notes that the high-resolution graphics on the IBM's PC/ES engineering and scientific workstation includes- a new highresolution display and adapter card for use with the company's PC, PCIXT or PC-AT (shown) . MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 37 Mioi-Micro World NEWS PC/ES will make justifying a PC purchase even easier for engineers. Yet, William Zachmann, vice president of the International Data Corp. (IDC) market research outfit in Framingham, Mass., does not see IBM's move into technical graphics as a mainline strategy. "IBM is trying hard to go after everything it can get," he says. Zachmann estimates that less than 15 percent of the $12.2-billion U.S. personal-computer market is for scientific and technical users. And, of that, less than five percent is for high-resolution graphics applications. He says the scientific market will grow 25 percent yearly by the late 1980s, compared with the loftier 55 percent annual growth rate for business and professional systems. TECHNICAL PCs GRAB SMALL MARKET SLICE (BY PERCENT OF 1984 U.S. MARKET PERSONAL COMPUTER VALUE) BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL DA TA CORP. Aaron Goldberg, director of microsystems services at IDC's Santa Clara, Calif., office, agrees with Orr that IBM has won the top lowend scientific desktop personal computer spot. Though IBM ranked a close third behind HP and Apple Computer Inc. in U.S. shipments into that market last year, Goldberg says Big Blue stepped ahead of them this year. Goldberg estimates IBM had a 19.4 percent share of the 139,000 technical units shipped in the United States last year. Those shipments represent less than 10 percent of IBM's installed PC base, he explains. Goldberg credits third parties for IBM's rapid growth in scientific applications, especially companies offering IEEE 488 bus cards, which were absent in IBM's PCs until the PC/ES was introduced. "With an Sharing graphics in groups: IBM offers at least three solutions IBM Corp. has not yet introduced a broad multiuser system approach to technical graphics, nor does it have a networking scheme in place to link the different products within technical environments. However, there are at least three ways to share some files in group development settings : IBM's new 7171 ASCII control unit, graphics versions of IBM's 3270-PC multiwindow system and IBM's System 9000, which connects as many as four users. The $12,420 16-port 7171 connects PCs configured for engineers and scientists to IBM 4300 host computers running the CADAM express computer-aided-design and manufacturi ng program . The 7171 may play an important role in cementing IBM's personal computers to its high-end CAD products, which already lead the CAD/CAM market with a 30 percent share , according to graphic consulting company Orr Associates Inc., Danbury, Conn. In the opinion of Kenneth Bosom worth , president of International Resource Development Inc., a Danbury, Conn., market research company , "The 7171 can make a big difference in bringi ng PCs into the 4300 CAE [computer-aided engineering] environment. " Software that accesses mainframe databases also will play a big role; says Bosomworth. IBM's engineering/scientific PC advisory planner, Lou Mamo, says a large database that can deal with office and engineering work in one installation is a complex proposition. Mamo explains that IBM is piecing together its networking strategy by announcing a future wiring system that will connect other IBM networks such as its PC Net local area network (MMS, October, Page 37). Lou Reynolds , product group man- PRICE POINTS FOR IBM PC-BASED GRAPHICS SYSTEMS 3270-PC/GX PC/ES a" "$1'5",96"00 0 )I l$16,785 1 · 960x1 ,000 · 16 COLORS · 19 INCHES ~ ml a:~~~~~~RS 3270-PC/G $9 ,535 (WITH AT) $10 ,150 · 768 x 480 MONOCHROME 12 INCHES · 141NCHES · 720 x 512 · 8 COLORS · 14 INCHES 38 MI N I-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 open bus machine there is a lot you can do with add-in cards. You get a lot of functions for less money" than a purchaser would pay for a specialized computer such as HP's 9800 series, he maintains. The PC/ES series includes the 13-inch, 60-Hz non-interlaced 640by-480 pixel high-resolution professional graphics display and the professional graphics controller. They are used with the floppy disk-based IBM PC and expansion chassis, the hard disk-based PC/XT, or the highend PC-AT, which has integral hard and floppy disk drives. The twoand-one-half-card controller takes up two adjacent board slots. It supports 256 colors from a palette of 4,096 and can perform 2D and 3D drawing. A PC color/graphics emu- Graphics consultant Dr. Joel N. Orr, Orr Associates Inc ., says "IBM [PCs] now are the leading resident on engineers' desktops. " lation mode allows the controller to run most IBM PC software. The controller houses an 8088 processor for high-performance graphics, 64K bytes of graphics firmware and 320K bytes of display storage. The price for the professional graphics products used with the 80206-based PC-AT running DOS 3.0 is $10,150. To buttress the PC/ES, which is designed for engineers, scientists, researchers and application software developers, IBM has introduced: · a $350 PC graphics development toolkit, which includes the Virtual Device Interface (VDI) and other software for creating deviceindependent programs · a $175 PC graphical file system, the $295 Graphical Kernel System (GKS), a $225 plotting system and a $295 graphics terminal emulator, which are also application-de- ager for high-end systems and graphics at Apollo Computer Inc., Chelmsford , Mass., is not concerned yet about heavy competition fror:n IBM because IBM does not have a strong networking scheme in place for its engineering products. Apollo markets a networked engineering workstation system in which intelligence is distributed. "Designers work in teams and must share data," he says. He explains this requires larger disks than are available with the PCs, as well as a high-speed network to transfer files. " IBM is a little ways away, but they'll be there eventually." Part of IBM's file-sharing approach now is essentially time-sharing, because products such as the 3270-PC/ G and 3270-PC/GX must be attached to a host computer to be effective, contends Reynolds. The 3270-PC/G and 3270-PC/GX attach to host mainframes through a 3274 control unit (MMS, June, Page 107). Both products can display seven windows: four for host mainframe applications, two for electronic notepads and one for PC applications. The PC window does not communicate with the host. The orphan in IBM's personal computer line, the System 9000, also offers multiuser capability. That system is based on Motorola lnc.'s MC68000 Lou Reynolds, product group manager at Apollo Computer Inc., says IBM's technical graphics computers do not yet compete heavily with Apollo 's engineering workstation, "but [IBM] will be there eventually. " processor, and has not been a big seller for IBM. International Data Corp., Framingham, Mass.. estimates IBM sold only 1,000 System 9000s last year. "The PC-AT will hurt System 9000 sales quite a bit," predicts graphics consultant Dr. Joel N. Orr, chairman of Orr Associates. A PC/ES based on a PC-AT is priced about $5,500 less than a System 9000. In the System 9000's favor, he points out that it is a 32-bit unit, while the PC-AT still is 16 bits. "The System 9000 is a back-door product, " says Orr, referring to its use of the MC68000. " It doesn't fit in with anything IBM makes. " Until the PC/ES engineering workstation announcement, however, the System 9000 alone had the IEEE 488 bus for the attachment of laboratory instruments. And, it runs a multiuser XENIX operating system. The PC/ES based on a PC-AT currently is a single-user device that runs DOS 3.0. The 9002 has a 768-by-480-pixel, bit-mapped 12-inch display. A complete 9002, including XENIX, a 10Mbyte hard disk, a diskette drive, memory and a memory-management card starts at $15,960. It also is a monochrome unit, while the PC/ES configured around the PC-AT displays 256 colors . MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 39 first storage you increase your PC AT capacity -you require. No more, elin do it? By offering you t range of storage capacities tt>day. 5~" Winchester disk drive llO MB and ~" streaming up of 60 MB. A choice of two Retll.ls- one disk and one tape, 1WO disks. Whether you use Javelin as added storage to a stand-alone PC or as a high-capacity, high-performance file server in a network-you only pay for what you really need. Keep your options open for the future. The SCSI* technology used in the Javelin offers easy future expansion. This technology also allows for backup and restore without CPU intervention - with special commands included in the controller. Javelin's rigorous quality program. Javelin's reliability, like that of every Emulex product, is built in and guaranteed. All active components are pre-aged. Subassemblies are cycled environmentally - under power, performing diagnostic tests and the total system is integrally tested. *The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) is an interface standard that specifies the mechanical, electrical a~d func· tional requirements for a small computer 1/0 bus mterface and command set for peripheral devices commonly used with small computers. Javelin features a full range of utilities that allow for flexible expansion with minimal user intervention. Call or write us for more information, or ask your dealer for a demonstration. Seeing Javelin in action is a breakthrough experience. Javelin's unique features include: · Easy to install and use · 1003 IBM compatible · 30ms average access rate · Compact, desk-top design to complement your IBM PC · Network ready · Designed for data intensive applications .. · Reliable backup and restore utihty ·Ideal data-base management storage/retrieval device · Backup media interchangeability · Advanced disk and tape diagnostics Javelin is a product of Emulex Corporation, an industry leader in the development of high-performance controllers, communications prod- ucts and packaged subsystems for PC's, micro, mini and super minicomputers. ~ PERSVST ~PERSVSI EMULEX PERSVST 3545 Harbor Blvd., P.O. Box 6725. Costa Mesa, CA 92626. 17 141662·5600 Mini-Micro World NEWS velopment tools · a $1,275 PC data-acquisition and control adapter and its supporting devices that gather, control and analyze data · a $395 PC General Purpose Interface Bus adapter (IEEE 488) used to access and control more than 2,000 instruments or devices · a $595 PC professional FORTRAN program. All products should be available now through IBM's National Accounts and National Marketing divisions, IBM Product Centers and selected authorized IBM PC dealers. To support its PC/ES, IBM has published a $10. 95 directory listing 340 third-party software programs. The directory includes the program's name, use, system configuration requirements, price and supplier. For example, AutoDesk Inc., Mill Valley, Calif., supplies the AutoCAD CAD and CAE program for 2D microcomputer-aided design and drafting. To run, it requires 256K bytes of main memory on the PC. AutoDesk claims to have installed more than 8,000 copies of AutoCAD worldwide on 15 different manufacturers' personal computers. Orr says products such as AutoCAD have given IBM a presence in the low-end CAD market. Graphics demand still small technical shops because of their ex- ing [in addition to technical work]." pansion slots. While the standard PC-AT does run IBM's Ed Marill, project manager a three-user version of XENIX for the PC/ES, explains that the (MMS, October, Page 35), that PC product expands IBM's opportuni- cannot run XENIX when config- ties for its standalone PCs. "The ured as a PC/ES with professional [graphics products for the PC/ES graphics. This means the PC/ES are] general-purpose PC attach- now is limited to single users em- ments. IBM is trying to capitalize ploying DOS 3.0. Marill will not on a lot more of what the engineer comment about whether IBM will or scientist wants to do-for exam- offer a multiuser operating system ple, spreadsheets or word process- 'for the PC/ES in the future. D IBM's scientific graphics PC worries and helps third parties Lori Valigra, Senior Editor The reaction of Vectrix Corp., Greensboro, N.C., to IBM Corp.'s new PC/ES workstation exemplifies how established competitors react with concern when IBM enters a market, yet seek new opportunities made possible by the giant's introductions. IBM's new engineering and scientific workstation, which is based either on the company's Personal Computer (PC) with an expansion box, a hard-disk-based PC/XT, or a PC-AT with internal floppy and hard disk drives, also includes a professional high-resolution graphics display and controller. While the $4,300 graphics set includes features available on existing products, Vectrix is concerned about the influence IBM's brand name has on sales. "On the one hand, it [IBM's professional product introductions] frightens us to death, because IBM is coming straight into a market we're in. On the other hand, it thrills us to death, because our phone hasn't stopped ringing,'' says William D. Waller, vice president of IDC's Zachmann says most laboratories don't require much graphics capability on their personal computers. "The demand is for the expansion slots and the ability to hook personal computers into laboratory equipment." He says that while graphics will help IBM PC sales, third-party vendors have offered similar functions to those IBM just announced. "There is no reason to assume the new IBM g·raphics [alone] will roll over the [scientific] market to the PC,'' he emphasizes, noting that Apple Computer Inc. 's II and Ile also have sold well in The professional graphics display and adapter, part of IBM's PC/ES technical PC, displays 256 colors from a palette of 4,096, and performs three"dimensional drawing. 42 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 No other 8-inch winchester combines this much performance with 330 megabytes of capacity. We've shaved every superfluous gram from the head assembly, and we've used powerful rare-earth magnets in the actuator. The result is an average access time under 18 milliseconds. We've added SMD or SCSI interfaces. And we've MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 ked it into a sturdy, al/aluminum package that slides easily into a standard 8-inch envelope. Our MV330 is available today. But we're not stopping here. We're well into development of the world's first 660MB 8-inch drive, also with an 18 ms access time. We'll deliver evaluation units of the MV660 in the second quarter of 1985. CIRCLE NO. 20 ON INQUIRY CARD We apply only proven technologies to our products, so our production schedules are predictable. And we can deliver-in volume-when we say we will deliver. Just as we've done for 23 years. 6437 INOEPENDENCE AVENUE, WOODLAND HILLS, CA 91367, (818) 884-7300, (BOO) 634-2858 OUTSIDE CA 43 Being able to promise OEM's a 234MB, 8-inch Winchester Disk or a lOOMB, 14-inch Tape Drive is one thing. Being able to deliver on that promise has always been something else. Now, we can do both. Send us your order, and we can send you our Mercury* 234MB Disk Drive that features embedded servo technology, a choice of SMD or SCSI , interfaces, and average access times as low as 20 ms. Our disk drive also offers microprocessor control, assuring you of fail-safe operation. Or tell us you want the highest capacity 14-inch streamer available and we'll ship you the Flashback* lOOMB Tape Drive. It has QIC-2 interface and QIC-24or11 interchangeability. With either drive, you get the same outstanding reputation for design simplicity, data integrity and reliability that comes with Memory Systems' 16 years of design and manufacturing experience. But maybe most importantly, you'll get the drives themselves. For more information, or to order an evaluation unit, call 1-800-521-3278, Telex #810-223 -6011. nutthcun tc~ccu111 The Mercury 234MB Disk Drive and Flashback lOOMB Tape Drive. These high-capacity storage peripherals are available today. 'Trademark of Northern Telecom Limited CIRCLE NO. 21 ON INQUIRY CARD IO Northern Thlecom 1984 Mini-Micro World NEWS marketing and sales at Vectrix. Vectrix is one of the few manufacturers already offering high-resolution board sets and monitors similar to those offered on IBM's PC/ES. IBM's PC/ES and Vectrix' VX/PC graphics products both offer highend resolution and performance. Waller explains that about 25 companies build low-end graphics boards to improve the standard 320by-200-pixel, four-color (out of a palette of 16), IBM color/graphics monitors. Plantronics I Frederick Electronics Corp., Frederick, Md., offers the $475, 16-color Colorplus board with 320-by-200-pixel resolution. Other companies, such as Quintar Corp., Torrance, Calif., straddle the range between such low-end products and those of IBM and Vetrix in both price and performance. Quintar offers the $2, 195 Ql080 controller that displays 16 colors from a palette of 4,096 with a 832-by- 630-pixel resolution. IBM itself offers an $849 enhanced color display and a $524 enhanced graphics adapter that support 640-by-350pixel resolution in 16 colors out of a palette of 64. But Vectrix chose to enter the high end of the market with a more fully featured product, which means a price difference of as much as $4,000 from low-end offerings. Vectrix' VX/PC board set has a 672-by480-dot resolution and twice as many colors-512 out of a palette of 4,096-as IBM's professional graphics controller, which offers 640-by480-pixel resolution. The board set carries the same price tag as IBM's, but consists of two rather than twoand-one-half boards. Waller says Vectrix used a custom gate array to replace 90 chips, while IBM uses off-the-shelf components. The Vectrix monitor costs $100 more than IBM's. IBM's products have placed Vectrix in a precarious position. Waller says Vectrix based its business plan IBM'S PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS CONTROLLER VS. VEXTRIX VX/PC BOARD SET IBM Professlonal graphics controller Vatrlx VXJPC board set Resolutlon 640 x 480 672 x 480 Concurrently dlsplayable colors 256 512 Color palette 4,096 16.8 million No. of memory planes 8 9 On-board lntelllgence Intel 8088 Intel 80188 processor processor Light pen support no yes Software support runs " most" runs all of the of the exist· existing soft· ing software ware in emulation emulation mode mode Source: Vectrix Corp. on IBM's ability to create a large demand for such high-resolutiongraphics personal computers. When IBM introduced its professional produc~s in September, Vectrix already had more than $4 million in VX/PC orders, and had delivered 500 units worth about $1 million to $1.5 million. But after the IBM announcement, Fortune 500 companies cancelled orders they'd placed with Vectrix. Waller says these IBM shops wanted to evaluate the IBM products. He expects orders to resume after that because of extra features on the Vectrix product, such as a light pen, and pan and zoom capabilities. Another stumbling block for Vectrix has been educating prospective customers about the merits of highresolution graphics and explaining the relatively high price tag. But IBM has helped out in that regard. "Probably two-thirds of the people who said 'No' to us in the past two to three months [have done so] because our graphics board set and monitor is $4,400, similar in price to an entire PC/XT system. So, IBM came out and said that graphics costs [this much]. IBM set an expectation and a price level. Now people are calling us back and saying, 'Maybe that isn't so expensive after all.'" Waller expects many IBM PCcompatible suppliers and OEMs to buy third-party rather than IBM add-on boards. He says Vectrix' discount-30 percent for 100 boards and 40 percent for 300 boards-is better than IBM's. IBM would not disclose its discount schedule. "Our OEMs are delivering IBM computers anyway. The customer doesn't care which company generates the graphics, as long as the graphics are sophisticated," contends Waller. He expects to sell 3,000 VX/PC sets next year, twice that in 1986, and more than 10,000 in 1987. Vectrix may branch out into the systems business as well. If it does, it will join competitors such as Daisy Systems Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif., which is an IBM value-added reseller of PC-XTs running Daisy's Personal Logician CAE software and priced at about $20,000. Another competitor, IBM value-added dealer Chancellor Computer Corp., Mountain View, Calif., offers a CAD workstation also based on the PC-XT for $21,000 to $35,000. Vectrix has not offered many software programs with its VX/PC because of its limited resources. But now that IBM has endorsed the industry-standard Virtual Device Interface (VDI) and Graphical Kernel System (GKS) software with the PC/ES and graphics products, Vectrix is more willing to invest in software development. "Now that IBM has a standard, we feel more comfortable developing software [that also could run on IBM computers]," Waller says. Companies offering popular programs employing graphics for cur- MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 45 Mini-Micro World NEWS rent IBM PCs must decide on whether to adopt VDI. Lotus Development Corp., for example, coupied its Lotus 1-2-3 integrated spreadsheet tightly with IBM's hardware to speed the program's execution. VDI, explains IBM's Ed Marill, project manager for the PC/ES, slows the speed of application programs. And, while part of VDI lets many different manufacturers' peripherals work with the PC/ES, another part defines how application program graphics will appear on the computer's display. This means the VDI drivers differ on the professional display and on the standard PC's display. Lotus will have to revise 1-2-3 to include the IBM VDI drivers if Lotus wants its program to run on IBM's new display. "Whether Lotus [and oth- ers] find it to their advantage to move to the VDI interface or to keep a tight link to our hardware is up to them," comments Marill. "The VDI is our desire to make the job of the third-party developer easier and safer. As a result [of VDI], the application will survive." D Decision-support program boosts Al techniques Carl Warren, Western Editor The computer industry has long been promising the ultimate dream machine and software that embodies the mind of man. That promise, of course, has been artificial intelligence (AI). One company that has taken an empirical view of what artifical intelligence is and can be is InfoTym Corp., Cupertino, Calif., a subsidiary of Tymshare Computer Technology Group. The product of note is InfoTym's Reveal software, which employs AI expert system techniques to help users make decisions. This means that a decision process is modeled after the way experts in a particular field arrive at conclusions-i.e., mimicking human logic. "Reveal doesn't make the decision," remarks David R. Morley, director of sales and marketing for the Softmark Division of InfoTym. "Rather, it puts the facts together so a human mind can decide the direction." "The development of expert systems using AI is a sift-down process," observes Jack H. Geer, business consultant on expert systems for InfoTym. "[Reveal] is a tool. Right now it's a bicycle, not a jet plane. Yet, it lets the user cut things down into manageable tasks. There is still a great deal to do-we're only at the tip of the iceberg." According to David Morley, the company uses AI methods of logical inference for symbol manipulation. "Thus, English statements can be used to create a model based on facts and applied rules," he explains. Geer adds that the product is like a "mind spreadsheet" that uses a knowledge base as an inference engine to classify information and assist in a decision. Developed for business The Reveal software package doesn't lock the user into a specific way of doing things; one of its key features is the use of so-called "fuzzy sets"-approximate reasoning. These are "if/then/but" statements such as "X is equal to night if there is a moon and it's dark. But if there is no moon and it's dark, X could be called darkest night or a moonless night." Reveal also has a number of integrated tools, including a databasemanagement system, text editor, report generator and graphics. "This is a sophisticated programming tool that is designed to be used on [an IBM] 370 mainframe, [DEC] VAX minicomputer, or IBM PC/XT. To make this workable, we have provided a facility that allows the information to be ported-transferred-from a mainframe to a minicomputer or microcomputer and back again. The purpose is to [create] a complete corporate [software] environment. That is part of the decision-making process," notes Geer. Capturing ideas The Reveal package has been de- signed so that it can be used to create knowledge bases for virtually any business function. For example, it can be used to manipulate the information contained in a financial portfolio. "A specialist in inventory management would develop the skill knowledge bases for someone else to use," explains Reveal marketing manager Ronald V. Engdahl. The ideas in those knowledge bases are assigned numerical and hierarchical values so that the data can be used by the computer. The Reveal software package is priced at $50,000 for mainframes and $25,000 for minicomputers. The PC version price varies. For exam- ple, for users who have a mainframe license the price is $2,000. For oth- ers, a minimum of ten PC licenses can be purchased for $4,000 each. The basic run-time package is in- tended for the development of knowledge bases. InfoTym expects knowledge templates to be priced in the $500- to $2,000-range, depend- ing upon the level of expertise and subject matter. D 46 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Meet the new graphics terminals from Liberty. The FreedomTM240. And the FreedomTM210. Two beautiful faces with figures to match. For $1395, the Freedom 240 is the first ANSI graphics display terminal that's compatible with the DEC VT220 and supports the Tektronix 4010 and4014. Yet it offers a far better price/ performance than theVT240. For instance. The Freedom 240 lets you draw graphics very fast. About 3 times faster than the VT240. It has more 4010/4014 features than the VT240. Offers a 665 x 288 dot resolution. And since it's the graphics version of our FreedomTM 220, you'll get words and pictures together. At $1295, our Freedom 210 is based on our advanced ASCII FreedomTM 200. It gives you the same graphics capability as Tektronix' 4010 and 4014- not to mention TeleVideo 950 and ADM 31 compatibility. When you need hardcopy, both terminals are compatible with DEC LA/100 and LA/50 printers as well as the popular HPGL-compatible pen plotters. They support a full array of existing graphics software. Including Tektronix PLOT 10, TELL-AGRAF and DISSPLA from ISSCO, and DI-3000, GRAFMAKER and GRAFMASTER from Precision Visuals. Both our Freedom 240 and 210 Graphics Terminals give you standard 14" screens with 132-column displays. Amber is optional. Now you can make it big with everyone. At a very small price. For more information, data sheets or a demonstration,call us today at (415) 543-6043. Or write Liberty Electronics, 625 Third St., San Francisco, California 94107. Telex 470 439. LIBERTY We make terminals. Tektronix 4010, 4014 and PLOT 10 are trademarks of Tektronix, Inc. VT220, V T240, LA/ 100 and LA/ 50 are trademarks ofDigital Equipment Corporation. HPGL is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard. TELL-A -GRAF and DTSSPLA are trademarks of Integrated Software Systems Corporation. DI-3000, GRAFMAKER and GRA FMASTER are trademarks of Precision Visuals, Inc. TeleVideo 950 is a trademark of TeleVideo Systems, Inc. ADM 31 is a tradem ark of Lear Siegler. Inc. 0 1984 Liberty Electronics. See us at DEXPO West Booth 4021 Hall A CIRCLE NO. 22 ON INQUIRY CARD One UNIX computer manufacturer after another has come to the same decision: UNIFY is the fastest, most powerful, most flexible data base tnallagmlellt system for users of all skill levels. By their own investigation and by system integrator requests, computer manufacturers representing some 9()0!0 of the market choose to offer UNIFY with their UNIX computers. They include DEC. Perkin,Elmer. NCR. Tandy. Pixel. Onyx. Cadmus. O:xhta. Cromemco. Momentum. Plexus. Altos. Callan Data. And many more. The evidence is overwhelnii!ig. In independent benchmarks, UNIFY consistently ranks as the top performer. Completely menu,driven design and industry standard IBM SQL query language make it easy for non, pro~ers to develop data base applications. The most powerful "back end" design in the industry, including 90 subroutines at the host language interface level, promises that UNIFY can keep adding features, keep adding users, without eroding performance. Judge for yourself. Our com_pre, hensive 300,page tutorial and 5()(), page reference manual system are yours for only $95. Together they show you how to build virtually any application of your choice. Contact UNIFY, Dept. MMS,11, 4000 Kruse Way Place, Bldg. Two, Suite #255, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, (503) 635,6265, TELEX 469220. LrllFW® THE PREFERRED UNIX DBMS. CIRCLE NO. 23 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini-Micro World NEWS Mini-Micro's News Trivia Quiz: IBM's ubiquity-winners and losers in 1984 Lori Vallgra, Senior Editor Although 1984 did not become Orwell's year of Big Brother, it was the year of Big Blue. IBM Corp.'s aggressive and frequent moves to further its computer business paved the way for some winners and losers among its competitors. But other companies, such as AT&T, also created a flurry of market activity. See how well you paid attention to the year's events by answering the following trivia questions. For the answers, see page 59. 1. How many Personal Computer products did IBM introduce this year? a) 39 b) 115 c) 202 d) 240 2. What company announced that it would not introduce a major product for two years? What was the product? ------ ----- --_.-.--------·---------- Big winnings this year. 3. Name IBM's first acquisition in 22 years. 4. What company won the largest disclosed cash settlement in a computer lawsuit this year? a) IBM Corp. b) Data General Corp. c) Perkin-Elmer Corp. d) Texas Instruments Inc. 5. What important lawsuit settled early this year paved the way for IBM Corp. to pursue companies copying its ROM BIOS? 6. Which of the following companies didn't introduce a portable computer this year? a) Data General Corp. b) Hewlett-Packard Co. c) Zenith Data Systems d) Digital Equipment Corp. e) IBM Corp. 7. True or False: The state of Vermont has the fewest computer stores. 8. Match the following cities with the number of high-technology companies located in them. 1) Boston, Mass. a) 331 2) Dallas, Texas b) 316 3) Minneapolis, Minn. c) 296 4) Portland, Ore. d) 253 5) San Diego, Calif. e) 155 6) San Jose, Calif. f) 142 7) Santa Clara, Calif. g) 124 8) Sunnyvale, Calif. h) 52 9. How many home-grown computers running standard UNIX did AT&T introduce this year? 10. How many computer periodicals were started this year? How many folded? 11. What computer company paid the most for television advertising this year? Question 12: Name the processor for the PC-AT 12. Which of the following two IBM microcomputers introduced this year is based on an 8088 processor? a) PC-AT b) System 9002 Question 13: In which five states do the greatest number of high-technology companies reside? 13. Rank the top five states by the number of high-technology companies located in them. Which state has the fewest high-technology companies? Choose from the states highlighted on the map. 14. Which large communications company eliminated 11,000 positions in one of its subsidiaries to cut costs? 15. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in March that 16 companies importing personal computers into the United States were infringing unfairly on one company's copyrights and patents. Name that company. 16. How many standards came under review by ANSI this year? How many were passed? 17. IBM Corp., Apple Computer Inc., Digital Equipment Corp., Zenith Data Systems and Radio Shack together supply 80 percent of the personal computers installed in Fortune 1000 companies. How many companies supply the remaining 20 percent? 18. Name the two large computer companies that had to write down their investments when Trilogy Corp. ceased developing its superchip. 50 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 DELTA'S MAPPED OUT AWAYTO SOLVE IO.OOO OF YOUR CARGO NEEDS. Delta Air Freight ships door-to-door between more than 90 cities covering 10,000 communities. See this Delta map? You can ship just about anything, big or small, between any Delta cities shown. That covers over 10,000 communities. You can ship door-to-door. Or airport-to-airport. Delta can frequently give your shipment same-day delivery. Delta can ship anywhere in the U.S. or the world, via interline connections. In many instances, Delta Air Freight rates are lower than other freight services. And Delta will quote you special low rates tailor-made for your shipments. Also ask about Delta Air Express-we guarantee to get your shipment on the flight specified. And Delta 3-DTM Air Freight-40% off regular freight rates on high density shipments. For full details, call the Delta Marketing Office in the city nearest you. ~DELTA The anhne run by pro less1 onal s. DELTA AIR CARGO. READY ALL·AROUND. MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 CIRCLE NO. 24 ON INQUIRY CARD 51 Many ways . . .through our whole improving modem technology family of 300 to 1200 baud s.;~==- is to reduce modem cost. What modems that combine the most l..,li!:::i~;;;iiiiii ,...--- this can mean in a working rela- up-to-date technology with old- -......-.-. tionship between you and Anchor is fashioned value for the money. Built and sup- what we'<J like to discuss with you. ported by one of the largest independent Our products speak for themselves. modem makers-Anchor Automation. Anchor Automation, 6913 Valjean Avenue, All our products do more than just facilitate Van Nuys, California 91406. (818) 997-7758 computer communication. They exemplify as well the philosophy we brought to this ~NCHOR AUTOMATION industry-that the real justification for A Leader in Modem Technology © 1984 Anchor Automation. Inc. CIRCLE NO . 25 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini~Micro World NEWS ORI adds Macintosh-like interface to MS-DOS Digital Research lnc.'s GEM MS-DOS extension, with visual aids such as icons and pull-down menus, makes the IBM PC and IBM PC-compatibles (left) look and behave much like Apple Computer Inc. 's Lisa and Macintosh (right). David Bright, Assistant Editor In order to compete with the many windowing products flooding the market, Digital Research Inc., Monterey, Calif., has in the past 13 months added windowing capabilities to its Concurrent CP/M-86 and Concurrent PC-DOS personal computer operating systems. But now the company is covering more bases with an MS-DOS interface that makes the IBM PC and IBM PCcompatibles look and behave much like Apple Computer Inc. 's Macintosh personal computer. With the Graphics Environment Manager (GEM) products, formerly code-named "Crystal," MS-DOS commands and utilities are replaced by icons such as disks and trash cans and by pull-down menus. Other features of the graphics-oriented shell include overlapping windows, cutand-paste capability and mouse support. Runs MS-DOS applications The software, which conforms to the Virtual Device Interface graphics standard recently endorsed by IBM Corp., runs "absolutely all" MS-DOS applications without modification, asserts graphics systems product manager Tom Byers. GEM, which is an extension to the MS-DOS operating system, uses between 75K bytes and 80K bytes of RAM, depending upon the particular machine. GEM and MS-DOS together occupy less than 128K bytes of RAM, claims Byers. He says DRI will work closely with OEMs to develop the screen drivers necessary for porting the environment from machine to machine. To run, GEM requires only 256K bytes of RAM (which accomodates GEM, MS-DOS and an application), two floppy disk drives, a bitmapped graphics display and a mouse. Competing products such as Quarterdeck's DesQ, Lotus Development Corp.'s Symphony and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows require 512K bytes of RAM and a Winchester disk drive. But those products can put more than one application into memory at one time. GEM keeps only one application at a time in RAM, which is why it needs less memory. As a result, however, it is able to run on small machines such as Data General Corp. 's Data Gen- eral/One laptop portable computer and the IBM PCjr. DRI's product will be competing against IBM Corp. 's recently announced TopView windowing product which, unlike the aforementioned windowing packages, performs multitasking, meaning that it actually runs more than one application at a time. DesQ and the others are single-tasking, even though they can load multiple applications into RAM. A multitasking version of GEM running under DRI's Concurrent PC-DOS will be available sometime in 1985, says Byers. Companion software products to the Graphics Environment Manager include GEM Desktop, GEM Programmer's Toolkit, GEM Draw and GEM Wordchart. · The Desktop application , replaces the operating system commands with icons. Byers stresses that the basic GEM software does run without the Desktop application. · The Programmer's Toolkit assists programmers in developing vertical applications. Programmers will be given distribution rights to MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 53 Mini-Micro World NEWS bundle necessary GEM software with their applications. · GEM Draw, an enhanced version of DRI's original Draw package, is designed to help the middle manager create presentation graphics. Using icons and pull-down menus, operations such as panning, zooming and centering can be easily performed. · GEM Wordchart is specialized for the creation of company logos and organizational charts. The application features raster fonts so ·M.li,u· i!olltnLtrt 1111.,·Top All11hi . . lt Ahta lottc. hse Cta\et ~.s,,cll't With GEM Draw, managers can use icons and pull-down menus to design presentation graphics. Panning, zooming and centering are several of its features. that any item, when enlarged, will remain filled. The GEM products (with tJ:ie exception of the multitasking versions) are scheduled for availability in the first quarter of 1985. Since the size of purchases, as well as DRI's assistance to OEMs, will vary, the company has not published prices for the basic GEM product. GEM Draw and Wordchart list prices should be around $250, according to Bill Higgs, graphics applications product manager. D New DECmate and Professional computers receive lukewarm welcome David Bright, Assistant Editor Stephen Shaw, Washington Editor Although Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) has designed a smaller, less expensive DECmate word processor, and upgraded its Professional microcomputer line, analysts expect the innovations to have little market impact. According to Lee Kauffman, a research director at the Gartner Group, Stamford, Conn., the new DECmate Ill's problem is clearcut: Like the DECmate II, it's not considered state of the art in the industry. And, because the new Pro 380 workstation, like the other Professional workstations, runs a proprietary operating system and software, its marketability is limited, states Egil Juliussen, chairman of market research firm Future Computing Inc., Dallas. Price, size and storage capability differentiates the new DECmate III and the DECmate II, which DEC will continue to sell. While the DECmate II lists for $3, 795 (plus $500 for the WPS word processing software), the new model goes for $2,695 complete, including the WPS software. In quantities of 100, the price per system drops to $2, 100. The DECmate III is built around the same proprietary, 12-bit 6120 microprocessor as the DECmate II, but the use of gate array technology has enabled DEC to build its smallest system unit ever. The DECmate Ill's system unit, which includes two 5114-inch floppy disk drives, sports a footprint 40 percent smaller than the DECmate II, and is 2 inches shorter. The new unit measures 11 % inches by 11 inches by 5 inches. By positioning the cabling vertically, against the back of the system, instead of horizontally like on the II, even more desk space was saved. Both the DECmate II and III machines have 96K bytes of nonexpandable RAM and both machines can run CP/M programs with the insertion of an optional card containing a Z80 microprocessor and 64K bytes of RAM. The DECmate III has three open slots: one for the CP/M card, one for an optional internal modem, and a third reserved for expanding the system The system unit of the $2,695 DECmate Ill word processor, measuring 11 1h inches by 11 inches by 5 inches , is DEC's smallest ever. with future products. But adding a 5M- or lOM-byte hard disk drive to the DECmate II-an option that is not offered on the DECmate III-is said to triple performance. DEC also announced two related products: a 34-character-per-second daisy wheel printer, which lists for $1,395, and new WPS software. The international versions of the software have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German and the Scandinavian languages. The English version provides editing enhancements and a new techni- 54 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 FOrte P.Uts lllainfratne grapllics on your PC Get mainframe graphics right at your desk With the ForteGraphTM Emulator. Just add it to the Forte PJTMcommunications adaptor. Without using an extra slotYou're ready to roll with a single PC keystroke. With a compatible monitor, you'll get true 3279 model S3G emulation. From color quality and screen print speed, right down to pixel resolutions. Dip into a palette of software, like GDDM! SAS/GRAPH" and ISSCO's TELLAGRAF. TMCreate pie and bar charts,histograms and conceptual drawings. Or paint up a storm with your own custom-designed characters. Even foreign language fonts and scientific notations can be used. ForteGraph is entirely soft-loaded. So you can send, receive and store files while host sessions remain untouched. You can even save your mamframe graphics on your own diskettes. And print copies right in your office. Installation? ~~==:::;;:;;;;;..--- It's a snap. Because ForteGraph requires no host hardware or software modifications. Graphic smarts from Forte. Colorful. Creative. Easy to use. And ready for you now. THE FORCE IN MICRO TO MAINFRAME COMMUNICATIONS IBM"' MAINFRAME 327416 CONTROLLER IBM PC 2205 Fortune Drive, San Jose, CA 95131 (408) 945-9111Telex275973 IDLL-FREE HOTLINE (800) 233-3278 <01984 Forte Data Systems. 1GDDM is a product of International Business Machines. SAS/GRAPH is a registered trademark of SAS Institute, Inc. TELLAGRAF is a trademark of Integrated Software Systems Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Mach ines. CIRCLE NO. 26 ON INQUIRY CARD ACALAY MESSAGE TO ALL PCB DESIGN MANAGERS: EXAMINE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL CAD BREAKTHROUGH RECENILY INIRODUCED FROM EUROPE TO THE USA ··· lhe CID·Crecl·I· WIJ_IU CID System for PCB Design: · New and User-Friendly. Powerful Interactive Features ·The Unequalled CalayTechnology for Surface-Mounted Devices · Efficient Automatic Placement Package · Simple, User-Definable Post Processing and Documentation · Latest Interfaces to All CAE Systems · The AWESOME Calay Automatic ROUTER Together, they are integrated into a system V03 which represents CAD-credibility as offered only_QY- Calay! Calay, still a young company in the USA, has wellestablished, sophisticated roots in Western Europe. In only 4 years, over 200 of our SY-Stems are in use in U.K., Germany. Scandinavia, Holland, France, Switzerland, and now in the USA . The new interactive cap_Abllltles of The Calay V03 w ill knock your socks off! The PC boards are prepared quickly. utilizing the Calay high resolution g@P-hics, the on-line desig!l rule check, and the heretofore unmatched features allowing easy creation of new library components ' And then, instead of facing the gruesome task of manual routing, you let the 100% automatic Calay.: Router do the job: from start to finish . PC boards are Calayrouted day. night, or during weekends without OP-erator P-resence or assistance. In the morning of the workday. completed PC layouts are ready for further processing-even comP-lex digi@l and analog boards, multi-lay:er boards, chip.carrier boards, odd-shaP-ed boards, and those ve!Y- dense boards. No more long hours to find the solution, the Calay V03 CAD System does it for you . The Calay V03 is based on U.S. hardware.The computer, terminals, digitizer, and peripherals are U.S.-made and assembled in the Calay facility in California.The amazingly efficient software comes from Germany The resultant combination gives you the ability to make PC layouts faster than anY-one in Y-Our field , including PCB designers who use our competition's latest CAD equipment. In the short time that we have been in America, we have placed systems at facilities of well-exP-erienced CAD users, major electronics manufacturers, and many independent PCB service bureaus. They all swear by Calay and lend further cred- ibility to our superb service and software support. And if you have never used CAD before, CALAY is the onlY- waY- to start! The price will surprise you . The Calay V03 costs substantiallY- less than most of the high-ticket CAD systems, yet beats them all in performance and productivity Since we started delivering The Calay V03 CAD System, it has been evident that the decision makers in the respective interested companies have determined time and time again that there is no alternative to the level of performance and productivity of Calay. And that's what CAD is all about! Get your toughest PC boards designed fast on Calay .fad, as a result, ~r-our P-roduct out on the market ahead of y.:our comP-etltlon. Call for a Calay demonstration and details or ask us f~r a free-of-charg~. TRUE benchmark. CALAY SYSTEMS INC. 2698 White Road Irvine, California 92714 714 863-1700 Telex 6711321 In Europe Contact: CAL-KROSCHEWSKI GmbH 6050 Offenbach/Main Hein~ich-Krumm-Str. 5 Tel. (069) 892-065 Telex 041 52775 Federal Republic of Germany CIRCLE NO. 27 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini-Micro World NEWS cal character set. "It isn't a particularly exciting product," the Gartner Group's Kauffman says of the DECmate III. "We don't understand why t hey are continuing with that technology." Still, DEC merchandising manager Robert Roller predicts DECmate Ill's reduced price should attract some customers outside of DEC's installed base. Kauffman says DEC should consider upgrading the DECmate processors to a 16-bit word size. The systems would then have a better chance of competing against other dedicated word processors, and against general-purpose 16-bit personal computers that run word-processing programs. Roller maintains that DEC has stuck with the 12-bit technology because t he machines already offer "excellent" performance. Also, rewriting the software for a different CPU might lead to a system incompatible with the present systems, t hereby alienating the more than DEC's new Professional 380 workstation boasts double the performance of the earlier Pro 350, thanks to the J11 chip set. 100,000 users of WPS. Roller claims that currently WPS is 100 percent upwardly compatible from DECmate's preceding machines through the DECmate III. The new Pro 380 is DEC's first Professional microcomputer to incorporate the powerful J ll chip set, which is a subset of the PDP-11170 architecture. DEC officials claim that replacing the Fll chip of the Pro 350 system has more than dou- bled speed. F urt her, t he J ll chip, in conjunction wit h a new bit-mapped graphics board option, doubles the Pro's color capability so t hat it can display eight colors simultaneously from a palette of 4,096. However, Juliussen at Future Computing maintains that upgrad- ing the Professional is not the an- swer. "There's no place in t he office personal computer industry for a proprietary system. The Profes- sional is not going to light t he world on fire no matter how much they upgrade it." Like the Pro 350, t he Pro 380 runs the P/OS operating system, which is a subset of t he RSX-11 operating system. Optional opera- ting systems are Pro VENIX, XENIX, IDRIS, RT-11, CTS-300 and MUMPS. Configured with a lOM-byte Winchester disk drive and a monochrome monitor, t he Pro 380 lists for $8,995. DEC has also re- duced the Pro 350's price by $2,000 to $6,995. D Answers to Trivia Quiz on Page 50 1. c) 202 Source: IBM Corp.'s Entry Systems division 2. IBM's token-passing ring local area network 3. Rolm Corp. 4. c) Perkin-Elmer Corp. won an $18 million cash settlement from Computervision in a patent in- fringement suit. Source: Computer Industry Litigation Reporter 5. Apple Computer Inc. vs. Franklin Computer Corp. over Apple's ROM. 6. a) Digital Equipment Corp. 7. True Source: Computer Intelligence Corp. 8. 8) Sunnyvale-a) 331 7) Santa Clara-b) 316 6) San Jose-c) 296 5) San Diego-d) 253 3) Minneapolis-e) 155 2) Dallas-f) 142 4) Portland-g) 124 1) Boston-h) 52 Source: American Electronics Association 9. Four: The 3B20S, 3B20A, 3B5 and 3B2. Source: Yates Ventures 10. Thirty-five started, 29 died. Of the 35 start-ups, nine folded. The most successful start-ups are PC Week and PC Products . The major dropout was the Softalk group, which idled 33 employees. Source: Communications Trends 11. As of June, IBM logged in $25.8 million, followed by Apple Computer Inc. with $16 million. Source: Television Bureau of Advertising 12. Neither. The PC-AT uses the 80286, while the System 9002 uses the MC68000. 13. California (4,416) has about four times as many companies as Massachusetts (1,017) , which pulled into second place ahead of New York (1,000) early this year. New Jersey has 618 and Texas has 560. Alaska (2) has the few- est. Source: American Electronics As- sociation · 14. AT&T cut the jobs in its AT&T Technologies subsidiary. 15. Apple Computer Inc. Source: Computer Industry Litiga- tion Reporter · 16. 36 were reviewed, 35 were passed. Source: American National Stan- dards Institute 17. 83 Source: Computer Intelligence Corp. 18. Digital Equipment Corp. and Sperry Corp. MI NI-MICRO SYSTE MS/December 1984 59 Mini-Micro World NEWS HEARD ON THE HILL Paradyne blasted by House and GAO; system integrators may be affected Stephen J. Shaw Washington Editor Separate reports from the House of Representatives Government Operations Committee and the General Accounting Office (GAO) recommend that Paradyne Corp. be barred from doing any future business with the federal government. Both reports urge that a $115 million contract between the Florida communications equipment manufacturer and the Social Security Administration (SSA) be immediately suspended. The recommendations are a warning that contract-seeking system integrators can expect to have their systems more carefully reviewed in future bidding. The harsh reports follow a March 1983 inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission that accused Paradyne of, among other things, passing off competitors' equipment as its own when bidding on the SSA contract. That contract was to upgrade and modernize the agency's data acquisition system. Problems cited in the Operations Committee and GAO reports include: · misrepresention of a DEC PDP-11 processor/controller as a Paradyne Z8000-based processor/controller, which had yet to be developed when Paradyne showed its equipment to SSA officials during a 1980 product demonstration · failure to pass SSA acceptance tests until the acceptance criteria were lowered by the SSA · delay of SSA's modernization effort by as much as four years because of continued equipment failures. The GAO report called for a whole- sale review of the entire modernization program as well as for the immediate cancellation of the remaining portion of Paradyne's contract. Paradyne has already been paid $45 million since 1981 for supplying datacommu nications terminals. The GAO also criticized the SSA for what it called mismanagement of the contract, poor progress reviews and neglect of internal administrative controls. "[The SSA has] acquired a data communications system that, according to SSA analysis, ..did not begin to meet contractual system availability requirements on a consistent basis until April 1983-more than two years after the contract award," the report stated. Representative Jack Brooks, DTexas, chairman of the House committee, charged the SSA during hearings with overall mismanagement of the modernization program. According to the final committee report, "the Committee is especially perplexed by [the] SSA's casual attitude toward some of the legal and ethical issues spawned by the Paradyne award, including the filing of a suit by the Securities and Exchange Commission charging Paradyne with fraud and deception in winning this contract." The report charges that the SSA relaxed its internal testing criteria to accept substandard Paradyne equipment, even after it became obvious that the Paradyne terminals were having a negative impact on the SSA system. The SSA confirms that it erased two reels of computer tape reportedly containing evidence of equipment malfunctions that occurred between 1981 and 1984. An SSA spokesman says the erasure was accidental. Officials at Paradyne vigorously denied the charges levelled against the company in the House committee and GAO reports. "We strongly disagree with the recommendations of both reports. They're unwarranted and harsh," comments Paradyne senior vice president George Pressly. Pressly says that the Paradyne terminals have met 98 percent of SSA performance standards. He adds that an independent evaluation of the contract conducted by the Mitre Corp. has cleared Paradyne of any wrongdoing in fulfilling its contractual obligations. Concerning the charge that Paradyne used other manufacturers' equipment and mislabeled it as its own in an initial capability demonstration to SSA officials, Pressly contends "there's a large debate over what we were allowed to bid and demonstrate." The company does not deny that it incorporated equipment from other vendors in its system demonstration before the SSA. But it insists that it always intended to function as a system integrator in using some nonParadyne equipment and components. The SSA knew, in advance of Paradyne's bid, says Pressly, "that we would not be the manufacturer of all the components." Until a final determination is made by the government agencies involved, computer system integrators should be forewarned that government procurement officers are likely to scrutinize carefully all components in proposed computer systems to ensure that contract specifications are met. 60 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 the exhibitors with programs and services that meet your needs. Sae op ,y Pre- O'Hare Exposition Center Chicago, Illinois February 20-22, 1985 Show attendance is only $5 if you pre-register. (At show registration is $20.) Use coupon below to request preregistration application . For information about Conference sessions and fees, request the conference program . 0 S 0 ·I Over 148 leading suppliers, including these companies: · MSA/ Peachtree · Xerox Information Systems · Cullinet · Digital Equ ipment Corp. · Lotus · Boeing Computer Services · IBM · McCormack & Dodge · and many more! See, test and compare the entire spectrum of applica- tions and systems software. · Mainframe software · Microcomputer software · Minicomputer software · Software services At The Conference: Conference chaired by Ed Bride, Software News Editor · Linking PC's and mainframes · Software for business graphics · Decision support systems · and much more ..., It's your first stop. Just tell the attendant what kind of program or business system you want and the model of your computer. In moments you 'll get a printout listing the names, booth locations and product descriptions of Your Info/ Software registration includes free admission to Info/ Central in the adjoining hall . It's Chicago's new computer and communications show. 0 I ARE SEL~Cl ON. A BUSIN~ DECISION THATS TOO IMPORTANT r------------------- TO DELEGATE. Mail to Info/ Software, Media Services I I P.O. Box 3833, Stamford , CT 06905. Or phone: I 203-964-8287. Telex: 649400 CAHEX WU STD. 1 D I want to attend the Exposition . Send me a I I 1 pre-registration form . I D Also send me a Conference Program with I I full schedule and registration details. I I I I ~~ I I Title I I Flm I I Address I I City Stat I I I ip - - - I ,.17! Info/ Software. One of the Into Fam ily of Computer Shows B . . I I II . . · · · · · · · · · · - · · · - - · - · '-DI er Cahners Exposition Group. 999 sum111e1 s 1. s1em""'1. 0090s · CIRCLE NO. 29 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini-Micro World NEWS Third-party developers concerned over IBM microcomputer software Marjorie Stenzler-Centonze which must be used with a data Associate Editor management program. Core pro- . grams run from $150 to $300; the The recent announcement by data program is priced at $250. All IBM Corp. of 31 internally devel- programs will be made available be- oped software packages for its Per- tween now and the first quarter of sonal Computer (PC) is causing 1985. quite a stir among independent soft- The independents knew IBM ware publishers, distributors and would enter their market, Boyle retailers. comments. "You don't necessarily The 31, plus promised forthcom- make all your money building foun- ing products, make clear IBM's in- dations[ for others to build onJ. At tentions in the microcomputer soft- some point you have to build the ware arena, analysts say. "IBM has house and furnish it and there's a lot two-thirds of the mainframe market of money to be had for all the things and I believe it will be satisfied with that go inside the house." two-thirds of everything else, in- The most immediate impact on cluding the [personal computer] independent software publishers market and the software market," will be a slowdown in retail order- Brian Boyle, managing analyst for ing, says Maureen Fleming, senior software and systems at Gnostic analyst with International Resource Concepts Inc., San Mateo, Calif., Development Inc., Norwalk, Conn. states. Retailers will need to step back and The IBM introductions came just figure out whose products they weeks after the company planted its should or shouldn't support, Flem- feet in microcomputer software ter- ing says. ritory by announcing TopView, a Ashton-Tate's executive vice windowing environment for its PC president, Norman H. Block, says family, due out the first quarter of he's not concerned about any impact 1985. The 31 new programs are di- from the IBM software products. vided into two series: the Business "IBM has not announced any prod- Management series and the Person- ucts that compete with our two al Decision series. Programs within greatest strengths--dBase III and each series can be used separately Framework," Block says. or integrated as businesses expand, One factor that could hurt inde- John Steuri, general manager of IBM Information Services, ex- IBM's Personal Decision series soft- plains. ware consists of five application pro- The Business Management series is an integrated family of accounting and business management programs consisting of six core programs, each priced at $695. Soft- grams used with a data-management program. Attachments and extension modules can be mixed and matched with any of the five . The attachments allow users to communicate with System/36, System/370, 4300, 303X, and ware modules that add functions can be mixed and matched with any of the six. The Personal Decision series consists of five core programs, each of 30BX processors using Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) and Virtual Machine (VM) operating systems. The Business Management series from IBM consists of six core products. Additional modules can be attached to any of the six. 62 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SERIES INVENTORY ACCOUNTING $695 ORDER ENTRY AND INVOICING $695 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE $695 PAYROLL $695 GENERAL LEDGER $695 ACCOUNTS PAYA BLE $695 EXTRA MODULES GENERAL LEDGER r l TRAINING EDITION $95 ACCOUNTS PAYABLE r-- TRAINING EDITION $95 PAYROLL I- TRAINING EDITION $95 INVENTORY ACCOUNTING r-- TRAINING EDITION $95 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE -H TRAINING EDITION $95 ORDER AND INVOICING H TRAINING EDITION $95 ACCOUNTING H EXTENSIONS EDITION $245 FINANCIAL '--1 EXTENSION EDITION $245 Note: All Business Management series programs, except the farrowing, should be available by the end of this month: INVENTORY ACCOUNTING TRAINING EDITION, ORDER ENTRY AND INVOICING TRAINING EDITION , ACCOUNTING EXTENSION EDITION , and FINANCIAL EXTENSION EDITION . Those four are scheduled for availability in the first quarter of next year. M INI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 pendents is the data-interchange format (DIF) micro-to-mainframe communications link built into IBM's Personal Decision series. IRD's Fleming explains, for example, that with DIF, users will be able to adapt Personal Decision series software files to share data BM's 31 FLAVORS OF SOFTWARE PERSONAL DECISION SERIES ATTACHMENTS/ r - r l 36 EDITION $150 PLANS EDITION $150 ATTACHMEN TS/ H 36 $1 ,050 z 0 j:: 0 w Cf) f-- Izw- ATTACHMENTS/ 370 EDITION $200 :2 I (.) ~4: ATTACHMENTS/ f-- MVS $20 ,000 PLANS +EDITION $300 ATTACHMENTS/ r- VM $16 ,000 .______, DATA MANAGEMENT EDITION $250 REPORTS EDITION $150 GRAPHS EDITION $200 WORDS EDITION $150 Note : All Personal Decision series products, except PLANS +, ATTACHMENTS/370 EDITION , ATTACHMENTS/MVS , and ATTACHMENTS/VM should be available by the end of this month . The others will be available during the first quarter of next year. MAILING LABEL EDITION $60 .--- PROSPECT H TRACKING EDITION $60 wCf) _J ::;) 0 CLIENT TIME/ 0 COST :2 1--1 z 0 (ii z a4_: x w ~H > j:: ACCOUNTING EDITION $60 ASSET CATALOG EDITI O N $60 (.) ::;) 0 a0 : ~ w I f-- APPOINTMENTS CALENDAR EDITION $70 I- 0 '------'---- DATA TRAINING EDITION $70 with Lotus software users. This means that two users wishing to exchange files will only have to purchase one Lotus package, not two. "While that's good for IBM, its bad for Lotus," she explains. Another factor that may impact independent software publishers, Fleming says, will be IBM's direct sales force pushing the IBM-developed products. More than 60 percent of IBM PCs are sold directly by IBM to large organizations. The in-house developed software will also effect IBM-logoed applications packages produced by independent vendors and sold by the IBM sales force. Peachtree Software Inc., Atlanta, Ga., currently produces five products which carry the IBM name. Larry L. Smart, senior vice president of Management Science America Inc. (Peachtree's parent) and general manager of Peachtree Software, says that, if IBM's accounting packages are successful, they could severely cut into the $400,000 yearly revenue generated by IBM-labeled Peachtree software. "That's certainly not goodbut [a loss of] $400,000 is not a killer either," Smart remarks. Gnostic Concepts' Boyle adds that independent software companies and distributors need to form alliances to establish vertical market niches that would be protected from IBM's interest. Analysts foresee two major directions in IBM's 1985 software strategy. "As the installed base of the PC-AT computer continues to grow, we'll start seeing AT-optimized software," IRD's Fleming says. The second direction expected for IBM is multiuser software. "IBM is strongly heading in the direction of networking software," says Boyle. "The company already has an operating system under development that is networked, but they want to introduce it at just the right time." D MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 63 "Fujitsu has done it again. We've set another new standard in disk drive performance, with datatransferat 2AMB/sec using proven RLL encoding~' You can plug these new 10~" and 8" Fujitsu drives into your existing design, and with only minor changes you'll significantly increase your system's performance and capacity. With the introduction of the 101h" Eagle disk drive two years ago, Fujitsu established a new performance level for the disk drive industry. And the Eagle quickly became the standard against which other disk drives were measured. In both performance and quality. And now we've done it again. We've expanded both our 101h" and 8" disk drive lines with two new maximum-performance models that set a new high-speed SMD standard for data transfer-2.4 megabytes per second! And we did it using current RLL encoding technology. Which means you get this new level of performance without sacrificing one bit of our world-proven reliability, because we use the same head, media and actuator technology as our previous designs. Plus the same interface. We even made them the same size, so you don't even have to change your mounting holes to plug them into your existing designs! Both models offer expanded storage capacity as well. The new Eagle provides 689 megabytes (unformatted), and the new 8" drive provides 336 megabytes. Plus you can stack four of the 8" units in a standard 19" rack, to provide a total of 1.3 Gigabytes of storage in the place of one 14" drive today! Both units offer fast access (18 and 20 milliseconds, respectively), both use the same track capacity, and the same controller, and both offer Fujitsu's field-proven quality backed by a 20,000-hour MTBF specification. And to top it all off, they just happen to offer you the lowest cost of ownership! For more information or to arrange for evaluation units on the new 8" or Eagle disk drive, call (408) 946-8777 or write Fujitsu America, Inc., Storage Products Division, 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose, CA 95134. The lOW' Fujitsu Eagle Disk Drive The 8" Fujitsu Disk Drive FUJITSU SIDRAGE PRODUCTS Maximum Peiformance.MaximumQuality. FUJITSU CIRCLE NO. 30 ON INQUIRY CAR D Going out fOr a drive? lhwdlight. Now you don't have to go out of your way to find a complete line of fast, accurate floppy disc drive diagnostic and alignment tools. Dysan makes them all. And they 're all so compact they fit in a briefcase. Which makes them perfect for field service. Or (without the briefcase) for your test bench. For instance, our Digital Diagnostic Diskette (DDD'") with appropriate software lets you zip through digital tests like head positioner linearity. Head radial alignment. Diskette centering. Head azimuth alignment. Index timing. All in just minutes. And you get the results right on the screen of the machine you're testing. Our Interrogator'" is a DDD packaged with menudriven software and instructions that simplify drive tests on the IBM® PC and XT, Zenith Z/H 100 Series, Osborne® 1 (and more to come). The hand-held Performance and Alignment Tester (PAT-2+'") and the DDD enable you to step through a complete series of drive diagnostic tests. Plus performance tests like read/ write data handling capabilities and rigorous head positioner testing. Or you can use the PAT-2+ as a drive exerciser with our Analog Alignment Diskette (AAD'") and an oscilloscope for precision drive alignment . Dysan's drive diagnostic and alignment tools. Whether you go out for a drive or just walk over to the test bench, take them along. For more information or to place an order, call toll free, 800-551-9000. Dysan Corporation, 5201 Patrick Henry Drive, P.O. Box 58053, Sarita Clara, CA 95050, (408) 988-3472. Dysan· Somebody has to be better than everybody else. Dysan is a registered trademark , DDD, Interrogator, PAT-2+, and AAD are trademarks of Dysan Corporation . IBM and Osborne are registered trademarks of Internationa l Business Machines Corporation and Osborne Computer Corpora1ion, respect ively. © 1984 Dysan Corporation CIRCLE NO. 31 ON INQUIRY CARD WHATEVER graphics will find guid- Many micro users have not yet discovered how much more they can accomplish with com- ance in selecting and using the hardware and software to meet their needs, now as well as in puter graphics than with- the future. biomedicine, business graphics, CAD/CAM, mapping and cartography , defense automation, graphic arts, higher edu- cation, printing and publishing, scientific research, statistics, and vaouoo r .. . see computer Graphics '85. It will help you get more done, better, with computer graphics technology. out it. And many who already use computer graphics aren't aware of hoW much more they can accomplish with it. thFeoNr aaltliothnaelseCpoemoppulete, r COMPUTER GRAPH\CS '85 = a = From April 14-18, 1985, videotechnology. \ WANT TO KNOW MORE a I o;.;;.;:,;;-,;.;.;:.;.;;; - - c:ill;;,;,;.,-:- -1 Graphics Association is Computer Graphics '85 pleased to present what's will fill the Dallas con- new-at computer vention Center with a Graphics '85. 7-acre exposition featur- I information on the computer NCGA \ Graphics '85 conference and oept. HD E0xpIocsaitnionno.t attend, but would like Suite 601 8401 Arlington 81vd . computer Graphics '85 ing more than 200 lead- to receive information about the Fairfax, VA 22031 will help those who have ing vendors of computer systems get mo<· out of g<aph;G ha<dwa<e. ,;oft- NAasstioocnaailticoonm. puter Graphics (703) 698-9600 them. users will not only ware, systems and ser- learn hoW to do better vices. At the same time, what they're already doing, but also hoW to do more kinds of things more than 200 computer I Name graphics experts will lead more than 70 tutorials II c~om~pan~y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- with the systems they already have. Those who have not - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - and technical sessions for professionals who use, or I Address \ City should use, computer - State Zip I yet begun to explore the graphics technology in world of computer animation, architecture, CIRCLE NO. 32 ON INQUIRY CARD ~ a.IV.l[Jll with high dependability. eac's experience as a leader in the production of rotating memory systems is backed by proven field performance and cost competitiveness. East (6171475-7311 South (2141 221-8714 Mid- (3121 351-9124 Rocky Mountain (6021242-4025 (303) 337-6329 (801 I 532-2111 Northwest (4081 727-1424 Southern California (2131726-0303 SD-510 Half-High 514-lnch Winchester Disk Drive 12.76 MB unformatted, 10 MB formatted storage cap. 5 MB per sec. transfer rate. Industry standard ST-506 interface. FD-55Serlea 514-lnch Half-High Floppy Disk Drives Capacities from 250KB - 1.6 MB. 2 new LSl 's, 4.9 watts operating power. Brushless DC Direct Drive Motor. FD-35Serlea 3.5-lnch Micro Floppy Disk Drives Capacities from 250KB - 1 MB. Interface Compatible with 514 · Floppy Disk Drives. Power Saver Version: 1.72 watts Read/Write, 2.9 watts Seek, 27 milliwatts Wait ing. MT-2ST Half-High Digital Cassette Streaming Tape Drive TEAC® Backs-up 20 MB in 4 min. Industry standard OIC 102) interface. Instrumentation and Computer Products D ivision. Low cost media. COPYRIGHT 1984, TEAC CORPORATION Of AMERICA. 7733 TELEGRAPH ROAD, MONTEBELLO, CA 90640 CIRCLE NO. 33 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini-Micro World CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL IBM builds communications muscle with Rolm acquisition and joint ventures Stephen J. Shaw Washington Editor ROLM CALLED FREQUENTLY IN THE PBX MARKET In the past eighteen months, IBM Corp. has rapidly added more NEC "blue" to the portrait of the U.S. 10% GTE communications industry. IBM's 5% latest stroke produced a $1.3 billion OTHER swath covering the acquisition of 7%/ "'HITACHl ---=...,,......,__,._..i_ A Rolm Corp., a Santa Clara, Calif., 3% manufacturer of private branch ex- change (PBX) equipment. The Rolm takeover-IBM's first outright acquisition in 22 years- fits a developing pattern as IBM begins to reveal its strategy to com- pete with AT&T Co. and "Japan Inc." in emerging telecommunica- tions markets. Through a series of joint ventures, partial investments, internal product development and, now, a complete purchase, IBM is clearly indicating its intention to become a major force in office automation equipment, local information networks and satellite transmission services. When IBM upped its financial interest in Rolm from 23 percent to 100 percent, it acquired the third largest PBX manufacturer in the Rolm's focus on high-speed 200-plusline PBXes, with which it owns 30 percent of the market for products in that class (top), should help the company maintain its 31 percent annual revenue growth. With IBM's marketing clout behind it, Rolm should be able to push its 18 percent overall market share to 20 percent next year (bottom). United States with 1983 sales reve- nues of $659. 7 million. More impor- tantly, IBM solidified its foothold in fice-automation equipment, IBM the PBX market after several mis- may not see the PBX as the hub of steps with earlier ventures. The the "smart" office, "but IBM cer- company has tried, both on its own tainly recognized the PBX as an and in cooperation with Canadian essential ingredient, and an element Mitel Corp., to develop a PBX ini- that IBM knew it had to have," tially for the European market that comments Richard Imershein, vice could be used to carry voice commu- president for research of the Gart- nications and interconnect IBM ner Group Inc., a market research mainframt:s for heavy data-commu- organization in Stamford, Conn. nications transfers. The venture "IBM's takeover was a logical with Mitel collapsed in mid-1983 move." when IBM shifted the focus of its Since IBM acquired its first inter- PBX development efforts to Rolm. est in Rolm in June 1983-15 per- In addressing the market for of- cent-the two companies have been working toward achieving greater communications compatibility between Rolm's PBX equipment and IBM's high-end systems, according to a Rolm spokesman. Although the Rolm sales force is expected to remain independent, the spokesman said that plans are underway for joint marketing and product devel- . opment efforts. "Look for IBM to push for new products, particularly an integrated voice/data terminal," predicts Kim Myhre, a communications analyst with International Data ·corp. (IDC), Norwalk, Conn. Up to now, Myhre continues, ·most PBXes have been designed primarily for voice traffic, with data-communications capability treated by PBX manufacturers as a value-added feature. Data transfer and switching applications are limited by the relatively low throughput capacity of telephone wire, the primary medium for PBX-to-telephone connections, and the necessity to queue at the PBX for a circuit and a modem or data switch before entering external communications networks. But, Myhre adds, the PBX is perfectly suited as a gateway between local networks and for handling data traffic within a local office-communicati on.s network. With Rolm's strong position in the advanced voice/data PBX market, and IBM's seeming ubiquity in desktop personal computers and workstations, the only piece missing is a telephone workstation with advanced PBX features integrated into a fullfledged desktop microcomputer, the analyst concludes. Rolm currently holds an 18 percent share, by lines installed, of the U.S. market for private telephone exchanges, according to estimates MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 69 Mini-Micro World CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL supplied by IDC. The leading supplier is AT&T, with a 27 percent share, and Northern Telecom Inc., with 20 percent. With IBM's marketing clout behind it, Rolm is likely to increase its market share in 1985 by two percentage points and close in on Northern Telecom, says Jeff Kaplan, senior marketing analyst at IDC. Overall, the market for PBX equipment is growing at a lackluster 3 percent to 4 percent annual rate, but Rolm's concentration on high-end, 200-plus line PBX systems will help to maintain its 31 percent revenue growth experienced from 1983 to this year, the analyst maintains. PBX complements LAN IBM could use Rolm's PBX prod- ucts to complement development of local area networks (LANs), using the LANs for data-only communications among desktop microcomputers, central processors, peripherals and local databases. IDC's Myhre explains that the data could be intermingled with voice traffic at the gateway PBX for access to remote databases .and external communications services. IBM has made some confusing moves in the LAN area that cast doubt on whether its overall strategy for local data networks has fully emerged yet. The company recently reached an accord with Sytek Inc., Mountain View, Calif., for Sytek to supply equipment for IBM's PC Network, a broadband LAN system that employs carrier-sense multiple access/collision detection techniques to pass information between microcomputers. For industrial applications, the company has developed a baseband, token bus LAN. Finally, the company has publicly announced the specifications of a token-passing ring LAN for office-automation techniques. Still, it has made available only a data-grade, basebandcable wiring system. None of the LAN systems are compatible, comments Charles Robbins, IBM analyst with IDC. The computer manufacturer has released some details on LAN interface equipment, but has been "deliberately, vague with [telling] when either the interface or the tokenpassing LAN will actually be available,'' says Robbins. "By creating IBM casts a wide communications net Until its recent acquisition of Rolm Corp., IBM Corp. has limited Its forays into the communications industry to a series of joint ventures and limltedinterest partnerships with companies already active in particular market segments. The following is a summary of the computer maker's recent moves to establish Its communications presence and set the strategy for long-term battle against AT&T. · Last year, IBM acquired a 12 percent ownership in Intel Corp. The agreement contained a 30 percent ceiling on IBM's Interest, like in IBM's earlier pact with Rolm. IBM's current interest is 20 percent. Intel has supplied IBM with a number of microprocessors for IBM PCs and other machines, including Intel's 82586 chip that allows IBM machines to access Ethernet and other local area networks. · IBM has joined with Merrill Lynch to start International MarketNet, a stock market information service for brokerage houses. A pilot project is scheduled to begin In the second quarter of 1'985. · In a home vldeotex pilot called Trintex, IBM, CBS and Sears Roebuck and Co. will provide home-com- puter users with a variety of electronic entertainment, teleshopplng and Information services. IBM has already developed and is marketing software for Its PC that allows the microcom- puter to emulate a standard videotex terminal. · In July, IBM upped Its 33 percent share in Satellite Business Systems (SBS) to 60 percent when it pur- chased the interest of the Communications Satellite Corp. Several months earlier, IBM had installed Stephen B. Schwartz, formerly senior vice president of IBM's Communications Group and ex-adminstrative as- sistant to new IBM chief executive officer John F. Akers, to stem heavy SBS financial losses and gather the satellite carrier more closely to the IBM fold. · IBM has reached an exclusive agreement with Sytek Inc., Mountain View, Calif., for Sytek's network adapter cards and the translator for IBM's PC Network. The planned local area network for Personal Computers is a broadband, carrier-sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/ CO) system that IBM has promised will be able to interconnect with IBM's future token-ring network. IBM has also announced a third offering, a baseband token-bus network, for in- dustrial applications. · In England, IBM planned to work with British Telecom Pie. to develop vldeotex-type computer network and information services, but the British government blocked the venture in October. · In West Germany, IBM supplied the German Post Office with the hardware for a project called Blldschlrmtext, a videotex demonstration program for home subscribers. · In Japan, IBM' is developing value-added network (VAN) services to be run through telephone lines leased from Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co. (NTT). The private information networks could be used by banks, retail chains and brokerage houses for Internal communications requirements under the governmentordered "privatization" of NTT. IBM is also working with Mitsubishi Corp. and Cosmo 80, a Japanese software development company, to develop new products and communications services for NTT. Internally, IBM Is developing the Information Network, a long-distance data service. 70 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 FleX</32TM A True MultiComputing Environment. true concurrency in processing. Which means it can run many processors at exactly the same instant in time. All computers are not created equal. Especially And since it provides direct programmer control over the when it comes to their ability to tolerate change. In fact, use of concurrency, Flex/32 can be tuned to your most computers have a hard time application needs. trying to adapt when you need to expand or modify their capabilities. True programming freedom. The Flex/32, "' on the other hand, is a scaleable, general purpose Just as the Flex/32 hardware multicomputer. That means it can be gives you freedom from restrictions configured and reconfigured as often of growth, its software will set you as needed at different levels of free, too. Free from vendor depend- capacity and performance. All the ence. Because it uses the univer- way up. And down again. sal UNIX"' System V operating system, and languages like C, True scaleability. FORTRAN 77, RATFOR, Flexible's Each Flex/32 MultiComputer _ _ _ _ _ ____. PECRAIPBHINEERTA L own Concurrent C'", for real time and concurrent programming, and a cabinet can contain up to twenty 32- selftest capability. And for enhanced bit CPU's, each operating in excess performance, Flex/32 supports the of one million instructions per second with 1 megabyte of ISA extensions to FORTRAN 77. RAM each. That's more power and memory than some It even contains a concurrency simulator and of the largest mainframes available today. The Flex/32 is optimization procedures to improve run time performance easy to maintain with automatic and continuous self -to enable you to tune your application. diagnostics built in. With an entry level system, you get two 32-bit True cost efficiency. computers with 2 megabytes of local memory, 128 kilo- bytes of common memory, and 2 VME bus VO interfaces Given that a basic Flex/32 can outperform two all located inside one card cage. It's card cage can superminis, it still only costs about the same as a accept another 18 cards allowing up to 18 more comput- single VAX ni 750. And since Flex/32 is scaleable, the ers or another 152 megabytes of memory. As you expand economies continue throughout its growth path. your multicomputer, additional computers, memories and · When you add it all up, the Flex/32 has few interfaces are merely slipped into slots. equals in terms of its performance and value in the As powerful as the entry level system is, Flex/32 supermini computer world. And you can't take away can go much, much further. Your ability to expand the from that. system is literally without limits. For more information, call (214) 869-1234, or write True concurrency. f le.x<ible to us at 1801 Royal Lane, · Suite 810, Dallas, Texas 75229. Because Flex/32 is a multicomputer, it can provide Computer Corporation UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories. Fleir / 32 and Concurrent C are trademarks of Flexible Computer Corporation. VAX. is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. ©1984 Flexible Computer Corporation MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 CIRCLE NO. 35 ON INQUIRY CARD 73 EXPERIENCE THE WORLDS OF UNIX* UniForum '85 is your passport to the fascinating "Worlds of UNIX." You 'll examine the growing impact of UNIX in Office Systems , Person aI Computers, Engineering/ Programming , and Market Trends at UniForum '85 , the largest UNIX event ever held . More than 200 major vendors , in 850 booths, will display and demonstrate all that 's new in UNIX products and applications. An extensive conference and tutorial program will expand your UNIX database. This program , organized by /usr/group , will include 14 all-day tutorials on user-specific aspects of UN IX ... 40 in -depth and informative conference sessions .. .four nationally-known plenary speakers . In addition , a number of introductory courses in UNIX will be presented throughout the event. UniForum '85 will be your total UNIX experience. Whether you 're just getting started ... or are a seasoned UNIX veteran .. .UniForum '85 is the UN IX event of the year. Sponsored by :.r.:,~, \Uiiis1 usr,group rm· ln111rr:dt10ni!i NPt.i.·ork of UNIX Usr.ii:; For Complete Information, Call: 1-800-323-5155 (In Illinois , Call : 1-312-299 -3131) Or Write : Uni Forum Suite 205 2400 East Devon Avenue Des Plaines , IL 6001 8 *UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories . CIRCLE NO. 36 ON INQUIRY CARD 74 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Mini-Micro World CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL this confusion, IBM keeps potential customers from committing to another LAN standard," the anaylst comments. The Gartner Group's Imershein sees IBM's strategy for its office LAN as consistent with its equipment strategy. "IBM is adopting a thorough, step-by-step approach to support office automation-first, desktop computers, then software, then cabling, and finally the LAN. By bringing out its cabling system two years ahead of the office LAN, IBM is telling its customers, put your cabling in now because, if you don't, the LAN will be ready and you won't," Imershein says. Looking at the long-haul IBM has not overlooked long-dis- tance communications transmission capability in charting its communications strategy. Since 1975, IBM has been a partner with Aetna Life & Casualty Co. in Satellite Business Systems (SBS), an ambitious venture formed to supply satellitebased private voice, data and video networks. In June, IBM acquired the interest of another SBS partner, the Communications Satellite Co. (Comsat), and increased its total holdings in SBS to 60 percent. Several months earlier, IBM had placed a senior vice president of its Communications Group at SBS as its new chief executive officer. Naming Stephen Schwartz, who had served a stint as adminstrative assistant to John F. Akers, IBM's new chief executive officer, was done in part to stem the $450 million loss SBS has experienced since it was founded, and also to bind SBS closer to the IBM corporate culture, ac- cording to Imershein. If Rolm's PBXes could function as IBM's local link between LANs, SBS' four-satellite system could serve as the long-haul conduit be- tween widely dispersed LANs, ar- gues . IDC's Robbins. Not surpris- ingly, IBM is presently SBS' largest customer. In conjunction with in- creasing its stake in SBS, IBM suc- cessfully petitioned the Federal Communications Commission earli- er this year to lift that agency's restraint against joint marketing ef- forts between SBS and IBM sales personnel. By late August, joint marketing was underway. D GUEST FORUM The voice for guest experts James H. Geisman is president of Market Impact, a Wayland, Mass., management and marketing consulting company. Will IBM Personal Computers set a new hardware bus standard? James H. Gelsman Market Impact Standard bus structures have typically offered third-party companies new revenue opportunities. These companies have prospered by riding the coattails of Digital Equipment Corp. 's Q-bus and Unibus, Intel Corp. 's Multibus and the Motorola Inc./Signetics Corp. VMEbus, to name a few. Now, more than 150 add-in board manufacturers are setting the stage for IBM Corp.'s Personal Computer bus to emerge as the next hardware bus standard. The PC's motherboard and expansion chassis allow system integrators and end users to do everything any IEEE standard, including the popu- Jar Multibus, ever allowed. The PC's hardware architecture is well specified, and multiple sources are available for virtually every type of peripheral. The peripherals range from the usual memory and 110 devices to more exotic attachments for pattern and voice recognition. Despite the diversity, suppliers' products can be mixed and matched with little difficulty by adding one or two software drivers. Hardware compatability problems rarely arise, except in the most time-critical applications. In many ways, the slots on a PC motherboard are no different from those in a VMEbus card cage housing a Motorola CPU board, or the slots in a Multibus backplane with an Intel CPU card. The biggest difference may lie in the small amount of onboard power and the lack of power supply options on the PC. Third parties already are developing industrial-grade versions of the PC, into which they plug analog-todigital converter cards. The result is a ready-made industrial controller. One can also make a turnkey computer-aided-design workstation from a graphics card set, a combination card, a mass storage device and a PC. With IBM's market power and its complete control over the operating system, CPU and motherboard configuration, the computer industry may find itself endorsing one of the few standards not subject to any standards-setting group's approval. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 75 Mini-Micro World INTERNATIONAL DEC and Northern Telecom square off against HP and AT&T for best PBX interface Keith Jones, European Editor Major computer and telecommunications equipment vendors are battling over the specifications for an interface to allow private automatic branch exchange (PBX or PABX) networks to connect terminals and workstations to a host computer. In one corner stand Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), Maynard, Mass., and PBX builder Northern Telecom Ltd., Mississauga, Canada. In the opposite corner are HewlettPackard Co. (HP), Palo Alto, Calif., and AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft, N.J., part of American Telephone and Telegraph Co. Both factions want to replace costly individual terminal connections and line cards between the PBX and host computer with one twisted-pair wire. In this setup the PBX would time-division-multiplex multiple channels onto the twisted-pair wire. AT&T's System 75 is one of that company's first private branch exchange systems equipped with the Digital Multiplexed Interface, one of two interfaces for connect- ing terminals and workstations to a host computer via a PBX. But the two sides are taking radically different approaches in the data specifications for that wire. DEC and Northern Telecom are promoting the Computer-to-PBX Interface (CPI) (MMS, February, Page 101), which carries each terminal connection on an 8-bit-wide communication channel. That channel conforms with the Tl/SLl North American public switching standard. Like Tl/SLl, the CPI multi- A closer look at proposed ISDN standards The advent of digital switching on public telephone networks has opened up the opportunity for companies to provide an integrated services digital network (ISDN) . ISDN can time-division-multiplex multiple channels of voice, data and other digitized information for transmission over the public telephone network. Study groups within the Geneva, Switzerland-based Comite Consultatif Internationale de Te'1e'graphie et Telephonie (CCITT) are defining a collection of ISDN standards that will be known as the I series. Of significance to terminal and workstation suppliers is the basic user network interface, 1.420. It enables a terminal, designated TE1 by CCITT, to connect over a four-wire twisted pair physical link to an ISDN. The TE1 can be connected directly to the network termination equipment, designated NT1 by CCITT. Alternatively, it can connect to NT1 via any one of a collection of different distribution devices designated NT2. 1.420 will provide each TE1 device with two 64K-bit-per-second channels for data, or possibly data on one channel and digitized voice on another. In addition, it will provide one 16Kbit channel for signalling and also for packet switched data, if required. 1.420 allows for a single terminal in a configuration called point-to-point (PTP), or up to eight terminals in a point-to-multi-point (PTMP) configuration. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has expressed some anxieties about the CCITT approach to ISDN (MMS, June, Page 58). Michael Slomin, legal advisor to the FCC, notes that one of these worries centers on the lack of a defined interface between the NT1 network terminating equipment and the exchange termination on the local public network. CCITT designates this termination point U. The 1.420 interface can only be implemented at reference points S or T, which are between the terminal device and the NT2 distribution device and between NT2 and NT1, respectively. A defined interface at U (now undefined) would enable independent vendors to build and supply NT1 devices in competition with common carriers. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 79 Mini-Micro World INTERNATIONAL plexes 24 of these channels onto one line. The theoretical rate of each multiplexed channel is 64K bits per second (bps). Both Tl/SLl and CPI "rob" one bit periodically from a group of eight bits for signalling, so the data rate is actually 56K bps. Bit-robbing not good for data "The bit-robbing method of Tl/SLl is all right for digitized voice, but no good for data,'' remarks Felicia Choy, program manager at HP's Cupertino, Calif., information networks division. Choy's company and AT&T argue that CPI is incompatible with the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) recommendations being drawn up by the worldwide forum for common carriers, Comite Consultatif Internationale de Telegraphie et Telephonie (CCITT), Geneva, Switzerland. Unlike Tl/SLl, ISDN provides an actual 64K bps on each channel for voice or data over a public, digitally switched, network. Signalling is carried on separate channels, an approach called common-channel signalling. Therefore, HP and AT&T are promoting the Digital Multiplexed Interface (DMI), which provides clear 64K-bps channels and separate common-channel signalling. "We an- ticipate that there will be a big move in the U.S. public network from robbed-bit mode to 64K-bit channels," declares John Newell, head of the product family architecture department at AT&T. Newell says that several major computer vendors have announced support for DMI, including Data General Corp., Prime Computer Inc. and Wang Laboratories Inc. DEC begs to differ Peter Janca, PBX program manager at DEC in Merrimack, N.H., believes that CPI meets the more immediate needs of the U.S. market, pointing to the base of as many as 30,000 fully digital PBXes already installed in the United States and waiting to be equipped with such an interface. He also points to support for CPI from two other leading PBX vendors apart from Northern Telecom. These are Rolm Corp. , now owned by IBM Corp., and Intecom Corp. Janca adds that no special integrated circuits are needed to implement CPI on a PBX or computer apart from those already available for generating the Tl/SLl multiplexed bit stream. Choy at HP says that chips to implement DMI at both the computer and PBX are becoming available. AT&T's Newell explains that they will support functions such as common-channel signalling similar to ISDN, including the Q.921 data transport protocol recommended by CC ITT. DMI has more channels The same signalling method is shared by the two existing versions of DMI. The North American version uses 24 channels, each of 64 bps-23 for data and the other for common channel signalling. The European version of DMI provides 30 data channels plus two for signalling to match exactly the 2,048M-bitper-second ISDN data rate. "We expect DMI to become a de facto standard in Europe," declares Cees Lanting, consultant to the HP data communications laboratories at Grenoble, France. He notes that PBX equipment with DMI can communicate with a host computer, both locally and remotely, over a 30-channel point-to-point line. Newell at AT&T notes that DMI includes a mode that provides compatibility with the 56K-bit-per-channel rate on U.S. public data networks. DMI provides a total of four modes of communication between the PBX and computer, compared with only one provided by CPI. Connecting the Integrated services digital network Devices in an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) are connected by interfaces located at the defined reference points U, T, S and A. The standard network interface 1.420 can only be implemented at points T and S. There is no defined interface at point U, which sits between the network terminating equipment and the exchange terminal on the public network. TE2 terminal devices without the interface can be attached through point R by using the terminal adapter to convert devices with X.21 or X.25 protocols. µj EXCHANGE II NETWORK I TERMINATION H-I1 DISTRIBUTION I r111I I TERMINAL (ET) I EQUIPMENT I I I DEVICE (NT2) TERM INAL WDITEHVI1C. 4E20 INTERFACE I I I I (NT1) : I (TE1) I '------'""""-----' I I I I I I I I I I I r -- - - - - , I I I I I I I I I I 4-1 I I TER MINAL ADAPTER (TA) Ir+1- TERM INAL DEVICE WITHOUT 1.420 INTERFACE (TE2) : I : I.__~~~~ I I U T S R 80 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Faced with growing storage requirements that your present system can't handle? Or a need for more sophisticated applications that can't be done with your OEM's limited selection of hardware? Your growth and success should reward you. not clean out your bank account. And rewards are In store for you at California Computer Group. Take a look at our economical fixed drive and backup systems that offer you more freedom and greater potential than you ever thought possible with your present system. whether It's a DEC, DG. PE. TI. or multibus computer. JUST THE RIGHT MATCH FOR YOUR MINI. Control Data 9715 Fhl:ed Storage Drive 9710 Removable Storage Drive. CDC's 9715 provides up to 516 Mbytes of storage in a 9-inch fixed drive, with data transfer rates as fast as 1.8 Mbytes/sec. - all packed into a rack-mountable, sealed module. Or. mount two 97 l 5s side by side for a total of more than one gigabyte of memory, accessible in just 20 ms. You can back it all up with CDC's amazing I 9710 front-loading removable storage drive, which gives you over 80 Mbytes of unformatted storage in a convenient removable data pack. Control Data's 9715/9710 drives for your mini- . computer - a winning combination! MORE POWER TO YOU -AND YOUR DATABASE. Control Data XMD 9771 Fhl:ed Drive The XMD 9771 's extensive use of thin film head technology brings up to 825 Mbytes of rugged. reliable fixed-disk storage to your data-intensive applications. The rack-mountable 9771 is fast. too, with an average access time of only 16 ms and data transfer rates to 1.8 Mbytes/sec. Whether it's a DEC. DG. TI. PE. DEC. DG, HP. Tl. PE are registered trademarks or Minicomputer- Manufac turers. CDC. 9715, XMD 9771 and the Co ntrol Data logo are trademarks of Control Data Corporation. AFFORDABLE STREAMING TAPE DRIVES? YES! Keystone 92185/92180/ 92181 Tape Transports. California Com- puter Group brings you the new Keystone high-performance streamers at up to 70% savings over comparable sub- systems! The Key- stone 92185 reads and writes in both the phase-encoded (PE) and group coded recording (GCR) formats. With it. you can store up to 180 Mbytes on a single reel of tape and back up your fixed drive storage five times faster than conventional streaming tape drives. Easy to thread and gentle on tape. the en- tire family of low-r.ost Keystone streamers I are compatible with a wide range of minicomputers. WAIT NO LONGER. Let our configuration experts show you how to make a good system even better. We'll help you get the most from your minicomputer - with peripherals and subsystems that are both affordable and 100% compatible with the equipment you're using now. And we'll be there eveiy step of the way, with assistance in installation, maintenance. and continuing first- rate service. Now -Are you ready for the best your money can buy? California Computer Group Making A Good System Better. 3303 Harbor Blvd .. Suite G-10 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 fBOOJ 854-7488 .. Nat1onw·de fBOOJ 232-1661 .... California f714J 966-1661 ..... Corporate CIRCLE NO. 39 ON INQUIRY CARD At IBM, you're not limited to a daisy wheel printer, or an ink jet, or a color ink jet, or a thermal, or a laser, or a Selectric~ or a band, or an electro-erosion, or a dot matrix, or a color dot matrix, or a train printer, or even a plotter. Because we alone give you the choice of all of them. What does this mean for you? Simply that our range of choices lets you choose the printer that best suits your needs. IBM makes more than 70 different printer models, from personal computer printers to printers for our large computers. We offer you an infinite choice of printing styles. From data printouts to IBM letter-quality printing. Color. Graphics. Electronic forms. And illustrations. You can have print so perfect it's almost indistinguishable from offset printing. There's also a choice of speeds -from desk-top printers measured in characters per second to printers fast enough to count in pages per second. When computers first were joined with printers, IBM was there. We built the first chain printers, train printers and laser printers. And in the process, IBM developed something else: a reputation for reliability. At IBM, our range of print technologies and printers, our reliability and our service all serve a single purpose: To make your printing as effective as your processing. To give your work the finishing touch. For free literature on our printers, call I 800 IBM- ~ :....:'~ 2468, Ext. 96/3N. ::S::£::S~S: IBM ~INTERS -- ~-- CIRCLE NO. 40 ON INQUIRY CARD Mini-Micro World INTERNATIONAL Apart from the 56K-bit compatible mode and a straight 64K-bit mode, there are two others that can support multiple terminals on one channel-an advantage over CPI, according to Lanting. One of the two supports multiple asynchronous terminals, encoding RS232 signals into the common channel protocol. The other supports multiple virtual channels on one 64K-bit channel. Lanting notes that this mode could support multiple dumb terminals. Newell at AT&T believes the mode is excellent for the windowing features now available on personal computers that allow several applications to be viewed simultaneously. Newell notes that DMI's 64K-bit channels will enable DMI to support terminals equipped with ISDN's 1.420 basic-user network interface, which comprises two 64K-bit chan- nels for data and/or digitized voice and one 16K-bit channel for signal- ling and packet data. D NEX~ MON~H IN MMS The Interpreter section of the January issue of Mini-Micro Systems features an article on the battle for foreign investments between Scotland and Ireland by managing editor Jim Donohue. OVERHEARD OVERSEAS IBM winning first battle with AT&T in European market war Tim Palmer European Correspondent In a fight for European market share, AT&T Co. and IBM Corp. are mounting their first major offensive campaigns in Italy. AT&T was first to deploy forces there by acquiring 25 percent of Olivetti SpA. IBM then made a more strategically sound entry by linking up with Italy's industrial holding company Instituto per la Reconstruzione Industriale. What makes IBM's move so formidable is its connection with a holding company owned mostly by the government. IBM can enjoy the financial muscle of Italy's conservative Christian Democrat government, which virtually controls the nation's economic development. Meanwhile, AT&T has followed a red-blooded American inclination to jointly develop and market products with a private enterprise company. Instituto per la Reconstruzione Industriale oversees STET, the Italian state telecommunications holding company with which most of IBM's dealings have been. IBM and STET have so far reached agreements to develop products in the key fields of factory automation, chip technology and telecommunications research. The Italian government owns 60 percent of STET. The factory-automation agreement is with STET subsidiary Elsag SpA. IBM and Elsag, which is wholly owned by the government, will form a new company next year in Genoa to tackle the European market for integrated factory systems. IBM will own 49 percent of the venture, and Elsag, the remainder. The agreement is confined to developing industrial automation software. Products will include CAD/CAM machines, flexible manufacturing systems and interconnections between different parts of a factory system. Other Institute per la Reconstruzione Industriale companies are likely to become involved, including Digital Electronic Automation, which makes assembly robots. On the microchip front, IBM has agreed to buy, in 1985, $52 million worth of power transistors and communications interface circuits from STET's SGS-ATES subsidiary, 10 times the projected value for this year. SGS is the second source in Europe for Zilog Inc., which is why Olivetti chose to build its most important product, the Linea Uno computer family, around Zilog's Z8000 chip. The agreement also covers possible SGS manufacture of proprietary IBM microprocessors at a later date. The third agreement concerns a joint research effort between IBM Italia and STET's Centro Studi Laboratori Telecommunicazioni (CSELT) telecommunications research laboratory, to study machine recognition of speech and handwriting. But, IBM is vying for bigger prizes than those agreements. Now under discussion are plans to further collaborate with other companies trying to modernize Italy's cranky, obsolete telephone network. IBM's new proposals also cover database services, value-added networks and a possible factory to build Rolm Corp. PBXes for the European market. IBM's agreements already represent a severe Joss of face-and potential influence-for Olivetti, as well as an effortless outflanking of Olivetti's shareholder, AT&T. Olivetti has quickly activated a program to repair the damage, and is lobbying hard at the lnstituto per la Reconstruzione Industriale and STET for an alternative set of proposals to the ones being strenuously pressed by IBM. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 85 ONUS. Our program begins with theJDL-750, first in a new line of OA printers. A high resolution serial impact dot matrix printer delivering letter quality and color graphics. But the product is only half the story. Behind it are two companies with a comprehensive program that makes good sense for the OEM. The JDL-750 is manufactured by Japan Digital Laboratory, an acknowledged leader in OA technology since 1968. From design inception to our consistent manufacturing quality, we deliver value and reliability-on time. Japan Digital Laboratory backs up its commitment to the OEM with unqualified financial strength and a corporate tradition of customer support and service that directly involves 60% of the company's employees. JDL, Inc. carries on the 0 EM commitment in the U.S.A. By providing local custom engineering, from proprietaryinterface and software, to your own logo and colors, we help you develop your OA workstation printer quickly and efficiently. Concurrent testing in the U.S.A. means that our procedures reflect your standards for quality in environmental and lite testing, beta tests and agency approvals. And, we carry on the corporate dedication to service and support in a way that assures you both satisfaction-and profit. Skeptical? We don't blame you. That's why we want OEM's who meet our qualifications to join us inJapan, free. If you evaluate theJDL-750 and the resources behind it, we know we're going to be your new printer vendor. So call us or use the coupon below. Then, start packing. r------------------, I I'm an OEM looking for a better printer supplier. Tell I I me how I can qualify for your trip to Japan. I INCORPORATED 2801 Townsgate Rd., Suite 104 Westlake Village, CA 91361 0 1984 (805) 495-3451 FAX: (805) 495-3374 II NAME I I I TITLE I I COMPANY NAME I II ADDRESS I CITY I I STATE - - ZIP I I PHONE I L MM 1284 I ------------------~ CIRCLE NO. 42 ON INQUIRY CARD you've only seen our fine print, you're missing some great lines. When people try C.Itoh Electronics' high perform- working with the customer. And work with you we will. ance daisywheel or dot matrix printers, they're quite To develop products that meet your specifications. impressed. So impressed, in fact, that our line of printers In addition to developing and marketing our own just may be the most widely used in home unique lines, we buy products from many and business-nationwide. U.S. and international manufacturers and But our commitment to sell them to the worldwide the electronics industry market. So you can benefit doesn't end there. You see, from a world of experience we also offer OEM's and and the latest developments. end-users a wide variety of state-of-the-art electronic We also recognize the · importance of outstanding products. All with the same reliability and perform- ~!lll!llP._,_ _ _ _....;..,.. support to all ofourcustomers0 EM's, Systems Integrators, ance that has everyone talking about our printers. Distributors, or End-Users. And don't forget the solid For starters, there's our line of clearly superior Liquid Crystal Displays. Thin, lightweight and backing of C.Itoh, our $60 billion parent company with 125 years of experience and offices worldwide. compact, they come in an So call or write C.Itoh almost endless array of modules to satisfy virtually any application. Electronics for more information on our lines of high performance printers, LCDs, disk drives, Then there's our selection of Minifloppy and Microfloppy Disk Drives. CRTs, or plotters. And find out what you've been missing. C.Itoh Electronics, They offer exceptional reliability and easyto-integrate high density storage. We sell a full range of CRT monitors, too. And each delivers unprecedented levels of Inc., Headquarters, 5301 Beethoven St ., Los Angeles, CA90066, Tel (213) 306-6700, Telex65-2451, TWX910-343-7446, FAX (213) 390-1188. character clarity. Finally, there's our CIE 2400/3600 plotters. Available in 24- and 36-inch models, they provide the fastest 400 DPI performance on the market today. Of course, it takes more than a great product to make a sale. There's also that little intangible called C.ltoh Bectronics Inc. ~ CIRCLE NO. 43 ON INQUIRY CARD The Interpreter An analysis of news, issues and trends affecting the computer industry Office systems struggle for user acceptance Making personal computers and office workstations more user-friendly in order to overcome buyer resistance poses new challenges to system integrators Paul Snlger, Senior Editor Office automation systems hold the promise of moving mountains of paperwork and leveling the valleys of production, but unless they incorporate user-friendly technologies, they run the risk of being buried in the marketplace. The potential value of the office automation market is enormous. David T. Kearns, president of Xerox Corp., predicts that next year the United States will spend $270 billion on office automation products and services. That figure is expected to grow rapidly. Research companies like Booz, Allen & Hamilton Inc., New York, N. Y., and Dataquest Inc., Cupertino, Calif., agree that more than nine white-collar workers in 10 will work at computer workstations in the 1990s. That compares to slightly over one worker in 10 only four years ago. The incentive is savings. Booz, Allen & Hamilton estimates that automating the office saves between $2,700 and $5,800 per worker per year. Computer anxiety rife However, Venture Development Corp. (VDC), a market research concern in Wellesley, Mass., surveyed 15,000 offices and reported that computers inspire fear. Analyst Leone Pease of VDC says, "People in the office are terrified of computers. Most of these office people have limited experience with computers. It's easier to take them to the dentist than to get them to use some of the so-called user-friendly software and hardware." Pease said the VDC study found that office managers lack the time or patience to study a large computer manual, or go through tutorial diskettes and then sit in Total available white-collar market vs. estimated installed equipment (A) shows automation potential for the total whitecollar workforce, as determined by Dataquest Inc. The distribution (8) of white-collar workers in industry concentrates in the service, trade and manufacturing sectors. Each sector has its unique requirements. Nevertheless, installation of office-automation equipment will be proportionally distributed. (a) AUTOMATION POTENTIAL FOR WHITE-COLLAR MARKET INCREASES 60 50 (a/:) . 40 aw:..::: 0 3: IL 30 0 z(/) 0 :..:.:.:.i i 20 l TOTAL WHITE-COLLAR WORKFORCE ESTIMATED AVAILABLE WHITE-COLLAR MARKET ESTIMATED TOTAL INSTALLED BASE OF DEVICES 10 (b) WHERE ARE THE WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS? TOTAL WORKERS IN INDUSTRY (MILLIONS) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 SERVICES 62% 29 1---------~----- TRADE 15-9%- - - - - - . . . . __ ___, 22 MANUFACTURING 32% 22 t----~-----~ FINANCE, INSURANCE 5 REAL ESTATE TRANSPORTATIONt--T--. COMMUNICATON, 6 ____ 1-_---.------. UTILITIES 39% OTHER .__34%_._ _, 16 OwHITE-COLLAR WORKERS 1982 (EST)=so.1 MILLION SOURCE: DATAQUEST MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 89 The Interpreter front of a terminal and experiment with it. Confirming this view, Kenneth Bosomworth, president of International Resource Development, Norwalk, Conn., says, "Although complicated computers are fine for technical users, such as CAD/CAM users, they certainly are unsuited to the automated office. I think they're threatening to the average office user." Menus and mice aid computer transparency Apple Computer Inc. representatives contend that it is more than merely the keyboard that inspires stress and computerphobia among office users. It is the very design of software and the difficulty of using it that intimidates them. This view was echoed by Pease, who states that, "It is not that executives fear keyboards, as many of the press maintain, but the very nature of the keyboardsoftware-and-user interaction." This user-unfriendliness is exhibited, she maintains, in a computer's accompanying documentation. With most computers, user-friendly techniques involve menu-driven pages that replace verbal commands with icons or picture arrays: Users point to an icon with a mouse or finger. The Macintosh and Lisa 2 microcomputers from Apple, for example, operate simultaneous programs in windows which allow inter-program data transfer, have a pointer controlled by a mouse, have uniform commands so that users need not relearn with each program, and offer easily understood features like cut-and-paste interactive graphics and text. For example, to erase a file, the user points to an icon of a file folder, pushes the mouse select button and drags the file icon into a garbage-can icon. To make a Windows open to office integration. Part of the trend toward "people literacy" in business systems, Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh and Usa 2 microcomputers come equipped with icons and windows to spare office workers from learning complex commands and procedures. menu selection, the user slides the mouse to position the cursor onto the menu bar along the top of the screen (or along the side in some applications) and holds down the mouse switch to open the window. The user then positions the cursor over the desired selection in that window and releases the mouse switch. Menus and icons do, however, sacrifice some speed and program compactness for user-friendliness. Nonoffice users who consider themselves serious word processors, programmers or technicians might prefer the traditional command-driven syntax. Experienced programmers work faster with less friendly computers Executive workstations must provide easy access to databases-with no loss of prestige. The Santa Barbara Development Laboratories system, for exam- ple, is a touch-screen, keyboard-less executive terminal. 90 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 because command syntax promotes efficiency. For most office users, however, command syntax is difficult to learn and requires constant checking of manuals for spelling and rules. And command syntax's numerous keystrokes can multiply the chances of error. Keeping documentation thin Many computers claim to be easy to use and come with attachable mice, but none possesses the unique user-friendliness of the Macintosh. Macintosh was designed so that nontechnical office workers could use it without having seen it before. This is even reflected in the tutorial manuals. Those who feel comfortable with reading manuals can learn from them, or one can take the audiovisual Guided Tour on the machine and let the Mac explain itself. Apple re-coded lengthy procedures to keep the manual thin. The mouse and printer provide the user with direct manipulation. All commands are direct verbs: Users tell the Mac what to do, not the other way around. This orientation helps give users the feeling they are in charge. Rather than communicate serially with the user, the Mac's software communicates graphically. Since the human mind works pictorially and not serially, the idea is to have the Mac functions relate to the way people think. In using Mac, icons minimize the need to remember and type commands. The rules for using the Mac are more like those in our real-life graphics world, rather than like the mechanistic rules of traditional computers. For example, commands like "copy b*.*" are replaced by simple icons. Another user-friendly approach is a custom-designed overlay keyboard. The "keyport" from Polytel Computer Products Corp., Tulsa, Okla., contains 717 userprogrammable keys with an overlay and can be customized to a specific workstation. This method makes copyrighting new products easier and reverse-engineering, or pirating, more difficult than with diskettebased software. Typical office-automation applications require about 150 to 300 keys. The main advantage of dedicated keys, according to Polytel, is that novices can get up to speed faster; the disadvantage is that dedicated keys are less flexible than conventional keys. So it is a valid solution for only a limited segment of the office- automation market. Executive workstations eliminate keyboards Many managers are traditionally people-oriented and somewhat uncomfortable at desk-intensive work that involves using keyboards. To help overcome this problem, Santa Barbara Development Laboratories, Santa Barbara, Calif., offers ES-1 executive systems, a multitasking, multimodule system that replaces telephone, Rolodex files, calendars, filing cabinets, pocket calculators, dictation equipment, notepads and personal computers by means of icons and a keyboard-less, touchscreen workstation. The ES-l's proprietary software works in concert with fast, multiple-microprocessor computer architectures and 80M bytes of hard-disk storage. A similar solution is offered by Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP150 touch-screen personal computer, which has uncomplicated commands. By touching the screen, users can modify, delete and insert lines; edit, activate Keyport 717, a flat membrane key- board from Polytel Computer Products Corp., permits users to define up to 717 programmable keys and represents one approach to aiding users unfamiliar with computers. Complex commands and menus are reduced to the touch of a single key. Users can thus enter data faster and more accurately with less training. MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 91 The Interpreter and employ labels; and convert numbers to graphics. Natural language interfaces Office systems that communicate in a quasi-natural language reach the highest level in user-friendliness. As user-friendly as they are, mice, joysticks, icons, soft keys, menus and touch-sensitive screens have a major limitation: It is unnatural for people to communicate by menus, icons and mice; they use natural languages, and they want their workstations to do the same. Commercial, quasi-natural-language computers and software packages that communicate in English are now on the market. Confined until recently to limited commercial applications and to artificial-intelligence environments, natural language computers received a boost last year when IBM contracted with Artificial Intelligence Corp. (AIC), Waltham, Mass., to market AIC's Intellect. Intellect communicates in English, carrying on what seems to the user to be a natural conversation. Intellect uses grammar rules and a parser that divide sentences into basic elements on which each user writes a lexicon of terms that correspond to his databases. Intellect interfaces simultaneously to multiple packages. One AI management-information software product that runs on min1computers and understands English is Themis from Frey Associates Inc., Amherst, N.H. To implement this software, users talk with the database as they would to another person, asking questions and delivering commands by keyboard. In turn, Themis makes logical comparisons and calculations. Themis understands more than 900 words, and users can expand its vocabulary by adding and modifying words and definitions. Thus, a treasurer can modify the definition of payroll in one way, a clerk can modify it in another and a company president in yet a third. In each case, the software correctly interprets the communica- tion from the specific user. Themis understands com- munications even when there are typographical errors and misspellings. It also permits the use of pronouns to refer to earlier-listed subjects. The first versions run on the VAX-11 line, using the VAXNMS operating sys- tem. Of all the user-friendly innovations, natural-language computers could become the big breakthrough in the office automation market. Still, all of these innovations -menus, mice, custom keyboards and touch screens, as well as natural-language computers-are opening up this market. D Interest Quotient (Circle One} High 801 Medium 802 Low 803 Let us prove how Cromemco systems can increase your satisfaction with UNIX System V. 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In Mass., call (617) 275-5160. Or write on company letterhead and ask for a free video tape of voice applications. Verbex, Two Oak Park, Bedford, MA 01730. Verb ex A DIVISION OF E>J(ON ENTERPRISES Voice Planner is a trademark ofVerbex. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. VAX is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corp. CIRCLE NO. 48 ON INQUIRY CARD The Interpreter Graphical Kernel System (GKS) makes its mark in software markets Though not every developer's cup of tea, GKS is a useful tool for application writers Lynn Haber, Associate Editor Despite complaints by some software developers, products implementing the Graphical Kernel System (GKS) standard, designed to help application authors add graphics to their programs, are actively being marketed by some companies and vigorously developed by others. The German-developed GKS acts as an interface between an application program and a graphics model. It is a low-level standard which is transparent to the application writer. Like most standards, it is intended to address the needs of most of the people, most of the time. It has recently been adopted by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and is expected to be adopted on a national level by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) by early 1985. Based on a set of basic building blocks called primatives, GKS is a two-dimensional, line-drawing interface. Work to extend GKS to three-dimensions is underway. The absence of 3D capability presently evokes much of the negative response to the standard. "Standards are fine and dandy, but to think there'll be one standard is naive," says Sid Furst, acting manager for graphic software at Lundy Electronics & Systems Inc., Glenhead, N. Y. "Those who like it and feel it will be beneficial to them will use GKS, and those who don't will use something else." The GKS library consists of approximately 200 subroutines which the application programmer utilizes to produce and manipulate graphics. Defined by a virtual device, GKS is both device- and language-independent. (Information coming into the virtual model gets translated into a universal language. After the information is processed, the information is translated back into its specific language.) By providing a common definition for graphics functions, GKS allows the applications writer to concentrate on a particular (higher level) application instead of on the low-level software. It also allows for universality and portability. The GKS concept defines a workstation as a unit comprising a display surface and graphics input devices such as keyboards, tablets and light pens. GKS also allows the offloading of processing to graphics workstations with local intelligence. - GKS criticized While no one refutes the benefits and necessity of standards, GKS is not without opponents. According to Furst, there are better alternatives. "My personal preference is PHIGS (Programmers Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System), a three-dimensional system, because most of our applications are CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing)-related," he notes. "GKS is also primarily a display system and not necessarily a modeling system." The lack of 3D is definitely a drawback to the standard, admits Clinton N. Waggoner, senior vice president at Nova Graphics International Corp., Aus- MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 97 The Interpreter tin, Texas. But he says that a 3D extension of GKS has been defined by the standards committee and is undergoing international review. "It's my feeling that by the December (1984) meeting of the ISO, a standard should be defined well enough so that a company like ours would base an implementation on it." 'Many devices out there now can only do some of the things that GKS allows. The standard gives hardware vendors something to look at.' Another criticism of GKS is that it has little impact on microcomputer graphics. "GKS doesn't really relate to the microcomputer graphic world," explains Fred Langhorst, director of corporate planning for Digital Research Inc. (DRI), Pacific Grove, Calif., a supplier of microcomputer software. "GKS has been designed over the last decade to address minicomputer and mainframe graphics portability at the source-code level," he says. "The microcomputer market demands object-code portability and higher functionality." Object-code portability comes into play at what is called the Virtual Device Interface (VDI) level. VDI is found at the device-driver level rather than the application level, where GKS is found. GKS products implemented Nova Graphics, one of the first companies to implement GKS, has two GKS products. Announced by the software developer in February of this year, NOVA*GKS is a distributed implementation of the GKS. It is a level 2B, FORTRAN release. A second product, written in C and addressing level OB, is aimed at the workstation and personal computer market. The first release, written for IBM Corp.'s PC, is scheduled for the end of this year, according to a company spokesman. The primary market for these products is system integrators. "Our major thrust is to provide tools for someone else to use to put together a graphics system, the GKS being one of those tools," says Waggoner. "We resell to high- level application developers who don't want to do the low- level graphics." Prices for Nova GKS by machine class are $20,000 for a mainframe package, $7,500 for a minicomputer, A look at GKS Implementation levels GKS allows for various levels of implementation- Input Levels A, B, C, and Output Levels M, 0, 1, 2. Each of the various levels is specifically defined , enabling the user to choose capabilities which will meet his or her requirements. The functionality that GKS provides is dependent upon six basic building blocks called primitives. These primi- tives describe various components of a graphic and include the polyline, polymarker, fill area, text , cell array and generalized drawing. The polyline draws a sequence of connected line segments , the polymarker marks a sequence of points with the same designated symbol , fill area displays a specified area bounded by a polygon , and text draws THE GRAPHICAL KERNEL SYSTEM (GKS) LEVELS Output level M 0 2 A No input, minimal control, only individually set attributes, subset of output functions no graphic input, minimal control, predefined bundles only full output including full bundle concept graphic segment support and Metafile storage all of 1A above, plus workstation-independent segment storage Input level B REQUEST input, mode setting and initialize devices, no PICK input REQUEST input, mode setting and initialize input device all of OB above. plus REQUEST PICK mode, setting and initialize for PICK same as 1B above c SAMPLE and EVENT Input, no PICK SAMPLE and EVENT input SAMPLE and EVENT Input for PICK same as 1C above a string of characters. The cell array allows the user to specify an array of colors and the generalized drawing allows common geometric shapes to be drawn. Each primitive offers attributes which allow for variations on styling the basic building block. Color, style and width are examples of line attributes. In the GKS model, attributes can be specified individually, bundled or mixed.When specifying attributes individually, for example, a user may draw a line and then choose a color. Then the user might decide to make the line wider, again choosing the attribute individually. A bundle, on the other hand, is a prepackaged group of attributes, decided upon by the user, which are then applied towards a primitive. Mixed attributes combine bundled and individual attributes. In terms of GKS implementation, MA would represent the lowest level, whereas 2C stands for the highest. Implementations currently emerging in the marketplace are MA, OB and 28, and an occasional 2C. 98 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Save millions of dollars with Six-Shooters'" Last year 430 million business slides were made at a cost of $3.2 billion. Most of these slides were manually generated.* These slides could have been made on Sweet-P® ,,, .. ~ ~: Sbc-Shooter Personal PlottersTM. Faster and better. With savings of millions of$! performance and quality . .: \I Save Money and Manage Better. costs less- up to 45% less Use your office computer and Six-Shooter Personal Plotter to than other plotters in its class L - . J ' - - 1 . - l .. . . . I create and plot finished charts in 6 colors in 5 to 15 minutes . Save $5 .00 to $100.00 per chart. Save more money. Use your charts to : · Reduce meeting times 28%** · Get fast favorable decisions** · Get your report read. 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First, · standard. the initial product is a full implementation of the GKS The product incorporates an interface to the device standard, accommodating the full range of processor library of Template, the company's three-dimensional lines. subroutine graphics package. The interface gives the The second feature of the Nova product is its distrib- user access to over 150 device drivers. uted architecture design, which allows users of the According to a company spokesman, the price for the package to design applications which can perform effi- Dimension GKS software is $10,000 for a VAX comput- ciently on many different graphics hardware configura- er running the VMS operating system. Megatek will tions. "This design, for example, provides the ability to soon announce a version of the GKS package to run on get some of the processing off of the host computer and the personal computer. reduce the amount of input/output across communica- "The company will keep up with future enhance- tions lines," explains Waggoner. ments to the standards, as standards are an important The third feature of this product is that it strictly part of the industry," says Rick Kreysar, Template adheres to the standards. "Our intent is to support product manager. "We have some customers who need standards to the fullest and undergo certification when a strict standards package and now we can offer it to those procedures are available," he says. them. We can serve a wider customer base." The effect of the GKS standard in the marketplace is DRI uses aspects of the GKS to define its Graphics already apparent, according to Waggoner. For exam- Systems Xtension (GSX). Written for the IBM PC with ple, the government is requiring GKS in its contracts. DRI's software base, GSX is an operating system Many Fortune 500 companies are also voicing interest in interface for graphics available across a wide range of the standard. "We're getting calls from some major computers, according to Langhorst. The GSX is func- companies who are eager to talk with us and make tionally compatible to the GKS model, he says. decisions on how to standardize internally," Waggoner "What is of value here is the whole graphics standard- · states. ization activity. We have, over the last decade, evolved Distributed 8yatem archltectunt fonna Nova's foundation The distributed system architecture Is the basis for Nova Graphics Inter- national Corp.'s GKS product. The distributed architecture pattern allows users of the NOVA*GKS package to design applications, which perform ef· flciently on many different graphics hardware configurations. According to Clinton N. Waggoner, the company's senior vice president, the system consists of four layers. All four layers can reside on a single processor, or they can be distributed among processors. Layer A Is the Interface between the user and NOVA*GKS. It consists of the functional modules defined by the GKS specification. Layer B Is the workstation manager, which manages multiple graphics workstations and handles workstation-independent segment storage. Layers A and B are completely device-independent. Layer C is the software layer r99ulred to convert a graphics device into a GKS workstation by software slmula- tlon of GKS functions not directly supported by the device. Layer 0 , the device interface, Is more or less LAYER A LAYER C WORKSTATION SUPERVISOR LAYER D DEVICE DRIVER DEVICE DRIVER equivalent to the device driver compo.. nent of other graphics software pack· ages. WORKSTATION INDEPENDENT INFORMATION DEVICE DRIVER WORKSTATION DEPENDENT INFORMATION MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 101 The Interpreter some models of how graphics should be represented on a screen and what procedural calls should be," Langhorst states. Has implications for hardware Approximately one year ago Lundy announced GKS firmware, developed by the company's sister division in England. It was a relatively rare endeavor and an unenthusiastic response prompted the company to put tl:te firmware on the back burner. One benefit of incorporating the commands in a terminal's hardware is that the work is done faster, Furst points out. You also have a truly GKS workstation based on the GKS definition of a workstation, he adds. 'Our major thrust is to provide tools for someone else to use to put together a graphics system, the GKS being one of those tools.' One of the effects that Tom Wright, chairman of the ANSI X3H3-5 task group managing the organization's GKS effort, sees from the GKS standard is hardware becoming more intelligent, hence more GKS-compatible. "There are a variety of concepts within GKS that can be offloaded from a host into a terminal. Many devices out there now can only do some of the things that GKS allows," he explains. "The standard gives hardware vendors something to look at." David Straayer, systems engineer at Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Ore., and member of the X3H3-5 task group, stresses that the application of GKS to hardware should not be done at all. "When you build GKS into a terminal, what you're really doing is providing features in a terminal to work with GKS-and that isn't the same thing as GKS," he says. According to Straayer, GKS is fundamentally a software standard. More important, he contends, is developing a compatible family of standards covering hardware and software to provide an upward growth path from 2D to 3D to hierarchical systems. "GKS will be a real basis for that family," he asserts. "There is a lot of hardware and software overlap and a real need for compatibility." Standards bring order to chaos One of the first companies to develop GKS packages for microcomputers was Graphic Software Systems (GSS) of Wilsonville, Ore. GSS-TOOLKIT Kernel System is a library of functions for microcomputers at the MB level that run under the PC-DOS, MS-DOS and 102 UNIX operating systems. Prices begin at $3,000, not including GSS drivers or royalties, according to a company spokesman. William B. Merchant, marketing communications manager, says GSS .was always motivated by stan- dards. "We figure that standards are the only way to bring order to chaos in the micro-marketplace." The company's future market direction is toward 16- and 32-bit machines as opposed to 8-bit C/PM-based ma- chines, says Merchant. "It appears that PC-DOS, MS-DOS and UNIX operating systems are going to be the operating environments in micros." IntP-grated Software Systems Corp. (ISSCO), San Diego, one of the largest suppliers of graphics software in the world, is going with a standard for the first time, according to Joe Rauh, marketing manager in charge of GKS. "We feel GKS is well-defined and could be used as a tool for system integrators," he says. According to Rauh, the company looked at its base package, called Disspla, for possible conversion to GKS but scrapped the idea because GKS is such a well defined standard. Instead, ISSCO wrote a separate package which strictly conforms to the GKS standard. Rauh reports that the first product, addressing level lB of the standard, should be available by early 1985. A second package will implement level 2B. To give some of their Disspla users the segmentation capabilities GKS offers, Rauh adds that the company wrote a second package called Dynamics. Precision Visuals Inc., Boulder, Colo., also an- nounced a GKS product at SIGGRAPH '84 called GK- 2000, a graphics software subroutine library. A basic version of the product which complies with level OB of the standard was scheduled for the fourth quarter of 1984, according to a company spokesman. An extended version, meeting level 2B specifications, will reportedly be released in the first quarter of 1985. GK-2000 will be available for a variety of operating environments including Digital Equipment Corp.'s VMS operating system and UNIX. Prices for both versions will vary with the size of the machine and range from $4,500 to $21,000. Company president James R. Warner believes that no single standard will dominate the graphics industry. "Users will choose on the basis of functionality, the track record of the software and vendor and the re- quirements of the application under development. Ulti- mately, any standard is valuable only to the extent that it fulfills a user's needs," he states. D Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 804 Medium 805 Low 806 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 For remarketers, there's still room at the top. We're looking for new members for the other highly competitive products: System/36, ""4300 Club." Series/I, System/38, the IBM Personal Com- If your company creates application soft- puter and the System 9000 family. ware that will run on an IBM 4300, we invite you to consider matching your skills to our systems. In short, IBM is looking for experienced firms that will remarket the 4300-and become what we call Value Added Remarketers. The standards are high, but for companies that meet them, IBM has much to offer. To start with, IBM can add strength to your marketing efforts. We can, for instance help ==-= = (!) For more information on qualifying as an IBM VAR, simply send in the coupon or call : ~ ::::: 1800 IBM-VARS, Ext. 96. ::=.:.::E";"E:: r I ----------- Larry Humphreys IBM Distribution Channels - - - - - - - --- 9sin-e4 ,II P.O. Box 76477 I Atlanta, GA 30358 I I I Please send me yo ur free booklet, " Looking for Leaders." with product literature, with direct mail and with business show support. IBM also has a wide range of professional classes for VARs. And thanks to an online referencing system used by IBM's own sales force, we can refer prospects with special needs to VARs who have unique solutions. In addition, IBM offers to VARs that qualify II Name Ti 11t· I I I I I I Compan y_ _ _ _~-------- I Addrrss I I City ',;p I I I L _ Pho_ne _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ro_(lne_t ln_ lerf'_s t_ __ _ ____ _J CIRCLE NO. 51 ON INQUIRY CARD Challenge the mainframes. VERSAmodules now run the MC6802Q true 32-bit performance standard. VERSAmodule microcomputer boards have already proven themselves in performance-demanding communication, industrial, laboratory and imaging applications. You knew these boards were powerful workhorses before, but hold on to your bootstraps, because Motorola's VERSAmodule line now ripples with even higher performance using the MC68020. TheVM04 VERSAmodule processor board, with the MC68020 on board, now provides the required mainframe throughput for such processor-intensive applications as bit-mapped graphics manipulators, scientific data acquisition systems and artificial intelligence machines. Applications that, before this, required mainframe machines. Gaining speed, adding pow er, lowering overhead. The new VERSAmodule VM04 processor board can access more than 4 billion bytes of data and manipulate or process 32 individual pieces of information every 180 billionths of a second (180 nanoseconds). Measured in millions of instructions per second (MIPS), the VM04 operates at a sustained rate of 2 to 3 MIPS, with burst rates exceeding eight MIPS, challenging the speed of some mainframe computers. 16K bytes of instruction/data cache on-board help reduce off-board memory accesses to ensure top performance. When off-board access is needed, the VM04 calls on the interface capabilities of Motorola's MC68020-specific RAMbus " to eliminate most arbitration overhead and speed memory transfers. The VM04 monoboard is the first MC68020 processor board to offer paged memory management hardware, plus an interface to support the soon available MC68881 floating point math co-processor. These new modules add to a broad offering of board-level products including processor, memory, controller and communication modules with complete evaluation and development systems. Broad VERSAmodule line. Two new high density memory boards have been added to the line to complement the MC68020-based monoboard. The VM12 includes 1 or 4 Mbytes of RAM and supports the full 32-bit address width of the M68000 Family. The VM13 dynamic RAM module provides 1or 4 Mbytes of random access memory dual ported to both RAMbus '" and VERSAbus." A perfect system mate for the VM04 32-bit monoboard, the VM13 has error detection and diagnostic capability. For system applications requiring high-capacity rotating mass storage, the VM22 disk controller supports four SMD drives and four SA 400/800 floppy disk drives. Data transfer speeds up to 3 Mbytes/sec are main- tained by the direct memory access feature of the disk controller. A choice of real-time and whose-time-has-come operating systems. The VERSAmodule Family is sup- ported by both of Motorola' s M68000 operating systems: the VERSAdos " operating system for real-time applica- tions, and the SYSTEM V/68 '" operat- ing system where a UNIX '" operating system environment is desired . Full operating system support, including VERSAdos real-time device drivers, is available today for MC68000- and MC68010-based VERSAmodule monoboards . Porting is under way to assure their early availability on the VM04 monoboard. Continued Motorola support. Add to all this Motorola's expertise, proven products, training and service support and you can understand why VERSAmodules continue to be your best high-performance choice for board-level applications. For more detailed information on VERSAmodule system components, v ve're mail in the coupon l A i.... or call your local detsei n-in Motorola semicon- ductor sales office, a1;1th?rized systems distributor or sys- PJ1~ terns representative. · ® MOTOROLA VERSAmodule, VERSAbus, VERSAdos, SYSTEM V/68 and RAMbus are trademarks of Motorola Inc. UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Labora tories. To: Motorola Semiconductor Products, Inc., P.O. Box 20912, Phoenix, AZ 85036 Please send me more information on the VERSAmodule system. Title Company Address City Call Me( State Zip 206MMS120084 ROTARY VOICE COIL ACTUATOR provides 40 millisecond typical average access for the 21 and 36 MB capacities and a 30 millisecond average typically for the 48, 67 and 86 MB models (includes head settling). DEDICATED CLOSE-LOOP SERVO SYSTEM for added positioning accuracy and maximum system performance. L INTERFACE FLEXIBILITY: Two industry standard interfaces ST506/412 and Enhanced Small Device Interface (ESDI). The ST506/412 interface is available in all capacity versions up to 86 MB. The ESDI is available in the 48, 67 and 86 MB models. T H E w R E N'" High Technology from Control Data delivers a 5-1/4" Winchester with truly outstanding performance and reliability. Compare for yourself. Call our Information Hotline 1-800-828-8001 or write OEM Product Marketing. HQN08H. Control Data Corporation, P.O. Box 0, Minneapolis, MN 55440. Also available through your Arrow or Kierulff distributor. (5 2) CONTR.OL DATA 106 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 The Integrator Applying integrated systems in industry, engineering and commerce Automating circuit-card production Micro-based system provides timely scheduling and accurate job-trackif!g for circuit-card production facility Leonard J. Freestone, Honeywell Inc. The Test Instruments Division of Honeywell Inc., Denver, produces nearly 1,000 types of circuit cards for use in medical, graphics and tape-recording products. Total output of the manufacturing facility is more than 15,000 cards per month. Scheduling production for such a large variety and volume of circuit cards was difficult when the work was done manually, because production schedulers sometimes lacked accurate reporting information. This in turn caused parts shortages, incorrect allocation of costs, missed due dates for completed jobs and jobs lost on the shop floor. To solve these problems, Honeywell needed accurate, up-to-the-minute status reporting. Toward that end, the company formed a project team composed of production and engineering personnel to define the requirements of a system to track and control shop-floor activity. Company executives did not want to replace Honeywell's already installed materials-resource-planning (MRP) system, used to plan plant-wide resource requirements, but instead wanted an implementation that could be integrated with the MRP system. They also knew from experience that personal computers cannot track intermediate job steps or provide exact information about when a portion of a job is completed and were thus inadequate. After the project team defined the system's requirements, Honeywell decided upon an integrated system from Cibar Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo. Honeywell installed the system on its circuit-card line because it is the largest assembly area in the plant and time lost there is the most costly. Honeywell began defining the scope of the project in PROMIS P~RFORMS TRIPLE ROLE TERMINALS AND BAR-CODE COLLECTORS Clbar's ProMIS software for Honeywell's circuit-card production installation contains three basic modules (blue): system control, shop-floor control and inventory control. System control provides employee timekeeping functions and tracks items through the assembly line . The shop-floor control module then takes over to monitor jobs through assembly and to reroute them if changes are needed. The inventory-control module, not yet fully implemented, will monitor the flow of material from the loading dock to the stockroom. ProMIS is integrated with Honeywell's already installed MRP system. MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 107 The Integrator the summer of 1982 and had installed the hardware portion of the system by February 1983. Shortly afterward, Cibar installed the software and began training employees, which typically took less than a day. The Cibar system gives managers immediate access to accurate real-time data and allows in seconds tracking that once took hours. It records the time spent at each stage of assembly and compares it with standard assembly times, allowing managers to identify and correct schedule slippages. In the past, managers might not notice a slippage until cards reached the end of the assembly line, when it is difficult to make up lost time. Rapid notice of schedule slippages also enables Honeywell to shorten product lead times. Status reporting is also efficient under the Cibar system. The circuit-card line is a common assembly area for many types of cards, each passing through at least 10 stages of production and testing. To keep customer deliveries on schedule, production schedulers must determine each job's status. Status reporting previously required schedulers to locate a job physically on the shop floor and to estimate how many cards in the job had been through an assembly stage. Cibar's production and manufacturing information system (ProMIS) software tracks jobs through the assembly process by lot or serial number-tasks that production schedulers once did manually. Since beginning to use ProMIS, Honeywell has seen a 20 percent to 30 percent improvement in time savings over the manual method. Hardware features flexible design Honeywell's installation consists of the ProMIS software, two Sage IV high-performance microcomputers from Sage Computer Technology (now Stride Micro), Reno, Nev., 16 terminals linked through port concentrators, 10 monitors and 65 satellite stations with Ruby D TERMINAL (16) & MONITOR (10) 0 COMPUTER (2) e READER (65) MANAGER ' S OFFICE 0 IN-CIRCUIT TEST ·· ·· ·· · SUPERVISOR ·· ·· ·· FINAL TEST ·· ·· ··0 0 ·· ··· · · · TOUCH-UP AND ADD-ON 0 SUPERVISOR 0 SUPERVISOR WAVE WASH · ·· [: - · · · · · · ADD-ON · · · · · · 0 · · ADD-ON 0 0 SUPERVISOR CLIP 0 · · · · · · · HAND INSERTION SUPERVISOR · · · MACHINE INSERTION · ·· · · · · ··0 [] COMPONENT PREPARATION D PRODUCTION CONTROL [] 0 0 .FLOOR DISPATCH [] · · MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY · · c · · Honeywell's circuit-card production Installation consists of two MC6800-based Sage IV microcomputers in the production-control office. The use of two processors provides processing speed and redundancy; should one processor fail, the ProMIS software can run on the other one. The installation also includes 16 terminals linked with Ruby Wand bar-code readers. 108 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 ever Again G:lioose Between Price and Quality. The competition says you must sacrifice one for the other. What they're really saying is they can't give you both. Introducing the TeleVideo® 921. Proof that low price and high quality do go' together. But don't let its low price fool you. The 921 is years ahead with features taken from our most expensive terminals. Like selectable embedded or nonembedded field attributes. 32 nonvolatile function keys. 6 fast edit keys. And something we're famous for: in depth support. Including technical assistance, service training and award winning documentation. One glance at its nonglare amber or green screen with true tilt and swivel. One pass over its low profile, sculptured keyboard. And you know this terminal is built right. In fact, the 921 is built to the highest quality standards in the industry- our own. We use modular subassemblies. All components are pretested and prestressed. Boards are mounted vertically to run cooler, last longer. There's even room to plug in upgrade options. Like our low cost, Tektronix® compatible graphics board. The point is this. Don't sacrifice either price or quality. Get both. Get the new TeleVideo 921. Call toll free, (800) 538.-8725. In California, call (408) 745.-7760. Regional Sales Offices: California/Santa Ana (714) 476-0244, California/Sunnyvale (408) 745- 7760, Georgia/Atlanta (404) 447-1231, Illinois/Chicago (312) 397-5400, Massachusetts/Boston (617) 890-3282, New York/New York (516) 496-4 777, Texas/Dallas (214) 258-6776 The leleVideo 921 '............,,_- CIRCLE NO. 53 ON INQUIRY CARD Tektronix is a registered trademark ofiekuon1x, Inc. The Integrator Wand bar-code readers from Interface Mechanjsms (lntermec) Inc., Lynnwood, Wash. As many as 10 bar-code readers can be attached to each terminal. The system developers concluded that the Sage IV was cost-effective, with fast enough processing, sufficient storage capacity and a flexible enough design to run ProMIS effectively. Although the Sage IV's opensystem design supports a variety of operating system and language configurations, Cibar chose UCSD Pascal under the p-System because of its structured format and portability. Each of the dual MC68000-based Sage IVs in the Honeywell implementation has lM byte of memory, a 5114-inch Winchester disk drive with 12M bytes of storage and one 640K-byte floppy disk drive. The system developers chose to use two Sage IVs for processing speed and for backup. Should one of the processors fail, ProMIS can run on a single Sage IV. One of six serial ports on each is used as the communications link between processors. Software modules perform three tasks ProMIS contains three basic modules: system control, shop-floor control and inventory control. The system-control module contains the basic system utilities for employee timekeeping functions, which are important for the correct allocation of costs. System control updates employee records and the system date and time, records the labor time spent on each task and provides employee attendance information. Honeywell also operates a dual system, using traditional time cards, to back up ProMIS in recording employees' direct and indirect time on each job. The company plans to continue to use both systems until managers and line workers feel comfortable with the automatic system. In addition to providing employee timekeeping functions, the system-control module tracks items through a series of checkpoints on the assembly line. To set up each job for assembly, operators enter a parts list that corresponds to a work order and then specify a route through the assembly line. Once the route is specified, the Cibar system enforces the sequence of stations. To signal the start of a job, employees scan their own badges and the bar codes on the cards to be worked on. After completing work, they scan a bar code again to signal a job is complete and move the card to its next station. The system has immediate access to the accurate location of each card and the time spent at each stage. The operator also generates the appropriate number of bar-code labels. The Ruby Wand bar-code readers work much like those in supermarkets, reading labels similar to Universal Product Codes. The readers record material location, job status, operation times and per- sonnel time use. Work orders, employee badges, mate- rial containers and menu pads carry bar-code labels corresponding to information entered when a job is released to the shop floor. The system issues labels with a single number code for jobs tracked by lot and labels with sequential numbers for jobs tracked by serial number. Bar-code data collection has proved two to four times faster and much less error-prone than manual data entry by a skilled operator. Once system control releases a job, the shop-floor module takes over. The shop-floor module monitors the movement of material through assembly, flags all jobs affected by engineering change orders and reroutes them to incorporate the changes. When a circuit card reaches a station, an employee scans its bar code, which makes a message appear on a monitor. If the message says an engineering change order has been issued, the employee transfers the card to the appropriate station for reworking before the card can proceed through production. The shop-floor module also flags failed parts, any repair done on the part and which employee did the repair. Honeywell has not yet implemented the inventory- control module but will do so when integration with the MRP system is complete in the first quarter of 1985. When implemented, inventory control will monitor the flow of material from the loading dock to the stockroom. The module will also monitor parts receipt, inventory location, job picking and parts disbursement. It will feed information directly to the MRP system from the loading dock, the incoming inspection area and the main stockroom. The inventory-control module will allow users to count inventory using portable bar-code read- ers in the stockroom rather than manually-a time- consuming, error-prone process. The system will also allow employees to simulate the release of parts associ- ated with different jobs to predict potential parts shortages. Including bar-code readers and all hardware, the Cibar system cost Honeywell $75,000. The price of the software ranges from $26,000 to $38,000, depending on the amount of customization involved and on whether the inventory module is included. The price includes the license fee, installation and training. 0 Leonard J. Freestone is production manager of circuit card assembly at the Test Instruments Division of Honeywell Inc., Denver. Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 807 Medium 808 Low 809 110 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Introducing OEMTEK. First to put the OEM first. Why don't OEM computer systems fit OEMs very well? Simple. They're "hand-me-downs'.' Designed for general applications. And sold to OEMs as an afterthought. Not at OEMTEK. We're the first "OEM-compatible" computer company, tailoring computer systems just for OEMs. With OEMTEK, you're never out of style. We shun the latest fads and fancies-and use only proven, industry-standard technology. Like Intel's 8086 and 8088. And the soon-to-be· standard 80286. And all our systems are truly IBM"' software compatible. Which is about as "industry standard" as you can get. So our systems work with standard PC and XT periph- erals. And accommodate all industry standard interface cards. But the crowning touch is that all our systems and com- ponents are interchangeable. You can literally take any off the rack. Arrange them any way you want. And create exactly the system you need. Be a smooth operator no matter where you go. With OEMTEK, you always operate in a comfortable environment. PC-DOS~Concurrent CP/M~ And OEM Magix7 the most advanced yet easily maintained multi-user operating system. And if you want to move data around, we've got all the right connections. Like the IBM PCTM bus and the MULTIBUS~ We'll make you a screen star. Naturally, the right CRT is essential to good looks. So we offer you both a vertical and horizontal 14-inch monochrome for word processing and standard applications. And a 13-inch color screen for graphics. Graphic proof that with OEMTEK, you get the exposure you need. Outfit yourself a thousand different ways. With all we give you to choose from, you can literally put together a system a thousand different ways. Take keyboards. Having the right one is essential for sewing up the entire package. We give you a choice of three. A standard IBM-type. A standard IBM-type with 18 added function keys. And one with all of the preceding-plus an LCD panel. In system and data storage modules, we'll outfit you nicely, too. With a standard module housing system board, eight expansion slots and two floppy or hard disk drives. And standard storage units holding up to two floppy and two hard disk drives. Want more? How about data base file servers handling up to 96 users. But suppose even after looking over our incredible selection you still haven't found what you need? Step over to our full custom department, please. And let our expert design engineers customize a system to your exact specifications. Right down to packaging. So if you want a 100 gigabyte file server, we'll tailor it for you. Or if you think a purple console with a green keyboard is your style, we'll make it for you. Call for a fitting. What's all this going to cost? Let's just say substantially less than the "industry standard'.' For details, get in touch with one of our regional managers by writing or calling OEMTEK, 3707 Williams Road, San Jose, CA 95117,(408) 247-1100. And let us help you start dressing for success. OEIVI MULTIBUS is a trademark of Intel Corpc>ration. Magix isa trademark of Science Dynamics Corporatton.IBM PC and PC-DOS are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation. CP/ M is a trademark of Digital Research Corp . C 1984 OEMTEK, Inc. ~ ~n~~?I Data S ys tems N''l"' " --,,_I r-"' Id~ , ~ 't '>' l "l t '· ' ! I· t · t ~ II " I! " · · · Getting ready to unattended re- take advantage of digital data service (DDS)? Then you'll want ~ Universal Data Systems · -·-· '""" . , Ir-" :\,H~ T: <;.I '" '~ ~ ', ' ~ . p ~ .I~ . !~ .10 l.llJ 11m ..~ mote loopback capability. Built-in interfaces are CCITI V.35 for th e a DSU/CSU from a company that's already a leader in DDS-56 and RS-232C for the DDS-9.6. the conventional modem business. Universal Data Systems now offers the DDS-56 and the DDS-9.6 for access to the DDS network at 56 kbps and 9.6 kbps respectively. Each combines DSU and CSU in a single package. They are FCC certified for connection to the DDS network and are direct replacements for Bell units. Both UDS devices offer built-in diagnostics, WECO compatibility, automatic line equalization and For prices and complete specifications, contact Universal Data Systems, 5000 Bradford Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805 . Phone 205/837-8100; Telex 752602 UDS HTV. ILJ~I Universal Data Systems ® MOTOROLA INC. Information Systems Group Inquiry Hotline: 800/633-2252, Ext. 363 UDS modems are offered nationally by leading distributors. Call the nearest UDS office for distributor listings in your area. DISTRICT OFFICES: Atlanta, GA, 404/998-2715 · Aurora, CO, 303/368-9000 · Bellevue, WA, 206/455-4429 · Blue Bell, PA, 215/643-2336 · Boston, MA, 617/875-8868 Columbus, OH , 614/895-3025 · East Brunswick, NJ, 201/238-1515 · Glenview, IL, 312/998-8180 · Houston, TX, 713/988-5506 · Huntsville, AL, 205/837-8100 · Mesa, AZ, 602/82().6611 ·Minnetonka, MN, 6121938-9230 ·Mountain View, CA, 415/969-3323 ·Richardson, TX, 214/680-0002 ·St. Louis, MO, 314/434-4919 ·Sliver Spring, MD, 301 /942·8558 Tampa, FL, 813/684-0615 ·Thousand Oaks, CA, 805/496-3777 ·Tustin, CA, 714/669-8001 · Wiiiowdaie, Ont, Can , 416/495-0008 · Ypsllantl, Ml , 313/483-2682 CIRCLE NO. 55 ON INQUIRY CARD Created by Dayner/Hall , Inc., Winter Park , Florida I FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS SPECIAL REPORT: STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY SERVO MOTOR ' - · POSITION SAMPLE DATA · DEMODULATES POSITION SKJNAL Servo technology boosts capacities DISK DRIVES: Through use of embedded servo technology-fixing positioning information directly on data surfaces-developers can improve disk performance and reduce costs without risking data integrity. See p. 117. ..Technological advances in rigid-disk recording heads and magnetic media mean more data in smaller spaces and offer system integrators a variety of options. Details appear on p. 127. - ·TASK ACOOE ·C:OU.-- TASK C CODE · CALL IWICJUAC:E """'"""""' PAOCfOURE 1 PAOCfOURE 2 PROCEDURE 3 MONITOR FOR SHARED RESOURCE OSs adapt to new application demands OPERATING SYSTEMS: Operating systems are evolving to meet the demands of local area networks, real-time applications, file-sharing, windowing software and multiuser computer systems. Software engineers are also modifying single-user, multiuser and real-time operating systems to fit an industry-wide push toward de facto standards. See p. 137. Converters link dissimilar devices PROTOCOL CONVERTERS: A protocol converter links incompatible pieces of computer equipment and communicates with them in the manner familiar to each. This ability enables a wide variety of equipment to connect to host systems, meeting the increased need for more flexible data communications. For more information, see p. 147. Teaching computers to talk VMS8US 32-bit bus architectures MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION: Teaching computers English is difficult, but easier than teaching humans rigid, formal computerese. An explanation of the three-step process-syntax, semantics and pragmaticsbegins on p. 163. 32-BIT BUSES: In the second of three articles on microcomputer bus standards, we trace the roots of the four key 32-bit buses-VMEbus, NuBus, Futurebus and Multibus II. See p. 177. 115 Once upon a time, computing was done only in nice, clean places, and a spinning disk could handle the mass storage job quite nicely. But, no more. Now computers are down on the factory floor, up in airplanes and out in the field. For this new world of applications, you need solid-state mass storage, like Bubble-tee magnetic-bubble memory systems. They can stand up to the dirt, dust, temperature extremes, shock and vibration that knock out disks. Bubbl-tec systems provide battery-free non-volatile mass storage from 128 Kbytes to 8 Mbytes, with extremely fast access to every data block, And our systems plug directly into your microcomputer bus-no need for another chassis or power supply. Since 1979, we've been shipping solid-state mass storage systems for every popular microcomputer bus, including Q , MULTI, STD, S-100, VERSA and VME. In fact we have more systems in the field than any other bubble-system supplier. So, if you don't want to contend with disk deterioration, head crashes, and mechanical breakdowns, contact Bubbl-tec. Our mass storage solutions have a solid foundation. VMEbusTM bble Systems provide up to 8 megabytes of mass storage 6800 Sierra Court, Dublin, California 94568 Telephone: 415/829-8700 ·TWX/Telex: 910/389-6890 CIRCLE NO. 56 ON INQUIRY CARD PBL·TEC INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS: West Germany: Scantec GmbH 089-859-8021 · Italy : Telcom 02-4047648 · France : Microel S .A. 6-9070824 · Switze rland : ;:.Mlcro·System·Technik, AG 01·520355 · Norway : HCA Melbye 02-106050 · Sweden : TH Elektronik AB 08-362970 · South Africa: Electronic Building Elements PTY, Ltd 12-46-9221/7 Bubbl·tec is a registered lrademark of PC/ M, Inc. · DEC is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corp . · MULTlbus is a reg istered trademark of Intel Corp. 0-Bus, RL02, RX02, RX01. TU58 are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp . · VERSAbus and VMEbus are trademarks of Motorola , Inc. Embedded servo controllers push up disk: storage Ted A. Oliver Northern Telecom Inc. The OEM market's insatiable appetite for high-capacity storage devices has led disk-drive manufacturers to attack the problem of achieving higher areal density while maintaining data integrity. The use of embedded servo technology meets these requirements in a manner that is both easy to implement and cost effective. Traditionally, developers have increased the capacity per unit area on disk surfaces either by increasing track density or by adding to the number of bits per track (flux reversal density). Increasing bit density, on the one hand, creates a higher bit-read rate that the controller may have difficulty handling. This approach is, therefore, subject to the limitations of existing controllers. If as the rotational speed of the disk is correspondingly decreased to give the controller the same bit-read rate, then latency time increases and performance decreases. Increasing track density, on the other hand, generally has no adverse impact on performance and isn't hindered by existing controller technology. But increasing track By fixing positioning information directly on data surfaces, developers can improve disk performance while reducing costs-and without risking data integrity "pitch" (the number of tracks per unit of measurement) is limited by track-following precision considerations and servo-design technology, and assumes head and media availability. Fortunately, increased costs associated with pushing the mechanical integrity of the Head Disk Assembly (HDA) to its limit can be alleviated by refining servo electronics to provide more precise track following. In embedded servo positioning, position information is pre-recorded directly on data surfaces. Using this information for track following results in more tracks per inch (tpi) than can be achieved with an HDA of equivalent mechanical performance, using position information read from a dedicated reference surface. Servos employing position information embedded within user data allow greater precision in the positioning of the active head. In the embedded servo approach, the disk is marked between data tracks at sector intervals with permanent even and odd servo bursts (Fig. 1). These bursts are read and processed by a time-shared dataread channel to provide a sampledposition reference signal. The reference signal is then demodulated and used by the positioning servo system for precise track following on the data surface being read. The active head thus becomes its own track-following device rather than being slaved to a remote positioning system. Servo has two requirements Two requirements affect the implemention of embedded servo technology: an efficient coarse actuator positioning system and an easily managed sample position signal. High actuator speeds during track-seeking preclude using signals from embedded servo information areas for the initial positioning of the head. A coarse actuator positioning system for non-precise positioning of the data head must be provided to cover track-to-track distances. The coarse actuator positioning system resides in the remote servo unit. Coarse positioning does MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 117 TECHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES not depend on the same level of mechanical precision as data track positioning. Multiple position samples from the embedded servo data are produced upon completion of the coarse positioning process. These samples must be of a form that can be demodulated to a null at the data track center and that are fairly linear with respect to minor off-track motion. In other words, when the actuator is moved slowly across the data tracks, a continuous demodulated linear positioning signal is produced that provides precise track following on the data surface (Fig. 2). An overhead requirement of five bytes per sector is practical as the portion of data surface allocated for embedded servo information. The amount actually needed depends on l\1aking elllhedded servo technology an integral feature of the drive design saves the cost of installing dedicated servo surfaces and heads. the format of the embedded information. How embedded servos work Once the coarse actuator position system directs the head to the proper data track, even before the head comes to a complete halt over the disk, embedded servo positioning can begin for track following. Servo data is sequenced with user data and processed through the read channel. The sample bursts from the servo data are combined to form a continuous position signal. During track following, the Seek Switch closes and the demodulated, continuous-position signal reaches the servo electronics. In response to the signal, the servo motor adjusts the positioner in order to maintain the position signal at its null (Fig. 3). High track density potential is the end product of reducing or overcoming two mechanical difficulties: registration error and track runout. Relative stack tilt, which generally happens when temperature changes or thermal gradients distort the relative parallelism between the disk rotation axis and a line through the data heads, produces registration error. This type of error becomes serious in a system not using em- DATA TRACKS UNDIR GLASS Fig. 1. Embedded servo format has a positioning data sample associated with each sector on every data surface. The servo information is composed of odd and even servo bursts that are positioned between every track. Fig. 2. Embedded servo positioning data produces a continuous demodulated position signal when the actuator is slowly moved across data tracks. This signal provides precise track following on the data surface associated with the active head. CONSTANT SIGNAL PROVIDES PRECISE TRACK FOLLOWING DATA SURFACE ' TRACK AND / I USER' ' \ SECTOR ID isERvo\ DATA " I INFORMATION "- ~----+=/T=R~AC~K,--1 EVEN "- N TRACK N+1 TRACK N+2 TRACK N+3 TRACK N+4 ODD EVEN ODD EVEN ODD ----,,------J ~---~-----~ ' - - - y - - - - PREVIOUS SECTOR NEXT SECTOR SECTOR ON ON TRACK TRACK DEMODULATE~~~- , _TN , /rN~-;---, , :N+2 , /TN~ 3 POSITION _ SIGNAL ',~ _____ / I ',,, _______, / SAMPLE POSITION DATA 118 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 TECHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES ACTIYI HIAD RIAH 80TH HaR DATA _______AND POSITION HlfOllMATION SELECTED HEAD SERVO CONTROL READ CHANNEL · POSITION SAMPLE DATA DEMODULATOR · DEMODULATES POSITION SIGNAL SEEK SWITCH Fig. 3. The embedded servo system reads both the embedded servo information and the user data in serial fashion. The read channel electronics multiplex this data into demodulated positioning signals that the servo motor electronics use1to position the head on the prescribed dara track centerline. bedded servos, as the data tracks are no longer at precisely the same position as determined by the dedicated reference surface (Fig. 4). The problem might also appear should the HDA be moved or shocked during operati'on. Track runout, which means the data track on a particular surface is no longer centered relative to the axis of rota- tion, is usually caused by limited bearing tolerances or stack shift (Fig. 5). Embedded servo track following, however, prevents the active data EMBEDDED SERVOS STRAIGHTEN OUT STACK TILT PROBLEMS I IMPROPER --~--- REGISTRATION Fig. 4. Improper registration is generally a product of relative stack tilt. Thermal gradients or a shock to the HOA can cause the disk system cylinder to tilt minutely off its axis and alter the position of data tracks. Embedded servo track following prevents the head from being off-track due to improper registration because it determines its position from reference marks on the data surfaces themselves. Fig. 5. Track runout occurs when the active head is incapable of remaining on a data path of an individual platter because of limited bearing tolerances or stack shift. Embedded servos minimize the problem by providing the head with a means of constantly checking its position relative to the track. EMBEDDID SIRYOS KllP HEADS ON THI RIGHT TRACK PROPER 1 -- - - - - - REGISTRATION MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 · - - - - DISK PLATIER DATA TRACK UNCORRECTED DATA PATH 119 TECHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES head from being off-track due to improper registration, and greatly reduces track runout (Fig. 6). Moreover, "head off-track" indication, available from demodulation of embedded servo data, can be used to ensure that the head is settled prior to writing data. This indication can prevent inadvertent off-track writing if the HDA is moved. The only penalty is a requirement for headswitch settling time, which is proportional to the registration error. Incorporating embedded servo positioning with improved heads and media presents users with the opportunity to extend the life of their original head mechanism while expanding its data storage capacity. ics. Although settling after each seek may be slightly longer with this positioning option, actual increase in settle time is minimal. Settling time can be further reduced if the number of sectors, or samples per track, is increased. Finally, a valid sector clock, obtained from successful sector identification reads, provides protection against accidentally overwriting embedded servo data and sector identification areas. Embedded servos simplify design Embedded servo data suggests a design simplification that results in a reduction of parts and costs, but with an increase in data capacity and integrity. It is possible to use a lower cost, electronic coarse positioning method during the seek operation, because accuracy is provided by the embedded data for track following. Such a coarse positioning method is provided by: · reading track identification, while seeking and updating a default-velocity profile, whenever reading is successful (Fig. 7) Economics a major consideration · using this profile to drive a There are economic advantages to velocity servo loop that employs an opting for embedded servo technolo- inexpensive magnetic tachometer to gy. Data storage units without em- provide feedback bedded servos, for example, cannot · and, finally, deriving write and offer higher track density coupled sector clocks by phase-locking to with improved data integrity, un- pulses, indicating a successful sec- less their mechanics are upgraded tor identification. by refining system components- This method of coarse position- i.e., improved bearing tolerances. ing, as employed in the Mercury Higher costs are inevitable when disk drives from Northern Telecom improving registration and minimiz- Inc., Memory Systems Division, ing runout. Ann Arbor, Mich., allows removal of In addition, embedded servo tech- a dedicated servo surface and servo nology offers considerable cost sav- head with the associated electron- ings when mechanical constraints HEAD DEVIATION WARNING PRIYlllTS OFF·TRACK WRITING YILOCITY PROFILI UPDARS SHORTEii SllK TIMI READING f//'(ft:::=<n:=~~~r---: SECTDRS ' IDs PROVIDES VELOCITY PROFILE UPDATE Fig. 6. Head off-track Indication from embedded servos prevents writing off-track. The continuous demodulated position signal from the embedded servo data allows precise measurement of the deviation of the read/write head from the track centerline. Fig. 7. Velocity profiles of seek operations can be updated by embedded servo information. This minimizes seek time, cuts cost and simplifies the disk system design. 120 SERVO DATA ORIGINAL VELOCITY PROFILE UPDATED iO5~8 ~/A ' VELOCITY PROFILE / :c uj / > / / _ ' , ' ............... M M+N TRACK MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 "Our new GCR Strffiffier is performance-matched with the famous Fujitsu Eagle.We did it on pmpose~ We figured when you buy the Fujitsu Eagle, the best high end disk drive available, you would want to be able to buy a performance-matched tape drive back-up system as well. And now you can. It's the new, low-cost, high-performance GCR streamer from Fujitsu .. .the M244X series. It's new to North America, but it's been proven around the world . And it's earned our toughest reliability rating-an MTBF specification of 8,000 power-on hours. The M244X series provides 625 KB/sec data transfer at 100 ips, with a capacity of 140 megabytes using a 2400-foot GCR tape. The M244X rack mounts or stands alone, operates as a start/stop system for added versatility, and is compatible with ANSI, ECMA and IBM standards. But the big news is that it's the ideal way to provide an economical, yet highperformance tape back-up system for Fujitsu's renowned 101;6'' Eagle disk drive. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 TAPE IQIE1. SPIED DATA !RAIS RATE (IB/sec ) R£CORD SIRWI SIRl/STP. Sl!IEAll. STRl/SIP. MElltOO (ips) (ips) M1441 100 11.5 615 (CCR) 78 (CCR) 160 (PE) 10 (PE) CCR/PE M1444 75 15 458 (GCR) 156 (Gl:R) 110 (Pf) 40 !PE) Gl:R/PE RECORD OUSllY (li!lij 6150/ 1600 6150/ 1600 CIRCLE NO. 57 ON INQUIRY CARD Together, they're a performance-matched data storage system that you'll be proud to offer to your most particular customers. With a price/performance ratio that simply can't be beat. That's because the Fujitsu GCR streamer is designed to give you in a tape drive what you've grown accustomed to getting in a Fujitsu disk drive. Maximum performance and maximum quality. For more information, call us at (408) 946-8777. Or write Fujitsu America, Inc., Storage Products Division, 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose, CA 95134. FUJITSUSIDRAGE PRDDUGfS Maximum Performance. Maximum Qualicy 121 TECHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES LMC's 32-bit MegaMicro provides mainframe or super-minicomputer performance at prices competitive with today's far less powerful 8- and 16-bit microcomputers. This is made possible by use of the next generation of logic chips-the National Semiconductor 16000-series. LMC MegaMicros incorporate: the NS16032 central processing unit which has true 32-bit internal logic and internal data path configured on the IEEE 796 multibus; demand-paged virtual memory implemented in hardware; and hardware 64-bit double-precision floating-point arithmetic. The LMC MegaMicro is supplied with HCR's UNITY* which is a full implementation of UNIX** and includes the Berkeley 4.1 enhancements to take advantage of demand-paged virtual memory. Also included are C and FORTRAN. 'fypical multiuser systems with 33 megs. of fast (30 ms. average access time) winchester disk storage, a half meg. of RAM, virtual memory, hardware floating-point arithmetic, UNIX, C, and FORTRAN 77 are available for $20,000 (and even less with quantity or OEM discounts). · UNITY is a Trademark of Human Computing Resources. .. UNIX is a Trademark of Bell Laboratories. LMC MegaMicros The LogicalAlternativeTM INC The Logical MicroComputer Company ......4200 W. Diversey, Chicago, IL60639 (312) 282.9667 i·i i A member of The Marmon Group of companies CIRCLE NO. 58 ON INQUIRY CARD 122 can be relaxed so that a new RDA design is unnecessary for improved capacity and integrity. By incorpo- rating embedded servo positioning with improved heads and media, but still retaining their existing RDA, drive manufacturers may extend the life of their original head mecha- nism and, at the same time, expand its data storage capacity. The de- mand for new and expensive me- chanical parts declines, or disap- pears, because embedded servo technology does not require the high mechanical precision of other approaches to the problem. , Fur- thermore, making embedded servo technology an integral feature of the drive design saves the cost of installing dedicated servo surfaces and servo heads. These sorts of economic consider- ations are particularly relevant to system integrators when they as- sess new design efforts and devel- opment investments, as well as when they evaluate the advantages of electronic design continuity ver- sus the physical limitations of maxi- mum mechanical design. Existing disk storage units may provide acceptable data storage for current applications. However, em- bedded servo technology provides a competitive solution to future de- mands for maximum storage capaci- ty and performance. D Ted Oliver is the director of technology, Memory Systems Divi- sion, Northern Telecom Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. He has spent 11 years developing magnetic recording products and holds several patents in the field. Mr. Oliver earned a M.S. in engineering mechanics from the University of Michigan. Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 810 Medium 811 Low 812 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 "We proved the Fujitsu 200-ips start/stop tape drive around the world before offering it to you. It was worth it~ Before we introduced the 200-ips Fujitsu start/stop tape drive system to North America, we wanted to be sure it would stand up to the toughest requirements for quality and reliability. So we built it with the same meticulous attention to quality that we lavish on our world-famous Fujitsu disk drives. Then we tested and proved it in Fujitsu computer systems around the world. The result is the highest-performance start/stop tape drive system available today, the Fujitsu M2436 series. A system you know you can depend on, because it has earned our toughest reliability rating. But the real story is its performance and its affordable price. The M2436 not only gives you a 200-ips start/stop performance, it also operates in GCR or PE modes. The master unit will support up to 7 slave units. So you get maximum performance and maximum versatility in a single system. The M2436 also offers you a host of MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 an TAPE SPEED RECORD. METHOD (bpi) DATA TRAJS. (kb/sec) WRITE ACCESS (111S) 2436 200 ips GCR/PE 1250 (GCR) 1.6 (GCR) 625011600 320 (PE) 1.9 (PE) CIRCLE NO. 59 ON INQUIRY CARD big-system features for a not-so-big price. Like a data transfer rate of 1.25 megabytes per second. Auto tape loading. Microprogrammed self-diagnostics. Option of standalone or rack mounting. Plus an STCcompatible interface. All in all, the M2436 is designed to give you in a tape drive what you've grown accustomed to getting in a Fujitsu disk drive. The best. For more information, call us at (408) 946-8777. Or write Fujitsu America, Inc., Storage Products Division, 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose,CA 95134. FUJITSUITTDRAGE PRODUCI'S Maximumfufurmanre.Maximum Quality. FUJITSU 123 WHEN IT COMES TO THIN FILM MEDIA, YOU EITHER ME IT ORYOU DON'T. We do.The ALARTMmetallic thin film disc. Available when you need it. In the sizes you need it in, including sub 51/4 inch. WE 'RE COMMITTED TO YOUR FUTURE. Over the last two years we've committed $30 million.Three large scale, automated facilities. Over 120,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Depend on us.To ship more than 31/z million discs in 1985.And twice that number by1986. LEARNING BY DOING.We pioneered the application of thin film to Winchester disk drives. And refined it to near perfection over the last five years. A high throughput, high quality, cost effective process. Rigidly controlled, with each and every disc certified. EXPERIENCE COUNTS.We have it. Since 1979 we've shipped over one million ALAR discs.Working today in over 300,000 personal, portable and business computer systems. RIDE ON OUR SHOULDERS. No one has more media to put in the systems you're building today or those you're planning for tomorrow.We've made the investment.We've refined A M p E X the process.We have the experience. So ride on our shoulders.We're the ones with the solid foothold at the leading edge. Ampex. Disc Media Operations, 960 Rincon Circle, San Jose CA 95131 (408) 945-5600 Telex 348464. [I] Ampex Corporation. One of The Signal Companies WE'RE THE HEAVYWEIGHTS IN THIN FILM MEDIA. AJAR is a trademark of Ampex Corporation. Co pyright 1984 Am pex Corpora tion . Okidata Printers at Hall-Mark. ~MLl:t+MK) Hall-Mark Electronics Corp. · Dallas, Texas· Subsidiary of Tyler Corp. Iii"' Northeast · Boston 6171935-9777 Cherry Hill 609/424-7300 Fairfield 201 /575-4415 New York 5161737-0600 Philadelphia 215/355-7300 126 Southeast Atlanta 404/447-8000 Baltimore 3011988-9800 Ft. Lauderdale 305/971 -9280 Huntsville 205/837-8700 Orlando 3051855-4020 Raleigh 919/872-0712 Tampa Bay 813/530-4543 North Centnl Chicago 312/860-3800 Cincinnati 513/563-5980 Cleveland 216/349-4632 Columbus 614 /891-4555 Milwaukee 414/761-3000 Minneapolis 612/854-3223 South Central Austin 512/258-8848 Dallas 214/553-4300 Houston 7131781-6100 Kansas City 9131&88-4747 St. Louis 314/291-5350 Tulsa 9181665-3200 CIRCLE NO. 60 ON INQUIRY CARD Northwest Bay Area 4081946-0900 Denver 3031790-1662 Sacramento 916/722-8600 Southwest Orange County 714/669-4700 Phoenix 602/437-1200 San Diego 619/268-1201 San Fernando Valley 8181716-7300 West Los Angeles 213/643-9101 C 1984 Hall·Mark Electronics Corp .15759 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Rigid disl< heads l<eep pace with growing storage needs Don Collier, Paul D. Frank and Chris J. Aho Applied Magnetics Corp. The surge of computers into personal and business applications is in part due to quantum leaps in data storage technology. Rigid disk drives continue to pack more data in smaller spaces via increased recording densities, which have doubled every 2112 years since the late 1950s. Technological advances in recording heads and magnetic media are extending capacities and offering OEMs and system integrators a variety of storage options The interaction between recording heads and the media upon which data is written· is "where the tire meets the road" in the storage-technology race. Areal densities increase The size of magnetic recording heads has been steadily shrinking as the result of efforts to increase recording densities. As the recording gaps in these heads shrink, the heads must fly closer to the disk surface. The closely spaced tracks in IW ~ AlllAL ··ITT INCRIAAS IBM Finl model ahlpment BPI Meg8bytft DeneltJ per TPI BPSI (000) splnclle (BPSI) 1()8 350 1957 105 20 2 4 .4 ,,,,,,.,, ,, 1311 1963 1,025 50 51 2 .7 107 2311 1965 1,100 100 ' 110 7.3 3380 2314 1968 2,200 100 220 29 3330-1 1971 4,040 192 780 100 3330-11 1974 4,040 370 1,500 200 10· 3340 1973 5,636 300 1 ,7 0 0 70 3350 1976 6,425 478 3,100 317 3370 1979 12 ,134 635 7,700 571 105 3375 1981 12,134 800 9,700 820 3380 1981 15,240 800 12,200 1,260 338000? 1985E 20,000? 1220? 24,400 2,520 BPI · bits per Inch TPI · tracks per Inch BPSI · bits per square inch 104 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 Fig. 1. Areal densities, expressed in bits per square inch, the technological advance, and the company's next move is have increased6,000-fold over the last 28 years . IBM has led expected to be a higher-density version of the model 3380. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 127 TECHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES turn, require more precise head positioning. IBM Corp. leads the way in developing recording advances that allow areal density increases (Fig. 1). The progression of key disk drives began with the IBM model 350 in 1957, recording at 2,100 bits per square inch (bpsi), and developed into today's model 3380, which records at 12.2 million bpsi-an improvement of almost 6,000-fold. In 1957, 4.4M bytes of data required fifty 24-inch disks; today, eight 14inch disks can store 1,260M bytes. IBM's next move, expected any time, will probably be a version of the 3380 that stores one and a half to two times its data. To produce these areal densities, two primary specifications-bitsper-inch (bpi) and tracks-per-inch (tpi)-have steadily increased. Linear density went from 105 bpi in the model 350 to 15,240 bpi in the 3380, · while track densities went from 20 tpi to 800 tpi. To achieve these densities, recording-head gaps dropped from 1,000 microinches to 25 microinches, and flying heights-the distance between the head and the media surface-plunged from 800 microinches to 12 microinches. Manufacturers employed servo head positioners to locate the ever-closer tracks. Meanwhile, some companies began experimenting with new recording method:; and media. Longitudinal vs. perpendicular To date, magnetic recording has been almost exclusively longitudinal. In other words, flux transitions, New coclea squeeze n1ore Into leu One way to pack more data on a actual flux transitions on the media. disk is to maximize the number of This intermediate code bit step cre- data bits that can be represented by a ates a pattern of l's and O's whereby series of flux transitions. Until re- if only the l's are recorded as flux cently, disks were coded with one · transitions and the O's left as absenc- data bit per flux-change for "worst- es of transitions , at worst-case, only case" data patterns. Newer codes, every third code bit results in a flux such as the (2, 7)-run length limited transition. The (2, 7) designation (RLL) code, yield more data bits per means that at least two and at most flux change. seven O's can occur between any two The (2,7)-RLL code allows three l's in the code bit pattern. The bits of information to be stored for (2, 7)-RLL code yields a 50 percent every two flux changes magnetically increase in linear density without the recorded on the disk. This is done by need to increase the flux-changes- converting data bits to code bits to per-inch density on the disk. or "bits", are oriented in the same plane as the disk medium. Because these transitions, or domains, lie end-to-end, they tend to demagnetize one another, particularly at high densities. Using thin-film media minimizes the demagnetization effect, but the ultimate solution appears to be perpendicular recording. This technique orients flux transitions at right angles to the media plane. Perpendicular recording reduces self-demagnetization effects at high densities because adjacent transitions no longer oppose each other (Fig. 2). Stacking transitions on end permits the packing of bits closer together, greatly increasing bit densities. In addition, media coatings for perpendicular recording can be much thicker-up to 40 microinches versus about 2 microinches for lon- gitudinal-and thus should be easier to produce with fewer defects. As in all magnetic recording techniques, the head/media interface is particularly important. Currently, there are two types of perpendicular head/media schemes on the horizon. The first is a single-layer perpendicular disk media combined with a relatively standard "ring-style" head. These heads are available in quantity, and, once the required media is available, perpendicular recording could quickly gain market acceptance. The single-layer approach will probably yield linear densities in the 18,000 to 30,000-bpi range. The second head/media strategy will probably pair double-layer perpendicular media with single-pole, or "probe", heads. The second media layer constitutes part of the flux-return path. This is a laborato- va. ··c-··· ........DICULA· LONGITUDlllAL VERTICALLY ORIENTED PARTICLES PERPENDICULAR RECORDING . -LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED PARTICLES LONGITUDINAL RECORDING Fig. 2. Longitudinal record ing places magnetic domains horizontally end·to-end, which increases self-demagnetization effects when like poles are adjacent to one another. Self-demagnetization limits recording density. Perpendicular recording orients magnetic domains at right angles to the media plane to increase recording density. With perpendicular recording, flux lines of neighboring domains reinforce one another, thus reducing self-demagnetization. 128 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 TECHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES ry technology today, but research indicates the possibility of 50,000- t o 75,000-bpi densities. Competition between longitudinal and perpendicular recording continues, with longitudinal proponents using high-coercivity oxide coating and thin-film metallic layers to stay competitive (Fig. 3). Drive manufacturers will have a range of choices, dependent upon price/performance criteria. Heads divided into five categories When IBM rolled out their model 3340 disk drive, they employed what is referred to as "Winchester" head technology. Sealing the head and media in a clean "bubble" resulted in higher densities and greater reliability. Winchester technology still prevails, with a number of variations making up five distinct head types, each with its own application spectrum (Fig. 4). Fig. 4. Five types of rigid-disk heads exist. Full-size monolithic heads (a) employ an all-ferrite construction and are used with disks that have track densities of 1,000 tracks per inch (tpi) or less. Mini-monolithic heads (b) are two-thirds the size of full-size monolithic heads to reduce mass and decrease flying height. Full-size composite heads (c) are designed for drives using as many as 1,500 tpi. They use a combination of ferrite cores and ceramic sliders. Minicomposite heads (d) are low-mass versions of full-size composite heads. Thinfilm heads (e) address the needs of the next generation of disk drives, which require more than 1,500 tpi and 15,000 bits per inch . Full-size, monolithic heads were used as the original Winchester heads. The slider (main body) and core (magnetic element) are ferrite. These heads are used in drives with disks from 31/z-inch to 14-inch diameters and are limited to about 1,000- COMPARING RIGID-DISK HaAD TYPIS Fig. 3. Thin-film media improves recording density over conventional ferric oxide media (right) . Thin-film media also exhibits superior signal-tonoise ratios (SNR) as density increases (bottom) . CO.VlllTIOllAL OXIDI VS. --------TllllW'ILM MIDIA 30 ~ I - THIN FILM 0 20 60 80 RECORDING DENSITY, THOUSANDS OF FLUX REVERSALS PER INCH MEDIA TYPE Conventions! oxide Thln·fllm Advsntsge of thln·fllm RECORDING Maximum bit density (kbpl) 10-15 >15 improved density (e Resolution (%) <65 >75 improved signal-to- noise ratio MAGNETIC Coerclvlty (oersteds) 30Q-600* 600-1,200 higher amplitude Fiim thickness (µIn.) 20-40 2-5 higher density PHYSICAL Flying height (µIn.) >12 <12 higher amplitude Surfsce smoothness (µIn.) Surf- hsrdn... 1-2 medium < 0 .5 high lower flying height fewer head crashes ·Using high-coercivity particulates MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 129 TICHNOLOGY: DISK DRIVES tpi track densities due to machining limitations on unsupported core structures. Full-size monolithic heads are the most inexpensive choice because of widespread use and multiple sourcing. Mini-monolithic heads are twothirds the footprint of full-size monolithic heads and are mounted on a highly responsive flexure mounting. The special mounting permits heads to fly closer to the disk surface, thus allowing higher recording densities. Full-size composite heads were developed in the late 1970s to per- mit higher track densities and improved contamination resistance. These heads include a ferrite core that is encased in glass and ceramic. The core has vertical track walls, which reduces flux side-fringing, producing a head capable of handling as many as 1,500 tpi. Removable-cartridge disk drives often employ full-size composite heads. Mini-composite heads are mounted in the same type of flexure mounting as mini-monolithic heads to permit closer head/media spacing. The core, normally centered on the back of the slider, is mounted in the back of an air-bearing rail, permitting more efficient disk surface utilization. This combination of advantages has made mini-composite heads a popular alternative for performance and capacity-intensive drive applications. Thin-film heads can handle track densities to 2,000 tpi while allowing higher recording frequencies. IBM first used thin-film heads in the 3a7o, 3375 and 3380 drives. Only a handful of vendors supply these heads, usually for large-size drives. How h. .d conatructlon Influence· reconllft9 density There are three dominant rigiddisk head types: monolithic heads, composite heads and thin-film heads. In each case, the head construction directly affects possible recording density. Linear densities of these heads are limited by a combination of gap thickness (smaller gap allows higher linear density), flying height (lower flying means higher density) and media properties. The mini-monolithic head is almost totally ferrite, except for the wire coil and glass used in forming the gap and in bonding the ferrite pieces together. With mini-monolithic heads, the techniques of melting and flowing glass, used to form the gap, limit the potential gap thickness. In addition, the fragility of the unprotected ferrite in the gap area imposes practical limitations on reliable flying heights. Mini-composite heads employ a smaller ferrite core that is formed separately and then glass-bonded into a hard ceramic slider housing. This construction protects the gap area by surrounding it with glass and ceramic, allowing for lower flying heights and thus higher densities. Although mini-composite heads allow some- what narrower tracks than do minimonolithic heads, ferrite brittleness and lack of precision in the machining process remain limiting factors to increasing density. Thin-film hea.d gaps are formed by the vacuum deposition process of sputtering, which allows extremely small gaps. The gap area is completely encapsulated in the hard sputtered Alumina material for protection. Core material in these heads is thin. Some manufacturing techniques used in the production of thin-film heads are being applied to conventional ferrite heads to achieve thinner gaps. cMINl·MONOLITHIC cMINI.COMPOSITE SIDE VIEW CJJ /END VIEW .-· -- FERRITE CORE FERRITE CORE/ SLIDER FERRITE CORE g ·PO·,,a.~/,>--~-~~_, GLASS GAP 0 BONDING GLASS CERAMIC SLIDER ~--::--c-=--~----7 FERRITE CORE ~ - L __ THIN-FILM ,,- ,-~/ ·-.. PERMALLOY CORE ALUMINA GAP PERMALLOY CORE CERAMIC SLIDER The three dominant rigid disk magnetic head types include mini-monolithic (top), mini-composite (middle) and thin film (bottom). 130 MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 PHILON FAST/Compilers are so fast , your concept of speed will never be the same. Compilers that unleash the ultimate power of the 68000 and drive UNIX· to its fullest potential. PHILON FAST/Compilers redefine performance in benchmarks - UP TO 47 TIMES FASTER (see benchmark chart). FLEXIBILITY - it's built in. PHILON FAST/Compilers are specifically designed to free programmers from artificial constraints (such as 64K program size or data file limitations) and allow efficient development of highly-optimized application systems. You can even link program modules in the same or different languages. DEBUGGING - it's a snap. The Phi-Analyzer high-powered debugger vastly increases programming productivity. THOROUGH TESTING RESPONSIVE SUPPORT You demand reliable compilers; Philon's quality assurance commitment delivers. ACCURATE, EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND DOCUMENTATION - it 's part of The Philon Approach .TM Plus, you can become part of a comprehensive customer support program designed to keep productivity at its maximum . This is what you will co me to expect from Phi Ion . " UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Labs ··RM/COBOL is a fradcmark o f Ry:m -McFarland Corp r<: BASIC is a trademark o f Oigh:a l Research , Inc. ttMBASIC is a trademark of Microsoft , Inc. RECOMPILE EXISTING APPLICATIONS FOR DRAMATIC RESULTS Dramatic speed improvements can be achieved by simpl y recompiling with one of these co rrespo nding PHlLON FAST/Compilers . RM/COBOL·· ...... . . .. . ... . . ... PHILON FAST/COBOL CBAS ICt. . .. .. .. . . . . PHILON FAST/BASIC-C MBASICtt ..... . .. PHILON FAST/BASIC-M Any .full implementation of K & R - "C" .... PHIWN FASTIC BYTE Magazine Sieve Benchmark MINUTES SfCOttOS RYAN-McFARLAND COBOL · MICRO FOCUS HIGH PERFORMANCE LEVEL II COBOL PHILON ~/COBOL I.fl a compariso n o f Rya n-Mc farland COBO L i.6A, Micro Foc us CO BOL 2.0 and PHILO N FAST/CO BO L 1.0 using 1he BYTE Magazi ne sieve benchma rk the res ults are co nclusi ve: PHILON FAST/COBO L exec utes 1he be nchm ark 24 tim es faster th an Micro Foc us and 47 times faster than RM /COBOL. (System configura tio ns; 68c100/UN IX/8rnl-l zllwai t state.) Unleash the true potential of your 68000/UNIX system, call Bob Gildenberg at (212) ~07-0303 or write to Philon , Inc., 641 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011 PHI LONTM CIRCLE NO . 61 ON INQUIRY CARD NOW THOUSANDS OF CALIFORNIA OEM'S AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS FOCUS ON JUST ONE SHOW. And so can you ... on Mini/Micro West . Mini/Micro West is the one West Coast So if you 're after Californ ia OEM 's and systems integrators , be at Mini/Micro West. For event that focuses entirely on computer design complete information , call toll-free : 800-421 - needs. That means you , as an exhibitor, can 6816. In California, 800-262-4208 . deal face to face with the prime concentration of OEM 's, systems integrators and software developers. Having their own event recogn izes the importance of the California OEM market today. For you , it presents a unique opportunity to zero in on California OEM 's face to face-in an environment undiluted by other interests. The Anaheim Hilton Exposition Center, February 5-7, 1985. M · 4t. ~~ Mini:;IMi icro W@~a Sponsored by Californ ia regional units of IEEE and the Electronic Representatives Association FOCUSING ON THE OEM CIRCLE NO. 62 ON INQUIRY CARD ' ' TECHNOLOGYs DISK DRIVES Costs are still high due to limited quantities, but as they become more popular, manufacturers may use them in smaller-diameter disk drives. Advances mean greater choice Higher linear densities require shorter flux transitions. This condition calls for a reduced read/write head gap with the head flying closer to the media surface. Additional increases in density are possible if the thickness of the media is reduced. This interplay has spurred much media development to get thinner coatings, higher coercivity and better surface consistency. Although oxide is the most popular disk media, recent technological advances have resulted in several interesting 9ptions. Conventional particulate coatings are standard oxide coatings based on gamma ferric oxide particles. They are used in longitudinal recording media. There are two types: those made by the standard process that yields needle-shaped, porous particles, and a more recent type developed by Sakai Chemical in Japan. Sakai's process generates smooth ellipsoidal particles that demagnetize more slowly than do the needle-shaped type. With either type, the particles are suspended in a non-magnetic binder that is spincoated onto a polished aluminum substrate. The result is a 20- to 40-microinch coating of 300- to 400oersted material capable of supporting bit densities of 10,000 to 15,000 bpi. Continuous thin f ilm s achieve higher density and improved signal.to-noise ratios (SNR). Thin-film media can be either oxide or pure metallic-based. The. oxide varieties are normally sputtered using standard ferric oxide (Fe20 a) or cobaltadded oxide (when higher coercivity is desired). Metallic coatings use magnetic metal alloys and are either sputtered or plated onto the substrate. The resulting material is capable of supporting bit densities well above 15,000 bpi. The 600- to 1,200-oersted coating is typically two to five microinches thick. In 1957, 4.4M bytes of data required fifty 24-inch disks; today, eight 14inch disks can store l,260M bytes. Maxtor Corp. and Tandon Corp., for example, incorporate plated-metallic thin-film media in their 5114inch rigid disk drives. As volume increases and prices come down, thin-film media will appear in greater numbers. An example of thin-film media is Ampex Corp.'s ALAR disks, which use an electroless plated cobaltphosphorus coating. Fujitsu America Inc. is leading the way with oxide thin-film coatings, incorporating them into high-performance models of their Eagle disk drives. To date, the most popular thin-film coatings are plated metallic; sputtered oxide or metallic processes have yet to reach economies of scale necessary for widespread use. Isotropic media support perpendicular and longitudinal recording. These cobalt-doped, iron oxidebased coatings have no intrinsic par- ticle orientation and thus can be used for either mode. The Spin Physics Division of Eastman Kodak Co. has been experimenting with such media under the trade name "Isomax." Sputtered cobalt chromium media support perpendicular recording only and come in two forms: single and double layer. Single-layer types can record in perpendicular mode using relatively standard Winchester "ring''-type heads. Lanx Corp. offers rigid disk media of this type. Double-layer sputtered, cobaltchromium media include a permalloy underlayer that acts as a flux return path for "probe"- type recording heads. Vertimag Corp. plans to offer flexible disk versions with this coating. Two other types of media for perpendicular recording-electroplated-cobalt film and coated barium f errite particles-are still in the early stages of development, although Toshiba Corp. already offers the latter in a magnetic-tape line. D Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 813 Medium 814 Low 815 Don Collier is director of marketing analysis at Applied Magnetics Corp. He was recently general manager of Freeman Reports, a management consulting and publishing company. Paul D. Frank is vice president of research and development at Applied Magnetics. With the company since 1969, he has held various engineering and management positions and has been involved in the development of thin-film disk and tape heads since 1975. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Center for Magnetic Recording Research at the University of California, San Diego. Chris J. Aho is director of sales and marketing/advanced products for Applied Magnetics. With the company since 1978, he has held engineering, sales and marketing positions. NEXr MONrH IN MMS The January issue of Mini-Micro Systems will focus on key products and trends expected in the multifunction matrix printer market. During the past year, many suppliers have introduced models with graphics, draft quality and near-letter-quality printing capabilities . As the competition intensifies among the low-cost models , prices continue to fall. Find out how low prices will go and what features systems integrators can expect at various price points. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 133 IOMEGA HAS REMO REGIONAL AND DISTRICT SALES OFFICES: SOUTHEAST (305) 755-1060;SOUTHCENTRAL (214) 458-2534; E MASS STORAGE ISSUE. WESTERN (714) 855·1211 ,(408) 263-4476; NORTHEAST (617) 933-2000; MIDWEST (312) 397-4234; EASTERN (203) 359-9858. Networking Software So SimpleTo Use, Its Child's Play. What do you think of when someone says "network"? Hardware? Complexity? Money? At TouchStone, we think networks should be simple. puter's disk or printer. The only hardware you'll need is a standard cable or telephone line and a serial data channel. The Connectables Software from lOuchSlone The Connectables software PCworks~ MacLine~ and UniHostTMlets you build a network out of a collection of computers. Without special hardware, unnecessary complexity, or a lot of money It's So Easy. The Connectables software will take care of all the details - dial the right numbers, ask you what you want to do, and figure out the rest. Move a spreadsheet from your PC to a UNIX'"' system, or transfer a text file from the UNIX system to your UNIX+ PC +Macintosh Three great computers with different processors, different operating systems, and different data formats. The Connectables software lets you connect these systems together in whatever way you'd like to use them. Share electronic mail, exchange all types of files, run a program on another system, or use a remote com- IBE CONNECTABL.ESN: FAMILY OF COMMUNICATION SOF1WARE A\CKAGES. MacintoshrM for editing. Print the file later on either system, or use another computer to backup your data. With The Connectables software, things that should be easy to do, are easy to do. Yesterday,Today.lOmorrow? Making computers work together shouldn't be a problem. TouchStone's PCworks, UniHost, and MacLine software packages are only the first three members of The Connectables family TouchStone is committed to the continued development of software products that solve compatibility problems. Even the problems we won't know about until tomorrow. V®rncsDu~G®uu@ Software Corporation 909 Electric Avenue, Suite 207, Seal Beach, California 90740, 213/ 598-7746 PC'works, UniHost. MacLine, and The Connectabtes are trademarks of TouchStone Software Corporation · UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories · Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.The Tinkertoy designs are used under exclusive license. 0 1984 CBS, Inc. Copyright C 1984 Touch.Stone Software Corporation. 136 CIRCLE NO. 64 ON INQUIRY CARD MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Operating systems conform to application needs James F. Ready Hunter & Ready Inc. Operating systems are changing to meet the technical and user-interface demands of local area networks, real-time applications, filesharing and windowing software and multiuser computer systems. With enhancements to support these new and rising technologies, traditional single-user operating systems, such as CP/M and MS-DOS, are evolving to resemble time-sharing systems that allow a number of processes to execute concurrently. Multiuser operating systems, originally designed for mainframes and minicomputers, are being adapted for microcomputers. And as 16-bit microcomputers begin to tackle complex, real-time applications, real-time operating systems, similarly once confined to mainframes and minicomputers, are emerging to handle the synchronization and communication required for concurrent execution of tasks. Operating systems are also responding to the industry-wide push toward standards, although progress in this area has been slow and inconsistent. Interfaces set the standard Four interfaces-user, application, device and media--define an As standardization efforts inch forward, operating systems are adapting to the demands of multiuser computer systems and real-time applications MULTIUSIR SYSTIMS SAVI MOST STATE INFORMATION I I AP~ION STATES TYPICAL OF I APPLICATION I DATA : KERNEL-BASED - 1 - REAL-TIME APPLICATIONS APPLICATION REGISTERS STATES USER-DEFINED EXPLICITLY SAVE D STATE l AINNDMRUELSTTIUOSREERD'---1 VERSION OF APPLICATION OS STATE s SINGLE-USER 0 FILES OPEN POSITION WITHIN FILES BUFFERS ASSIGNED STANDARD CHANNEL ASSIGNMENTS SCREEN STATE L-1 operating system's capabilities. The user interface is defined by a command-interpreter program and by a command set from a user console that an application program can interpret. An operating system's set of system calls comprise the applicat ion interface. Application programs use system calls to access operating system functions such as reading from and writing to files on a disk. The device interface establishes the command set, issued by the operating system to peripherals or to device-specific routines, that enables them to carry out I/O operations. The routines, therefore, interface the operating system to hard and flexible disk drives, magnetic-tape drives, line printers and video-display terminals. The media interface is defined by the format of the media used in exchanging data between computer systems. Although every standard operating system is defined by those four interfaces, some systems are not as "standard" as others. IBM Corp.'s PC-DOS is an example. Despite the existence of a standard set of PC-DOS system calls, many application programs bypass that set and Multiuser and real-time operating systems explicitly save state information for each application running on the system. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 137 TECHNOLOGY: OPERATING SYSTEMS instead either use ROM-resident functions, or access hardware devices directly. For example, Lotus Development Corp.'s Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet software addresses the IBM PC disk controller directly, rather than using PC-DOS calls to perform disk 110. As a result, the benefits of a standard interface (e.g., program portability) are lost and the Lotus 1-2-3 program becomes machine-dependent. A similar incompatibility exists among the many implementations of AT&T's UNIX, where programs that run under Berkeley UNIX Ver- sion 4.2 might not run under UNIX System III or System V. The standards situation becomes even more chaotic for most realtime kernels. Because these embedded systems are so closely tied to the hardware they control, they are more resistant to the push toward standards than the operating systems employed in personal computers for more general word-processing and spreadsheet applications. This situation is rapidly changing, however, with the advent of off-theshelf kernels and real-time-oriented languages such as Modula II. Thus, having a "standard" operating system does not mean that a large base of application software will automatically run on any machine using that operating system. For example, Lotus 1-2-3 will not run on Texas Instruments Inc. 's personal computer even though both support implementations of MS-DOS. As a result, TI has been forced to supply its own version of Lotus 1-2-3, which runs only on the TI machine. The interface that an operating system presents to another operating system is also the target of How operating syste111a hanclle appllcatlon tasks In a single-user operating system, the devices are, at any instant, dedicated to a single application. In many ways, the operating system is a collection of subroutines that perform 110 functions on behalf of the application program. In a concurrent or multiapplication version of a single-user system, the SINGLE·USER devices, CPU and memory must be properly shared among the applications. The state of each application, including data such as the CPU register, the priority of the application, the amount of time th_e application has run, the files that are currently open and standard 1/0 assignments, is explicitly stored on data structures for each application. Even so , the operating system serves primarily an I/O function with little i11teraction between applications. Operating systems for real-time applications divide the application into many sub-functions that execute concurrently. In many such systems, all the I/O is of a specialized nature SINGLE·USER CONCURRENT APPLICATION SINGLE-USER OS APPLICATION 1 APPLICATION 2 .APPLICATION 3 I II VIRTUAL SINGLE-USER I OS I I I IL _____ J I t\ ,,.~ I 1, \ ~ I I I I I I VIRTUAL I SINGLE-USER I OS I /-<LI _t _\_J / l " \---\ I I I I I I I VIRTUAL SINGLE -USER I OS I L7_f _ \ J ----</ 1 \- (DEVICE ) _/ (oEVICE) '-.. _ / j (DEVICE) (DEVICE) (DEVICE ) DEVICE) (DEVICE (DEVICE ) ~!~PROCESS \ ....._ J ./ \ / '-- J '--./ , _ / \ ..._ _/ SWITCHING ( DEVICE) ......__./ CONCURRENT OS 8/81\8 138 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 TECHNOLOGY: OPERATING SYSTEMS standardization efforts. Two major trends are emerging. Digital Research Inc. has standardized the MS-DOS interface. Its Concurrent DOS operating system supports a Concurrent CP/M interface as well as the MS-DOS interface. And both Digital Research and Microsoft Corp. have said they will support a common interface between their single-user operating systems and UNIX. The result will be a reduction in the number of different operating system interfaces and a corresponding increase in the number of applications that can run under a Real-time operating systems are more resistant to the push toward standards than the operating systems employed in personal computers. given operating system. However, for such standardiza- tion efforts to succeed, the interface must not only be consistent across implementations but must also be powerful enough to handle the (analog-to-digital converters, special buses, etc.). Each device is driven directly by an interrupt service routine (ISR) synchronized with a cooperating task. The tasks themselves interact through structures like mailboxes and queues. A real-time multitasking executive or kernel supports these structures. If more traditional devices are present, such as disks and magnetic tapes, a multitasking 1/0 system can be added. Such a system presents an environment similar to that of a multi-user operating system. The realtime system will often have extra features for real-time inputlouput to standard devices. Thus, for example , disks can have files that are contiguously allocated for high performance. REAL-TIME MULTITASKING REAL-TIME APPLICATION INTERRUPT SERVICE REQUEST (ND, DIA CONVERTERS , PROCESS CONTROLLERS , SPECIAL BUSES) ffiB l-f-1 INTERRUPT .__Rs_EE_QRUv_iEcS_ET_. TASK I= INTER-TASK COMMUNICATION MAILBOX TII= INTER-TASK COMMUNICATION QUEUE - J - - = HARDWARE INTERRUPT I REAL-TIME l/OSYSTEM - = MULTITASKING KERNEL CALL - - - - = 1/0 SYSTEM CALL TRADITIONAL 1/0 DEVICES (DISK, TAPE DRIVES) needs of the majority of applications. If the interface is not sufficiently powerful, applications programmers will be forced to bypass the operating system interface and go directly to machine-specific characteristics of the system. For example, if the standard interface provides only sequential file access and the application needs random access to a file , programmers are forced to access the disk-controller hardware directly, making the application dependent upon a specific disk controller, thereby losing the benefit of a standard interface. Operating systems change Traditional single-user operating systems, such as CP/M and MS-DOS, have been extensively redesigned to accommodate the requirements of new computer-system hardware. Designed solely for single-user, single-process applications, they formerly had no provision for executing concurrent processing. A single-user operating system does not, for example, need to maintain a data structure for saving the state of registers and status bits, because it supports only one application program at a time. Single-user systems, however, have now been extended to provide each application (or process) running under the operating system with a virtual environment that looks to the application as if it were the only program running. The operating system, therefore, contains the information that allows more than one application to use the file system at the same time. Digital Research's Concurrent DOS and Microsoft's MS-DOS 3.0 operating systems illustrate this trend. Concur-rent DOS is designed to run several MS-DOS-compatible programs and to switch between them under user control. MS-DOS 2.0, an extended version of MS-DOS, can communicate in a local-area-network environment as it executes application programs. Multiuser operating systems are designed to provide controlled and shared access to expensive computer resources such as the CPU, mem- MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 139 TECHNOLOGY: OPERATING SYSTEMS ory and disk drives. They evolved from mainframe computer systems, where it was necessary to efficiently share computer resources among as many users as possible-in contrast to most microcomputers, where the entire machine is dedicated to a single user. In a single-user environment, many operating system complexities are avoided because none of the system's resources need to be shared. Driven by microprocessor tech- nology, the current trend is to distribute CPU and memory resources to local workstations with only the main file system shared among users. In the Dimension system from Northstar Computers Inc. , for example, as many as 12 users are connected to a main file server (based on an Intel 80186), with each user workstation incorporating an 8088 microprocessor and local memory. The workstations run an equivalent of PC-DOS. With this type of system, many complexities of a multiuser operating system disappear. The status of each application running under the operating system does not have to be maintained, and time-sharing the CPU effectively among the applications is not a problem. As operating systems have evolved from single-user to multiuser, an increasing amount of state information is saved for applications. In a simple single-user sys- le111aphore·, 111allboxe·, n1onlton prevent re80urce contention Real-time operating systems use semaphores, mailboxes and monitors TASK C CODE to prevent one task from contending (A) for a resource, such as data in memory, that is being accessed by another SHARED RESOURCE USE RESOURCE task. A semaphore is a binary variable whose state records whether or not the resource it is protecting is available. For a given semaphore, ifit SEMAPHORE OR MAILBOX LOCK DIRECT ACCESS CAUSES ERROR is equal to "one", the resource is available; otherwise, it is unavailable and the tasks wishing to use it must wait. In order to prevent a task from TASK A CODE , -TAS- K B CO- DE . wasting processor time, the required · WAIT FOR KEY · WAIT FOR KEY waiting is usually implemented by · USE RESOURCE · USE RESOURCE suspending the task from further ex- · PUT KEY BACK · PUT KEY BACK ecution by placing it in a queue of tasks waiting for that semaphore. Testing and setting the semaphore is (B) done by a real-time kernel. The ker- TASK A CODE TASK B CODE TASK C CODE nel ensures that these operations are executed with mutual exclusion to ·CALL RESOURCE ·CALL RESOURCE · CALL RESOURCE maintain the semaphore's integrity. PROCEDURE 1 PROCEDURE 2 PROCEDURE 3 A mailbox is simply a semaphore that has a message associated with it. In every other way, however, a mail- box behaves like a semaphore. Al- though semaphores provide a secure way of handling shared resources in a real-time environment, they have to be used correctly by all tasks sharing resources: A task that accesses a shared resource directly can result in PROCEDURE 2 SHARED RESOURCE 1 ~~ that resource becoming corrupted. MONITOR FOR SHARED RESOURCE One solution for handling the com- plexity of semaphores is to encapsu- Semaphores, mailboxes and monitors prevent contention for shared system late both the shared resource and the resources. Thus Tasks A and B seeking to access a shared resource, such as data procedures that access it into a struc- in memory, protected by a semaphore or mailbox (A) must wait for the binary ture called a monitor. The procedures message (Key) that indicates the resource is available to one of the tasks and inside the monitor correctly use sem- opens the "Lock" to it. A task (Task C) that attempts to access a resource directly aphores to control their access to the risks destroying the integrity (and usefulness) of the resource . One solution for shared resource. Other tasks wishing dealing with the complexity of semaphores involves enclosing both the shared to use the resource need only call the resource and the procedures that access it in a structure called a monitor (B). The appropriate monitor procedure for procedures inside the monitor correctly use semaphores to control their access to the desired function. the resource. Other tasks must call the appropriate monitor procedure. 140 MIN1-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 BP-2000 HIGH SPEED BAND PRINTER M-100L MATRIX PRINTER B-600 MEDIUM SPEED BAND PRINTER :.~ · FQF.. \HE RTS ~_:::::- :~ ____ :~ · FIBTHE RTS ·.1·- ___....... -··- :~ RTS ... : E.\l IVIL.I~ =:,.:::".:;;".- _, 8010 MATRIX PRINTER 8020 MATRIX PRINTER DP-55 DAISYWHEEL PRI NTER ,,.._ ..... - ... ~.Wt----~-.- · -·---~..,._!w.~'\ DP-35 DAISYWHEEL PRINTER CIRCLE NO. 65 ON INQUIRY CARD 1-=nl DataP.roducts printers. ~ Noboay puts ideas on paper so many ways. DATAPRODUC1SCORP,6200CANOGAAVE., WOODLAND HILLS, CA 91365. (818)887-3924. IN EUROPE, 136-138 HIGH ST. , EGHAM, SURREY, TW 209HL ENGLAND. a Not long ago, PC Magazine called MOBS Ill "The most complete and flexible data base management system available for microcomputers." That's a powerful statement. But then, MOBS Ill is an amazingly powerful software package.So powerful, in fact,that it lets you build mainframe-quality application systems on your micro or mini. MOBS Ill is not for beginners. It's for appli cation developers with large data bases or complex data interrelationships who want to define data base structures in the most natural way-without resorting to redundancy or artificial constructs. It's for professi~.mals who can appreciate its extensive data security and integrity features, transaction logging, ad hoc query and report writing capability and its ability to serve multiple simultaneous users. And if you want the power and the glory that only the world 's most advanced data management system can provide,MOBS 111 is for you. For information on MOBS Ill and our professional consulting services, write or call Micro Data Base Systems, Inc., MOBS/ Application Development Products. 85 West Algonquin Road. Suite 400, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. (800) 323-3629, or (312) 981-9200. MDBS Ill. ABSOLUTE POWER. TECHNOLOGY: OPERATING SYSTEMS tern, the state of the CPU itself, Real-time operating systems resources that are shared between plus additional states associated were, until recently, mostly con- different tasks, such as data in with the operating system, are im- fined to mainframes and minicom- memory or a peripheral. If the ac- plicitly saved by the machine in the puters. Microprocessor-based sys- cess is not controlled, one task may data area maintained by the opera- tems used for real-time applications access data that is incomplete or ting system. This information is not were based primarily on 8-bit pro- incorrect because another task was saved in a re-entrant or shareable cessors such as the 8080 and Z80. altering the data when the inter- manner, because the environment is For these applications, the system rupt occurred. Real-time operating single-user. had only to handle one isolated func- systems are designed to provide the In an operating system that sup- tion with a fixed computational load interlocking or mutual exclusion ports many applications, the state of and few interrupts. No real-time necessary to prevent uncontrolled both the CPU and the operating operating system was necessary as access to shared resources. Mutual system is formalized and stored in the application could be handled by exclusion is implemented in real- data structures associated with a monolithic program designed to time operating systems by a num- each active application. One prob- accomplish a single, dedicated task. ber of mechanisms, including sema- lem that occurs frequently is that All this has changed with the ad- phores, mailboxes, queues and application programs establish addi- vent of 16-bit processors. Because monitors. tional states of which the operating of their power, 16-bit processors are Real-time operating systems in- system is not aware, making it im- being designed into complex real- corporating these mechanisms are possible for the application to be time applications that often involve currently used in a wide variety of used in a multiuser environment. handling many concurrent func- applications involving industrial For example, if the application pro- tions. They also require interrupt- processor controllers, high-speed gram writes to the display directly, driven hardware and stringent tim- data-communications multiplexers and not through operating system ing requirements. A real-time and medical instrumentation. Fur- functions, the screen contents will operating system is necessary for thermore, the real-time-operating- not be saved and restored as the these applications to synchronize system approach to real-time sys- operating system switches back and and communicate between the con- tems design has been bolstered by forth between applications. currently executing functions the emergence of the Department of Virtual machines emerge (called "tasks" in many systems) of Defense's Ada language, which in- the application software. corporates many of the features tra- In order to remove some of the Software technology for real-time ditionally found in real-time opera- machine-specific nature of applica- operating systems has focused on ting systems. Ada thus allows tions programs, the concept of a accommodating multitasking com- concurrent tasks to be introduced "virtual machine" operating system puter systems. Most vendors have into a program by using a notation has evolved. This type of system developed their own real-time oper- similar to that used for Ada proce- acts as a host for several other oper- ating system in-house, largely be- dures and functions. It also provides ating systems, thus allowing soft- cause no off-the-shelf operating sys- the mechanisms for mutual exclu- ware packages targeted to one oper- tem was believed capable of sion and inter-task communications ating system to run under another. meeting their requirements. How- necessary for sharing resources in a For example, the CTOS operating ever, the emergence of a number of real-time environment. D system for the IBM PC XT/370 will real-time multitasking operating allow MS-DOS, UNIX and CP/M-86 systems, such as Intel Corp.'s and their applications to run under RMX86 and Hunter & ·Ready Inc. 's its control. The virtual-machine concept al- lows two different implementation strategies. The first is simply to emulate the system calls provided by the operating system being emulated. The second alternative is to run the operating system itself as a process (or task) of the host operating system. Emulation, however, is VRTX, has demonstrated that properly designed real-time multitasking operating systems can be used in a wide range of applications. These systems provide the basic synchronization primitives and communication facilities that are the basis of real-time application software. Real-time operating systems dif- James F. Ready is vice president of Hunter & Ready Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. Before co-founding the company in 1981, he worked for Advanced Micro Devices as Z8000 product manager. Previously, he was software product manager for Rolm Corp.'s Mil-Spec Computer Division. more efficient because the code for fer in many ways from traditional. the emulated operating system need user-oriented operating systems. not be duplicated. Running one For example, when an interrupt operating system as a task of anoth- forces the system to switch from Interest Quotient (Circle One) er, on the other hand, guarantees one task to another, the operating High 816 Medium 817 Low 818 compatibility between them. system must control access to any MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 143 Be Introducing Benchmark 20': first and complete evaluation of the 32-bit MC68020. System designers racing to use the new 32-bit MC68020 MPU now have an excellent testbed for system evaluation: Benchmark 20. This MC68020-based system package provides the hardware and software tools to allow streamlined benchmarking, code development and debugging. Packing 32-bit evaluation into a standard 19" wide box, the Benchmark 20 system contains an MC68020-based single-board microcomputer plus an auxiliary I-megabyte RAM module, all configured with powerful debug/monitor firmware in a 4-slot chassis. Benchmark 20 is ready to use alongside an appropriate software development host to drastically cut your schedule for MC68020 benchmarking and code debugging. The result? You smartly compress the time-to-market for your new 32-bit system product. In addition, you can preserve your investment by using a part of your Benchmark 20 in a new 32-bit VERSAmodule system product to be available in 1985. Development software to fine tune the OEM "engine~' To help you quicJdy evaluate the MC68020, the Benchmark 20TM system package uses the 020bugTM Debug/ Monitor firmware package to allow you to do benchmarking and to debug code. The 020bug resident package permits quick executiC?n of system and user-developed programs running on the MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Benchmark 20 system package. Its powerful software and system debug command set allows access to all 1/0, control, and memory facilities plus the full 4-gigabyte direct address range of the VERSAbusTMsystem bus. VM04: first with the MC68020 on board. At the heart of the Benchmark 20, the VM04 VERSAmoduleTMprocessor board uses the MC68020 microprocessor to provide the throughput required for such performance-intensive applications as bit-mapped graphics manipulators, scientific data acquisition systems and artificial intelligence machines. Applications that, before this, required mainframe machines. With a ma;:imum clock rate of 16 .67 MHz, the MC68020 microprocessor allows the VM04 to operate at a sustained rate of 2 to 3 MIPS, with burst rates exceeding 8 MIPS, challenging the speed of some mainframe computers. 16K bytes of instruction/data cache on board helps reduce off-board memory accesses to ensure top performance. When off-board access is needed, the VM04 calls on the interface capabilities of Motorola's MC68020-specific RAMbusTM to eliminate most arbitration overhead and speed memory transfers. The VM04 monoboard is the first MC68020 processor board to offer paged memory management, plus an interface to support the soon-to-be-available MC68881 floating point math co-processor. The companion VM13 dynamic RAM module provides lMbyte of random access memory dual ported with both RAMbus and VERSAbus. A perfect system mate for the VM04 32-bit monoboard, the VM13 RAM board has error detection and diagnostic capability. Solid design-in support. Motorola has the design-in support that can reduce your design time. In fact, weve just tripled the number of our field application engineers. One's near you. An application engineer who can match new semiconductor technologies and products to your require- ments so that, with your unique designs, you can perhaps leapfrog your competition. Fast. Motorola's Benchmark 20 is also supported by our professional field service network offering technical assistance, parts, repair service and regular soft- ware updates. For more detailed information on the Benchmark 20 evaluation system, mail i...,.,e in the coupon or call your local Motorola 1 A semiconductor sales V Vt::: .l ' desi n-in office, authorized pn~our systems distributor or Lem. systems representative. L ®MOTOROLA Benchmark 20, VERSAmodule, 020bug, VERSAbus and RAMbus are trad emarks of M oto rola Inc. r----------------------------------------------------------------, To: Motorola Semiconductor Products, Inc ., P.O . Box 20912, Phoenix, AZ 85036 Please send me more information on the Benchmark 20 evaluation system. ..-. -__... _..;:;:._.:.;.:::;...;;·=~ Name T itle 214MM S120084 Co mpany Address City State Zip _ca_l_IMe~_( ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-: ~----------------------------------------------------------------J 145 Where will new drive capabilities come from? Your vision. And our ability to envision the disks they demand. When a new high-density 5 114" flexible drive went on the drawing board at YE Data, we went to work on a disk that matched its unprecedented 2,000,000 byte capacity. Compressing our oxide layer to a mere one micron, we achieved a 15,000 BPI recording density at 600 oersted resolution. And made a remarkable theory a reality. What's next? You tell us. In the meantime, we'll be making 8;' 5W'and micro floppy disks that lead the industry in error-free performance and durability. Disks made to specifications so exacting, the only standard is our own. The Gold Standard. maxelt IT'S WORTH IT. Maxe ll Corporation of America, 60 Oxford Drive, Moonac hie, N.J. 07074 201-440-8020 CIRCLE NO . 67 ON INQUIRY CARD Protocol converters linl< incompatible devices David P. Misunas Converters connect dis- Micom Systems Inc. similar peripheral units, Users are demanding the ability communicating in re- to attach a wide variety of equip- quired protocols ment to host systems in order to meet the rapidly increasing need for more flexible data communications. In some cases, this situation involves replacing a host vendor's expensive terminals with compatible, yet less expensive or more flexible devices from another source. Sometimes, however, the desired re- PROTOCOL CONYIRTERS CONNECT INCOMPATIBLE DIYICIS REMOTE SITE #1 IBM HOST PROCESSOR COMMUNICATIONS CONTROL UNIT PROTOCOL CONVERTER TERMINAL PRINTER PROTOCOL CONVER TER ASYNCHRONOUS MODEM HOST SITE PERSONAL ~ REMOTE SITE #2 Fig. 1. A typical protocol-converter configuration connects asynchronous ASCII terminals to an IBM host processor. The ASCII terminals appear to the host as IBM 3270-type terminals . The protocol converters at the host site and remote site 1 appear to the host as IBM 3270 terminal control units. The converters fully support the attached terminals, making them appear as 3270 display screens and providing full 3270 keyboard functionality. Each protocol converter can be directly attached to the computer at the host site, or it can be connected via synchronous modems and a leased telephone line, as shown. Similarly, terminals or personal computers can access the converter as shown in remote site 2. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 147 TICHNOLOOY1 PROTQCOL CONVERTERS placement devices prove incompatible with the host. Protocol converters make them compatible. Selecting protocol converters for a specific use requires an understanding of the application, a familiarity with the general characteristics of protocols, and some knowledge of the four levels of conversion they perform. With this background, three basic classes of converters can be recognized: translators, extenders and emulators. Application determines type Regardless of class, the function of a protocol converter is straightforward. It links incompatible pieces of computer equipment and communicates with them in the manner in which each is accustomed. For example, one popular use of protocol converters is to link low-cost, asynchronous ASCII terminals to IBM host processors. The protocol converter emulates an IBM 3270 terminal to the host while communicating with the asynchronous terminal in the relatively simple protocol that the terminal requires (Fig. 1). Some users do this for economy; others seek new capabilities, such as dial-up terminal access. In the case of an IBM host processor linked to local and remote Translators perform three levels of protocol conversion: data link control, transmission protocol processing and device characteristic conversion. terminals, a communications control unit (CCU)-also called a front-end processor-communicates with the terminals, enforcing an IBM 3270 protocol as required by the host software. Each protocol converter appears to the CCU as a 3270 terminal control unit (TCU) while supporting asynchronous ASCII terminals, printers and personal computers. The protocol converter translates complex 3270 screen formats sent by the host into simple character sequences understood by the attached terminal devices. The converter also transforms input from the terminals into the rigid format required by the 3270 protocol. Data communication protocols vary in sophistication from simple character transmission with no error-checking to more complex protocols incorporating device identification, data block transmission to and from each device, and error detection with recovery and retransmission capabilities. Asynchronous ASCII transmissions, such as those common between minicomputers and their terminals, have a simple start/stop protocol in which characters are sent one at a time, asynchronously, whenever a character is presented to an output port or terminal interface. One "start" bit and one or more "stop" bits surround the character to provide timing for the receiving device. The protocol handles single-bit error detection, via parity checking, but does not handle error correction. In the mainframe world, IBM communication protocols are de facto standards. Most host systems' protocols, regardless of vendor, are derived from those standards. IBM sports two major classes IBM protocols fall into two major classes: batch or interactive. Batch protocols (sometimes called batch transfer protocols) communicate large amounts of data at a time between a terminal device and a host processor. For example, a typical batch Remote Job Entry (RJE) system consists of a combination of a remote card reader and a line IBM 3270 PROTOCOLS LINK HOSTS, TmMINALS HOST PROCESSOR COMUNICATIONS CONTROL UNIT SYNCHRONOUS MODEM SYNCHRONOUS MODEM I POLLING SEQUENCE DATA { TRANSMISSION FROM DEVICE POLL RESPONSE (YES/NO} DATA REQUEST DATA TRANSMISSION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DATA { TRANSMISSION TO DEVICE SELECT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DATA TRANSMISSION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3270 TERMINAL CONTROL UNIT PRINTER Fig. 2. Interactive IBM 3270 protocols provide capabilities to unit for forwarding to an attached device, and to detect and maintain the communications link, to poll control units to see if recover from errors on the communications link. they have data, to select a control unit and transfer data to that 148 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 TO BUILD APPLICATIONS! PROGRESSTM is the high-performance database system and fourth-generation application development language for multi-user microcomputers. PROGRESS gives you all the flexibility and control of structured programming languages. but uses plain English syntax for simplicity and ease of customization . You and your staff will learn to use PROGRESS quickly and benefit immediately from its state-of-the-art features. A NEW APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT Want to make PROGRESS in a hurry? Call Area Code 617-663-5000 today. Orjust fill out and return the coupon below. Why build business applications in C BASIC or COBOL when PROGRESS will increase your productivity 10 to 40 times? PROGRESS makes this possible by integrating these powerful features: · English-like application language ·Flexible relational DBMS · Integrated data dictionary · Automatic screen and report formatter · Full-screen syntax-checking editor with on-line help Once your application is built. PROGRESS offers: · High performance · Comprehensive multi-user capabilities · Automatic database recovery · Easy modification and customization · Ad hoc query and report-writing capability · Portability to a wide range of machines PROGRESS is available today on major UNIXTM-based super-microcomputers. Power. Performance. Ease of Use ... Now. that's PROGRESSJ You can't afford to build applications without it. lf!:nI ECO:RP~OGRAETION 5 Andover Road. Billerica. Ma. 01821 617-663-5000 DATA LANGUAGE CORPORATION 5 Andover Road. Billerica . MA 01821 (617) 663-5000 D Yes! Please send me a demonstration disk and documentation for PROGRESS. I enclose 5295 D Please send more information about PROGRESS. D I am interested in PROGRESS seminars. D I am interested in becoming a PROGRESS dealer. l===::!I Name _________ Title _______ Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Address _________________ 1----- City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ _ Zip _ __ Telephone I_ __ MMD PROGRESS is a trademark of Data Language Corporation. developers of advanced software technology for business and industry. UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 CIRCLE NO. 68 ON INQUIRY CARD 149 TICHNOLOGY1 PROTOCOL CONVERTERS printer. The reader reads a deck of cards and sends the information to the host, which processes the data and sends it to the printer. Batch protocols are optimized for such infrequent, yet lengthy, data transfers. The major protocols in this area are the IBM 2780, 3780 and 3776. Each of these numbers designates an IBM card-reader/lineprinter combination that communicates in a unique protocol. The other major class of protocols are interactive, or on-line, protocols, which are designed for frequent, short interactions. For example, CRT terminals, electronic cash registers, and bank-teller terminals all transmit and receive a small amount of data at a time, but see intensive use. Thus, the protocols used in these transmissions are optimized for frequent interactions. The IBM 3270 Information Display System uses interactive polling protocols to communicate between an IBM host communications control unit and CRT terminals and printers (Fig. 2). IBM offers two protocols for 3270 communications: Binary Synchronous Communications (BSC , or bisync) and Systems Network Architecture/Synchronous Data Link Control (SNA/SDLC). Under the interactive 3270 proto- cols, the host constantly polls TCUs to see whether an attached terminal has data to send to the host. If it does, the terminal control unit sends the data. Transmission of data to the host also occurs when the terminal user commands it through a specific key sequence, provided the host is ready to receive the data. In turn, if the host has data to be displayed on the terminal, it stops polling and transmits the data to the terminal control unit for presentation to the terminal. The TCU accepts messages only for its attached terminals. The TCU processes keystrokes locally and maintains the terminal screen. The variety of tasks typically performed by the 3270 terminal control unit requires highly sophisticated protocol conversion equipment that fully emulates this functionality. Complete protocol conversion requires complex transformations at each of the various communications levels. Conversion comprises four levels The four levels of protocol conversion frequently used are data link control, transmission protocol processing, device characteristics conversion and data formatting (Fig. 3). The simplest level of protocol conversion is data link control, which maps the communications-line handling of one device into that of another. This level involves functions such as modem control, ring signaling, dedicated connections and other data-link configuration parameters. The second level of conversion is transmission protocol processing, which provides data blocking, device identification, addressing and error detection and recovery. Each asynchronous device type attached to a protocol converter typically uses a slightly different form of communications protocol, so the converter must map the data-transfer mechanism of each protocol into those of the other. The level of device characteristics conversion addresses the capabilities of the particular devices attached to the protocol converter. In the example in Fig. 1, the protocol converter emulates an IBM TCU to the host, structuring the data format exactly as it would be structured by an actual IBM TCU. Similarly, the protocol converter communicates asynchronously with each attached terminal as if the terminal were attached to a minicomputer. Thus, the translation be- IBM 3270 EMULATION REQUIRES FOUR LEVELS OF PROTOCOL CONVERSION HOST PROCESSOR OPERATING SYSTEM APPLICATION PROGRAM COMMUNICATION CONTROL UNIT SYNCHRONOUS MODEM SYNCHRONOUS MODEM PROTOCOL CONVERTER DATA LINK CONTROL DEVICE CHARACTERISTI CS DATA FORMATTING TERMINAL TERMINAL Fig. 3. Four levels of protocol conversion are required to tions, interpret and manipulate the transmission protocol and perform full 3270 emulation. These are straightforward con- mimic the transmission characteristics of a particular device versions of functions necessary to control electrical connec- type and the data formats used by that device. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 151 TICHNOLOGY1 PROTOCOL CONVERTERS The highest level of pro- tween IBM and start/stop protocols involves a significant remapping of tocol conversion is data the data structure, which is handled formatting. At this level, by the device characteristics conversion level. The highest level of protocol con- data must appear as it would on the emulated version is data formatting. At this device. level, the converter must manipu- late data so it appears as it would on the emulated device. This modifica- tion of the data format allows a were struck on a 3270 keyboard. screen image transmitted from the Both of these processes require de- host to be displayed on the screen of tailed knowledge of device types on the ASCII terminal exactly as it the part of the protocol converter. would appear on a 3270 terminal. The simultaneous execution of this Conversely, the protocol converter operation for several terminals at- reformats keystrokes from the tached to one protocol converter re- ASCII terminal to appear as if they quires a sophisticated multitasking TRANSLATORS RIFORMAT DATA ASYNCHRONOUS DATA STREAM ' ERROR HEADER CHECK TRAILER ' ERROR HEADER CHECK TRAILER 'ERROR HEADER CHECK TRAILER Fig. 4. The translator provides data stream reformatting, translating a free- running asynchronous data stream received from a minicomputer into a batch protocol. This reformatting involves breaking up the asynchronous data stream into BO-character records and blocking these records into groups of two to meet the device transmission characteristics. Each block is transmitted in the batch protocol with its own header and trailer to indicate the beginning and end of the block. The translator also provides an error checking code. operating system within the unit. In the example in Fig. 1, the protocol converter simultaneously performs all four levels of transformation. This example illustrates the most sophisticated type of protocol converter, usually referred to as an emulator. Other types of protocol converters--such as translators and extenders--do not fully incorporate all levels of conversion. Translators use three levels The simplest type of protocol converter is the translator, which receives data on an input port and transforms it into the format required by the device attached to an output port. For example, a translator can convert an asynchronous data stream from a minicomputer into an IBM batch protocol (Fig. 4). Translators perform three levels of conversion: data link control, transmission protocol processing and device characteristics conversion (Fig. 5). The data link control performed by each side of the translator maintains the electrical connection and supports requirements for initiation and termination of a connection. Transmission protocol processing fully supports the structure of the communication required by each piece of attached equipment. Device characteristics conversion mapping ensures that the data is blocked exactly as the emulated terminal would block data for TRANSLATORS PIRFORM THREE LIYILS OF PROTOCOL CONYIRSION HOST PROCESSOR OPERATING SYSTEM APPLICATION PROGRAM COMMUNICATION CONTROL UNIT SYNCHRONOUS MODEM TRANSLATOR MINICOMPUTER TRANSMISSION PROTOCOL DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS Fig. 5. Translator levels of protocol conversion provide program is usually required to process data sent by the control of the communications connections and formatting of translator because the data is not structured in a standard data into appropriate protocols. A separate host applications device format. 152 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Da·a1ra111m does 1111101re WYifh m11e111mos-y ...and system managers too. Dataram ClOes more with memory so you can do more with your minicomputer system. No matter whose it is -DEC, Data General, Perkin-Elmer, VERSAbus, or others. You can do more because Dataram ADD-IN memory provides more - more capacity, more capability, and more reliability. And that adds up to more performance per square inch than anyone else can deliver. More from Dataram also means more savings on power, space...and cost! All backed by a responsive spares program, a liberal warranty, and dial-up technical support. Key to it all is Dataram experience. 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OS-9'S OUTSTANDING C COMPILER IS YOUR BRIDGE 10 UNIX Key OS-9 Features At A Glance · Compact (16K) ROMable executive written in assembly language · User "shell" and complete utility set written in C · C-source code level compatibility with Unix · Full Multitasking/multiuser capabilities · Modular design - extremely easy to adapt, modify, or expand · Unix-type tree structured file system · Rugged "crash-proof" file structure with record locking · Works well with floppy disk or ROM-based systems · Uses hardware or software memory management · High performance C, Pascal, Basic and Cobol compilers from individually testable software modules including standard "library" modules. The modular structure lets you customize and reconfigure OS-9 for specific hardware easily and quickly. A SYSTEM WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD Once an underground classic, OS-9 is now a solid hit. Since 1980 OS-9 has been ported to over a hun- Miaoware's C compiler tech- dred 6809 and 68000 nology is another OS-9 advantage. The compiler produces systems under license to some of the biggest names in the extremely fast, compact, and ROMable code. You can easily business. OS-9 has been imbedded in numerous consumer, develop and port system or application software back and industrial, and OEM products, and is supported by many forth to standard Unix systems. Cross-compiler versions for independent software suppliers. OS-9TM MICROWARE SYSTEMS CORPORATION 1866 NW 114th Street Des Moines, Iowa 50322 Phone 515-224-1929 Telex 910-520-2535 Microware Japan, Ltd 3-8-9 Baraki, Ichikawa City Chiba 272-01, Japan Phone 0473(28)4493 Telex 299-3122 05·9 is a trademark of Microware and Motorola. Unix is a trademark of Bell Labs. CIRCLE NO. 71 ON INQUIRY CARD TICHNOLOGY: PROTOCOL CONVERTERS transmission to the host. The protocol converter receives data in one transmission protocol and then retransmits that data in another protocol. The only potential data manipulation in a translator is Emulators combine translator and extender capabilities. ll(TlllDIRS MAlllPULATI lllTIRllAL DATA FORMATS HOST COMMUNICATIONS PROCESSOR CONTROL UNIT 3270 TERMINAL EXTENDER :j DATALINK CONTROL TRANSMISSION PROTOCOL DATA FORMATTING Fig. 6. An extender incorporates a different three-level mix of protocol conversion than does a translator. Extenders provide actual manipulation of the internal data formats of transmissions, ensuring that the screen of an attached asynchronous ASCII terminal appears exactly as the emulated 3270 terminal screen. An extender does not handle complex communications protocols, as does a translator; its major task is data reformatting . Note that the transmission protocol and data content from the host is handled by the intervening 3270 terminal control unit, rather than by the host system. character-by-character code conversion between character code sets, such as the EBCDIC representation used by IBM and the ASCII representation used by most minicomputers and ·asynchronous terminal devices. This contrasts with the extensive data manipulation performed by the two higher-level protocol converters: the extender and the emulator. Performing format translation Whereas a translator operates at the basic protocol level, an extender is more concerned with data format manipulation than with complex protocol handling (Fig. 6). Extenders are efficient in interactive computing environments because they allow incompatible devices to communicate with a host via a standard host-supported TCU. In a typical IBM environment, the extender attaches to a TCU via the coaxial cable normally attached between the TCU and an IBM 3270 terminal. The extender intercepts transmission from the TCU and translates the content of those transmissions so that they appear in the desired format on the asynchronous terminal. Similarly, the ex- IMULATOR sonwARI HAllDLIS MULTIPLI COMMUlllCATIO· PA111S HOST SYSTEM #1 HOST HOST... PROTOCOL HANDLER r I I I I I I HOST . . . HOST PROTOCOL ~J HANDLER COMMAND INTERPRETER HOST SYSTEM #2 HOST HANDLER KEYBOARD INTERPRETER TERMINAL LINE RECEIVER TERMINAL n-1 TERMINAL2 TERMINAL 1 SCREEN IMAGE TERMINAL LINE TRANSMITTER '-----,---~ / TERMINAL CHARACTERISTICS TABLE Fig. 7. The software structure of an emulator, such as Micom Systems Inc. 's Micro7400, includes transmission protocol handlers, which format synchronous data travelling between the converter and the host, as well as start/stop ASCII transmissions to and from attached terminals. Device characteristics are processed by the command interpreter, which receives host requests. The keyboard interpreter maps ASCII terminal keyboards onto those used by the IBM 3270 family, and the host handler maintains the terminal-to-host dialog. The terminal line transmitter uses a terminal character- istics table to provide device-dependent character sequences. Data formatting is reflected in each terminal's screen image buffer. Data-link-control protocol conversion is not shown; those functions are provided by the transmissionprotocol handler in conjunction with serial communications controllers or similar hardware. M INI-M ICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 155 TICHNOLOGY1 PROTOCOL CONVERTERS tender translates keystrokes received from the attached terminal into the format recognized by the TCU and forwards that data over the coaxial link to the TCU. As with a translator, the extender supports the data link control and transmission protocol of both the TCU and the devices attached to the unit. But the extender must also interpret the data format to provide the desired display on the target terminal. Data-format interpretation distinguishes extender protocol converters from translator protocol converters. Manufacturers usually sell extenders as standalone units or as circuit cards that fit in personal computers. A circuit card integrated into a personal computer treats the personal computer as an asynchronous ASCII terminal. Thus the software in the personal computer must perform the proper terminal emulation to communicate via the extender to the TCU and the IBM protocols fall into two major classes: batch or interactive. host processor. Emulators combine functions Emulators combine translator and extender capabilities. In an IBM environment, the emulator replaces an IBM TCU and maintains communication with the host in its complex protocols while translating data content to the formats required by attached asynchronous devices. An emulator also performs the internal functions of the TCU. Emulators maintain an internal screen image (i.e., buffer) for each attached device, update the buffer in response to host transmissions and received keystrokes, and maintain the screen of the terminal as that of an IBM 3270 terminal. The emulator's data-conversion functions add a level of complexity to those of an extender. The level of device-characteristics translation encompasses buffering and screen maintenance, as well as the transformation between completely different data structures. In the software structure of a typical emulator, such as Micom Systems Inc.'s Micro7400, a protocol handler performs host communi- cations. The emulator responds t o host inquiries, sends data to the host when required and passes data received from the host to a command interpreter for storage in the screen image of the target terminal. A terminal line receiver captures keystrokes from attached terminals. It handles the line protocol of the terminal and passes each received keystroke to a keyboard interpreter for mapping into a 3270 function. The keyboard interpreter then stores the specified characters in the terminal's screen image and signals the host handler should a transmission be required (Fig. 7). HOST PAOCE880R PROTOCOL CONYmlMS WORK TOGmlB EMULATOR REMOTE SITE #2 Fig. 8. Translators, extenders and emulators can work in concert to fulfill various requirements in e single network. 156 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 has everything subsystem. color. . . It's the color of the money you stand to save with the new Telex Shamrock 9250. The most affordable GCR subsystem in its class. 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Lower power consumption (typically I 00 milliwatt) of the 9250 gate arrays increases reliability and keeps energy costs in line. There are more reasons why the Shamrock 9250 is today's best value in full GCR performance. For the rest of the story, call your nearest Telex OEM Sales Office or our OEM Marketing Department at 918-627-1 I I I. And let us show you how good you 'll look in Telex Shamrock green. CIRCLE NO. 72 ON INQUIRY CARD TELEX®SHAMROCK O The innovation continues ... Telex Computer Products. Inc.. Terminals/Peripherals/OEM Products 6422 East 41 st Street. Tulsa. OK 74135 (9181 627-1111 Regional Offices: Amherst. NH (6031 673-9272/Garden Grove. CA (7141 898-9833/Houston. TX (7131 497-6770 International : (2141 931 -8511/telex: 730612 TLXINTL ADDI · Sunday, March 31-Wednesday, April 3, 1985 Georgia World Conference Center, Atlanta If you buy, sell, or develop software, you can't afford to miss Softcon, the International Conference and Trade Fair for Software merchandisers, publishers, users. In only two years, Softcon has become the 15th largest trade show in America. Proof that software is the fastest growing product in the world. And that Softcon is the premier industry event. Softcon has 850 exhibiting companies. That's 600 more software companies than the largest hardware and electronics shows. Softcon's 3000 booths will showcase more than 20,000 software products for professional, home, educational, entertainment, office, business, industrial and vertical market applications. Softcon features software for micros, minis and main frames. To register, just send your check for $195 for four days of conferences and exhibits, or $35 for exhibits-only to the address below. Please include your name and address and make checks payable to Softcon. For a free Softcon brochure, call or write Softcon, c/o Northeast Expositions, 822 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02167. 617-739-2000. Please specify whether you are interested in attending or exhibiting. Nearly 250 of the world 's most respected software authorities will participate in this year's conference program. There will be three separate conferences-one for merchandisers and distributors, one for corporate and institutional users, and one for software industry technical personnel. Each conference will comprise 75 seminars, panel discussions, forums and workshops. Softcon is a registered trademark of Northeast Expositions, Inc. 158 CIRCLE NO. 73 ON INQUIRY CARD The International Conference and Trade Fair for Software Publishers, Merchandisers, and Business Users MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 ftCHNOLOGY1 PROTOCOL CONVERTERS Whenever a terminal's screen image is to be updated, a terminal line-transmitter module examines the modification and then updates the screen. The terminal line transmitter uses a terminal-characteristics table to understand the capabilities of the attached device and how to most efficiently handle the update. Converters extend host abilities Translators, extenders and emulators not only allow the attachment of incompatible devices to a host processor, but can also extend the capabilities of the host and its supported devices. This comes about from the ability of the protocol converter to provide support for the different design philosophies followed by various computer vendors. In other words, protocol converters can incorporate into a system the capabilities of many different environments. Protocol converters can offer the IBM user extensive asynchronous capabilities such as automatic logon/ logoff, banner/broadcast messages, inbound priority, password access control, multiple host switching, command port dynamic configuration and mixed-device support. Until recently, these capabilities have been unavailable to users within the IBM 3270 environment. A network can incorporate all three types of protocol converters (Fig. 8). In such a configuration, a single communications line connects several remote offices with a host computer, with each office using a protocol converter for a different function. The translator, for example, might provide batch transfer for attachment of a minicomputer and a plotter. An extender might connect non-standard devices to a TCU, and an emulator can support an entire cluster of such devices. In short, the power and versatility of combined protocol converters is often necessary in today's multiple- vendor environments. D David Misunas is assistant vice president of protocol conversion products at Micom Systems Inc., Chatsworth, Calif. He was formerly president and co-founder of Industrial Computer Controls Inc. (ICCI) prior to its acquisition by Micom in 1983. Mr. Misunas has degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., and holds numerous patents in the fields of computer architecture and audio signal processing. Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 819 Medium 820 Low 821 ,· !J!.lJ I HIGH PERFORMANCE, VERSATILITY, VIVID COLOR, CRISP IMAGE TOEI COLOR DISPLAYS FTC/COM - SERIES. TOEI, experienced Display Monitor specialists, offer a wide selection of Color CRT Displays. You can choose from our versatile standard models or OEM versions to meet your exacting requirements. ·Housed in lightweight impact-resistant cabinet. ·Hi-Contrast (Black Fece), Hi-Brightness CRT displays a crisp, FTC Series sharp image ·Limitless colors can be displayed through Analog Input. ~· e RGB Version NTSC Version PAL Version NTSC 11ers· & AGB ion PAL&AGB Version IBMPC Compatible only 12" (CRT Pitch) FTC-1208-R (0.2&nm Dot trio) FTC-1203-R (0.3&nm Dot trio) FTC-1201 -R (0.47mm Stripe) FTC-1201 -N (0.4 7mm Stripe) FTC-1200-N (0.63mm Stripe) FTC-1201-P (0.4 7mm Stripe) FTC-1200-P (0.63mm Stripe) FTC-1201 -NR (0.47mm Stripe) FTC-1 201-PR (0.47mm Stripe) FTC-1208-F (0.28mm Dot trio) FTC- 1203-F (0.38mm Dot trio) 14" (CRT Pitch) FTC-1 455H-R (0.31 mm Dot trio) FTC-1428H-R (0.39mm Dot trio) FTC-1423H-R (0.42mm Dot trio) FTC-141 OH-N (0.52mm Stripe) FTC-1416-N (0.64mm Stripe) FTC-1410H -P (0.52mm Stripe) FTC-1416-P (0.64mm Stripe) FTC-141 OH-NA (0.52mm Stripe) FTC-141 OH-PR (0.52mm Stripe) FTC-1455H-F (0.31 mm Dot trio) FTC-1428H-F (0.39mm Dot trio) CDM-14" Series Applications IBM PC·PCjr Apple De, De· RGB TTL & Analog IBM PC·PC jr, Apple De· De, Commodore C-64 IBMPC wfrh card "with AGB card FTC-1203-R, FTC-1203-F "Non-Glare" COM Series (Unit for OEM) ·OEM versions include Color 6"-26" in addition to the above, Monochrome Model COM-1208-R COM-1203-R CRT Size CRTPttch 12" 0.28mmDot trio 12" 0.38mm Dot trio 3 " -26", CRT Pitch 0.64mm - 0.21mm, Horizontal frequency less than 64kHz, Non-glare to meet your requirements. ·Green/Orange CRT Displays are also available. (Included IBM PC Compatible.) CRT size: 9 " or 12". COM-1201-R 12" 0.47mm Stripe ·We are looking for reliable and established distributor worldwide. COM-1455H-R 14" 0.31mmDot trio COM-1428H-R 14" 0.39mmDot trio CDM-1423H-R 14" 0.42mmStripe COM-1410H-R 14" 0.52mmStripe TOEI ELECTRONICS CMFGJ CO.,LTO. IBM PC is a Trademark of IBM Corp. Apple Ile, lie are Trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. · Kanda Cent Bldg., 2-4, Yushima 1-chome Bunkyo-ku, 113 Tokyo JAPAN Commodore C-64 is a Trademark of Commodore Business Mach ine Inc. Tel. (03) 257-1131 Telex. 0222-2555 TOEICO J FAX (03) 258-3560 CIRCLE NO. 74 ON INQUIRY CARD MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 159 Emulex sets the pace with three great storage subsystems for the full range of DEC QBus and Unibus systems. Whether you need Winchester disk, cartridge disk, ;4" streaming tape, or a combination unit, you'll be a step ahead with Emulex. lllllODUCllG YIULT.· Emulex rises above the competition with the Vault~ This 70-MByte tape subsystem is built around the CDC Sentinel ;4" cartridge tape streamer and uses Emulex's own TC05 (QBus) or TC15 (Unibus) tape coupler to interface with your system.The Vault is totally software transparent to standard TSU software. So this compact tape unit looks just like a big W' TSU subsystem to your operating system and diagnostics. Vault comes complete with power supply in a single com- pact cabinet. It's the perfect backup unit for smallerQBus systimts such as the MICRO/PDP-11 and MICRONAX. l.OAO AEolOY WLllllTE PROTECT VAULT ,-AU LT AID AlllHINCllG MEDLEY."' Emulex has another winning combination with the Medley"' Winchester cartridge tape subsystem. It gives you either 35 or 110 MBytes of formatted storage and up to 70 MBytes of stream- ing tape backup. The Medley is fully software transparent to the operating system and diagnostic software of QBus and Unibus CPUs. And it uses the powerful and versatile Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) which keeps your options open for peripheral expansion. Medley is interfaced to the system with a TC05/ TC15 tape coupler and a UC02 (QBus) or UC12 (Unibus) host adapter. By using the Mass Storage Control Protocol (MSCP), the UC02 and UC12 allow the operating system to utilize the precise char- acteristics of the Winchester disk drive without patches or modifications to the operating system. For convenience, Medley's disk drive, tape drive and power supply all fit into an attractive cabinet that easily mounts in a standard 19" rack. The Medley is also avail- able in an attractive desktop version. Find out how Emulex subsystems can keep you ahead of the game. Call toll-free (800) 854-7112. In California (714) 662-5600. Or write Emulex ->.1- Corporation, 3545 Harbor Blvd., P.O. Box 6725, Costa .................. Mesa, CA 92626. EMULEX CIRCLE NO. 76 ON INQUIRY CARD LOAO ~ READY ·:; WJUTE PROTECT MtOLf.V '2 FAULT Mountain View, CA 94043 ---------l-1411""'f5i'\o)-<19~64""-"""5700"'FWX'.'"916-S'i'9·65ii'T---------------1.:. SMS SALES OFFICES: Seattle, WA (206) 883-8303; Boston, MA (617) 246-2540 ; Atlanta, GA (404) 296-2029; Morton Grove, IL (312) 966-2711 ; Melrose Park, IL (312) 345-5320; Arlington, TX (817) 429-8527 ; Philadelphia, PA (215) 860-8626; Greensboro, NC (919) 292-8072 ; Laguna Hiiis, CA (714) 643-8046; Mountain View, CA (415) 964-5700. AUTHORIZED SMS DISTRIBUTORS FOR DEC PRODUCTS: Western-Pn ambic Systems. Inc . (206) 282--0199; Quebec Province, Canada-L ogicon, Inc. (514) 430-5960. CIRCLE NO. 76 ON INQUIRY CARD 'DEC, RSX and RSTS are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. -TSX-PLUS is a trademark of S&H Computer. Teaching computers English proves easier than training people Dr. Lawrence Harris Artificial Intelligence Corp. Natural languages like English are the means humans normally use to communicate with one another. However, when it comes to communicating with computers, humans traditionally have employed a different set of languages-rigid, formal languages such as FORTRAN, PL/1 and FOCUS. Now, for computers to become a broadly used tool, we must either train the people to use these formal structures or program the computer to understand natural languages. The latter approach, although difficult, is much easier than dealing with the human issues involved in training the general population to use programmed languages. The task of instructing a computer to understand a natural language is a hard one because of the inherent imprecision and ambiguity of language. The process deals with analyzing three general components: syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Syntactic analysis separates the natural language sentence into its constituent parts. This separation aids in the nearly simultaneous semantic analysis in which an internal representation for the meaning of the entire sentence is constructed. If computers are to be true adjuncts to human nature, they must first learn to speak natural human languages Pragmatic analysis goes one step beyond this by considering the intent of the speaker-not just a literal interpretation of the words used. Current natural language technology has two important applications: as a human interface to database systems and as a vehicle for integrating a variety of traditional software systems. Both of these are having a major impact on the way information is disseminated within major U.S. corporations today. Syntax is key The first step in programming a computer to understand an English sentence is to determine the syntactic role played by each word in that sentence. The different meanings of "The boy hit the ball" and "The ball hit the boy" are due to the different roles played by the words in each sentence, because both sentences contain the same words. Syntactic analysis determines which word is the subject and which word is the direct object. The importance of syntactic anal- ysis is that it provides a "road map" for generating a semantic structure that represents the meaning of the sentence. The process of syntactic analysis is the same as diagramming sentences as taught in grammar school. In order to automate this process, the rules of grammar and the diagramming structure must be made amenable to computerization. The two most common approaches to the problem are context-free grammar and the Augmented Transition Network (ATN). Context-free grammar consists of replacement rules that specify for the computer the "legal" (i.e., acceptable) constituents of each syntactic component and so are literally the "rules of grammar." The ATN represents each rule as a transition or arc in a network. Within this more visual representation it is a little easier to see the relationship between various rules (see "ATN teaches machines grammer," Page 164 ). Aside from convenience, the two formalisms are equivalent. Parse frees point to meaning The diagramming structure taught in school is difficult to mimic on computers because of the myriad of different lines representing different relationships. A more appro- MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 163 TICHNOLOGY: NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION priate formalism for computers is the "parse tree" (see "Parse trees bear syntactic fruit," Page 167 ). The parse tree shows the hierachical relationship among words by imbedding them in a tree structure that indicates which words or phrases modify other words or phrases. It is important to recognize that the parse tree does not represent the meaning of the sentence, only its structure, but without understanding a sentence's structure, it is impossible to understand its meaning-just as it is impossible to know from the words alone whether the boy or the ball is hit in the earlier example. Syntactic analysis is the best understood aspect of computational linguistics. Efficient parsers abound for constructing detailed parse trees. The primary difficulty involved in syntactic analysis is ambi- guity. Roughly speaking, two types of ambiguity must be dealt with. These are lexical ambiguity, arising from words having more than one meaning; and structural ambiguity, arising from several different legal syntactic arrangements of the same words. Both forms of ambiguity result from there being more than one possible path through the ATN, with each generating a different parse tree. Lexical ambiguity might allow more than one arc because a word such as "run" may rightfully play the role of a verb or a noun. Structural ambiguity might arise because more than one option might be permissible within the ATN itself. For example, when two prepositional phrases follow a noun, they may be nested (as in our example) or both prepositional phrases may modify the lead noun. It is essential that a parser in- tended for commercial use be capable of dealing with these and other forms of ambiguity. Many parsers stop when they find the first designation of a word. Worse yet, some ignore ambiguities altogether and so are certain to disappoint users because the richness of the English language is such that ambiguity arises with surprising frequency. It is critical that a true natural language system deal with ambiguity efficiently and effectively. This begins with a parser capable of generating multiple parse trees for ambiguous sentences. Semantics and meaning "Semantics" refers to meaning. It is difficult at the onset even to think how a computer could represent meaning at all, much less the meaning of a particular sentence. Before describing different ways of repre- ATN teaches machl. .· 9ra111111Gr Augmented Transition Network (ATN) is a device for representing the "rules of grammar'' on a computer. The circles represent "states" of a simple machine, and the arcs represent the allowable "transition" that the machine makes as it moves from one state to another. Each transition is labeled with the part of speech that is allowed to trigger the corresponding transition. In this way the higherlevel units of speech (i.e., prepositional phrases, verb phrases, noun phrases and ultimately sentences) are defined in terms of lower- level parts of speech such as adjectives, prepositions, nouns and verbs. For example, the ATN for "prepositional phrase" starting at state 810 defines a prepositional phrase as the sequence of a preposition followed by a noun phrase. Similarly, the ATN for "sentence" starting at state Sl defines a sentence as a verb phrase followed by a noun phrase. ATN represents the rules of grammar in a way that easily allows an input sentence to be "parsed" or "diagrammed" so that the syntactic role played by each word or phrase is understood. The result of the traversal of the ATN is the "parse tree." .. ~~ v VERB PHRASE ,.,,, , ~ S2 NOUN PHRASE ADJECTIVE PREPOSITIONAL DETERMINER [~ _,--J~ PHRAS~ E PROPER NOUN SS SS ~ 87_------------... ------.... VERB PHRASE VERB 8 N O U N PHRASE ADVERB PHRASE S8 S9 PR EPOSITIONAl.l ~ PREPOSITION PREPOSITIONA10LG PHRASE 164 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 "Stunnin9 performance and unnvalled dependability." - Dr. Harold Koplow, Modular '\':!li.,.____":...leor1'ff)uter Systems, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Equinox's first user) "Surprisingly compact "<::::'.~---- ---'·-r-its dazzling array of features." - Charles Bairos, Polaroid Corp., Needham, MA "Powerful switching with elegant simplicity." - Arthur Fasciani, Computervision Corp., Bedford, MA "The greatest thing since sliced bread in datacomm.'' - Glenn Bryans, Hall Real Estate, Dallas, TX "Obsoletes Goliath Port Selectors.'' 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(30!)_ 261-4344 KANSAS System Technology (913) 492-7184 NEW JERSEY (Soutll) The Datastore (609) 77S.0200 OKLAHOMA System Technology (918) 665-6340 WASHINGTON Datec (206) 575-1470 Equinox Systems Inc., 12041SW144th Street, Miami, Florida 33186 Telephone 1-800-DATA-PBX * In Florida (305) 255-3500 Regional Offices : Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York CIRCLE NO. 77 ON INQUIRY CARD ff you sell products for data communications, information systems integration or communications, INTERFACE '85 is the place to exhibit. Here are 3 good reasons: ctl Tllf quality of the attendee. High level decision-makers from Fortune 1000 companies, utilities, railroads, financial institutions, government, military, and other large multi-location users attend this premier show. These are the people who influence or control the purchase of the kind of equipment you make. Their presence at INTERFACE tells you they represent real business potential. t i INTERFACE lJJJ is cost-elf8ctive. 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Presented by THE INTERFACE HOUP, ls.. world'sleading p<oducerof computer conferences and expositions including INTERFACE, FEDERAL DP EXPO & CONFERENCE, COMDEX / Winter. COMOEX/Sp<ing, COMDEX/Fall, COMDEX/Europe, COMDEX in JAPAN. The Nationwide COMPUTER SHOWCASE EXPOs and THE BYTE COMPUTER SHOWS. CIRCLE NO. 78 ON INQUIRY CARD 166 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 ncHNOLOGY1 NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION senting meaning on a computer, it is important that we understand the difference between syntax and semantics. The simple phrase "a hot cup of coffee" illustrates the difference. A syntactic parsing of the phrase would indicate that the word "hot" modifies the word "cup." But we know that the true meaning of the phrase is that the coffee is hot, but not necessarily the cup. No matter what semantic representation we choose, it is clear that it will differ from the parse tree. There are almost as many semantic representations as there are programmed natural language systems. The semantic representation is almost always tailored to the domain in which the system is to be applied. Because no single scheme has been found that works equally well in a variety of applications, it is necessary to customize a representation that is best for the task at hand. If the task is a logical questionand-answer situation, the semantic representation might be based on If the task is a logical question-and-answer situation, the semantic representation might be based on predicate calculus to aid in theorem proving. predicate calculus to aid in theorem proving. If the task is a database query, the semantic representation might be based on a relational calculus similar to that of a relational database management system. For other applications, a hierarchical classification might be appropriate. In any case, the structure built to represent the meaning of a sentence must be consistent with whatever scheme the natural language system uses to represent the "world knowledge base" i.e., its understanding of the real world in which its users exist. This is because the world knowledge base must have an impact on the understanding of a new sentence (or else you would not know that the coffee should be hot, not the cup). It must also allow the new sentence ultimately to add to the world knowledge base should it represent a new fact. Therefore, the representations must be compatible, if not identical. No matter what representation is used, the procedure for building the semantic structure proceeds as follows: initially, there is a definition for each word in the sentence. Because this definition is the meaning of the word, it is a mini-semantic structure. The individual meanings are combined according to how the parse tree indicates they syntactically relate to one another. When one word modifies another, its semantic structure alters the semantic structure of the word it modifies. The mini-semantic structures are merged first word-by-word, then phrase-by-phrase and ultimately clause-by-clause. As more and more words participate in the structure, the structure becomes more complete. Eventually, the structure for PtllM .........r .,.._,tic hit A parse tree illustrates the syntac- tic role played by each word or phrase in a sentence. The parse tree is created as each word of the sentence traverses the ATN. For example, "Are there red Fords with mileage over 15,000?" would be processed as follows. First, each word is mapped to its part of speech, which corresponds to the bottom row ofthe parse tree. Second, the ATN begins at its inital state, "Sl," where it looks for a verb phrase. Processing at the sentence level pauses while processing at the verb phrase level begins at state "S7." SENTENCE ~ VERB PHRASE NOUN PHRASE ~ PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE ~ NOUN PHRASE ~ ""''0~""A5' VERB I ARE I I . I ADVERB ADJECTIVE NOUN THERE RED FORDS PREP I WITH NOUN I MILEAGE PREP I OVER NOUN I 15,000 At this point, the verb "are" is parsed and the link from the verb phrase is created in the parse tree. Next, the adverb "there" is parsed and the link from verb phrase to adverb is established. Then, the upward arrow from state "S9"indicates that a verb phrase has been successfully recognized and can now continue processing at the sentence level of "S2." This creates the link between sentence to verb phrase in the parse tree. The processing would then continue with the word "red" beginning a noun phrase, and the remainder of the parse tree would be created. A parse terminates successfully whenever the upward arc from "83" is traversed, indicating an entire sentence has been recognized. The completed parse tree stores the syntactic relationship between each word in the sentence and acts as a road map for building the appropriate semantic structure of the sentence. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 187 TICHNOLOOY1 NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION the entire sentence is generated. Although this description seems to indicate that semantic analysis follows syntactic analysis, it is in practice almost essential for the two to take place simultaneously. As the parse tree is constructed, the corresponding semantic structure is built. This allows the semantic world knowledge to affect the syntactic analysis. Often, semantic information will help rule out certain interpretations, and this can be critical in reducing the number of interpretations that must be considered. Increasing comprehension The term "pragmatics" refers to those aspects of natural language discourse that are not explicity contained in the words actually used. It is essential that a parser intended for commercial use be capable of dealing with ambiguity. Much of human communication, after all, takes place not by what is actually said, but by what is intended. Pragmatic analysis usually takes place after semantic analysis is complete and the meaning of the sentence is being merged into the context of the ongoing dialog or the world knowledge base. Often this merging process will indicate that some processing other than the normal is required. For example, in a database query context, there can be questions such as, ''Who is Smith?" or "What is the salary of Smith and Jones?" If the normal response to a "who" question is to print a person's name, such a response is clearly inappropriate to "Who is Smith?" because the user already knows Smith's name. Similarly, printing only the two salaries in response to the second query would be inappropriate because the user would not be able to tell which salary was Jones' and which was Smith's. In such cases, pragmatics dictate answering with what the user wants, not precisely what was requested. Another example, one in the context of a mechanical repair dialog, is the question, "Where is the A natural laft9UG9· ayale· In action The levels of analysis that take place within one natural language system, the INTELLECT system from Artificial Intelligence Corp., shows the sequence of steps in which CHARACTER STRING a user's request is answered. The arrows represent pipelines along which data flow. The circles represent programs that alter the structure of the data. USER The process begins with the user entering a request via the keyboard. This is presented to the SCAN module as a string of characters. SCAN immediately transforms this string into a list of words. This list of words is passed to the PARSE module, which uses an ATN to generate a set of parse trees and, ultimately, a set of semantic interpretations. There may be more than one interpretation if the request is ambiguous. The parser generates partial interpretations be- cause the user's request may not have been complete. The WEED module attempts to reduce the number of interpretations by first completing them and then looking for any inconsistencies. Any interpretations that survive WEED are both syntactically and semantically meaningful. If more than one interpretation survives the WEED process, it is up to DECIDE to determine which interpretation was intended by the user. DECIDE may simply ask the user for clarification. The single interpretation that emerges from DECIDE is the one that will be answered. Then, the RETRIEVE process begins extracting relevant information from the database and passes that data to the PROCESS module that formats the results sent back to the user. 168 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Theyget a PC gro\Vthpath. You get the control. Introducing the TeleVideo Personal Mini. People in your organization realized outgrew their personal computers the fust time they tried to share informa- tion or work together on a task. Stan- dard PU simply fall short of fulfilling their total business needs. Until now. Until the TeleVideo® Personal Mini.TM It's the next rational step in your PC IJIOWth path. Just plug into it and grow. 1acreases power and productivity. It's the simple way to dramatically mcrease computing power and group productivity without sacrificing system manageability. It's the low cost way to network IBM,® TeleVideo, and compati- ble PU, as well as the new IBM PC AT. Personal Mini Runs PC, multiuser and mini software. Its powerful operating system easily supports popular PC software, mini- computer programs and especially multiuser applications development using such languages as RM/COBOLTM or MAI Business Basic."' Without speed or per- formance tradeoffs. And with its 3270 emulation, any PC can talk to your mainframe. So your original investments in software, hardware and computer training can only become more useful. Improves system management. We also paid special attention to DP concerns. For reliability. System secu- rity. Total system manageability. And of course, future growth. The new Personal Mini. The first PC growth plan no one will outgrow. Ever. Arrange to see it for yourself. Call toll free, 800-521-4897. In California, call 800-821-3774. Ask foroperator 10. Regional Sales Offices: Northwest (408) 74577(:1;), Southwest (714) 476-0244, Southcen~ral (214) 258-6776, Midwest (312) 397-5400, Southeast (404) 447-1231, Mid-Atlantic (703) 5567764, Northeast (617) 890-3282, East (516) 4964777, Rocky Mountain (408) 745-77(:1;). IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. RM/COBOL is a trademark of Ryan~McFarland Corporation. MAI Business Basic is a uadcmark of MAI Basic Four. 1be TeleVideo Personal Mini. The first PC compatible multiuser system. You callt build tomorrowsI systems withyesterdayS drives. You1ve seen one small-disk drive, you1ve seen them all, right? Ndt exactly. One disk drive stands above all the rest. It comes from Maxtor. The company that refuses to produce disk drives merely as good as everybody else. Instead, we set new standards by producing the only 5~" disk drives worthy of the next generation of supermicros. Winchesters with 65 to 380 megabytes of storage. And average access times of less than 30 msec. And we don't mean prototypes. We mean full production. Sb, you can build the systems of tomorrow, today. And that cfin be a big advantage. For you. Or your competition. Maxtor Corporation, 150 River Oaks Parkway, San Jose, California 95134, (408) 942-1700, TELEX: 171074. Eastern Regional Sales Office: (617) 872-8556. Southwest Regional Sales Office: (714) 859-3100. CIRCLE NO. 80 ON INQUIRY CARD O Maxtor Corporation 1984 nCHNOLOGY: NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION wrench?" To respond to this sort of query, the system must first determine why the user is looking for a wrench, and if such a step is appropriate at this particular time in the assembly process. If the tool is not right for the time, then the system may not want to answer the question at all. Instead, it should determine where the user really is in the assembly process and react accordingly. Pragmatic analysis is always very application-dependent, but it can frequently help divest interpretations of ambiguity by indicating how far out of context a particular request may be. Because interpretations within the context of the ongoing dialog are more desirable than those which have nothing to do with the subject under discussion, pragmatic analysis is an important aspect of making a natural language system seem intelligent. Pragmatics dictate answering with what the user wants, not precisely what was requested. sequence of small steps as required by a formal computer language. For example, consider the request, "Compare the average salary of men to that of women." In a formal system the user would have to learn how to express this problem as a sequence of 30 to 40 commands. This might first be a retrieval of the men and women sorted by sex to facilitate the calculation of the subaverages for each sex. These results must be fed into a calculation of the absolute and relative differences between the averages. A natural language front-end will not only understand this English wording, but it will also determine the proper command sequence the underlying database system requires to compute the proper result. The user is free to continue to think at the level of the business problem without being forced to consider very detailed programming issues. The importance of allowing business users to concentrate on solving business problems cannot be over-emphasized. It is an essential requirement for making the computer an effective business tool for the nontechnician. Supervisors aid naive users Another important use for natural language technology in the corporate environment lies within the "Information Center." An Information Center is a central data processing facility that provides end Improves database interfaces The largest commercial use today for natural language processing lies in database system interfacing. This use of natural language technology allows non-technical users to access directly and analyze the data in a computer database. Prior to such systems, access was limited to technical users who could program requests for information in formal computer languages. Because the decision makers within an organization do not typically have the technical skills necessary to program their own requests, the addition of a natural language interface has the profound effect of putting decision makers directly in touch with the data so critical to their jobs. For this reason, natural language technology can have a dramatic impact on how information is used and disseminated within an organization (see "A natural language system in action," Page 168). The primary value added by a natural language interface is not derived from the language per se, but is more related to the fact that the user can express a business problem in business terms without having to divide the problem into a Supervisor spa· co·puter/u._ gap The Natural Language Supervisor uses the natural language system to integrate a variety of traditional software systems such as database, graphics and statistics systems. The result is an extremely high level operating environment in which the power of these traditional systems can be employed by non-technical end users. The Natural Language Supervisor acts as an intermediary for the user by first partitioning the work among the various software tools and then orchestrating their execution to deliver the final results. USER FORMATTED RESULTS ENGLISH REQUEST INTELLECT NATURAL LANGUAGE SUPERVISOR DETAILED DATA RETRIEVAL DISPLAY MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 171 «~~ ' ,. ~ ~ . ~ ·\.,.v\ FEELING SHEEPISH? When it comes to choosing an operating system, some manufacturers are more concerned about jumping on the standards bandwagon than achieving high performance. If your company is one of those, then you can stop right here. As an OEM or systems house, you know that the market is highly competitive and that you can't stand out from the crowd by offering what everybody else has. The UniFLEX® Operating System provides 68000 users with a powerful advantage: MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE. UniFLEX was specially designed for the 68000 and is written in assemblrlanguage, optimizing rapid execution times and keme compactness. The result is that UniFLEX·based systems run several times faster than UNIX systems, handle more users more effectively, and leave more disk space for the end user. That adds up to more flexibility in total system design. UniFLEX offers record locking, virtual memory and easy hardware customization, as well as end-user device configurability. Yow design time will be spent maxi· mizing the features of UniFLEX rather than dealing with compromises made for the sake of portability. UniFLEX is a standard in its own right, existing in only one version, with a family of languages, native-code compilers and utilities that are unequalled. For those wbo must deal with the UNIX world, UniFLEX offers C source level compatability and easy file transfer. UniFLEX is not for everyone. If you want to run with the crowd, you11 have lots ofcompany. But ifyou have an appli· cation that requires maximum speed, performance and flexibility from your 68000.based machine, we probably have something to talk about. TECHNICAL SYSTEMS OONSULTANTS, INC. 111 Providence Road Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514 USA (919) 493-1451TWX510-920-0540 UniFLEX reg. U.S. Pit. &. TM Office; UNIX is atrademark of Bell Laboratories 172 TICHNOLOGY1 NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION users access to a number of power- ful tools such as databases, graph- ics, statistics and financial model- ing. By giving access to corporate data and in training users how to use the available tools, an Informa- tion Center lets users solve their own problems rather than waiting for Data Processing to write custom applications. The Information Cen- ter concept has proved successful in a number of corporations. However, a single user may be forced to learn several systems as well as learn the methods of passing data between them. In the same way that natural lan- guage generates a sequence of com- mands to a database system, it can also interface to graphics and statis- tical systems. Thus a single request might require the retrieval of data from the database system, summa- rization through the statistic system and finally display through the graphics system. The programmed natural language system plays the additional role of partitioning the work among each of the tools and then orchestrating the overall pro- cess until the final result is dis- played. In this way even the naive user can effectively apply each tool without having to learn how to pass data between them. Instead, the natural language system supervises the entire process. D Larry Harris is president and a founder of Artificial Intelligence Corp., Waltham, Mass. He is the author of INTELLECT, the company's natural language system. Before 1979, he was a professor of computer science at Dartmouth College. Harris received a B.S. in computer science and engineering and an M .B.S. and a Ph.D. in computer science from Cornell University. Interest Quotient {Circle One) High 822 Medium 823 Low 824 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 INTRODUCING TOWERXP. NOW THAT WE'RE THROUGHWITH IT, YOU CAN HAVE IT. Reliability has been the hallmark of NCR products for over 100 years. But what began as a virtue has, quite frankly, become somewhat of an obsession. Pick. Pick. Pick. Before our reliability engineers allow our new Tower systems out the door, they do - #t a little testing. A little testing. They burn in 100%of memories, processors and com- plex VLSI assemblies upon arrival. They bum in the assem- bled boards. Then, they give the finished unit an extensive bum-in over a wide range of temperatures. They test the unit against NCR's rigid standards for electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency inter- ference (RFI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD). And when they're finished performing more QA than any other manufacturer would dream of (an average of over 200 hours per unit), they start testing features that other manufacturers only dream of: Consistent error-logging. Extensive in-service and remote diagnostics. Automatic Power Failure Recovery. A UNIX Noperating system that virtually never PANICs. And more. Tower XP gives your customers the power of a 68010-enhanced CPU, up to 260MB of mass storage, 45MB of W' cartridge tape built into the CPU cabinet, industry-standard interfaces and a UNIX of truly commercial reliability. Tower XP. Now that we're through with it, your customers will never have to settle for anything less. TOWERXP. BUILT FOR SYSTEMS BUILDERS BY NIT#PICKING FANATICS. OEM Systems Division NCR Corporation, U.S. Data Processing Group. OEM Systems Division , CSP·l . Day ton, Ohio 45479. Nationwide (800) CA LL-NC R. In Ohio (5 13) 445-2190. In Canada (800 ) 268-3966. thelauft? ABLE's ATTACH System keeps your CPUs and tenninals on solid ground. ATTACH, the multi-host tenninal network system for DEC UNIBUS computers, provides the level of fault tolerance required for any application. ATTACH can guard your system and users with fail-safe rerouting onto redundant paths. ATTACH hot-swappable modules maximize uptime because failed modules are replaced without interfering with the continued operation of most users. FULL REDUNDANCY The ATIACH network can be configured for complete redundancy. Should one ATTACH subsystem or module fail, users can be detoured around the failed component. On-board battery backup sustains configuration assignments in memory for up to one month. 1,000 tenninals or more can access the many host computers in the ATIACH network, with each computer requiring only a single host interface and single cable to support 128 tenninal users in remote or local sites. ATTACH HELPS MAXIMIZE RESOURCES In an ordinary multi-host environment, if one host computer goes down, lots of users could be left sitting idle. The ATTACH network system eliminates user down time, by allowing users to switch to a working CPU, maximizing human and computer resources. Prevent the potential catastrophies associated with Host Dedicated tenninals-buy ATTACH. For more infonnation on ABLEs ATTACH System, contact the ABLE representative near you, or call ABLE toll-free at 800/332-2253. *' ~, ~3 ~ ~~ (1(1),~ t;l&liw The Communications Specialists 3080 Airway Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 In the Costa Mesa area: (714) 979-7030. Or TWX 910-595-1729 DEC, PDP, UNIBUS and VAX a re trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. ATTACH is patent pending. CIRCLE NO. 83 ON INQUIRY CARD Multiprocessor architectures spark: interest in 32-bit buses Rick Dalrymple, Senior Editor What do almost all of the recently introduced multiuser microcomputers have in common? A multiprocessor architecture. The trend is clear: Both computer manufacturers and system integrators are turning to multiprocessor designs because these architectures lead to systems that are more reliable, available and flexible than single processor-based products. System integrators planning a multiprocessor-based system will be pleased to know that the new 32-bit buses have been specifically designed to accommodate multiprocessor architectures. Choosing a 32-bit bus, however, is not a simple task. Upon close examination, system integrators will note that each bus stems from a different philosophy. One way to gain a working knowledge of the four key 32-bit buses---VMEbus, NuBus, Futurebus and Multibus II-and to fully understand their philosophical differences, is to trace their roots. This This is the second in a series on microcomputer bus standards. The first article focused on 8- and 16-bit buses (MMS, August, Page 171). A third article will discuss data transfers, arbitration and interrupts on the emerging 32-bit bus standards. VMEbus, NuBus, Futurebus and Multibus II designed to accominodate multiple processors process also discloses the historical role of another 32-bit busVERSAbus. But, before beginning this analysis, system integrators should be aware that Digital Equipment Corp. officials confirm that the company is working on its own 32-bit bus. They, unfortunately, are not willing to disclose either a preliminary description or a target introduction date. As noted in the first article of this series (MMS, August, Page 171), today's popular 8- and 16-bit buses trace their roots back to the mid 1970s when 8-bit single processor systems with 64K-byte addressing represented the state of the art. But, these buses soon will be technologically mature. Using boards with newer state-of-the-art, verylarge-scale-integration (VLSI) components, in conjunction with these "older" buses, will appear wasteful because the bus architecture will limit component performance. Clearly, system integrators will want to migrate to a 32-bit bus architecture where new VLSI components can be fully exploited. While early implementations of 8and 16-bit buses were in singleprocessor systems, they recently have been used for single-processordominated multiprocessor systems. Although integrators can configure single-processor or single-processor-dominated systems using a 32-bit bus, some will choose to employ coequal or "true" multiprocessor designs. From a hardware point of view these coequal multiprocessor systems would be considered closely coupled. Other integrators may choose to use multiple CPU boards where each CPU board operates so independently that it can run a different operating system. These multiprocessor systems would be considered loosely coupled from a software point of view and closely coupled from a hardware point of view. In both of these configurations CPU boards share the system's resources. Those resources may include disk drives, printers, commu- ~ nications server and global memory. Each board controlling these resources may contain its own dedicated CPUs and therefore are intelligent cards capable of bus mastery. So, unlike 8- and 16-bit buses that MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 177 TECHNOLOGY: 32-BIT BUSES accommodate only a limited number of bus masters, the new 32-bit buses may be configured using intelligent cards exclusively. Futurebus influences other buses Many of the concepts now implemented by VMEbus, NuBus and Multibus II were exchanged and then analyzed in the meetings of IEEE working group P896. Over the last five years, this group has been shaping a specification that takes into account future bus requirements well into the 1990s. The bus specification has understandably been dubbed Futurebus. The IEEE P896 work has been so influential it has prompted Texas Instruments Inc.'s (TI) NuBus development· manager George White to comment, "The P896 committee could declare themselves a success based on their influence on other 32-bit buses alone.'' Paul Borrill, IEEE P896 chairman, acknowledges his committee's influence, but points out there are several Futurebus concepts not addressed by the 32-bit buses now on the market. He cites fault tolerance and support for cache memory as notable examples. Of all the 32-bit buses now in specification form, the Futurebus is VMEbus proponents appear to be following a phi1osoph y that suggests that an interface bus specification should pace technology. the closest to becoming the first 32-bit bus to be adopted as an IEEE standard; VMEbus, NuBus and Multibus II are from one to two years away from becoming IEEE standards. Borrill is also the chairman of a new IEEE "P" group chartered to derive an IEEE standard from the Multibus II specifications written by Intel Corp.'s OEM Modules Operation, Hillsboro, Ore. He argues that eventually the IEEE will adopt additional 32-bit buses. "There is no reason why there should only be one standard," maintains Borrill. "Systems integrators have to solve a wide variety of applications and no one bus standard is so versatile that it can meet the needs of every potential application." Although the Futurebus specification is complete enough to begin designing modules, so far, no singleboard manufacturer has announced COMPARING 32·BIT BUSIS Bus type IEEE working group number No. of slgnal lines (excluding power) Centralized services VMEbus asynch, 32-bit, nonmultiplexed P1014 107 clock, arbiter, power up/down Data widths supported leBB than 32 bits Handllng technique for data widths leBB than 32 bits Geographlcal addreBBlng Power (V) 8, 16, 24 justified (dynamic sizing) no 5, ± 12 Futurebus asynch , 32-bit, multiplexed P896 71 none 8, 16 unjustified yes 5 Nu Bus synch , 32-bit, multiplexed to be issued 49 clock, bus timeout 8, 16 unjustified yes 5, ±12 Multlbus II synch, 32-bit, multiplexed to be issued 67 clock, bus timeout, reset, card ID 8, 16 justified yes 5, ± 12 plans to support the Futurebus. Borrill says that semiconductor and board manufacturers have expressed interest in Futurebus products. However, the Futurebus is not seen by single-board computer manufacturers as a potentially popular 32-bit bus specification. Currently, most single-board computer manufacturers are focusing their attention on VMEbus and Multibus II. Nevertheless, commerical computer products based on a Futurebuslike backplane have been implemented by Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Ore. The Tektronix 6000 family of intelligent graphics workstations, introduced last September, supports multiple CPUs, multiple users and multiple graphics displays per user. The systems are aimed at the mechanical and electronic engineering design market. Committee work on the Futurebus began before most 32-bit interface buses entered the market. Therefore, in addition to its standards function, the IEEE P896 committee served as a design center by bringing together people interested in creating 32-bit buses: VMEbus, NuBus and Multibus II entered the market as Futurebus specifications developed. System integrators will find that NuBus and Multibus II share several concepts and features with Futurebus. The VMEbus, however, was less influenced by P896 committee work. Introduced in 1980, two to three years before NuBus and Multibus II, the current VMEbus specifications bear a close resemblance to the edge-connector-based VERSAbus. VERSAbus/VMEbus connection A little bus history is enlightening. Borrill recalls that the VERSAbus specifications, written by Motorola Semiconductor Products Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., were submitted to the P896 committee in 1979 for consideration as a 32-bit bus standard. Although the submission was rejected on several points, two points stood out as primary objections. 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Call or write today for complete information on how Lear Siegler's OEM capabilities can work for you. ~ Compl.ete OEM design, engineering, assembly and testing are performed at Lear Siegl.er's Anaheim, CA. facility. See us at DEXPO West Booth No. 1444 ISt LEAR SIEGLER, INC. DATA PRODUCTS DIVISION 901 E. Ball Road Anaheim, CA 92803 ' (714) 778-3500 CIRCLE NO. 85 ON INQUIRY CARD ftCHNOLOGY: 32-BIT BUSES committee felt would be inadequate to handle the more complex interrupt requirements of future multi- Eurocarcla come In different sizes processor systems. Second, the VERSAbus' daisy chains would prevent the incorporation of several Although 32-bit buses contain ele- buses, they will, due to their flexibiliments that make them incompatible, ty , also continue to allow Eurocardsome compatibility exists at the me- based buses to keep pace mechanical- user-configuration features envi- chanical interface level. VMEbus , ly with new architectures and sioned by the committee. "Because Multibus II, NuBus and Futurebus performance requirements for sever- we perceived an immediate need for a well-defined 32-bit bus," says Motorola's John Black, "Motorola, along with other board-level and semiconductor manufacturers, have all adopted the Eurocard family of boards and IEC 603-2 (DIN) 96-pin connectors. So while they now serve as mechanical interfaces for several popular European 8- and 16-bit al years. Although mechanically compatible within the Eurocard family, 32-bit cards come in different sizes. The table below compares the formats: chose to define a Eurocard-based bus derived from the proven VER- VMEbu1 Multlbu1 II Nu Bus Futurebu1 SAbus definition." The result was Eurocard type single height; double height triple height triple height the VMEbus (VERSA Module Eur- double height extended extended ocard) introduced in 1980. In the clearer light of hindsight, early VMEbus proponents made a wise marketing decision when they Dlmen1lon1 No. of DIN connectors 100x160mm, 233.35 x 160mm 1, 2 233.35 x 220mm 2 366.7 x 280mm 3 366. 7 x 280mm 3 decided to pursue an existing solu- tion (the VERSAbus) that ad- dressed: · The desire for a bus standard provide both arbitration and inter- bus proponents prepare a document that would allow systems initially rupt capabilities suitable for multi- for consideration by the VME- using boards containing 32-bit mi- processor system architectures. bus IEEE working group P1014. croprocessors with 16-bit data widths to later upgrade to full 32-bit Capabilities stir debate Using history as a guide, VMEbus proponents appear to be data width microprocessors Futurebus, NuBus and Multibus following a philosophy that suggests · The requirement that a bus II proponents argue that the VME- that an interface bus specification standard provide both arbitration bus does not provide arbitration and should pace technology. As archi- and interrupt capabilities suitable interrupt capabilities to address the tectures evolve, VMEbus propo- for multiprocessor system architec- upcoming needs of multiprocessor nents will augment the VMEbus tures system architectures. VMEbus sup- specification with other documenta- · The need for a mechanical spec- porters respond that, on the con- tion that defines higher levels of ification that provided, in addition trary, the VMEbus is well suited to protocol. By moving ahead with the to room for expansion and higher multiprocessor architectures being capability already available in 1980, reliability, a mechanical interface al- implemented by system integrators the VMEbus now enjoys the sup- lowing other existing buses to be today. To meet the interrupt capa- port of over 100 board-level manu- added as bus extensions. bilities of future multiprocessor sys- facturers worldwide. According to By adapting the VERSAbus tems, work is already underway on Gnostic Concepts Inc., a Menlo specification to a Eurocard mechani- another VMEbus document that Park, Calif., market reseach con- cal format, the VMEbus fulfilled the will define a message-passing tech- cern, the VMEbus became in 1983 third criterion and introduced a bus nique as a separate layer above the the fourth largest bus standard in that could be used with several ex- current collection of VMEbus speci- the U.S. market (based on dollar isting and developing Eurocard- fications. sales volume of single-board com- based 8- and 16-bit buses. By meet- All the proponents of 32-bit buses puters). ing the first criterion, system integrators looking for a way to see message passing as a feature that allows an interface bus to meet NuBus, Multibus II enter market ease the transition to 32-bit wide the more complex requirements of Until this year, system integra- data path microprocessors could future multiprocessor architec- tors looking for 32-bit bus products adopt the VMEbus, knowing in ad- tures. According to Motorola's had one choice--VMEbus. Now two vance the probable system-level im- Black, "Back in 1980 a conscious other 32-bit buses are entering the pact of shifting to wider data path decision was made to define mes- market. Tl's NuBus Operation in microprocessors. However, the ·sage passing as a separate layer." Irvine, Calif., began production of item that stirs up the most contro- That thinking is just now being for- NuBus boards earlier this year. In versy is the second criterion, the mally shared with members of the late September, Intel's OEM Mod- requirement that a bus standard VME Manufacturers Group as VME- ules Operation, announced two Mul- MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 181 TECHNOLOGY: 32-BIT BUSES tibus II interface chips; samples of the interface chips will be available this month and Intel's board-level products are expected to be introduced in the first quarter of 1985. So far, only TI, whose Data Systems Group home office is in Austin, Texas, is marketing NuBus boardlevel products. As for Multibus II, John Beaston, Intel's Multibus II marketing manager, claims, "By the end of 1985, there will be 30 Intel board, software and system products. Over time, we expect the num- her of Multibus II vendors to grow to the same number of vendors now supporting Multibus I." The NuBus was originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) specifically for multiprocessor architectures. The bus was further developed at Western Digital Corp., Irvine, Calif., where it was used as the backplane for a prototype UNIX-based engineering workstation. In February 1983, TI acquired Western Digital's workstation project, obtained a NuBus license from MIT and in June, 1983, introduced the UNIXbased Nu Machine. According to Steve Ward, associate professor of computer science and engineering at MIT, the first prototype NuBus machine was running at MIT in 1979. In that same year, an asynchronous version of the NuBus specifications was presented to the IEEE P896 committee. The prototype, however, was using a synchronous NuBus. Reflecting on the debate, Ward ob- Multlllus II ancl VMEllus offer multlple buses Both Multibus II and VMEbus ar- chitectures contain multiple buses. The VMEbus architecture comprises four buses; the Multibus II architecture, on the other hand, comprises three buses, with bus extensions to two more. In the Multibus II architecture the main system bus is the Parallel System Bus (iPSB). The system integra- VMEBUS ARCHITECTURE grator may choose to use the Local Bus Extension (iLBX II) Bus to re- move CPU-to-local memory transactions from the iPSB bus. Another alternative is to use the low-cost Serial System Bus (iSSB) instead of the iPSB bus. The major difference between these two buses is their interconnection scheme. Although the iPSB bus uses a 32-bit-wide data path, connects to the system backplane with a 96-pin connector and runs at 10 MHz, the iSSB bus is one bit wide, interfaces to boards using a 2-pin connector attached to a cable that may be extended up to 10 meters and runs at 2 MHz. Both the iPSB bus and the iSSB bus support 1/0, message passing and arbitration. Because the iLBX II bus allows a CPU card to access memory as if it resided on the CPU card, it has been optimized for execution and only supports memory transfers. The two bus extensions carried over from the Multibus I architecture to the Multibus II architecture are the Multichannel DMA 1/0 Bus and the iSBX 1/0 Expansion Bus. The Multichannel DMA 1/0 Bus allows high speed block transfers-as many as 8M bytes per second over distances as long as 15 meters--among physically distributed peripherals. Typical applications include 1/0 bus iSBX MULTIMODULE VMEBUS VMS BUS MULTIBUS II ARCHITECTURE MEMORY CPU #1 IPSB BUS ISSB BUS ALTERNATIVE MEMORY 1/0 CONTROLLER MEMORY iSSB BUS CPU #2 182 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 TICHNOLOGY: 32-BIT BUSES serves, "The asynchronous versus synchronous issue is primarily a 'religious' debate. There are good technical arguments for both sides, but, from the system integrators' point of view, it's a push as to which is best." NuBus uses 'minimalist' strategy Several goals and the philosophy of the early NuBus design team have been preserved by a newly formed "P" group charged with deriving an IEEE standard based on communications with graphics processors, data-acquisition modules and system-to-system links. The iSBX I/O expansion bus and associated Multimodules allow the addition of a small low-cost board that attaches directly above a full-sized board. Using these small boards, the system integrator may configure a full-sized board more precisely by adding functions such as high-speed mathematics, memory management and voice synthesis. Unlike the Multichannel bus, which is an Intel bus, the iSBX bus has its own IEEE standard-IEEE 959-and is used in other bus architectures such as the STD-bus and the VMEbus. The VMEbus and the VMXbus operate in the same manner as the iPSB bus and the iLBX II bus in the Multibus II architecture. Less clear, at this time, is the function of the VMSbus. Work is currently underway by VMEbus proponents to define the functions of the serial VMSbus. One of these functions is likely to be message-passed directed interrupts. When the functions of the VMSbus are defined, it will be part of a VMEbus document separate from the present Revision C specifications. The separate document is expected to define message-passing techniques as a separate layer above the current collection of VMEbus specifications. The Motorola I/O Channel provides low-cost modular I/O expansion on a local processor bus not tied to a specific board or enclosure. The bus operates at 2M bytes per second and may be extended to 12 feet. Modules can be selected for a wide range of requirements such as analog-to-digital conversion, discrete I/O, and mass storage peripherals. the TI NuBus specifications. Both buses", left). Tl's White and MIT's Ward describe Like its predecessor Multibus I, the NuBus design as a "minimalist" Multibus II provides a wealth of strategy. "The idea,'' says Ward, "is configuration possibilities. Unlike to strive for an economy of mecha- Multibus I, which grew over time nism. Define the mechanism for by adding a bus here and tacking on data transfer, arbitration and inter- another there, the collection of Mul- rupts, but do not go on to define tibus II buses are all explained in specific techniques. The choice of the Revision C specifications. These technique should be left to the sys- specifications describe a synchro- tems designer." nous 32-bit bus that·specifies more A design goal of Futurebus, features than any of the other 32-bit NuBus and Multibus II was to fit all buses, a much different philosophy of the the bus lines onto one 96-pin than that held by proponents of the IEC 603-2 (DIN) connector. Follow- NuBus. ing the "minimalist" philosophy, TI Unlike the other 32-bit bus speci- has refused to add pins without a fication documents, the Multibus II clear indication that something of specifications include a chapter de- substance is being added. The result voted to system architectural con- is that the current TI NuBus spe- siderations. Entitled Chapter Six, cifications use only 49 signal lines, this section of the Multibus II speci- excluding power and ground. fications explains the "layers" of the (VMEbus uses 107 lines and has to Multibus II architecture. "The use a second connector to achieve VMEbus specifications did not in- full 32-bit operation; Futurebus clude such a chapter when systems uses 71 and Multibus II requires integrators began to implement 67). VMEbus systems." observes Intel's The NuBus' low pin count has Beaston. "Now, three years later, a some side benefits. One is testabili- document is being prepared to ex- ty. A system integrator can observe plain the 'layers' of the VMEbus the operation of the entire NuBus, architecture. Because the 'layers' including arbitration signals, on a were not explained up front, I think logic analyzer using only 43 chan- the VMEbus will encounter back- nels. The other benefit is that it is wards compatibility problems. We possible to implement the bus using do not want that to happen on Multi- just a 64-pin subset, making it high- bus II systems. That's why we have ly suitable for adaptation to future included a sixth chapter in the Mul- VLSI-intensive systems. On the tibus II specifications." other hand, the reduced number of According to Beaston, "By using power lines available with this sub- a multiple bus architecture, Multi- set may limit the size of these future bus II can address both high perfor- module.s to a single Eurocard. mance applications and applications Multibus II offers five buses where cost is a primary consideration." To obtain higher perfor- The "minimalist" NuBus specifi- mance, the Multibus II architecture cations define a single bus and one may be functionally partitioned so 32-bit data path. Multibus II, on the that the iLBX II bus removes pro- other hand, specifies three buses cessor execution functions from the and offers bus extensions to two iPSB bus. Like the iLBX boards more. The Multibus II architecture found in Multibus I systems, an consists of the Parallel System Bus iLBX II board allows a processor to (iPSB), the Local Bus Extension access off-board memory as if it (iLBX II Bus), the Serial System resided on the processor board. Be- Bus (iSSB) and two buses carried cause it has been optimized for exe- over from the Multibus I architec- cution, the iLBX II bus does not ture-the iSBX I/O Expansion Bus provide the functions of I/O, mes- and the Multichannel DMA (Direct sage passing, arbitration and board Memory Access) I/O Bus (see "Mul- configuration support performed by tibus II and VMEbus offer multiple the Parallel System Bus. The Intel MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 183 POS 132/80 TICHNOLOGY: 32-BIT BUSES FOR ALL DEMAND DOCUMENT NEEDS. PROVIDES TRUE USE OF THE ENTIRE FORM. The POS Printers can print up to 6 part form s within Ve" at the top and bottom perts. · Graphics and Correspondance Quality Are Resident · Serial & Parallel Interlace Resident · Speeds Up To 165 CPS · 96 Character ASCII I 9 x 9 or 1Bx 9 DP/ · Graphics at 72 x 72 DP/ · Bi-Directional I Reversible Tractor · Under 33 lbs. ANOTHER INNOVATIVE PRODUCT FROM INTERMARKET·TRADING COMPANY 433 28th Street Hermosa Beach, California 90254, U.S.A. (213) 374-3960 CIRCLE NO. 86 ON INQUIRY CARD ROLL YOUR OWN PC OR XT CLONE FOR JUST $662 STARTER SYSTEM INCLUDES CHASSIS, COVER, 12-SLOT BACKPLANE, 125W POWER SUPPLY, 8088 CPU CARD; IN QUANTITIES OF 1000. · 18-SLOT OPTION · 100% SOFT1/HARDWARE COMPATIBLE · SELECT FROM INDUSTRY OR OUR ADD-ON CARDS INCLUDING: RAI, COMBI, CDIBIRAI, FDC, OUAD232, DIGITAL 1/0, ROM SIMULATOR · LICENSING; PRIVATE LABELING · IN STOCK FOR lllEDIATE DELIVERY Electro Design, Inc. 690 Rancheros Drive San Marcos, CA 92069 (619) 471 -0680 CIRCLE NO. 87 ON INQUIRY CARD Multibus II specifications claim that the use of the iLBX II bus can reduce a processor's bus band-width requirements by 60 to 90 percent. A serial bus low-cost alternative When cost is a major consideration, the Multibus II architecture offers the Serial System Bus as a low-cost alternative to the Parallel System Bus. Both the iPSB and iSSB buses perform data movement and inter-processor communication functions. The major difference between the two buses is the interconnection scheme. The iPSB bus uses a 32-bit wide data path, connects to the system backplane with a 96-pin connector and runs at 10 MHz. In contrast, the iSSB bus is one-bit wide, interfaces to boards using a 2-pin connector attached to a cable that may be extended up to 10 meters and runs at 2 MHz. Although the performance of the iSSB bus is two orders of magnitude less, its cost is also two orders of magnitude less. The first generation of Multibus II systems will probably employ the iPSB bus. Subsequent Multibus II systems, however, may employ the iSSB bus instead of the iPSB bus. As VLSI devices become more capable, the printed-circuit-board area required to implement a function will decrease. Thus. in subsequent product generations, the system integrator may choose to lower costs by implementing the same functions on a smaller, less expensive board. The iSSB bus allows the system integrator to also lower the interconnect cost by shifting to a two-pin connector and to serial media. Because the iSSB bus supports the same message-passing interface used by the iPSB bus, the integrator can migrate a secondgeneration product to an iSSB bus implementation with only minimal software changes. Multibus II began, of course, as a follow-up bus to Intel's sucessful Multibus I. "The original Multibus II design employed edge connectors and a Multibus I-like form factor." says Intel's marketing manager Beaston, recalling the design evolu- tion of the Multibus II specifica- tions, "After reviewing the work of the IEEE P896 committee and dis- cussing items such as the Eurocard mechanical specifications with com- mittee members, Intel revised the Multibus II specifications to incor- porate several Futurebus-like fea- tures." According to Beaston, Intel began attending IEEE P896 com- mittee meetings in early 1982. Multibus II has chosen the ex- tended double-height Eurocard with two DIN connectors. In fact, all four of the 32-bit buses have adopted card sizes from the Euro- card configuration grid (MMS, Au- gust, Page 172). As for the other three buses, VMEbus uses both the single- and double-height Euro- cards, whereas NuBus and Futur- ebus have chosen extended triple- height Eurocards (see " Eurocards come in different sizes", Page 181). Geographic addressing is another feature Multibus II shares with Futurebus and NuBus. A typical problem encountered when install- ing a board into a computer sys- tem's backplane is the setting of bit switches and connecting the appro- priate jumper wires. By "reading" its slot position via a set of geo- graphical address lines, a card plugged into a Futurebus, NuBus or Multibus II backplane can automati- cally configure itself; this eliminates the bit switches and the wire con- nections. This same procedure may also be used to facilitate automatic system configuration routines. Although Eurocards differentiate the new 32-bit buses from their edge-connector ancestors, the fea- tures that clearly make these buses so different is their message-pass- ing capability, methods of arbitra- tion and interrupt-handling tech- niques. Those items will be the subject of the third article in this series on microcomputer buses and will appear in a future issue of Mini- Micro Systems. D Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 825 Medium 826 Low 827 1nclud In today's "look-alike, sound-alike" PC systems market, the printer you select for OEM system integration reflects the importance you place on superior performance and long-term reliability. In fact, anything less than a quality printer not only compromises your system's total performance.. .it undermines customer perception of your system in a highly competitive marketplace. That's why you owe it to yourself, and the success of your system, to make our incomparable PT-88 ink-jet printer.. .or the wide-carriage PT-89, part of your OEM system package. Just look at these unique features designed to enhance your system's performance.. .and give it the all-important "competitive edge" : · Ultra-silent operation (:S 45 dBa) And here's more good news! Siemens · Exceptionally high reliability... the print head is rated in excess of 10 billion characters! ·High speed (150 cps bi-directional} performance · "Drop-on demand" ink-jet quality printing...crisp, clean, consistent PT-88/89 ink-jet printers offer OE Ms the cost pricing benefits of high value-added reseller (VAR) margins. And of course, PT-88/89 printers are fully warranted and backed by one of the world 's largest technical service/support organizations. Take advantage of this golden · IBM-PC, EPSON , and other compati- 9pportunity. Fill out the attached bilities available postcard for our detailed information · Full graphics capability package on the PT-88/89 ink-jet printers. · Multiple interfaces Siemens Communication Systems, Inc., Office Systems Group, 5500 Broken · Friction/traction or roll paper Sound Blvd., Boca Raton , FL 33431 capabilities (305) 994-8800 Extension 7608. · Downloadable character generator · Siemens quality at no extra cost. Hence is golden...the quie ink-j t printers from Siemen CC/3020-056 WLM 111 New Products SYSTEMS Workstation runs Uniplus operating system · 68000 processor · 15-inch, 720-by-560-pixel display · 113-key, detachable keyboard The microSystem NX multitasking workstation integrates engineering administration and applications-development environments. It runs t he Uniplus operating system, which features a window manager and font editor and compatibility with UNIX System II I. Based on the Motorola 68000 processor, the microSystem NX is configured with a 15-inch, 720-pixel-by-560-pixel bitmapped display; a 113-key, low-profile detachable keyboard; 512K bytes of main memory and 64K bytes of display screen memory ; a 5¥.i-inch 655K-byte diskette; two RS232C asynchronous ports; and either 12M bytes or 18M bytes of disk storage. Applications packages include word processing, graphics and spreadsheet software. $8,895, 12Mbyte version; $9,495, 18M-byte version. Honeywell Information Systems Inc. , 200 Smith St., MS 486, Waltham, Mass. 02154, (617) 895-6000. Circle No 300 patible with the IBM PC. Standard on both models is the Intel 8088 microprocessor, 256K bytes of RAM, 640pixel-by-200-pixel resolution business graphics, an RS232C port, a parallel printer port and an IBM-compatible keyboard. The computers come with TeleDOS and GWBASIC. The TPC IIS has one 5¥.i-inch, 360K-byte floppy disk drive; the TPC IID has two floppy disk drives. Each model includes an RGB monitor port and a composite video port for attaching color monitors. TPC IIS, $2,395; TPC IID, $2,695. TeleVideo Systems Inc., 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086, (408) 745-7760. Circle No 301 Portable computers work with IBM PC · 8088 microprocessor · TeleDOS and GWBASIC · composite video port TPC IIS and TPC IID portable computers are hardware and software com- Workstation features local processing · lOM- to 40M-byte capacities · eight storage configurations · 256 colors from a palette of 16. 7 million 11111/FAST 5000 PRINTER NON-HEAT, NON-IMPACT ION IMAGING PROCESS 5000 L.P.M. · 60+ SHEETS/MIN. · L ETTER QUALITY 8 CHAR. FONTS FLEXIBLE Custom Fonts Foreign Language Graphics Landsca p ing Bar Codes ECONOMICAL $0.012/ page average Low downtime No special paper 90% fewer moving parts Requires < 5 sq. ft floorspace UN IVERSAL PERIPHERAL CONTROLLERS (UPC) Hosts up to 4 peripheral devices UPC· 1 : N/ C INTERFACE: Replaces punched paper tape UPC·3 : PROTOCOL CONVERTER : Serial Parallel converter 188 CIRCLE NO. 88 ON INQUIRY CARD CIRCLE NO. 89 ON INQUIRY CARD MINI-MICRO SYSTE MS/December 1984 storage may be added to serve as many as 11 users. Two software features , Ramdisk and Disk Cache, are built into the system. Ramd isk allows the use of main memory as a logical disk fo r frequently accessed data; Disk Cache provides t he same and updates the physical disk fo r fast-read capabilit ies. The OASIS operating system, OASIS BASIC and Control/Sort come bundled with the system. The unit measures 17 inches by 8 inches by 15 inches and weighs 30 pounds. $7,990. Onyx Systems Inc., 25 E. Trimble Road, San Jose, Calif. 95131, (408) 946-6330. Circle No 303 The Colorware System 23 family of workstations provides interactive processing capabilities, a color display and local data storage for CAD, presentation graphics and resource management applications. Available in three models, the family delivers resolutions of 1,024 by 768, 768 by 575 or 512 by 512 on a 19-inch color monitor. Each model displays 256 colors simultaneously from a palette of 16. 7 million. Graphics features include firmware anti-aliasing on the models 23/10 and 23/7, Tektronix PLOT 10-compatibility and polygon fills. The DEC LSI-11/23 processor included in the System 23 furnishes 512K byt es of memory . Four serial ports, two RS232C ports and a parallel DMA por t accommodate standard Q-bus peripheral modules. Users select from eight disk storage configurations with a capacity range of l OM to 40M bytes. Approximately $30,000. Advanced Electronics Design lnc., 440 Potrero Ave ., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086, (408) 733-3555. Circle No 302 Multiuser computer employs OASIS-8 · Z80B microprocessor · 384K bytes of RAM · Ramdisk and Disk Cache software The C5010V multiuser, 8-bit microcomputer is a floor-standing system based on a 6-MHz Zilog Z80B microprocessor. In its minimum config urat ion, the system features five RS232C serial ports and one Centronics parallel port, 384K bytes of RAM and a choice of a 5%-inch 14M-, 21M- or 40M-byte Winchester disk with %-inch, 6,400-bpi magnetic tape cartridge backup. The 14M- and 21M-byte drives provide an average access time of 68 msecs; the 40M-byte drive, a 55-msec average access time. Six serial ports, 512K bytes of RAM and 40M bytes of internal disk MINI -M ICRO SYSTE MS/Dece m be r 1984 llln't AMditCWfl. that pt8Ciaion and OI the 0-7000. ADC we've engineered a hlgh- accurae)f high-repeatability media tester that meets engineering crtterla AND full volume production demands. All test routines and test parameters are user-programmable, either from the certifier control panel, or downloaded from a host computer. Used in automatic mode with ADC~ Robotic Disk Handler (RDHJ, It achieves high throughput and virtually eliminates susceptibility to operator error. That versatility wasn't achieved at the expense of performance. Repeatability Is our goal, low noise analog and 10 bit digital conversion is a fact. Amplitude, dropout/ dropin, resolution and modulation-~7000 does it all! Full track/half track stepping, programmable spindle speed, selectable write current- C-7000 has it all! Call l'bday for more information on the diskette certifier and the full range of high performance products from Applied Data Communications, 14272 Chambers Road, Tustin, CA 92680, (714) 731-9000. - CIRCLE NO. 90 ON INQUIRY CARD 189 New Products D ISK!TAPE provides instant microsecond access to 1M byte of data. In multiuser network environments , the system is interface and format compatible with ANSI/SMD specifications. The drive employs a sealed disk head chamber that eliminates contaminants. $6,000, OEM quantity. Alpha Data Inc., 20750 Marilla St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311 , (818) 8826500 . Circle No 305 Tape subsystem connects to four channels · 125 ips · Reads and writes at 800, 1,600 or 6,250 bpi The model 4650 tape subsystem features an integrated controller. It uses standard tape reels and nine-track recording technology. When equipped with an integrated data buffer called the Accelerator, it can run 3M-bytes-persecond computer channels. The drive reads and writes at 800, 1,600 or 6,250 bpi. A four-channel switch option connects the tape subsystem to four separate channels, permitting use with multiple CPUs. $45,000. Stor age Technology Cor p., 2270 South 88th St., Louisville, Colo. 80028, (303) 673-5151. Circle No 304 Disk drive stores 160M bytes · Fifty read/write heads · 18-msec average access time · 8000 individual tracks Achieving an average access time of 18 msecs, the Atlas disk drive incorporates 50 read/write heads on three platters that can be stepped to a total of 160 cylinders or 8,000 individual tracks. Each cylinder Half-height floppy drives suit desktop computers · Double-sided · 1/2M- or 1M-byte storage · 94-msec average access time The TM-65 family of 5 1/4-inch, halfheight, double-sided floppy disk drives accommodates portable and desktop computer systems, word processors and intelligent peripherals. The 96-tpi Model TM65-4 offers LM byte of storage capacity and features an onboard microprocessor that controls spindle speed. The 48-tpi Model TM65-2L drive offers 1/2M byte of storage capacity. A split-band head positioner driven by a stepper motor achieves an average access time of 94 msecs; transfer rate is 250K bps. The drives weigh less than three pounds and measure 1.68 inches high by 5.87 inches wide by 8.07 inches long. Model TM652L, $125; Model TM65-4, $150. Tandon Corp., 20320 Prairie St. , Chatsworth, Calif. 91311 , (910) 493-5965 . Circle No 306 Floppy disk subsystems store 1.6M bytes · Directory-controlled file allocation · Disk copy capability · Twenty-five system commands The 2000 series of intelligent floppy disk data storage subsystems includes two or more 5 1/4-inch, 400K-byte floppy disk drives , a disk controller, power supply and RS232C interface . The standalone file-oriented subsystems use CP/M-structured operations. Features include directory-controlled file allocation, file and disk copy capability, 25 system and maintenance commands to facili tate data transfer and eight baud rates to 19.2K. The Series 200 Dual Drive Master Module contains two drives, a microprocessor controller and DC power supplies in an 8-inch-by-10inch-by-16-inch housing . The Series 2200 Dual Drive Expansion Module "slave " unit furnishes two 400K-byte drives and DC power supplies in an identical enclosure . The Series 2240 Quad Drive Subsystem combines the master and slave modules and stores I .6M bytes of data . Model 2000, $3 ,300; model 2200, $2 ,600 ; model 2240, $5 ,500. Da-Tech Corp., 92 Steamwhistle Drive, Ivyland, Pa. 18974, (215) 322-9410. Circle No 307 Disk subsystem suits DEC's Q-bus computers · lOM bytes of Winchester storage · 400K bytes of floppy storage · Employs RQDXl controller The CI-550 Winchester/floppy subsystem for DEC's Q-bus 18- or 22-bit computers converts a system into a DEC Micro-11 provided it has like handlers and emulations. Furnishing 400K bytes of floppy storage capacity and lOM bytes of Winchester storage capacity , the subsystem transfers data at a rate of 625K bytes per second. Average access time is 75 msecs. The subsystem employs DEC's proprietary RQDXl controller, utilizing the Mass Storage Control Protocol. The standard RX-50 floppy format allows media portability. Functions provided are error detection and correction, error retry , block mode DMA and bad block mapping. The package includes the RQDXl controller card , a power supply, an external enclosure and cabling. $2 ,295. Christin Industries Inc., #101, 31352 Via Colinas, Westlake Village, Calif. 91362 , (818) 991-2254. Circle No 308 190 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Quality Performers Century Data Systems now These compa_ct, fixed/ introduces its new C-Series, a line of higher capacity, 8-inch disk memories. These memories are available in a variety of models to offer OEMs the versatility removable 8-inch disk memories are the perfect match with large personal computers, microcompu- ter systems or transaction-oriented systems. they want, along with the quality and reliability they have come to expect This new family of high performance, 8-inch disk memories uses advanced technology and provides compact, reliable mass storage. All C-Series products fit in our new, standard 8.5-inch wide package. OEMs using large disk memories can now standardize on one compact package for installation in computer cabinets, equipment pedestals, or on desktops. For example, our new 8-inch Winchester, the C2476, is the ideal choice for computer systems utilizing disk memories in multiuser and multi-task environments which require fast access to large files of data. The C2476 stores 476 megabytes in significantly less cabinet space than previously available models and has an average positioning time of 15 milliseconds. Like all our disk memories, the new 8-inch product line is reasonably priced, easy to install, and includes the quality and performance OEM systems require. We invite your inquiries. Write or call: Century Data Systems, Product Marketing, 1270 N. Kraemer Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92806 (714) 632-7500. The C2075, our initial C-Series offer- ing, is an 8-inch fixed/removable disk memory containing 80.2 megabytes of storage. Continuing this line of disk memories is the C2120, our new 122.9 megabyte fixed/ removable disk. Both of these disk memories provide OEMs with powerful new sales tools. The fixed Winchester disk portion of the device provides highcapacity, reliable, on-line storage while the removable cartridge extends the on-line storage and provides faster, more convenient backup than tape. Specifications Transfer rate 0 Century Data Syst~!!lo.! CIRCLE NO. 91 ON INQUIRY CARD 191 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 New Products PRINTERS original on fanfold paper from 4% to 10 inches or cut sheet paper. Pin feed, friction feed, bottom feed and a replace- able ink cartridge are feat ured. The 140 standard characters include 96 ASC II characters plus 44 E uropean letters. The standard model comes with a paral- lel input. Other models interface wit h Apple Computer Inc. computers, t he IBM PC and its look-alikes and other Dual-mode printer connects personal computers. $299. Axiom to personal computers Corp. , 1014 Griswold Ave. , San Fernan- · NLQ mode or draft mode · 140-character set do, Calif. 91340, (818) 365-9521. Circle No 309 · IBM PC compatible wit h control codes Suited for word processing, data pro- cessing, graphics and documentation, the Dot-matrix printer produces color, graphics GP-550 performs dot-matrix printing · 80 to 120 cps, letter-quality mode and near-letter-quality (NLQ) printing · 300 cps, draft mode functions. In the draft mode, the printer · 50dB noise level operates in a 9-by-9 dot-matrix format The GP300LC dot-matrix printer is at 86 cps with six character sets. A equipped with color and graphics capa- 9-by-16 matrix provides NLQ perfor- · bilities and prints at 80 to 120 cps in mance at 43 cps with 12 character sets. letter-quality mode and 300 cps in draft At a less-than-60-dBA noise level, t he mode . Some of t he 95-character fonts unit prints t hree copies, including t he are OCR-A and -B codes, dot-address- OPTIONS · LSl·11/23, LSl-1 1/73, or MICROVAX CPU 'S · 10MB-140MB Winchester, tape/floppy backup · 256K-4MB RAM , Block Mode OMA, CSR, ECC Cl-MICR0·11C: LSl -11/73 CPU, 1MB RAM , 4X8 Backplane, Power Supply, 4 serial 1/0, 20 MB winchester, 2MB 8" floppy, all in a rack or table-top chassis $9695* ALSO CALL FOR DETAILS ON MEMORY and WINCHESTER SUBSYSTEMS "OFFERING QUALITY WITH AFFORDABLE PRICING" ~ c~~~~,c~'!:as~':e~~~i~~!~~:13!nc. ~ (818) 991 -2254 ·TWX 910-494-1253 CHRISLIN W KVG *OEM P r1c 1ng · LS l -1 1. MI CROVAX. are tradema r ks of 01g1tal Equ1prnen1 Cor,)orat1on CIRCLE NO. 92 ON INQUIRY CARD 192 able graphics and forms and logos, which are downloaded and controlled via software. A proprietary 18-needle print head allows single-pass dot resolutions of 18 by 50 dpi in text mode and 144 by 144 dpi for graphics. Noise level is less than 50 dB. A 2K-byte internal buffer and an RS232C interface are standard. $3,200. Philips Peripherals Inc., Unit 12, 385 Oyster Point Blvd., South San Francisco, Calif. 94080, (415) 952-3000. Circle No 310 Laser printer performs four copying functions · 240 by 240 dpi at 20 ppm · 300 by 300 dpi at 16 ppm · Optical image overlay Offering laser printing, scanning, photocopying and optical image overlay functions, the M3071 compact laser printer r uns at two speeds. It prints 20 pages per minute (ppm) with a 300-by300-dpi resolution and 16 ppm with a 240-by-240-dpi resolution. The unit uses laser electrophotography for letter- quality printing and halogen lamp electrophotography for copying. Scanning fu nctions are performed by trans- forming copy data into dot data for computer processing. The optical image overlay and graphics data processes use negative image forms to reproduce copies. $7,340. Fujitsu America Inc., 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95134, (408) 946-8777. Circle No 311 Lightweight printer serves portable computers · 13 by 7.5 by 2.8 inches · 6.6 pounds · 50 cps in draft mode Measur ing 13 inches wide by 7.5 inches deep by 2.8 inches high and weighing 6.6 pounds, t he Gr eat Little Printer suits portable computer applications. The printer operates at 50 cps in draft mode and at 12 cps in near-letter-quality mode. It handles cut sheet and roll MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 paper. Standard features include en- larged, condensed, emphasized and dou- ble-strike print modes as well as super- scripting, subscripting and underlining. $299. Centronics Data Computer Corp., 1 Wall St., Hudson, N.H. 03051, (603) 883-0111. Circle No 312 Printers work with IBM PCs, Epson micros · Push tractor paper feed · 80- or 136-column dot matrix · 160 cps, draft mode The MSP series consists of two models, the MSP-10 80-column and MSP-15 136-column dot-matrix printer. Both offer correspondence-quality, bit-image graphics and draft mode. Print speed is 160 cps in draft mode; 40 cps, correspondence-quality mode. Standard printing features include expanded and compressed print, pica and elite, underline feature, eight foreign character sets, superscript, subscript, reverse mode and graphics. Printing is bidirectional in text mode and unidirectional in graphics mode . The low-profile series offers 100 percent IBM and Epson compatibility, low-noise operation and a push tractor paper feed. $549, MSP-10; $799, MSP-15, OEM quantities. Citizen America Corp., 2425 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, Calif. 90404, (213) 453- 0614. Circle No 313 Daisywheel printer featu res Diablo compatibility · 96-character wheel · Bidirectional · 22 cps in 12-pitch A serial impact, Diablo compatible, bidirectional logic-seeking printer, the KX-P3151 features a 96-character wheel. Printing 22 cps in 12-pitch or 21 cps in 10 pitch, the printer includes word-processing functions such as bold and shadow lettering, backspace, margins, tabs, underline and justification. A friction feed is standard; usable form lengths are operator variable, from 3 inches to 16 inches. The printer generates four simultaneous copies on noncarbon forms; three copies on carbon paper. Maximum paper width is 15V2 inches; printing width, 13112 inches. The impression and copy controls for the Diablo compatible ribbon have a reset alarm, a fast-paper advance and a slowstep advance. $699. Panasonic Industrial Co. One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, N.J. 07094, (201) 348-7183. Circle No 314 There is a band printer with an MTBF of up to 6000 hours. What more do you need to know? Call: 1-800-626-4686 Fujitsu Printers Maximum Quality. MaximumValue. FUJITSU CIRCLE NO. 93 ON INQUIRY CA RD MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 193 New Products TERMINALS Terminal integrates voice, data · 2K-by-12 display RAM · 32K-byte ROM · Dual microprocessors The VDT3000 integrated voice-data terminal replaces five business commu- nication products: business telephone, autodialer, hands-free speakerphone, CRT display terminal and full-duplex, 1,200-baud modem. Measuring 12 inches wide by 10 inches high by 16 inches deep and weighing less than 14 pounds, the standalone terminal features two telephone lines with hold, redial and flash CIRCLE NO. 94 ON INQUIRY CARD 194 keys; speed dialing; "soft key" menu trees; single-key automatic sign-on; ac- cess to local or remote databases and a 16-key programmable keyboard. It pro- vides two RS232 I/O ports and directo- ries for numbers, host log-on proce- dures and function keys. The ANSI X 3.64-compatible unit utilizes MC6809 and TMS1200 CMOS microprocessors and holds 2K-by-12 display RAM, 2K-by-4 non-volatile CMOS RAM and 32K bytes of ROM. $1,700. Thomson- CSF Communications Inc., 2 Gannett Drive, White Plains, N.Y. 10604, (914) 694-4450. Circle No 315 Color graphics unit serves three uses · 8 colors · 30-line-by-80-character format · 192K bytes of RAM Suiting CAD/CAM or business graphics presentation applications, the model 6848 system can support a standalone color graphics terminal, a computer ASCII terminal or a 192K-byte printer buffer. Graphics mode displays eight colors from a palette of 16 in 640-by-480- dot, 640-by-400-dot or 640-by-240-dot resolutions, with a 640-by-819-dot virtu- al resolution. Graphics generation in- cludes dot, line or arc/circle features. Mixed alphanumeric and graphic images can be displayed simultaneously. In text mode, the unit is TeleVideo 925 compati- ble, displaying 30 lines by 80 characters. The hardware includes RGB interface, power supply, 192K bytes of RAM, 12K bytes of EPROM, RS232 serial port accommodating 110 to 19.2K baud rates and parallel printer port. The model can be configured at 64K bytes (two colors), 128K bytes (four colors) and 192K bytes (eight colors). Starts at $379.95 (with- out monitor). Ultratek, 409 S. Raymond Ave., Alhambra, Calif. 91803, (818)-282- 9056. Circle No 316 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/Dece mber 1984 Terminal boasts Tektronixcompatible graphics · 12SK-byte memory · 1,024-by-500 dot resolution · Four text formats The GP-29 low-cost graphics terminal, which is compatible with the Tektronix 4014 graphics display terminal and the DEC text mode operation, comes as a standalone terminal or as ii retrofit board for the Zenith Z29 terminal. It holds 12SK bytes of memory for multiple pages of off-screen scrolling and graphics features such as dual mem- ory plane operation. Graphics functions such as zoom, pan, area fill, area move and arc drawing feature a 512-by-250pixel resolution or a 1,024-by-500-pixel resolution. Text mode operation is compatible with the DEC VTlOO and VT220 terminals. Standard display appears in SO-by-24, SO-by-49, 132-by-24 and 132by-49 column-by-line formats. The programmable keyboard furnishes 91 keys. $1,695, model GP-29; $995, retrofit board. Northwest Digital Systems, 215 Eighth Ave. North, Seattle, Wash. 9S109, (206) 623-4135. Circle No 317 "terminal emulates four configurations · 300- or 1,200-bps data rates · 7-inch, amber display · 56K-byte ROM The Displayphone PLUS, a combined voice and data terminal, contains a 212A-compatible auto-answer modem with selectable 300- or 1,200-bps transmission rates. Its four terminal configu- rations include DEC VTlOO and VT52 emulation and IBM 3101 and ANSI 3.64 cursor addressing. A fifth cursor addressing protocol emulates Data General, ADDS, Hazeltine and TeleVideo terminals. An RS232 serial interface enables 75- to 9,600-bps data transmission rates in eight steps; a Centronics parallel interface is also provided. The 7-inch amber display features a selectable 40-or SO-character horizontal format with 25 vertical lines and a 5-by-7-dot matrix. It displays 96 ASCII characters, 64 ANSI graphics characters and VTlOO graphics characters. The keyboard provides 55 keys and 12S ASCII codes with auto repeat and two-key rollover. The telephone unit features a 90-number directory, automatic dialing and hands-free speaking. Utilizing an S-bit, SOS5A microprocessor, the 11 V2by-14%-by-S%-inch unit provides 56K bytes of ROM and SK bytes of CMOS RAM. $1,595. Northern Telecom Inc., 259 Cumberland Bend, Nashville, Tenn. 3722S, (615) 251-4903. Circle No 318 There is abandprinter which sets new standanls in price/performance. What more do you need to know? Call: 1-800-626-4686 Fujitsu Printers Maximum Quality. MaximumVci.lue. FUJITSU CIRCLE NO. 95 ON INQUIRY CAR D MINI-MICRO SYSTE MS/December 1984 195 New Products DATACOMM proprietary gate-array microprocessor rests in a 14-inch board ; the 14 keyboard layouts pr ovide international keyboard mapping. The unit comes in a coaxial version and as a remote connection. $1,595. CXI Inc., 3606 West Bayshore Road , Palo Alto, Calif. 94303-4229, (415) 424-0700. Circle No 319 Interface board, software replicate IBM 3270 PC · Five host application windows · 14 keyboard layouts The 3270-PC Connection, an add-in interface board and software, provides micro-to-mainframe communications fo r IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers by emulating t he IBM 3270 PC. Able to alternate between host and PC applications, the product can window five interactive host-application sessions, a P C-DOS session and two notepads. A screen-control application program interfaces a DOS application and five emulated 3278179 host sessions. The Protocol converter emulates IBM terminals · Three access modes · Runs IBM PC and host applications concurrent ly The PAlOO Turbo protocol conver ter plug-in board allows an IBM PC to emulate a variety of IBM 3278 and 3279 terminals. Acting as an IBM terminal, the IBM P C can capture full screens of data or selective por tions of t he screen based on user-defined templates. Wit h opt ional host-resident software, t he Turbo provides a menu-driven approach to file transfer . In terminal emulation mode, the Turbo runs PC and host applications concurrently. It connects co- axially to an IBM 3274176 cluster con- t roller supporting IBM BCS or SNA/SDLC environments. $1195. Ava- tar Technologies Inc., 99 Sout h St., Hopkinton, Mass. 01748, (6 17) 435-6872. Circle No 320 Network processor emulates DEC DMF-32 · Supports two point-to-point trunk links · 19.2K-bps data rate The System 207 Unibus- Interface network processor emulates the asynchronous controller operation of the DEC DMF-32, including the character and $249. TERMINAL High quality low cost data switches Compare Craig prices. RS232C AB Data Switches - · Makes most efficient use of costly computer peripherals · Eliminates redundant hardware, wasted time plugging/ unplugging cables · Switches all 24 signals (Pin 1 through) RS232C EXTENDED DISTANCE DATA CABLES EDC04 $11 both ends + .20 per ft . EDCOB $12 both ends + .30 per ft. EDC12 $12 both ends + .40 per ft. EDC25 $16 both ends + .60 per ft . FREE GENDER MENDER WITH FIRST $100 ORDER! To order or request literature, call toll-free 800-243-5760. In CT: 356-9315 iiCR~IG·I DATA CABLE 652 Glenbrook Road, Stamford , CT 06906 CIRCLE NO. 96 ON INQUIRY CARD 196 8 9 CUAll F1 K M 0 ' 5 6 DILETE F3 s u w f 5 Featuring · Standard RS-232 Serial Asynchronous ASCII Communications · 48 Character LCD Display (2 Lines of 24 each) · 24 Key Membrane Keyboard with embossed graphics. · Ten key numeric array plus 8 programmable function keys . · Four-wire multidrop protocol mode. ·Keyboard selectable SET-UP features-baud rates , parity, etc . ·Size (5.625" W x 6.9'' D x 1.75" H). Weight 1.25 lbs. · 5 x 7 Dot Matrix font with underline cursor · Displays 96 Character ASCII Set (upper and lower case) Options-backlighting for aisplay, RS-422 1/0, 20 Ma current loop 1/0, L'C/Il'1UT~i\ilr l5~ I INC. 302 N. Winchester · Olathe, KS 66062 · (913) 829-0600 · TELEX 70!':337 CIRCLE NO. 97 ON 1r-.iau1RY CARD Direct Memory Access (DMA)-mode output capabilities. It transfers data with low CPU overhead from the host computer and supports a cluster of re- motely located terminal users. The unit consists of a single hex-size controller board that plugs into a Unibus small peripheral controller slot. The system supports two point-to-point trunk links, each of which can communicate at 19.2K bps, as well as 16 emulated DMF-32 asynchronous controllers for a maxi- mum capacity of 128 virtual circuit con- nections. $4,950. Digital Communica- tions Associates Inc., 303 Technology Park, Norcross, Ga. 30092, (404) 448- 1400. Circle No 321 Time-division multiplexer handles six channels · 1,200- to 19,200-bps synchronous rates · 0- to 4,800-bps asynchronous rates · RS232C, CCITT V.24 interfaces The KiloMux 64 bit-interleaved, timedivision multiplexer concentrates as many as six synchronous or asynchronous separate data links on a single 32Kor 64K-bps trunk. Each channel runs at 1,200, 2,400 or 4,800 bps, and a pair of channels can be combined to provide 19.2K bps. Asynchronous data moves at 2,400 bps per channel; 4,800, for a combined pair. Channels are transparent and can be any combination of synchronous and asynchronous and any intermix of allowable speeds. The multiplexer provides transmission of two control signals per channel. The unit comes with local and remote loopback and features RS232C and CCITT V.24 interfaces. $1,600. Rad Computers Ltd., 8 Hanechoshet St., Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv 69710, P.0.B. 13161, Tel Aviv 61131, Israel, 03-483331. Circle No 322 Controller provides data communication · 24-bit bus addressing · 2M-bps operation · 64K bytes of memory Conforming to the Multibus standard, the NIB 101102 communications controller provides on-board, packet-switched data communication for point-to-point data transfer and networking applications. It is HDLC, SDLC, ADCCP and CCITT X.25 compatible. Operating at 2M bps, the unit supports 24-bit bus addressing, utilizing dual-ported data transfers. It includes an on-board CPU, 64K bytes of memory (including 16K bytes of dual-port RAM) and communications circuits. For error-free message delivery, the board contains a se- quenced packet protocol. As many as 64 virtual circuits can be open at any one time along with 40K bytes of temporary message storage. Variable size message packets of up to 1,024 bytes are stan- dard. $1,250. The Destek Group, 830 E. Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086, (408) 737-7211. Circle No 323 There is a band printer that operates at an acoustic noise level of 55dBA. What more do you need to know? Call: 1-800-626-4686 Fujitsu Printers Maximum Qualicy MaximumValue. FUJITSU CIRCLE NO. 98 ON INQUIRY CARD MIN I-M ICRO SYSTEMS/Decem ber 1984 197 New Products SOFTWARE Development tool executes applications in one step · Supports HP 3000 series · Requires no compilation Flexible, an application development tool for the HP 3000 series, develops, tests, documents and executes application systems in one step. The applications are non-interpretive, non-procedural and require no compilation. Developers create applications via associate verbs. The package furnishes database and file access and data manipulation capabilities. It provides a sharable working storage and allows recursive processing, do-looping and nested conditional processing, all executed in on-line and/or batch mode. Development features include trace and debug, automatic syntax and logic tests, automatic documentation and a help facility. Prices start at $9,000. Sages American Group, 11 Cranberry St. , Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201, (212) 875-4477. Circle No 324 System produces DEC VAX/VMS software · Includes multi-level overlays · Supports 8087 numeric coprocessor The Modula-2/VX86 cross development system produces software for 8086-/8088-based microcomputers on DEC VAX/VMS systems. It comes with a standard library of modules and generates high-speed native code. Features include support of the 8087 numeric coprocessor, large-model and multi-level overlays for large programs, low-level software and hardware access, datacommunication and conversion utilities for uploading and downloading programs and symbolic debugging. $4,500. Logitech Inc., 805 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, Calif. 94063, (415) 3659852. Circle No 325 Software synthesizes text into speech · Male or female voice · Compatible with Apple Macintosh · Understands mathematical symbols The Smoothtalker text-to-speech synthesis software accepts English text from either keyboard or floppy disk and synthesizes the text into an adult male or female voice. The voice is heard through a computer's speaker or an external amplifier. Implemented entirely in software, it is available for the Apple Macintosh computer and comes as a software module that can be incorporated into business and personal software programs and as a complete software package. It understands common English conventions, salutations and mathematical symbols, and enables users to create their own dictionary. Voice speed, volume and pitch are adjustable. $149.95. First Byte Inc., 2845 Temple Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90806, (213) 595-7006. Circle No 326 System displays data in 40 formats · Runs on 16- or 32-bit computers · Modular · Operates in real time Dataviews, an interactive graphics software system, displays dynamic data in real time through a library of graphics subroutines and a menu specification language. The subroutine package includes 2D-graphics primitives and tools for creating, editing and running displays. The system requires no programming; it constructs multiple screens using viewports and 40 available formats such as vector plots, bar charts, line graphs and pie charts. Written in C code, the system runs on 16- or 32-bit microcomputers or superminicomputers and requires 512K bytes of main memory, 3M bytes of mass storage, a cursor control device and a UNIX or UNIX look-alike operating system. $7,500 for single-user workstation. Visual Intelligence Corp., 160 Old Farm Road, Amherst Fields Research Park, Amherst, Mass. 01002, (413) 253-3482. Circle No 327 Programming environment develops Al · Implements LISP · Runs on 32-bit Eclipse supermini · Includes interactive interpreter The Common LISP Programming Environment creates, develops and debugs computer programs for artificial intelligence (Al) applications. Working with 32-bit Eclipse MV/Family superminicomputers and DS/Family workstations, the software system is supported by the proprietary 32-bit AOS/VS (Advanced Operating System/ Virtual Storage) and the MV/UX UNIX Environment (a hosted UNIX implementation) integrated with AOS/VS. Included in the programming environment are an interactive interpreter for program development and debugging; an optimizing compiler that allows programmers to prioritize specified performance criteria; CCA/EMACS, a full display editor with windowing capabilities; and facilities for calling foreign programs and data. The programming environment prints Common Lisp structures, maintains data created in independent programming sessions with an automatic help-management feature, mixes compiled and interpreted code and debugs a Common Lisp program. $8,000 for MV/Family of superminicomputers; $2,000 for DS/Family of workstations. Data General Corp., 440 Computer Drive, Westboro, Ma ss. 01580, (617) 366-8911. Circle No 328 Graphics package includes hardware, software · Compatible with Apple II +, Ile and Ile · Integrates graphics, telecommunications · 15 original type fonts The Digital Paintbrush System, a hardware/software color graphics package, integrates graphics production, editing, printing and presentation capabilities in one package. The Digitizing Paintbrush hardware projects graphics images as "slides" on a color monitor, printed as hard copy or as transparencies, and photographed to make 35mm slides. Compatible with the Apple II +, Ile and Ile microcomputers, the software package comes on three diskettes with two backups and consists of four components. The Graphics Design Program has a "paint" program, an "Alpha" mode with 15 original type fonts and an expanding-contracting image-capturing mode. The Presentation Program stores, organizes and displays pictures. The Printout Program makes acetate transparencies or hard copy using a dot-matrix printer. The Graphics Telephone program enables two users to create, edit, save and print out drawings in real time over the phone with a modem. $299. The Computer Colorworks, Suite 201, 3030 Bridgeway, Sausalito, Calif. 94965, (415) 331-3022. Circle No 329 198 MI NI-M ICRO SYSTEM S/December 1984 you need to know is how much ..tsu has improved · ter technology." Consider that our M304X series band printers are extremely reliable. Easy to use and service. And so quiet they don't have to be banished to an inaccessible corner in the computer room. Take a look at the details- like a state-of-the-art operator control panel. One of the most compact band printer designs available. And 773 parts commonality among all the printers. Think about Fujitsu's 30 years of experience as one of the world's leading electronics companies. What more do you need to know? Our prices and specifications. To get those, and to see the M304X family of band printers, contact Fujitsu at 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose, CA 95134. Or give us a call at 1-800-626-4686. MODEL LPM (64 char. set) MTBF (HRS) SIZE (HxWxD) NOISE (dBA) M3040 300 6,000 41.?x 26.8 x 35.4 55 M3041 600 6,000 41. 7 x 26.8 x 35.4 55 M3042 900 4 ,000 41. 7 x 26.8 x 35.4 55 M3043 1200 4,000 41. 7 x 26.8 x 37.8 55 Fujitsu Printers Maximum Quality. MaximumValue. FUJITSU MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 CIRCLE NO. 99 ON INQUIRY CARD 199 New Products SU BASSEMBLI ES Storage peripheral employs bubble memory · Floppy disk emulation · Block-access mode · l/zM byte or IM byte of memory Utilizing non-volatile bubble memory, the MBA-IA mass storage peripheral replaces floppy disk drives in high-reliability applications or in hostile environments. Offering either V2M byte or IM byte of memory, the unit interfaces to a computer system as a floppy disk drive or as a block access peripheral. In floppy-disk-drive mode it functions as four separate 5':14-inch or 8-inch disk drives supporting single or double density formats with respective data-access times of 338 msecs and 230 msecs. The required interface is a Shugart Corp. compatible floppy disk controller. In block-access mode, individual blocks of bubble memory are randomly accessed in 5I2-byte block segments using software commands and an RS232C serial port. The unit is housed in an enclosure the size of an 8-inch floppy disk drive. IM-byte version, $4,950; Y2M-byte version, $3,450. Hicomp Computer Corp., 50I6 I48th Ave. N.E., Redmond, Wash. 98052, (206) 88I-6030. Circle No 330 Graphics controllers link IBM PC, monitor · Converts ASCII commands to RGB signals · I6K bytes of RAM · 256K bytes of display memory Offered in two versions, these standalone color graphics controllers connect an IBM PC to a color monitor, a largescreen video projector or a slide-making device. The QlOOO version provides two pages of display, each with 512-dotby-512-dot-by-4-dot resolution; the Q1080 version offers 832-dot-by-630dot-by-4-dot resolution. Housed in an 11-inch-by-13-inch cabinet that rests atop an IBM PC, each controller converts ASCII digital graphics commands into analog RGB signals. Standard features include a Z80B CPU and a NEC 7220 graphics display controller chip; I6K bytes of RAM; I/O or communications buffers; 256K bytes of display memory; 32K bytes of EPROM for graphics commands; two RS232C ports and one Centronics-compatible parallel interface. Graphics primitives include dot, line, concatenated vectors, circles, rectangles, arcs, polygons and area fills. QIOOO: $I,995; Q1080: $2,195. Quintar Corp., 2525 Maricopa St., Torrance, Calif. 90503, (2I3) 320-5700. Circle No 331 Our communicating tape system improves computer utilization, lowers d.atacomm costs and increases data security · Off line operation relieves computer bottlenecks · Bisynchronous 3780 and ANSI Asynchronous Protocol ·Centrex 1/1A ESS SMDR compatible · Selectable data rates to 56 Kbps · RS-232 for microcomputers · No software required · Single or dual density · Dial-up or leased lines Request complete technical literature today GENERAL SYSTEMS CENTER, INC. A data communications company 95 Centershore Road ·Centerport, NY 11721 Telephone: (516) 754-9140 CIRCLE NO. 100 ON INQUIRY CARD 200 CIRCLE NO. 101 ON INQUIRY CARD MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 New Products LITERATURE Handbook narrates power supply design In its description of DC power supply and DC motor control circuit design, the 152-page Applications Handbook emphasizes on-power switching techniques for on-card DC to DC conversion and secondary regulation of single-and multiple-output requirements. The DC motor control section details constant speed and torque applications together with half-bridge and stepper motor drives. A section pertaining to lineoperated switching supplies includes fundamental design considerations for reliable switched-mode power supply operation. Lambda Semiconductors, 121 International Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas 78410, (5 12) 289-0403. Circle No 332 Brochure covers terminal emulators This four-page brochure provides product literature on Infotron Systems' new series of terminal emulators, the Virtual Terminal System (VTS) 351 and 352, which permit integration of ASCII terminals, printers and personal computers into an IBM 3270 network. Model 351 accommodates six asynchronous devices; Model 352 supports as many as 12. Based on 8- and 16-bit microprocessors, the VTS series emulates IBM 3277 and 3278 terminals. Infotron Systems Corp., Communications Department, 9 N. Oln~y Ave., Cherry Hill, N.J. 08003, (800) 345-4636. Circle No 337 Catalog covers data communications The Codex Corp. 1984 Fall/Winter direct order catalog for data communications features two products, the 5202 and 5202R data modems, plus a selection of cable and statistical multiplexers , limited distance modems, high-speed modems and cable and Bell-compatible modems. It also contains pricing reductions on the LSI "E" series modems and a glossary of definitions of data commu- nication terms. Codex Corp., subsidi- ary of Motorola Inf., 20 Cabor Boule- vard, Mansfield, Mass. 02048, (617) 364-~000. . Circle No 333 Booklet describes mass-storage products This 6-page booklet on 19 of Xebec's mass storage products is divided into product classification sections. The disk controller and host adapter sections present standard floppy and hard disk intelligent controllers and companion interface cards for desktop computer systems. The hard disk add-on memory storage subsystems include lOM- and 30M-byte models with tape backup. Information is provided for tested pairs and for the Owl intelligent disk drive subsystem. Xebec, 3579 Highway 50 East, Carson City, Nev. 89701, (408) 287-2700. Circle No 334 Catalog features data-conversion products Describing over 100 products, this 8-page short form catalog from ILC Data Device Corp. furnishes specifications for data bus products, analog-todigital, digital-to-analog, synchro-todigital and digital-to-synchro converters. Other products listed include sample/hold and track/hold amplifiers, synchro and selsyn instruments, MIL-STD-1553 components, control transformers and SEM modules. ILC Data Device Corp., 105 Wilbur Place, Bohemia, N.Y. 11716, (5 16) 567-5600. Circle No 335 Product directory lists 300 PC companies This 14-page publication, the PC Engineering Product Directory, lists 300 companies that sell software and hardware enhancements and systems that turn personal computers into productiv- ity aids for engineers and scientists. Each listing contains the manufacturer's name, address and phone number as well as a short description of the compa- ny's product lines and the computers with which those products are compati- ble. Products covered include general instrumentation, design automation, and data acquisition and control. $25 or $10 for members of the Personal Engi- neering Computer Users Society. Per- sonal Engineering Communications, Box 983, Back Bay Annex, Boston, Mass. 02117-0983. Circle No 336 Data book describes Rockwell products The 1,362-page "1984 Data Book" describes Rockwell International Corp. 's Semiconductor Products Division's solid state devices, board-level microcomputer products and modems. Included are sections on B- and 16-bit microprocessors and peripherals, memory products, intelligent display controllers, micro- computer development systems, four families of microcomputers and a line of integral and standalone modems. $5. Technical Literature, Semiconductor Products Division, Rockwell International, 4311 Jamboree Road, P.O. Box C, Newport Beach, Calif. 92658, (800) 854-8099. Circle No 338 Directory lists 2,500 products Provicjing an overview of the data communications industry, the Data Communica tions Product Directory lists over 2,500 data-communications products. This reference tool groups product descriptions into 24 categories such as emulators, local area networks, modems, software and test equipment. Each entry provides a summary of the product's key features, applications and price. Manufacturers and their addresses are indexed by product type. $124. Architecture Technology Corp., P.O. Box 24344, Minneapolis, ,Minn. 55424, (612) 935-2035. Circle No 339 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 201 Calendar University Microfilms International Please send additional information for Mini-Micro Systems Name (name of publication) Institution Street City State Zip 300 North Zeeb Road Dept. P.R. Ann Arbor, Mi. 48106 U.S.A. . 30-32 Mortimer Street Dept. P.R. London W1N ?RA England 202 CIRCLE NO. 81 ON INQUIRY CARD JANUARY 2-4 Eighteenth Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Honolulu, sponsored by University of Hawaii and University of Southwestern Louisiana. Contact: Nern B. Lau, HICSS-18 Conference Coordinator, Center for Executive Development, College of Business Administration, University of Hawaii, 2404 Maile Way, C-202, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, (808) 948-7396. 8-10 Corporate Electronic Publishing Systems Conference and Showcase, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago, sponsored by Cahners Exposition Group and InterConsult Inc. Contact: Carol Hurley, Cahners Exposition Group, 999 Summer St., Stamford, Conn. 06905, (203) 964-0000. 8-10 "T-1 Facilities and Networking" Seminar, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., presented by Timeplex Inc. Contact: William A. Flanagan, Public Relations Manager, Timeplex, Inc., 400 Chestnut Road, Woodcliff Lake, N.J. 07675, (201) 930-4600. Also to be held on Feb. 5-7, Atlanta; March 19-21, New Orleans; April 16-18, Chicago; May 21-23, New York; June il-13, San Diego. 14-18 International Software Update, Kahala Hilton Hotel, Oahu, Hawaii, sponsored by Raging Bear Productions. Contact: Philip J. Russell, Raging Bear Productions Inc., Suite 175, 21 Tamai Vista Drive, Corte Madera, Calif. 94925, (415) 924-1194 or (800) 7322300. 16-18 PC World Exposition, AstroHall, Houston, sponsored by PC World. Contact: Mitch Hall Associates, P.O. Box 860, Westwood, Mass. 02090, (617) 329-7466. Also to be held on June 12-14, Convention and Performing Arts Center, San Diego; Sept. 11-13, Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto; Oct. 16-18, Convention Center, Dallas. 21-22 4th Generation Data Management Software Seminar, New York, sponsored by Software Institute of America. Contact: Kristin Kittle Lynch, Operations Coordinator, Digital Consulting Associates Inc., 6 Windsor St., Andover, Mass. 01810, (617) 470-3870. Also to be held on Feb. 4-5, Denver; Feb. 28-March 1, Boston; May 2-3, Detroit. 21-23 Office Information Systems Conference, Marriott Harbor Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., sponsored by Gartner Group Inc. Contact: Lynn M. Bentley, Marketing Manager, Gartner Group Inc., 72 Cummings Point Road, P.O. Box 10212, Stamford, Conn. 06904, (203) 967-6723. 21-25 UniForum, Infomart, Dallas, sponsored by /usr/ group. Contact: Richard Lewis, Professional Exposition Management Co., Suite 205, 2400 E. Devon Ave., Des Plaines, Ill. 60018, (800) 323-5155. 23-24 San Diego Electronics Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, Calif., sponsored by Electronic Representatives Association of San Diego. Contact: Harry Schwartz, Show Director, Epic Enterprises, Suite 115, 6151 Fairmount Ave., San Diego, Calif. 92120, (619) 284-9268. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Classified Ads software IBM-PC - PLOT-10 PC-PLOT-Ill is ar. intelligent emulation of the Tektronix Model 4010 graphics terminal which runs on the IBM-PC . The program allows display and creation of picture files when connected to a host computer running PLOT-10 (tm) or compatible software . The user may save pjcture data files on a local diskette as they are received from the host. The program also includes !ocal printer control . and aserial line debug mode . Utility programs included allow the drawing of a local picture data file on the screen. plotting it on a HP Model 7470A pen plotter . printing on a local printer . and scaling . VISA . MasterCard . checks. PO 's accepted $95 .00 MicroPlot Systems Co. 2151 East Dublin-Granville Rd . Suite 205 Columbus, OH 43229 614-882-4786 software MicroPERT® Project Management for Tektronix, IBM PC, XT For 1nlorma11on . call or write SHEPPARD SOFTWARE CDMPMiY 4750 Clough Creek Ad . Redding . CA 96002 (916) 222-1553 CIRCLE NO . 226 ON INQUIRY CARD DISKIM DISK 1-0 CACHE for 11-M D-M-DRIVER DISK in MEMORY for 11-M Coll 415 - 420 - 9579 Proto 1238 Josephine st S' I St e r n s Berkeley, Calllornla 94703 hardware rHa~E~p\~~N~L~ET~ Computer Systems __ -0~ SAVINGS ON ALL SERIES 200/500 WORK STATIONS 98365 90205 9000 Non-HP memory 9826A and peripherals CALL OR WRITE FOR DISCOUNT PRICES graphia sysiaMs aeNber 801 23051 Portland , OR 97223 USA 503-246-0202 International Sales Telex 380-143 publications CAD CAM CAE TAKE THE CAD/CAM DIGEST IN DEPENDANT INTERNATIONAL THE ORIGINAL CAD/CAM JOURNAL CALL 303/440-7395 WRITE HERZOG ASSOCS PO BOX 3169 BOULDER, CO 80307 CIRCLE NO. 225 ON INQUIRY CARO Small ads do attract attention. Next time, why not read your ad here? Call 617/536-7780 CIRCLE NO . 227 ON INQUIRY CARD INTEGRATED ACCOUNTING System for CP/M Microcomputers GL. AP . AR . & Payroll Total $300 .00! Source Code Included BASIC BUSINESS SYSTEMS P.O. Box 3453. Reston , VA 22090 CIRCLE NO . 228 ON INQUIRY CARD CIRCLE NO . 229 ON INQUIRY CARD . inventions wanted Inventors, Entrepreneurs, Product Promoters wanted 10 display concepts at national technology trade show Call: 1-800-528-6050 X831 CIRCLE NO . 230 ON INQUIRY CARD CIRCLE NO. 231 ON INQUIRY CARD .............·..·..·.·. ,,·.··· . . : To place your ad in :~ 111nl·lllara:;. CLASSIFIEDS Copy be received by the 10th ceding the issue date. of the month preceding For example, to appear Use the coupon on this page Deadline: Space reservations and advertising copy must the issue date. Camerare ad y mechanicals must be received by the 15th of the month pre- in the February issue, copy must be received by January 10; mechanicals by January 15. or call: . Linda Lovett .·..{·6.1.7.).5..3·6.-7..7.8.0...... r------------------------------------------------------- CLASSl Fl ED ADVERTISING ORDER FORM Mini-Micro Systems classifieds reach more mini-micro people Rates: $90.00 per column inch (non·commissionable) 6x program earns 5% discount; 12x pro~ram earns 10%discount. There is no charge for typesetting classified listings . Plan approximately 50 average words to a column inch, 8 lines of approximately 38 characters per line (3 inch maximum). Please send clean typewritten (double-spaced) copy . Category: The following categories are available; be sure to specify the category you wish to be listed under: Business Opportunities, New Literature, Selling , Buying , Trading , Seminars, Services, Software, Supplies & Accessories. (Other categories may be employed at our discretion .) Run this ad in (number issues) Reader Inquiry No . YES D NO D Ad size 1 col. wide by _ _ inches deep Under (category) Check enclosed for$ (Pre-paid orders only) Signature - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - - Name ___________________ Title Company _________________ TelephoneNo. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I Address________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ I I City _____________ State ____________ Zip I I MAIL TO: Linda L. Lovett, Classified Advertising, Mini-Micro Systems, I 221 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02116 I I L------------------------------------------------------~ MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 203 REGIONAL SALES OFFICES Calendar BOSTON Robert K. Singer National Sales Manager Norma E. Lindahl Assistant To The National Sales Manager John J. Fahey Regional Manager Katie Kress Sales Coordinator 221 Columbus Ave . Boston, MA 02116 (617) 536-7780 PHILADELPHIA Stephen B. Donohue Regional Manager 1873 Route 70, Suite 302 Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 (609) 751-0170 ATLANTA Larry Pullman Regional Manager 6445 Powers Ferry Rd ., Ste. 140 Atlanta, GA 30339 (404) 955-6500 CHICAGO Robert D. Wentz Regional Manager Marianne Majerus Sales Coordinator Cahners Plaza 1350 E. Touhy Ave. P.O. Box 5080 Des Plaines, IL 60018 (312) 635-8800 DALLAS Don Ward , Regional Manager 13740 Midway Suite 515 Dallas, TX 75234 (214) 980-0318 DENVER John Huff Regional Manager 270 St. Paul St. Denver, CO 80206 (303) 388-4511 LOS ANGELES Len Ganz Regional Manager 12233 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 236 Los Angeles, CA 90064 (213) 826-5818 ORANGE COUNTY Debra Huisken Regional Manager 2041 Business Center Dr. Suite 109 Irvine, CA 92715 (714) 851-9422 SAN FRANCISCO Frank Barbagallo Regional Manager Rick Jamison Regional Manager Janet Ryan Regional Manager Sherman Building, Suite 100 3031 Tisch Way San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 243-8838 AUSTRIA Elan Marketing Group Neutor g. 2 P.O. Box 84 1010 Vienna, Austria Tel: 43-222-663012 or -638461 204 BENELUX Elan Marketing Group Boschdijk 199B 5612 HB Eindhoven The Netherlands Tel: 32-40-455724 IS RAEL Elan Marketing Group 13 Haifa St., P.O. Box 33439 Tel Aviv, Israel Tel : 972-3-252967 or -268020 Telex : 341667 JAPAN Tomoyuki lnatsuki General Manager Trade Media Japan Inc. R. 212 Azabu Heights 1-5-10 Roppongi Minato-ku , 106,Japan Tel : (03) 587-0581 TAIWAN Mr. Donald H. Shapiro Trade Winds, 2nd Floor 132 Hsin Yi Road, Sec. 2 Taipei , Taiwan UNITED KINGDOM Elan Marketing Group 5th Floor, Suite 10 Chesham House 136 Regent St. London W1 R 5FA Tel : 437-6900 Telex: 267653 SWEDEN Elan Marketing Group Humlegardsgatan Nr. 5 11446 Stockholm, Sweden Tel : 46-8-677243 or -676243 WEST GERMANY Elan Marketing Group Sudring 53 7240 Norb/Neckar, West Germany Tel: 49-7451-7828 Mini-Micro Marketplace Norma Lindahl 221 Columbus Ave. Boston, MA 02116 (617) 536-7780 Direct-Response Postcards Carol Anderson 221 Columbus Ave . Boston, MA 02116 (617) 536-7780 Career Opportunities Peggy Gordon Recruitment Advertising Manager P.O. Box 10277 8 Stamford Forum Stamford, CT 06904 (203) 328-2550 Cahners Magazine Division J.A. Sheehan, President William Platt Executive Vice President T.M. McDermott, Vice President Electronics/Computer Group Tom Dellamaria, VP/Production Ira Siegel, VP/Research Promotion Staff Susan Rapaport Marketing Communications Director Mary Gregory Promotion Manager Liz Phillips Promotion Assistant Circulation Denver, CO: (303) 388-4511 Sherri Gronli Group Manager 24-25 Local Area Communications Conference, Marriott Harbor Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. , sponsored by Gartner Group Inc. Contact: Lynn M. Bentley, Gartner Group Inc., 72 Cummings Point Road, P.O. Box 10212, Stamford, Conn. 06904, (203) 967-6723. 28-31 Communication Networks Conference and Exposi- tion, Washington, D.C. Convention Center, organized by Hajar Associates. Contact: Judie McDaid , CN National Sales Director, Box 880, Cochituate Road, Framingham, Mass. 01701, (617) 879-0700 or (800) 225-4698. FEBRUARY 4-6 OAC '85, 1985 Office Automation Conference, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, sponsored by the American Federation of Information Processing Societies Inc. (AFIPS). Contact: Helen Mugnier, AFIPS, 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston , Va. 22091, (703) 620-8926. 5-7 Mini/Micro West, Anaheim Hilton Exposition Center, Anaheim, Calif., sponsored by San Francisco Bay Area Council and Los Angeles Council, IEEE and Northern and Southern California Chapter, ERA. Contact: Tim Parrott, Director of Sales, or Jeannie Oldendorph, Sales Manager , Electronic Conventions Management Inc., 8110 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90045, (213) 772-2965. 20-22 INFO/CENTRAL and INFO/SOFTWARE, O'Hare Exposition Center, Chicago, sponsored by INFO/SOFTWARE. Contact: Show Manager, INFO/SOFTWARE, 999 Summer St., Stamford, Conn. 06905, (203) 964-0000. 20-23 Computer Business Graphics Conference, Bonaventure InterContinental Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., sponsored by Frost & Sullivan Inc. Contact: Carol Every, Industry Representative, Frost & Sullivan, 106 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. 10038, (212) 233-1080. 22-23 IEEE Computer Faire, Huntsville , Ala. , sponsored by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE). Contact: Terry Mizell, P.O. Box 5188, Huntsville, Ala. 35805, (205) 532-2036. 26-28 Automated Design and Engineering for Electronics Exposition (ADEE), Anaheim Hilton and Towers, Anaheim, Calif., sponsored by Cahners Exposition Group. Contact: Michael Indovina, Cahners Exposition Group, Cahners Plaza, 1350 Touhy Ave., P.O. Box 5060, Des Plaines, Ill. 60018, (312) 299-9311. MARCH 4-7 FOSE Software '85 Conference and Exposition, Washington, D.C. Convention Center, sponsored by National Trade Productions Inc. Contact: Rosalind Boesch, National Trade Productions, Suite 400, 2111 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, Va. 22314, (800) 6388510 or (703) 683-8500. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 · I\ Career Opportunities/Recruitment Advertising Rates Page % 112 113 114 Col. Inch 1x $3,990 $3,140 $2,145 $1,605 $1,075 $110 3x 3,885 3,025 2,060 1,550 1,015 100 6x 3,765 2,935 1,995 1,490 985 95 9x 3,655 2,845 1,935 1,445 955 90 12x 3,530 2,755 1,880 1,430 930 85 1Sx 3,425 2,675 1,820 1,385 900 80 18x 3,295 2,565 1,750 1,370 870 75 24x 3,235 2,520 1,720 1,310 850 70 Circulation Over 122,000 technically sophisticated professionals in computer operations/systems management, data communications, engineering management, systems engineering/integrators, educators and systems programming specialists. Recruitment Hot Line (203) 328-2550 Call your ad inwe'll set the type at no charge. Mail Film to: Peggy Gordon Recruitment Manager CAHNERS PUBLISHING CO. 8 Stamford Forum P.O. Box 10277 Stamford, CT 06904 CIRCLE NO. 241 ON INQUIRY CARD Computer Consultants Corner TKC ·THE KEENAN CORPORATION FCC 15J WE WROTE THE BOOK "Dlgltal Design tor Interference Speclflc·tlon1" · FCC/VOE & Static Retrofit and Testing · " Front End" Design Guidance A. Kenneth Keenan . Ph.D. 860966th Street (813) 544-2594 North Pinellas Park, FL33565 CIRCLE NO. 242 MOO/~ ~~~(ff~[ij · Microprocessor hardware and software design · Industrial control specialists · Hierarchical software design methodology · Complete prototype facilities CLIENTS INCLUDE: Sohio · Elgar · Schlumberger · Motorola · Gulf Oil · Carborundum · Renal Systems CSI ' Computer System Associates 7564 Trade St.,San Diego,CA 92121 (619) 566·3911 ; ...----- UNIX------. System V Consultants A professional team, with specialties in · Applications in the C Programming Language · UNIX Internals and Device Drivers · Telecommunications Contact: Marty Poulsen PROTOCON INCORPORATED 140 Stateslr Place .___ _Re_ d Ban(2k0, 1N) e7w47J-8e91714ey_ 0770_ 1 __, More and more advertisers of minicomputers, microcomputers, CRT terminals, printers, disk drives, memories, modems, distributed data processing systems, etc., are consistently turning to MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS. Call Peggy Gordon at 203·328·2550. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 205 General Dynamics Data Systems ~ion helps shape the future of many significant programs at its major locations in San Diego, California; Fort Worth, Texas; and Norwich, Connecticut; as well as at satellite locations including Detroit, Michigan, and Pomona, California. We provide diverse support functions for such high-technology programs as the F-16 multimission fighter/attack aircraft, the Ml main battle tank, nuclear-powered submarines, and the entire Jiunily of cruise missiles. Throughout our division you'll find a variety of opportunities to apply your own scientific and engineering expertise to create a more exciting future. The Data Systems Division gives you the chance to join one of the most skilled teams In the industry today, and offers excellent salaries and benefits. If you're interested in shaping your own future on our innovative support team, one of our opportunities listed below may be just right for you. For immediate consideration, send your resume to the Vice President/Director at the Data Center of your choice. PRODUCT SOFI'WARE - Bachelor's and/or Master's degree, and 3-8 years' experience. - SKIUS: FORT~, JOVIAL, PASCAL, Ada, Assembly Languages, Applied Math, Data Bases, Operating Systems, Documentation (MIL Standards). - APPLICATIONS: Command & Control Software (Guidance, Navigation, C·~I, Display Systems, Executive & System Support Software), Mission Planning, Data Handling & Communication, Automatic Testing Equipment/ Simulations, Image Processing, Estimation & Control Theory. - Embedded Systems: Real-Time Software. CAD/ CAM - Bachelor's and/or Master's degree, and 3-8 years' experience. - SKIUS: FORTRAN, Ada, .Wembly Languages, IBM, <DC & VAX Operating Systems, Computational Geometry, Infonnation Modeling &Data Dictionaries. - APPLICATIONS: Turn-key Graphic Systems, Solid Modeling, Robotics, CNC.DNC, Real-Time Processing Control, Group Technology. - CADAM, CAT/A, Computervision, SC/CARDS, Model 204, Systems Engineering, Group Management. ENGINEERING SYSTEMS - Bachelor's and/or Master's degree, and 3·8 years' experience. - SKIUS: Simulation Languages, FORTRAN, COBOL & IBM Assembler, TSO, SPF, DISSPl.A, RAMIS, Scientific Programming and Microcomputer experience. -APPUCATIONS: Simulation, SIAM, Manufacturing, Operations Research, Image Processing, Graphics Application Development, Sneak Circuit Analysis, Program Marketing. U.S. CITIZENSIDP REQUIRED Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F GENERAL DYNAMICS Data Systems Division WFSl'l!RN a!NTl!R P.O. Box 85808, Drawer 004 San Diego, CA 92138 a!Nl'RALa!NTl!R P.O. Bm 748, Drawer004 Fort Worth, TX 76101 CIRCLE NO. 243 ON INQUIRY CARD l!ASl'BRN a!NTl!R 100 WlnDenden Rd., Drawer004 Norwich, CT 06360 PROGRAMMER ANALYST FOR PHARMACY SYSTEM Position available Position: Programmer analyst for Pharmacy system Salary: $2,370.00 per month Education Required: BS in Pharmacy, MS in Medical Biophysics and computing Licenses Required: Utah State Pharmacy License Experience Required: 1 year on Tandem 16 Computer System Description: This company provides software for hospital information systems. The job to be performed requires that the HELP system (Health Evaluation through Logic Processing) be integrated into their pharmacy section . The job also requires the development of a portable terminal system for nurses to record medication administration and thereafter to integrate that information into the HELP system. Thereafter this information will be used for pharmacy and nursing management purposes. The applicant must have 1 year experience on the Tandem 16 computer system which is the computer system which the employer operates. Excellent working conditions. Applicants should send resumes to Job Service, 1234 South Main, Salt Lake City, Utah, (801) 533-2400, Job # 76799. An Equal opportunity employer. Ad paid for by employer. SENIOR PROGRAMMER ANA· LYST. Will develop, implement, operate and refine programs for financial accounting data base (FRS) ; personnel data base (PER/PAS) ; and student record system , employing image resource inquiry and view. To use the following : HP3000 mini-computer (SERIES 68) and VIEW 3000 and IMAGE 3000 software. Required: BS degree in Comp Sci or Comp Info Syst. plus 2 yrs. experience ; or MS degree in Comp Sci or Comp Info Syst. Knowledge of COBOL and FORTRAN. Knowledge of management information systems, data analysis and design of data base systems. $24,390/yr., 40-hour week. Apply at the Texas Employment Commls· slon, El Paso, Texas, or send resume to the Texas Employment Commission, TEC Build· Ing, Austin, Texas 78778, J.O. #3650 819. lv:J Paid by an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. COMPUTER COORDINATOR Full time position: 40 hours per week , 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Salary: $21,488.00 per year. Job Duties: Supervise the computing facility, identify computation needs, develop and maintain databases,write program$, recommend purchases, supervise staff, coordinate data processing , coordinate field exchanges, arrange hardware maintenance and prepare repo.rts. Requirements: The job candidate should possess a Masters degree in the field of Computer Science and the candidat~ should have one year related job experience in database design and consulting. Candidates should have an advanced degree in Computer Science and one year study in advanced math, statistical and numerical analysis, with one year experience in database design and impIeme ntati on . Si x months experience with the following software: Basic, Fortran , Pascal , SIR , SPSS, Wordstar, text editors and graphics packages. Also sixmonths experience with the following operating systems: CDC NOS, PRIME PRIMOS, VAXNMS, IBM PC DOS and APPLE DOS. Resumes with social security numbers should be sent to the Indiana State Employment Service, 10 North Senate Aven~e. lndi· anapolis, Indiana 46204, attention W.F. Shepherd, l.D. Number: 073035. CIRCLE NO. 244 ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS SOUTHEAST Openings for design engineers of circuits . computers . logic . signal . commun1cations . testing . ATE . systems . and controls Protes· s1onal con fldent1al service Fee paid by employer Send resume to Ted McCulloch McCulloch & Co . P.O. 10211 .____ _ Greenville . SC 29603 _ __ CIRCLE NO. 245 ENGINEERS Choicepositionsavailable in New England and Nationwide. If you earn $25,000 or more we have a more rewarding job for yo u. Networking · Communications ATE Engineers · Tools & Utilities SW Real-Time SW · Memory Design All fees & expenses paid. Call or send re· sume to : ~PERSONNEL 1492 Highland Avenue Needham . MA 02192 (611) 449·3840 Serving th e high tech indu stries. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/Dece'tn ber 1984 ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY The Chemical PrOcess Development Group at the Laboratory is seeking an Electronics Technician to provide computer/data acquisition system support to chemical process, laser isotope separation and laser development programs. This work re· quires a close working relationship with both experimentali~ts and software development personnel. Other job responsibilities include hardware configuration, design and set up, as well as diagnostic troubleshooting and repair of data acquisi· tion hardware such as CAMAC mod· ules, computer peripherals, follow and hold amplifiers and various computer interfaces. ouallflcatlons include graduation from a technical institute, success· ful completion of college-level courses in engineering or a com· bi nation of education and relevant work experience; substantial experience working with computer/ CAMAC <Data General l based data acquisition systems and a good working knowledge of digital circuit design . Familiarity with ma chine level, device driver computer software is preferred. An active or reinstatable DOE a Clearance is re- quired. The Laboratory, one of the nation 's leading multi-faceted research and development organizations, is operated by the University of California for the United States Department of Energy. we offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package, including 24 days of vac· ation a year. our beautiful mountain location in northern New Mexico provides exceptional recreational activities and a casual, unpressured lifestyle . To apply, send your resume in confidence to: Sandy Harding Personnel Administration Division DIV. 85·G Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 u .s. Citizenship Required. An Affirmative Action!EQual Opportun itv Employer. 207 Advertisers Index Able Computer ........ . . 176 Alcyon Corp. . ........ .. . .. 1 Ampex Corp., Disk Media Opertion ... . .. .... 124-125 Anchor Automation .. ...... 52 Apple Computer Inc..... 16-17 Applied Data Communications ....... 189 AT&T Technologies, Inc.. .. 8-9 BASF . .. .. .. .... . ... . E4-E5 Bubbl-tec Inc. ....... . . . . 116 Bytcom ..... .... .. ........ 4 C. ltoh Electronics .... . .. .. 88 Cahners Exposition Group . . 61 Calay Systems Inc . ..... 56-57 California Computer Group . 81 Century Data Systems (a Xerox Co.) .......... 191 Chrislin Industries, Inc.. ... 192 CIE Terminals . ... .. . .. 25, C3 CompuPro . . . . . .... ..... . 29 Computerwise Inc. . . .. ... 196 Control Data Corp.-OEM . 106 Craig Data Cable ........ 196 Cromemco Inc. . .. ... ... 92-93 Databank . ... ... . .. .. ... 200 Data Language Corp ... .. . 149 Dataproducts . . ...... . ... 141 Dataram ..... .. .. . . . ... . 153 Delta Airlines . . ........... 51 Digital Equipment Corp.. 30-31 Ducommun Data Systems .. 21 Dysan Corp....... . . .... . 66 Electronic Conventions . .. . 132 Electro Design Inc . ... . .. . 184 Emulex Corp . . . 40-41, 160-161 Enter Computer . .......... 99 Equinox Systems ... . .... 165 Facit Inc...... . ... . ..... 100 Falco Data Products ...... 179 Flexible Computer ...... 72-73 Forte Data Systems . .... . . 55 Fujitsu America Inc.... . 64-65, 121, 123 Fujitsu America lnc., -Printer Div... . . . 193, 195, 197, 199 General Systems Center .. 200 Gould Inc., Distributed Systems Div................. . ... 5 Gould Inc. , Computer Systems Div . . . .......... ... . . . 150 Hall-Mark Electronics ..... 126 Heurikon Corp .. . .. ...... 194 Houston Instrument Div. of Bausch & Lomb ......... 34 Imperial Technology Inc . .. 188 IBM Corp .......... 82-83, 103 Intercontinental Micro ... . . . 26 Interface Group .... ... ... 166 lntermarket ...... .. . 184, 188 Iomega Corp . ........ 134-135 JDL ... .. ...... . .. .... 86-87 Kennedy Co.... .. . . .. .. .. C2 LaPine Technology . ....... 14 Lear Siegler Inc . ......... 180 Liberty Electronics USA .... 47 Logical Microcomputer .. .. 122 Masscomp ... . .... .. .. 12-13 Maxell Computer Products Div. . .... .. .... . ...... 146 Maxtor Corp............. 170 Megavault ........... ... . 43 Micom Systems Inc . ....... C4 Micro Data Base Systems . 142 Micro-Term .. . ....... ... . 71 Microware . .... ... .. .... 154 Mini-Micro Systems . .. ... . 202 Motorola/Four-Phase . .. . .. 6-7 Motorola Semiconductor Products . ... 32-33 , 104-105, 144-145 National Computer Graphics Association .. ........... 67 NCR Corp........... 173-175 NCR Boardlevel Products . . . 78 NEC . ..... .. . ......... . . E3 Northern Telecom . .. ...... 44 Oak Switch ... .. . .. .. .. .. 22 Olivetti ........... . ...... E6 OEMTek ........... . 111 -113 Perkin-Elmer . .. . .. .. . . . . . 18 Philon Inc. ............. . 131 Qume ............... ... . 84 Rodime ................. 10 Scientific Micro Systems .. 162 Siemens .......... .. 185-187 Softcon ................ 158 TEAC Corp. of America .... 68 Technical Systems Consultants ....... .. .. 172 TeleVideo Systems Inc..... .... .. .. .. 109, 169 Telex Computer Products Inc... .. . ... . ... .. .... 157 Thesys Memory Systems ... 58 Toei Electronics ......... 159 TouchStone .. ........... 136 Uniforum ...... . ....... . . 74 Unify Corp .. ........... 48-49 Universal Data Systems Inc.... . ... . .......... 114 Verbex .......... . . . ..... 96 Wyse Technology .. ... .. 76-77 Xebec ................ 94-95 See P. 203 for Classified Advertisers See P. 205-207 for Career Opportunity Advertisers See P. 209-210 for Mini-Micro Marketplace This index is provided as an additional servi ce. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions . 208 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 Products and services for the value-added market. READERS: Please circle reader service numbers for additional information. "' ' t c,... '· ,-._1'i ""~..; f' -- ~ '-·! -.P ' . t ' ' ., f 1..... ~ ·-l I "· ~ ~ , ' .. ' micromate "the terminal converter" ..Ir 1.-;;. ' · NEW FROM OMEGA! WB-40 Interfacing Micro-Computer 128K with Bundled Software Lowest priced Business Computer SIJlON DESIGNS INC 111S.COyugo.SU1e200 · Ithaca.NY14850·607·2n-4301 CIRCLE NO. 200 ON INQUIRY CARD You already have half of your next personal computer if you own a terminal. Just add our MlcroMate to run thousands of CP/M software programs and still keep the same mainframe connection. Personal Micro Computers, Inc. 275 Santa Ana Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 737-8444 CIRCLE NO. 201 ON INQUIRY CARD The White BoxTM 40 stands alone or converts up to 8 analog signals to RS-232C format for full two-way communications with any compatible computer. CE~IY'~9e~ ., On· o~ o..-e So· ·0.'1 S1;im10<CI CT 0690? us 14 IP1t·996·CM C.11>1tOMEGA F"A)( !2'0l13~9 7700 (203) 359-RUSH CIRCLE NO. 202 ON INQUIRY CARD The Uttlc BoardTM···S1H* The world'11lmplnt and lust expensive CJ>/Mcomputer .t: ' J ·tMM.r.POACJIU, MK ........ UOACK,,l'JJlloc4_,,. ·1Mt!A/Mlioo~~ { t-4Dl+la,l/ittflft/Doubk0a9Mr, 1-llilded, 40/IO..m) · ONyS.7S a l .JS lndln, _..,.. dftc1'J10t S 1f4· f!Gp9ydrM ·lltllJKktWl'orW (7S-MOCIUudA'1S ··,AOOMt.ld}.1~""-rP'oft · , _ , . . . . . . . , , . . , ·5¥DCet ,7J.A.; T 1ftDC.t.osly'OtH:JoMd - 1tv~ · ~/Mt.llDOI · lCPUCCP · ~AMl'flt090S · liMl'fltO ........ lndudld: ·,....._...IO_twlldoUlll.._,~ (W.WWO, T~, llM."/Mli6 ....) · tor-ldilklfot-"-·do-othfr~ ·--.VCGPt/~ ..... - ·SCSI°""°"" ·mot Md u.llltla ao.a ~ .......... ·C....~COMKtJediDry ·c.M---il'Mlllbk ~~~.... ~....-.-....- ~4·~-r:JZql'IC~/M d.l~- -r:J~llrxM;!I COMPUTERS INCORF>OFIATED 67 EastE.\l'd)'l ,tw:. · MOUnuin't'lew, CA9"40o41 · (-415 )962-QiJO · TU.EX -4940302: -~ THE RSX/VMS SPECIALISTS THE LSl·tl / 73 BASED CM-300/ Q22 COMPGTER SYSTEMS WITH RSX-11 M+ S<JPPORTING S<JPERVISORMODE LIBRARIES AND SEPARATE I AND D SPACE THE MICRO-VAX I BRINGS VAX POWER AND HIGH PERFORMANCE TO THE Q-BUS CM- / Q22 computersystemsarecon%ured with DEC's NEW ~:: ~ :1~K:~·~~~Qi2~~~~~be~~~~=J;~p~~ I 200MB.of fixed Winchester disk. up to 4M& of main m~and ~~~a~gte~~~~; ~tem~~USn!!.= ~~e ~ rJ~~ctC:2~ntb~T~EV£m~~~~F;~=7~~ system including RSX-1IM+ license. media and documentation , with a VT220 terminal may be purchased fQf under $23,000. MICRO/VAX I computer systems can be configured with up to 3 ~~i~ls~nce~r~ ~r ~~~.I MB of fixed disk and up to 5 Call A.CS. and let us configure a hardware/ software solution for your specific problems. 250 Prospect Street Waltham , Massachusetts 021 54 617-894-3278 YOU KEEP THE QUALITY IN, .·d:J WHEN YOU PUT A SH®CKWATCH ON! The Shockwatch· Label os re- -~~. vol utionizi ng the way hi·tech ~~i~f:~~i~~~~~-1;eh~ua1- W&rruOOOm inexpensive and precision impact device 1s the basis of a shipping system , ...o-.om·lGlh- thal controls tt)e quality .., ~--·~0 ... ~. ~ ~~ of handl,ng after the product leaves your dock. Abusive hand- ·-. ~ ·' ling turns this device a brigh. t red, " ·· ##'."· warning your customer to inspect for possible damage If you control quality inside your plant why not control 11 after 11 leaves. · Reduce damage service cost. returns dead inventory Create ' customer goodwill & protect the quality product you manufacture 1111 Call 1·.800- 527 -9497 for application l nlorm at 1on & a list or our Fortune 500 cu stom ers MEDIA RECOVERY, INC. 1435 Round Table Drive, Dallas. Texas 75247 CIRCLE NO. 203 ON INQUIRY CARD CIRCLE NO. 204 ON INQUIRY CARD CIRCLE NO. 205 ON INQUIRY CARD To Advertise: Call Norma Lindahl 617-536-nao MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/December 1984 209 ·Floppy and Hard Disk Drive Enclosures for all Major Micros. ·Xebec Controllers Optional ·Custom Design Available ·Class 'B' Certification Support Can Be Provided ·Call For Pricing and Catalog Microware, Inc. 41711 Joy Road· Canton , Ml 48187 (313) 459-3557 CIRCLE NO. 206 ON INQUIRY CARD tf you are a serious software developer, shopping for software development tools, call or write today for more information. 800-551·5554 in CA call (408) 733-2919 TARGET MICROPROCESSORS 8086/80186, 8096, 8080/8085, 8051 , 8048, and others. HOSTMINl'S DEC VAA, PDP-11 , DG MV-Series Eclipse, Apollo, UNIX Systems, and others. HOST PC'S IBM PC, Data GeneraVONE, HP 150, COMPAQ, Columbia, DEC Rainbow, and other Compatibles. SOFTWARE 100LS C Compilers, Pascal Compilers. Assemblers, Simula· tors, Linking Loaders. Librarians, Conversion/Download, Communications. and VT-100 Emulator. for Serious Software Developers R MICROTEC . ~19 RESEARCH 3930 Freedom Circle, Suffe 101, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Mailing Address: PO. Box 60337, Sunnyvale. CA 95088 (408) 733-2919 Telex (ITT) 4990808 CIRCLE NO. 209 ON INQUl~Y CARD Guide to time saving opportunities for Intel microprocessor development systems. 20 -900/o TIME SAVINGS. If you have or plan to get an lntellec Series II, Ill or Model 800 you need this guide. Call: Winchester Systems. 400 West Cummings :-'ark, Woburn. MA 01801. Toll free: 800-325-3700, in Mass 617-933-8500. Winchester Systems CIRCLE NO. 207 ON INQUIRY CARD TALKBAC to your PC ...an.d listen TRUE SPEECH CAPABil.ITY FOR THE IBM PC! TheD!ALOG Voice System digi!lzesspeeohin real time, stores It on disk, and plays it back on command. Each board comes comp~ with the software drivers to hook our hardware to the applications program of your choke. WHAT Wil.L IT DO FOR. ME? Applications Include verbal annotation or telrti electronic mail and messaging. intelligent phone management, telemuketing, and remote data enb'y. Dialogic provides the optimum speech VO "engine" few the IBM PC world. n· HOW DO I GET ONE? DIALOGll , the basic model, Is priced at $296. DlALOG/2, with an intelli· gent phone Interface and touch-tone decoding, Is 1496. DIALOGJ3, with modem, is $596. Each board comes with a detailed user's manual, disk- ette, with the software drive rs, and demo package. Call or write us for detailed specs. 11 Tull-tree at800221-0093, ordirectat201 386-0'l02. DlAl.OOIC CORPORATION/ 164 McKinley Avenue EISt Hanover, NJ 07936 'IBl.kback. With DIAI.ocac. CIRCLE NO. 210 ON INQUIRY CARD SAM, 'The Smar1 Ambient Tcmpc:ralurc Moni1or/ Power Controller mtuurcs computer room lemperaturc and leis your computer know mo! Au«>m11tc power.down is a simple task ir your m1n1<o mpu1er get s too hot for comfon. There's no chrc11 or computer damage or loss o f da1a w11h SAM w11chin1 over your system. F·lurH: · Utihus 1 powerful sanaJe<Np nucro · Dul Sohd Swe Temperarwe Senson · Swm;h Selcndlk S.ud Rate· JOO, 1200, ·t!OO.and 1*X1 · Controls Pop.llat Mil'UCornputtr · Aulo H1 / Lo Tt"mpcr11urc Stora1e PowerO.t1ritlulJOt1 Panels ·Comp.ct Sitt 2Yt'' 1 1.lo't- 11.. · Standard RS.2J2 ln1erfacc · Mttal <.:1u · Buill·tn A~iblc Wamir.1 Alarm ·One: Year W1rr1n1 y ~ 101 W. 31 ST., N.Y., N.Y . 10001(212)947.5533 ClRCLE NO. 208 ON INQUIRY CARD ~OUR AD ~MINI-MICRO MARKETPLACE MEANS MORE SAEES , for more Information call your regional sales manager OR NORMA LINDAHL. AT (617) 536-7780 CIRCLE NO. 211 ON INQUIRY CARD ORDER FORM Advertise in the MINI-MICRO MARKETPLACE Please run my advertisement in the following issues f · COMPANY $595 $575 $560 $545 24x 48x $525 $505 ·it MATERIALS 1. Glossy photo with 50-75 words. We will typeset your ad at no charge. 2. Camera ready artwork . 3 ._ Film negatives: right reading emulsion side down . AD SIZE: 2Y." X 3Y,6 " ADDRESS CITY TELEPHONE SIGNATURE Space reservation by the first week of the month proceeding issue date. 0 Materials enclosed 0 Materials to come 0 Please send information Send to : Norma Lindahl, MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS 221 Columbus Ave. Bosto n, MA 02116 15% Agency commission to accredited agencies . Please specify agency. The DEC®V1220 What DEC announces, A bi-directional Auxiliary Port, not just uni-directional like CIE Terminals DEC's. So you can add either a delivers. printer or second host. Faster. Better. Plus, variable speed smooth you've waited for And more scroll for fast or slow review. · 't h TheencoewnoCmIiTc-a2l2ly0.+ And the p luses go on, including even more built-in reliability stm lSll ere. is available right now. So it stumps us why anyone would It has at least a dozen go on waiting for a DEC when you ButtheNo.1 alternative is. pluses over a DEC. Yet, it costs less. The p luses: Four additional enhanced menus. Display General. Auxiliary Port. And Keyboard. can get the 220 with all the pluses right now. For immediate information, call (714) 660-1421 or phone toll free 1-800-854-3322. Ask for our A convenient front -mounted Information Desk. Or write CIE on/off switch, not rear mounted like Terminals, 2505 McCabe Way. DEC's. A keyboard jack near the Irvine, CA 92714. front, providing more cable length. And a 3-position keyboard elevat- OITllAUNAU ing mechanism. A CITOHELECTRONICS COMPANY Plus, two more LED's than you'II find on the DEC keyboard. One for online, the other for shift lock. ® DEC is a Registered Trademark of Digital Equipment Corp. © 1984 CIE Terminals. CIRCLE NO. 102 ON INQUIRY CARD 1:'03av: ~ ~m~ {)JaMJ; uJ -m 4urw ~ rttfww/<. ~~ ii/fe~~ thr~ Remote Clusters / Packet Netwo~ Micro800/2 -\ \ / MICOM's INSTANET Local Network \ Micro6f:X/ / DATA PABX .4/J. fh 1a1 / Networ