File Info : application/pdf, 182 Pages, 104.99MB

198705

Passive backplane Is active stralegy at Wyse

Mdspeed---
and vellum up to 1 mches operation witfi oo pens to change or nm

Faster ploUlng and lncreued

The

850 EWS/GL not only outperfonns pen plotters, vector

files can be transmitted to the printer/plotter at up to 19.2K

baud freeing your system in less than half the time. You

gain l 00% more productive system time. A copy mode

allows you to make up to 99 copies of a plot without

re-transmitting the vector file. And an image size control

feature lets you fit your drawing to the paper size with

reduction or enlargement from 5% to 200%.

In micro, mini and mainframe applications the 850 EWS/GL provides high resolution plotting with virtually every CAE/CAD/AEC and graphics software package that supports HP-GL (HP-7475A).
For high speed text and data applications the 850

EWS/GL features a IMB print spooler and speeds of J44 CpS in Jetter quality and 360 CpS in draft quality.

The JDL-850 EWS Series:
· 850 EWS Printer/Plotter · 850 EWS/GL (HP-GL compatibility built-in) · 850 EWS with GL Processor Controller

For specifications and a plot sample call:

West: (805) 495-3451 East: (704) 541-6352

2801 Townsgate Road, Suite 104

'N c0 " P0 " Ar E0

Westlake Village, CA 91361

[~~~~ ~f;ife~x ~~~~psi:,rn'i:er;a~c;:,~!'i'~:~~!1~h~~e'k~';l'·f~~~~a;'Jp'."Jr'f~
registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Co.

CIRCLE NO. 2 ON INQUIRY CARD

NEC guarantees a DOA rate ofless than 1%.
A high DOA rate can take a big chunk out ofyour bottom line.
After all it takes 15 to 20 minutes to test one drive. And if the drive doesn't work you have to spend even more time repacking it and sending it back. Then you have to sit and wait for a replacement.
NEC can make your life much happier. Just ask and we'll guarantee the lowest DOA rate in the industry- less than 1%. In writing. What you'll likely get from our competitors is 5-10%.
A low DOA rate is just the icing on the cake. NEC disk drives are also more reliable over the long run. In fact, in the average lifetime of any NEC drive, 9 out of 10 will never fail.
NEC has been designing and improving disk drives for over 25 years. Way back in 1959, we were one of the first to create magnetic recording devices. NEC has grown up to be a 13 billion dollar worldwide company. So you can expect continuing products and support.
Ifother disk drive suppliers keep sending you surprises instead of drives that work right out ofthe box, call in NEC. You can reach us at 1-800-343-4418. On Massachusetts call 617-264-8635.) Or write NEC Information Systems, Inc., 1414 Massachusetts Avenue, Department 1610, Boxborough, ~-MA 01719.
NEC DISK DRIVES. RELIABILI1Y RUNS IN THE FAMILY
NEC
NEC Information Systems, Inc.
CaC Coo1>uter.; and Commrications
CIRCLE NO. 3 ON INQUIRY CARD

HardvCs.opy Easy Copy Easy Copy
Easy Copy Easy Copy Easy Copy

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CSI GI&

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*Versatec is a trademark of Versatec , Inc .

Honeywell
CIRCLE NO. 4 ON INQUIRY CARD

MAY 1987

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

COVER STORY

Passive backplane proves active strategy at Wyse

. 29

Pyramid 's RISC-based superminis afford a multiprocessor approach .. . .. 45

IBM 's Personal System /2 ... ........... ............. . . .. ...... . .. 47
INTERPRETER _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

NETWORKS System integrators jump into network management ... .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .48

MEMORY TECHNOLOGY Bubble memory bursts into niche markets .

. . 55

FEATURES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~

p. 29 . . Ylijse introduces "modular system architecture." Art design by Blankenship-Tavares Inc. Courtesy of Ylijse Technology

Feature Highlights

.. 61

True distributed DBMSes presage big dividends .

. . 65

Despite their slow emergence, varied types of distributed database management

system s promise to help integrate heterogeneous computing environments

Database development tools: an evaluation . .

. ..... . .. . .... 77

An independent company evaluates over 50 database development tools is

available for applications developers, software houses and end users.

LANs link PCs to mainframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . 91

Local-area-network gateways to IBM SNA systems challenge conventional 3270

emulators, and LU 6.2 products threaten to rattle the micro-to-mainframe arena.

Multiprocessors boost system power

............. 105

By often outperforming uniprocessor minicomputers, multiprocessors can bolster

OEM s and system integrators against trad itional market giants.

DEC DIRECTIONS

Graphical interface speeds VAX programming .

. ........ . ... 121

Use of a graphics-based user interface, called "Picture Programming," and an ap-

plication generator accelerates software production for VAXes.

SPRING PERIPHERALS HANDBOOK ...Table of Contents

. 147

DEPARTMENTS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~

Editorial Staff Ed ito rial Letters . Brea kpoint s

.6 ... 9 ... 12
. 17

New Products ................. .. . .. 131

Software Review . . . . . . . . .

. . . .. . 145

Index to Ad verti sers

. .. . 172

Mini-Micro Marketpl ace . .. . . .. . .. . ... 174

Cahners Publishing Company · A Division of Reed Publishing USA· Specialized Business Magazines for Building and Con· struction · Computer!Technology ·Electronics · Food/Packaging· Manufacturing Industries· Medical , Design & Publishing MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS®(ISSN 0364-9342) is published monthly with additional issues in May and November by Cahners Publishing Company, A Division of Reed Publishing USA, 275 Washington St. , Newton, MA 02158. William M. Platt, President; Terrence M. McDermott, Executive Vice President ; Jerry 0 . Neth , Vice President of Publishing Operations; J.J. Walsh , Financial Vice PresidenUMagazine Division; ThomasJ. Oellamaria, Vice President Production and Manufacturing; Frank Sibley, Group Vice President. Copyright 1987 by Reed Publishing USA, a division of Reed Holdings Inc., Saul Goldweitz, Chairman; Ronald G. Segel, President and Chief Executive Otticer, Robert L. Krakoff, 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 ottices. Postmaster: Send address changes to MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS , 270 St . Paul St. , Denver, CO 80206. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS is circulated without charge by name and title to U.S.- and Western European-based corporate and technical management, systems engineers and other personnel who meet qualification procedures. Available to others at the rate of $65 per year in the United States; $80 in Canada and Mexico; $105 surface mail in all other countries; air mail surcharge, $45 (14 issues) . Special HANDBOOK issues, $15. Single issues, $6 in the United States ; $8 in Canada and Mexico; $10 in all other countries.
© 1987 by Cahners Publishing Company, Division of Reed Publishing USA. All rights reserved .

p. 105

. Battling the giants

~ WBPA NJI'

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

PASSING
LANE AHEAD
Systems Integration Profits: Beyond IAN's End.
Getting ahead in today's value added reseller market means providing your customers with connectivity olutions between hardware and operating systems. CYB Systems' UNITETM gives you an unprecedented advantage that can put you on the road to higher profits in the burgeoning systems integration market. UNITE's unique connective power goes beyond networking, boosting the productive power of PC stations, departments and work groups with its ability to move data between disparate operating systems and machines. With UNITE you can deliver integrated control over MS!MDOS, PC DOS and UNIXTM operating environmentsregardless of vendor, and provide an on-board upward link to popular mainframes via TCP/IP or SNA protocols. And UNITE is fully adaptable to greater interconnective capabilities further up the road. CYB Systems' UNITE. The sign of the times for systems integration. To find out how UNITE can help your clients and enhance your business, call or write CYB Systems, or visit our suite at the Dallas INFOMART.

STAFF
Vice PresidenUPublisher Donald Fagan
Chief Editor George V. Kotelly
Executive Editor Tim Mead
Managing Editor James F. Donohue
Senior Editor: David Simpson Irvine, (714) 851-9422
Senior Editor: Mike Seither San Jose, (408) 296-0868
Senior Editor: Doug Pryor Senior Editor: Tim Scannell
Associate Editor/Research: Frances Michalski Staff Editor/New Products: Megan Nields Editorial Assistant: Lisa Kramer
Contributing Editors
Andrew Allison Mini/Micro Computer Product and Market Consultant Raymond C. Freeman Jr. Freeman Associates Special Features Editor: Wendy Rauch-Hindin
Dix Hills, N.Y. (516) 667-7278 Gene R. Talsky Professional Marketing Management Inc. Edward Teja Freehold Corp.
Editorial Production Chief Production Editor: Arsene C. Davignon
Staff Editor/Production: Mary Anne Weeks
Editorial Services Terri Gellegos
Assistant to the Publisher: Linda L. Lovett
Art Staff Art Director: Cynthia Norton
Director of Art Dept. : Norm Graf Senior Art Director: Mary Anne Ganley
Production Staff VP Production: Wayne Hulitzky Director/Production: John Sanders Supervisor: William Tomaselli Production Manager: Betsy Cooper
Composition: Diane Malone

CYB SYSTEMS, INC. INFOMART, Suite 2017 1950 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75207 214n46-5390
UNm is a tndemark ol CYB ~ Inc. MS- is a tndemark ol Miaosoll Corponlioo. UNIXisalnldemarl<olllelli.bora!ories.
CIRCLE NO. 5 ON INQUIRY CARD
6

Editorial Offices
Boston: 275 Washington St., Newton , MA 02158, (617) 964-3030. Irvine: 18818 Teller Ave., Suite 170, Irvine, CA 92715. Los Angeles: 12233 W. Olympic Blvd ., Los Angeles, CA 90064. San Jose: 3031 Tisch Way, San Jose, CA 95128.
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 Katie Pyziak, Cahners Reprint Service, Cahners Plaza, 1350 E. Touhy Ave., Box 5080, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Phone (312)635-8800.
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

Fujitsu delivers products, notjustpromises.

It's here-a high-performance W' cartridge tape drive, in a SW'

form factor.

Fujitsu America has it. We're ready today with evaluation units. And we have a product that performs.

Our M2451A cartridge tape drive gives you up to 120 MB of formatted

storage capacity. It runs in both streaming and start/stop modes, at

streaming speeds of 75 and 50 ips, so it fits almost any application.

Its ESDI interface assures easy, cost-effective system integration.

And for your SCSI system, the optional high-performance M1008A SCSI controller is now available.

Most importantly, these cartridge tape drives are already proven

and working in systems today. And with second sources available for both drives and media, you can be sure of protecting your investment in this technology.
For more information about Fujitsu's ¥2" cartridge, or other tape drives, call (408) 946-8777. Or write Fujitsu America, Inc., Storage Products
Division, 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose, CA 95134-2017.
Fujitsu tape drives meet the quality standards and technical requirements that have made this one of the

world's leading companies. That's leadership you

can depend on to develop the technology you need.

And deliver it.

CIRCLE NO. 8 ON INQUIRY CARD

We're developing technology for you.

For data integrity and ease of use,fully enclosed ¥.!''media is packed in a single reel, in a compact plastic enclosure.

FUJITSU FUJITSU AMERICA

SWITCHING TERMINAL TERMINALS. SWITCHING.

Get Connected With An Equinox Data PBX.

An Equinox Terminal Network lets you connect your terminal to any async RS-232 computer, modem or printer with afew keystrokes. No more cable swapping, A-8 switches or moving between terminals.
Low-Cost, Easy Installation. Equinox terminal networks cost under $100 per connection and are protocol transparent. "Plug and play" wiring accessories, menu-driven configuration and on-line "HELP" make installation asnap.
Network Growth With Compatible Products. Whether you have a few terminals or thousands, we have a Data PBX to create the right size Terminal
MDX 8·16 Lines

Network for your needs. And all of our Data PBXs are fully compatible, so they can be expanded and networked to accommodate growth and protect your investment.

Find out why thousands of terminal users rely on an Equinox Data PBX for terminal networking. For more information, an on-site demonstration or to find out about our 30-day no-risk free trial program,

Call 1-800-DATA-PBX. In Florida call (305)255-3500.
Equinox Systems Inc. 12041 S. W. 144th Street Miami, FL 33186-6108.
Equinox is aregistered trademark of Equinox Systems Inc.

DS·5 24-960 Lines

DS·15 24·1320 Lines

EQUINOX
Smart Connections For Dumb Terminals.
CIRCLE NO. 7 ON INQUIRY CARD

EDITORIAL

R&D: A MANDATORY INVESTMENT

Research and development (R&D) has attained new meaning this year as computer companies search for new technology and products to improve their competitive edgeand, just maybe, ensure their sheer survival. To combat the influx of foreign competition that burst onto the computer scene in 1986, U.S. companies are closely examining their R&D programs to make sure that they hold the promise of innovative, useful and quality products.
To support R&D, U.S. industrial research spending has steadily increased over the past decade at a robust 13 percent average each year. In 1987, though, R&D budgets will drop, say two recent surveys. In one, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, estimates an increase in R&D spending of only 7.2 percent. In the other, the National Science Foundation forecasts a rise of just 5 percent.
Both studies conclude that the dollar downturn results from inaccurate sales projections, concern over short-term profits and budget slashes due to corporate mergers and acquisitions. To overcome these financial problems, many companies have opted to drastically reduce their long-term R&D efforts.
In 1986, private industry accounted for 50 percent of the estimated $1 16 billion in R&D expenditures. The government spent about 47 percent of these dollars; the remaining funds were doled out by universities and non-profit institutions.
In obtaining R&D services computer companies have relearned the merits of working with the academic community.
A prime example of advanced technology transfers from campus laboratories to industrial centers involves the CMU Robotics institute at Carnegie-Mellon University. Described as the world's largest industry-financed center for research on robots, the Institute serves some 30 companies with progressive technical information. These companies contribute heavily to cover the Institute's $7.2 million annual budget. But, in return, they gain the skills of about 200 scientific and engineering

experts in artifical intelligence, computer vision and robotics.
Even with this renewed company-college collaboration, some age-old problems still persist. For example, college professors are eternally vigilant against industry corrupting the pure-research and teaching processes. And companies constantly worry that basic research will absorb precious short-term funds and might not mature into practical products and profits.
More important, though, universities appear eager to participate in R&D partnerships. For one key reason, they must rebuild their outdated scientific facilities. Business Week estimates that about 240 of the United States' 290 engineering schools are operating with outmoded equipment, and that more than $30 billion is needed to refurbish these facilities.
In addition, many teaching professors at important scientific schools have not kept pace with technology. What's more, the number of graduate engineering and scientific students has decreased markedly over the past few years.
Fortunately, help is on the way. For one thing, the federal government is issuing equipment grants to universities to the tune of $50 million this year. For another, computer companies are also donating millions of dollars in new systems.
Industry analysts agree unanimously that cooperative R&D ventures are necessary to maintain U.S. supremacy in the computer industry. And the company-college link must be strengthened even further. For its part, the computer industry must resolutely increase its investment in R&D programs. The industry's survival depends on it.
George V. Kotelly Chief Editor

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

~D THE DRIVE.
FIRST THE 40MBDRIVE,
NOW THE IOOMB INSIGHT.
Now your next 16 and 32-bit downsized svstem can
compete utilizing 40 and 100 megabytes Of high-perform-
ance 31/2-inch hard disk storage. Only Conner Peripherals gives you the optimum size drive and performance insight required for the next generation Of portables. desktops and vvorkstations.
Our CP340, 40MB !formatted), is shipping now in America's hottest new compact portableand desktopcomputers. And our new CP3100, 100MB tformattedl, is available now for evaluation.
Both drives proVide higher reliability with defect management. Each offers higher performance with fast average access-CP3100 at 25 msec and CP340 at 29. They are more durable, handling shoek to 75G and dissipate only 7 watts Of power.
Improve vour system with true high-performance features like data buffering, rotary voice coil actuator. embedded servo and integrated intelligent controller with SCSI interface. Plus the
loVllest cost per megabyte. No one else is
Shipping high-performance 31/i-inch disk drives like these. Only Conner
oM Peripherals hasthe insight and the drive-to give you the com-
petitive edge now! Call tOday for more insight and the drives.
CONNER
PERIPHERALS
CIRCLE NO. 8 ON INQUIRY CARD
Conner Peripherals, Inc,, 2221 Old Oakland Rd ,, San Jose, CA 95131, Telepnone 14081 433·3340. Boston 16171660·1088. United Kingdom 144! 322·330·333. @1987 Conner Perlp/leralS. Inc.

LETTERS

Cl-796-EDC
· 128KB to 2 MEGABYTES on one board · Single bit error correction, double bit
error detection · Selectable in 16K byte increments

IBM-RT PC

.,,,,,,, I 11 t·11111·

I I If fl 0 Wt
l;flfll.J

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11

r\f!lltll1l1l1~1.1,1,1.

· '

- ·- · ·1 ;,.

~ ' 1'"'' "'·"' ,.

~·

Cl-RT-PC MEMORY

· IBM-RT PC compatible memory board · Standard configuration of 8 megabytes · Fast Cycle Times of 170 nanoseconds · Error Detection and Correction for
added reliabilty

"STATE-OF-THE-ART MEMORIES for Ohus. MICROvax, and the VAX"

~ Chrislin ~ Industries
Call Toll Free 800-46.8-0736 lest I
31352 VIA COLINAS. WESTLAKE VILLAGE . CA 91362 TEL 818-991-2254 TWX 910-494-1253
P 0. BOX 165 7 SAN JUAN. PR 00629 TEL 809-876-5205 TELEX 345-4170 iCHRISLN PO)
.. r

CIRCLE NO. 9 ON INQUIRY CARD 12

PRINTERS USE SCSI
To the editor:
In the February issue (Page 49) is an article on the small computer systems interface entitled " SCSI extends beyond data storage devices." It seems to raise the question , " Will printers use SCSI?"
Printers already use SCSI and NCR [Corp.] offers that product. Our NCR ADP-60 is a SCSI-to-Dataproducts type of long-line printer-interface adapter that allows one or more hosts to share one or two high-speed printers.. The baud rates are printer-dependent, but this controller can operate two 2,000line-per-minute printers simultaneously. NCR is also considering the development of a low-cost SCSI-to-Centronics type of interface.
In our opinion, printer manufacturters will follow the lead of disk and tape manufacturers in providing embedded SCSI ability within the printer. Value-added manufacturers and system integrators will use bridge-type printer interfaces, such as the NCR

ADP-60. SCSI printer commands allow the
sharing of printer resources by more than one host. The command also allows a SCSI copy operation (such as disk to printer) to be managed by the printer, thus freeing the host from managing this opeation.
The SCSI bus can provide the bandwidth necessary to accommodate the non-impact printer marketplace. Printer manufacturers are probably looking at this as the interface of choice.
John Ast OEM Products Marketing Manager NCR Corp. OEM Division Wichita, Kan. 67226
FORGET SOMETHING?
Did you forget to fill out the requalification card attached to the front cover? If you did, please turn back, fill it out and mail it to us right away so you will be sure to keep your free subscription to Mini-Micro Systems.

· 80286

PROCESSOR

· 80287

CO-PROCESOR

(Optional)

· 640K RAM

· FLOPPY DISK

CONTROLLER

· SCSI (WINCHESTER CTL) · CGA/HERCULES/MONO

YOUR ONE & ONLY SOURCE FOR

· 2-SERIAL PORTS · 1-PARALLEL PORT · KEY BOARD PORT · SPEAKER & RESET · REAL TIME CLOCK I CAL. · PHOENIX BIOS · 8 or 10 MHz OPERATION

A COMPLETE SYSTEM ON A SINGLE BOARD! THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER CPU BOARD - BUT A POWERFUL

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IN THE USA

mil 5500 OAKBROOK PKY. SUITE 910 · NORCROSS, GA 30093

CIRCLE NO. 29 ON INQUIRY CARD

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

The SCSI Source Guide

Finally, a comprehensive SCSI reference book for engineers, product planners· and marketing personnel who have a need to know:

· What SCSI products are available · Who supplies SCSI products · What each SCSI product does ·What level of SCSI functionality
each product supports
Published in the Spring and Fall by Technology Forums - the company who also brings you the SCSI Forum and the SCSI Market Study - The SCSI Source Guide includes the following SCSI product categories:

· Chips · Boards · Intelligent Peripherals · Subsystems

· Test Equipment · Software

Each SCSI Product listing will include:

· Product Category · Supplier

· Price · Description

· Supplier ID · SCSI Support Level

Additionally, information on SCSI suppliers will provide:

· Addresses, phone numbers, and technical contacts · Cross references to their listed SCSI products Examples of product listings for intelligent disk drives are found on the reverse side of this
----d-a-ta--sh-e-et--(C-o-u-rte-s-y-o-f -Se-a-g-at-e-a-n-d -M-ic-ro-p-o-lis-).-----------------------------· 0 Please send me a copy of the SCSI Source Guide. D My check for $295 is enclosed. 0 Bill me. (Net 30 days. Foreign orders must be pre-paid) · No Refunds 0 I want my company and its SCSI products to be listed in the SCSI Source Guide. Please send me an SCSI Product Survey.

NAME _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~

T I T L E - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PHONE(_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ COMPANY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

PLEASE MAIL TO: TECHNOLOGY FORUMS · P.O. Box 1729 · Minnetonka, MN 55345 · (612) 934-1415

CIRCLE NO. 73 ON INQUIRY CARD

(OVER PLEASE)

GIGABYTES WITHOUT PAYING
"GIGABUCKS"!

Organic Dye, Long-Life Optical Disk Media.

600 Megabyte Subsystem.

Advanced Pioneer technology, along with the world's first application of an organic dye recording
media make possible the introduction of a new series of highly efficient,
low cost, write once (W.0.R.M.) opti-
cal disk subsystems from the leader in optical technology... Pioneer.
Featured in this new product line is Pioneer's D]-1 eight-inch Optical
Disk Dual Drive Autochanger Jukebox. This high-speed optical disk
jukebox provides for up to 30 gigabytes of data storage capacity (20
two-sided removable cartridges) with an End-User price of $40,000 per unit ... that's less than a $1.35 per megabyte of storage capacity.
The 8-inch drive which is incorporated in the autochanger, is also available in a stand-alone configuration. The DD-8001 eight-inch

DJ-1 8-inch 30 Gigabyte, Optical Disk, Dual-Drive
Jukebox Autochanger.
stand-alone subsystem combined with the DC-801/DC-802 optical disk media represents the ideal, compact disk drive. (1.5 gigabytes on two sides). The DD-8001is equipped with the SCSI high-speed parallel computer interface and is available with MS-DOS operating software. With an End-User price of $13,000 per unit, this front-loading, highspeed drive is ideal for any type of desk top system configuration.
In addition to this outstanding 8-inch technology, Pioneer is also pleased to introduce the DD-U5001 stand-alone and DD-S5001 "PC"

module 5.25-inch optical disk drive subsystems. A new, light-weight
servo mechanism developed by
Pioneer provides incredibly quick random access to any information on the disk. At an End-User price of between $2,800 (DD-U5001) to $3,500 (DD-S5001), the 5.25-inch
subsystems are provided with the SCSI interface and full MS-DOS operating software will be available
Each double-sided DC-502 optical disk offers 60Qmegabytes of storage capacity (300 megabytes per side).
Pioneer's unique 8-inch and 5.25inch low cost organic dye optical disk media ensure a data storage life of greater than 15 years.
Pioneer is recognized as a world leader in the research, development and manufacturing of optical products and systems.

./.1v',\ PIONEER' .1..-....r,"a.·.A..l"a.-.A..,·.H,TM
For more information, contact Pioneer Communications of America, Inc., Optical Memory Products Division, 1058 East 230th Street, Carson, California 90745, (213) 513-1016.

Please join us at Comdex-Spring, Booth 3026 and at NCC, Booth 5408/5410.
CIRCLE NO. 11 ON INQUIRY CARD

Once you've bought our CIT224 alphanumeric VT220compatible terminal, you still have one more decision to make: What to do with the box. We suggest you throw it away.
You see, the CIT224 terminal's reliability is so good, it makes no sense worrying that it may have to be returned. That's because its "dead-on-arrival" rate is less than 1%. And there's no other VT220-compatible terminal around with a lower DOA rate.
And when it comes to performance, no other VT220-compatible terminal stacks up to the CIT224's list of features.
Like an easy-to-see 14-inch soft white, amber or green screen, a 7 x 15 character matrix, 11 set-up menus and 45 programmable function keys. Couple this with proven 100% VT220 emulation and a high-tech design cabinet, and you've got the best price-performance ratio of any VT220-compatible terminal on the market. Improve your bottom line with the CIT224 terminal. And throw away the box.
For more information on the CIT224, contact CIE Terminals, a C.Itoh company, 2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714; or call (714) 660-1421 or our toll-free number (800) 624-2516.
Lower Your

Rate f Return.

C .11 OH The One-Way Terminal Company.
CIE Terminals

CIE Terminals, Inc., 2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714 · Telephone: (714) 660-1421 (800) 624·2516

c:> 1987 CIE Terminals, Inc.

VT220 is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.

CIRCLE NO. 12 ON INQUIRY CARD

KlllTRON BEEFS UP PC-COMPATIBLE NETWORKED TERMINALS
Kimtron Corp. will launch a new line of Satellite PC~compatible terminals next month at Comdex/Spring in Atlanta. The SATlO and SAT20 come with IBM Corp. PC/AT-style keyboards, serial and parallel ports, three 8-bit expansion slots and built-in color and monochrome graphics adapters and monitors. Both are priced at $995 (monochrome) and $1 ,395 (color) and come with an add-in board to connect them to other PCs. Four SATlOs can run single-user DOS applications off the host PC using Kimtron's $99 Knet software. Ten SAT20s running IBM's PCNet software can operate multiuser programs off the host PC. By year's end the San Jose company plans to support Arcnet, Ethernet and token-ring networks on other Satellite products.-Mike Seither

NEW AT&T PRODUCTS EMPHASIZE COlflfECTIVITY
While IBM Corp. prepared its recent product barrage, rival AT&T Co. fired a few salvos of its own. It announced a set of communications products that helps its 3B2 line of minicomputers connect with the machines of other vendors, including IBM, Digital Equipment Corp. and Wang Laboratories Inc. AT&T also brought out two new servers for its IM-bps Starlan local area network, and enhancements to its packet-switching Information Systems Network (!SN). One of the !SN enhancements is software, scheduled to be available in July for $5,000, which permits IBM 3270 terminals to communicate with DEC host/terminal networks. Other key announcements: support for IBM's LU 6.2 protocols and software that permits the 3B2 computers to exchange documents in the IBM office environment.--Jim Donohue

LAN VENDORS OFFER THEIR OWN PC WORKSTATIONS

Three local area network vendors have announced competing IBM Corp.

PC-compatible workstations designed specifically for LANs. They are 3Com

Corp. of Santa Clara and Nestar Systems Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., and

Novell Inc. of Orem, Utah. 3Com's $1,895 3Station is an 80286 system with

four integrated graphics adapters, Ethernet and lM byte of memory. Nestar

goes to market with three PC workstations, two based on the 8088 and the

third on the 80286. The Nestar products all run either on Datapoint Corp.'s

ARCnet or token ring and cost from $895 to $1,695. Novell's offering is a $699

diskless network PC. All three companies bank on LAN customers wanting

total systems, not pieces.-Mike Seither

UNISYS INTRODUCES 80386 WORKSTATION ---=--

" ' · !' ' ...

ll._\

l:
L

".-~(,.~'.-..Jt.lt.''.-··~...';,-_:-_:.a.:

' ..

Unisys Corp. has joined the ranks of workstation vendors offering products powered by the Intel Corp. 80386 microprocessor. The B38 Universal Workstation operates at 16 MHz and runs under BTOS, a multiuser, multitasking operating system from Burroughs Corp., the company now merged with Sperry Corp. to form Unisys. You can cluster up to 11 B38s in a shared-resources environment (disks, printers, communications devices), or you can cluster up to 10 IBM Corp. PCs with one B38 acting as the controller. But you must buy

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

BREAKPOINTS

$475 Clustershare RS422 interface boards from Unisys for each PC in the cluster. Unisys places a price tag of $8,375 on a basic B38 workstation, which includes lM byte of memory and a 20M-byte rigid disk drive.--Jim Donohue

FUJITSU UNLEASES SALVO OF HIGH-END PERIPHERALS
Fujitsu America Inc. will introduce a host of peripherals by mid-May, including its first scanner for OEMs in the United States. The M3094A, priced at $3,090, scans at 200, 240, 300 and 400 dots per inch. It produces 64 shades of gray and, with an optional $610 circuit, detects subtle variations. And, the San Jose company will unveil a 5114-inch, 389M-byte Winchester disk drive with an ESDI interface and an access time of 18 msec that pits Fujitsu against Maxtor Corp., Micropolis Corp., Miniscribe Corp. and Priam Corp. for drives in that range . Also coming: a 31/2-inch, 77M-byte Winchester with run-length limited encoding; a lOM-bps intelligent peripheral interface (IP!); a 5114-inch, 218M-byte half-inch cartridge tape drive; and four 3 1/2-inch flexible drives.
-Mike Seither

APOLLO BRIDGES DOMAIN, ETHERNET
Augmenting its own token-ring network products, Apollo Computer Inc., Chelmsford, Mass., recently announced Ethernet support for its Domain workstation computing environment. The 802.3 Network Controller-AT, which plugs into the company's Domain Series 3000 workstations, enables direct connection to Ethernet networks. That means system int egrators can link up to a variety of other vendors' systems, including Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS and a variety of UNIX machines. The price of a Series 3000 workstation includes either the 802.3 Network Controller-AT or Apollo's original Token Ring Network Controller-AT. If purchased as an add-on, each controller costs $2,000.
-Dave Simpson

COMMUNICATIONS A FAX OF LIFE FOR EMULEX
Although a player in data communications only since early this year, Emulex Corp., Costa Mesa, Calif., will begin shipping its third set of modems next month-this time targeting the growing facsimile market. The $355 HF144 and $255 HF96 operate over either dedicated telephone lines or general switched telephone networks at 14,400 and 9,600 bps, respectively. The modems will also be marketed to OEMs and VARs in Japan in an effort to crack the Japanese fax market where Rockwell International Corp. is presently the sole U.S. supplier of modem boards. Marketing manager Roger Free says Emulex will compete on the basis of lower power consumption, smaller size and surface-mount technology.-Tim Scannell

IBM BLESSES OPTICAL DISK DRIVES-AT LAST
IBM Corp. has ended its long holdout and entered the optical storage business with the 3362, an external, 200M-byte WORM optical disk drive. "It gives IBM a way to learn what the optical market is all about,'' says industry analyst Bob Katzive of Disktrrend Inc., Los Altos, Calif. The 3363, which carries a price tag of $2,950, is built for IBM by Matsushita of Japan. With attachments, says IBM, it can hold l .6G bytes of data. The drive will be available in the second quarter. Meanwhile, IBM is working on an optical disk

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

60 Megabytes is more than the other guys can swallow.

~ National
~ Semiconductor

Series 32000 makes
VAX power more personal.

NOWYOU CANJOIN HEWLETT-PACKARD, RJTURENET,
EATON, COMPUTERVISION, AND OVER 50 OTIIER COMPANIES IN BRINGING 32-BIT POWER TO THE
IARGEST INSTALLED BASE IN TIIE WORLD

tasking environment in the industry. Yet they can still run important personalproductivity tools like spreadsheets, word processing, and project managers _ _ __.__~ under DOS.
PLUG INTOTHE MARKETNOW
Obviously, the potential of the PC

There are over 10.7million*

add-in market is enormous. And it's

IBM111 personal computers and com-

already being tapped with Series

patibles in use today. That'sthe largest "installed base"in the world

'J.i..--_.,...-......:-=-...------' 32000-based boards being manufactured by a number ofOEMs.If

- an enormous pre-existing market that You can capitalize on the hot new market you're asystems integrator,VAR orVAD,

represents an enormous marketing oppor- in desktop publishing. The opportunities contact one ofthese companies about

tunity. And National Semiconductor is are endless.

leadingthe wayfor OEMs,systems integrators, VARs and VADs to take full

DELIVER TRUE 32-BIT POWER

advantage of it.

Already more than 50 key systems

Because it'snow possible to put the integrators,VARs andVADs have realized

power ofaVAXTM 11/ 780 into the PC

the potential of this market by using PC

environment. At a mere fraction ofthe cost. add-in boards.

PC add-in boards,based on National's And more PC add-in board manufac-

Series32000111 family, allow you to imme- turers are using the Series 32000 than all

diatelyupgrade almost anypersonal

other 32-bit microprocessors combined.

computer to true 32-bit performance.

That's because no other 32-bit micro-

Simplybyplugging a Series 32000- processor offers amore complete,inte-

basedboard into one of the computer's grated family ofsolutions,including

standard expansion slots;* you can deliver coprocessors,peripherals,software,and

the power and speed of a $30,000 development tools.

workstation for about $3,000.

And,because the entire family was

That means you can put high- designed with the same highly symmetrical,

performance CAE/CAD capabilities orthogonal 32-bit architecture,the Series

onto every engineer's desktop.You can 32000 is fully software-compatible across

distribute more computing power to all its CPU offerings. So your customers'

more people at alower cost in amulti- software investment is completely pro-

user, multitasking office environment. tected even as they migrate to higher

'Source:lnfocorp 1987

performance.

''fur IBM PC/XTs, PC/ATs,and compatibles. Standard PCs

needto be upgraded with a harddisk (JO Mbyle, minimum) and a larger power supply.

BRIDGE TIIE UNIX-DOS GAP

ASeries 32000-based add-in board

gives your customers the best of both worlds

IBM is a registered trademarkof

in operating systems. Since the Series

International Business Machines Corporation.

32000 was the first 32-bit microprocessor to

VAX is a trademark support full demand-paged virtual UNIX;'"

ofO igital Equipment Corporation.

your customers can run high-performance

UNIX is a trademarkofAT&T. O 1987 National Semiconductor Corporation.

engineering and business applications in the most cost-efficient multiuser, multi-

their products. Or if you're a board-level OEM yourself,
follow their lead by contacting National Semiconductor about how you can design the Series 32000 into your own product.

PC ADD-IN COMPANIF.5 USING SERIF.5 32000

Selected OEMS

AeonTechnologies,Vail,CO(303) 986-3599 C)'bertool Systems USA, Sanjose,CA (408) 263-1700

Definicon Systems, CA (818) 889-1646

DFE Electronic Data Systems, CA (415) 829-392 5 Hightec EDY Systems,Saarbriicken,Germany Matrox Electronic Systems,Quebec, (514) 685-2630

OpusSystems,Cupertino,CA (408) 446-2110

Sritek,Cleveland,OH (216) 526-9433

Zaiaz, Huntsville,AL (205) 881-2200

Selected VARs Analog Design Tools Auto-Trot Technology

Lattice Logic USA Matrox Elec. Sys.

Cambridge Graphics National Semiconductor

Co mputervision

Oasys

Cybertool Systems USA Olivetti

Hightec EDY Systems Siemens AG

Either way, the PC add-in market represents one of the most significant business opportunities in years. With over 10,000,000 prospective customers. And the Series 32000 can help you reach every one of them.
Fersonally.
National Semiconductor MS 23/ 200 P. 0. Box 58090 Santa Clara, CA 95052-8090

~ National
~ Semiconductor

CIRCLE NO. 14 ON INQU IRY CARD

Attention DEC users:

If you own a

If you run

PDP11/34

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'NT 100 has been so designated by Digital Review September 1985. A repr1nt of this article will be included with matenal sent 1n response to 1nqwnes from this ad

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CIRCLE NO. 15 ON INQUIRY CARD

BREAKPOINTS

drive of its own design. That work is underw8i)' in Tuscon, Ariz. S8i)'s one official with optical drive competitor Maxtor Corp., "The significance [of the 3363] is that IBM has finally blessed WORM technology. It's something we've all been waiting for."-Mike Seither

llULTIFUNCTION OPTICAL DRIVES DUE THIS YEAR
Optimem Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., S8i)'S it will have multifunction optical disks and drives in the 5%-inch form factor in beta test this summer and expects to ship the product in volume in the fourth quarter. At least one other company -Maxtor Corp., San Jose,-s8i)'s it is looking into multifunction drives with the idea of having a product on the market in 1988. Larry Fujitani, director of marketing for Optimem, S8i)TS his company's drives will combine WORM and CDROM technologies with the newly developed erasable technology. 3M of St. Paul, Minn., will supply the recording media and the disks.--c71m Donohue

CO:MlllITTEE GOES BOTH WAYS ON OPTICAL FORMATTING STANDARD
Following the lead taken earlier this year by the Japanese, the ANSI X3Bll committee has voted to pursue two competing standards for formatting writeonce 130-mm optical disk drives. But that decision, some members think, could be reversed by another vote when the committee meets again this month. One camp favors the composite/continuous method, which interlaces servo information with data. The other group leans toward the sample servo technique, which physically separates servo information from data on the disk. The committee decided on the twin-standard approach after being unable to reach a consensus on the issue for more than a year.-Mike Seither
DO MEGA-MEMORY CHIPS THREATEN TO REPLACE MAGNETIC MEDIA?
"DRAM (dynamic RAM) chips alw8i)'s go to $2." That's been a constant economic law for solid-state memory. Prices start much higher and then fall as manufacturers achieve economics of scale and control over the chip-making process, according to San Francisco's California Technology Stock Letter, quoted above. Noting IBM Corp.'s recent announcement of a 4M-bit DRAM chip-and hints at 16M-bit, 64M-bit and 256M-bit chips-the newsletter editors believe solid-state memory will soon be a cost-effective replacement for magnetic disk drives. By 1991 semiconductor memory prices will be about $10 per megabyte, vs. $15 per megabyte for 14-inch Winchester disks and $10 for 8-inch Winchesters. That, the editors S8i)T, will be low enough for IBM Corp. to announce "solid state replacement products for their largest computers as soon as 1988 or early 1989."-Mike Seither

ISDN KEEPS COMMUNICATIONS IN THE CHIPS
Systems integrators should keep abreast of developments in integrated services digital networks (ISDN). For one thing, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., one of the five top U.S. chip suppliers, will start shipping toward the end of this year an ISDN protocol controller designed to easily connect terminal equipment with digital PABXes. The device should increase ISDN's real-time capabilities, and that is what communications integration is all about. For another thing, the ISDN market is expected to mushroom from about $500 million this year to more than $3 billion by 1995, S8i)'S AMD Group vice president John East.-Tim Scannell

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

BREAKPOINTS

INTEGRATORS VENT MASS-STORAGE BEEFS
"Every storage device or controller we use has shut down our production line at least once," complains Jon Garman, director of I/O engineering for Sun Microsystems Inc., Mountain View, Calif. Garman spoke out as one of a panel on "Insights from Storage Device Integrators" at Dataquest Inc. 's April storage-industry conference in San Jose. Garman asserted that drives and controllers are often not compatible "though advertised as such." Gripes from other panelists: non-standard ''standards'' like the ESDI interface, which has several different transfer rates. -Mike Seither

PLUS PRODUCES 40M-BYTE HAB.DCAllD
Plus Development Corp., the Milpitas, Calif., company that started the driveon-a-card business two years ago with a lOM-byte device, began shipments in
early Maor of its 40M-byte HardCard. Unlike many competing drive cards that
require one and a half personal computer expansion slots, Plus Development has retained its original sleek design and still takes up only a single slot. The HardCard 40, which uses run-length limited encoding, retails for $1,195. Plus claims it has shipped a total of 200,000 lOM-byte and 20M-byte HardCards.
- Mike Seither

BREAKING THE LISP LANGUAGE BARRIER WITH COBOL
Citing an ''academic bias'' toward LISP in the area of artificial intelligence applications, Cullinet Software Inc., Westwood, Mass., has taken the wraps off a series of expert-system programs based on the COBOL programming language. It marks the company's first entry into AI applications since it acquired Distribution Management Systems (DMS) of Lexington, Mass. OrderEXL, SalesEXL, VoiceEXL and the DMS Application Expert all support COBOL and SQL file conventions. As a result, they can more easily integrate with commercial applications. Their framework also eliminates the need for dedicated hardware and complicated compilers. Besides, if the application is successful, "the underlying language becomes somewhat irrelevent," claims John Landry, former DMS CEO .and now an executive vice president at Cullinet.-Tim Scannell

HAND-HELD SCANNER AIMS AT SPREADSHEET USERS

·~

· .-. .·r. t ..

Typical scanners load a complete page of type into a computer. Now Saba Technologies, Beaverton, Ore., is bringing out an optical character reader that selectively enters information into popular spreadsheet, word processing and database programs. About the size of a mouse, the $695 device, called the Hand Scan, can be used to read small bits of information, such as a group of numbers, and enter them into a spreadsheet's cell or a word processing file. The reader connects to an IBM PC Corp. or compatible through a full-size add-in card. Among other programs, it supports Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, WordPerfect and MultiMate.-Mike Seither

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

(MILLIONS)
$150 ~~-~-~-Net Saks-~-~~-~

$50 I - - - - + - - + - - - + - - + - {fi.srol)

-Net Income-

........................ .............................................................................

{ti.seal)' 77

'78

'79

'83

'84

'85

'86

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
'82

Computers can be a volatile business. Overnight success stories become overnight failures. Innovation fast gives way to obsolescence.
But for 10 years, Altos has performed brilliantly.
In the beginning, Altos created a powerful, cost-effective multi-user system flexible
'Includes gain on sale ofinvestmnzt in q[fiUaled company.

enough to integrate with P. C. s, minicomputers and mainframes. Since then, weve continued to break new ground with computer systems that offer more and more power and connectivity for each and every dollar spent.
The market has responded. Sales have grown every year

of our existence. Weve been profitable every quarter for ten years. 'Ibday, Altos computers are sold in 65 countries around the world.
Another major reason for Altos' success is a total commitment to the VARs and OEMs who sell our systems. It is support that Dataquest has called

.' . · -

(MILLIONS)

................................................................................................................................................................... -$20

Project,ed World Growth in Multi-user Sysfems.,$25,000 - $50,000
(Sm.tree: Data.quest)

......................:.......................-......................:.......................·.....................:.......................·.....................:......................-.......................:......................·......................:......................-....................:......................·....................:.......-...............

-$15 -$10

$7 "87 '88 '89 '90

..........:.........:..........:.........:..........:.........:..........:.........:..........:.........:.........:.........:.........:.........:.........:.........: -$5

......t...............~..............~...............~..............\..................~.............)............. -$1

·"""·a's:·::""' $0

"unmatched in the industry." We start by arming our
VARs and OEMs with a complete marketing program. It includes turn-key direct mail, vertical sales support, the advice of our expert marketing staff, and a comprehensive, responsive customer service plan.
Equally important, we offer

our VARs and OEMs the biggest profit margins in the business. And we have no direct sales force to compete with them.
Technical innovation, planned growth, and unwavering technical and marketing support for our customers.
All together, thats what makes Altos work.
CIRCLE NO. 17 ON INQUIRY CARD

It had to happen .
After years of building high-quality, low cost terminals and monitors to American specs, Samsung has gone American all the way.
We've established a stateside group to handle your needs. Samsung Electron Devices.
Besides providing liaison with Korea, we have an American design team on staff. So you can get terminals and monitors designed right to your specs. With ease. Because there's always somebody on your side of the Pacific to talk to.

What's more, we can deliver 12" and 14" terminals that emulate America's most popular models. Plus we offer a variety of monitors, including color, in several cabinet styles, that also emulate America's most popular models. (In many cases, they already are the most popular models in the states.)
Our perfected manufacturing techniques keep the costs down. And our automated, robotic assembly lines turn out everything from CRTs to terminals to computers that
meet U.S. standards. Without any inscrutable delivery delays along the way.
In short, we have what it takes tp do business your way. The American Way.
Join up with Uncle Samsung. Call 213 /404-1835. It's a great way to serve your company.
c8 ~!~~~~G

HOM:OFFICE 7TH FL, IHE JOONG-ANG DAILY NEWS BLOG.
7 SOONHWA-OONG, CHUNG-KU
SEOUL.KOREA TEL: (02) 755-2333 (511 - 513)
(02) 757-2095 TELEX:STARNEC 1<33217, K22596
FAX: (02) 756-4911 , 757-4822

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MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

COVER STORY
Passive backplane proves active strategy at Wyse

Mike Seither, Senior Editor

Terminals and monitors have been the backbone of business at Wyse Technology ever since the company was founded six years ago. But IBM Corp.-compatible personal computers are now becoming an increasingly important part of the company's product mix.
Last year, for example, personal computers-the Intel Corp. 8088based WYSEpc+ and the PC/ATclass WYSEpc 286-accounted for almost one-quarter of the San Jose company's $200 million in revenues. What's more, personal computer-related income is expected to reach nearly $60 million this year and close to $95 million in 1988, according to Hambrecht & Quist Inc., a San Francisco investment banking concern.
This month Wyse moves whole hog into the personal computer arena with a full line of highly flexible products for system integrators, OEMs and value added resellers. Unlike its previous machines, which were built around a typical motherboard that held the main processor and its re-
lated logic, Wyse has switched to a new design called " modular system architecture." It's akin to the approach taken by vendors of minicomputers and industrial systems that use single-board processors, and that control memory and video characteristics by way of secondary CPUs on separate add-in boards.
In Wyse 's case, those secondary CPU boards, home to a variety of processors running at different clock rates, slip into standard 8-bit or 16-bit expansion slots. Wyse plans to market modular personal computers that can

Wyse Technology has outfitted its WY-2112 personal computer with programmable liquid crystal displays for indicating time and date, test and configuration information and messages for networked users.

be configured with Intel's 80286 and 80386 microprocessors. The basic systems-the WY-2108, WY-2112, WY-2214 and WY-3216-are available immediately and range in price from $1,900 to $3,500.
Wyse believes the simple design will appeal greatly to system integrators, who can choose the processing unit best suited to individual needs. Moreover, those customers can also pick a chassis with the desired amount of space for more add-in boards and mass storage devices, yet still mix and match processor boards. The only differences are in the size of the chassis and the length of backplane.
" The architecture has value for OEMs, users, service organizations and us," says Steven Holzman, direc-

tor of product marketing at Wyse. " It's a lot more efficient and costeffective." The reason: Add-in cards can be swapped easily. On the other hand, fixing or upgrading a motherboard usually means taking the whole system apart, thereby adding time and cost to the work.· The systems' modular design also means less training and on-site work is required of field technicians-a fact Wyse believes will attract a lot of OEMs.
Adding punch when needed
Finally, OEMs can order a tailormade system but not be locked into purchasing a whole new machine when their customers need more processing power. Instead, they can add processor boards for more punch, as necessary.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

TheWJrkgroup server·family:

There are only three primary colors. But by mixing and matching these three colors, an artist can create any color in the rainbow. This is the principle we've used in developing our computer solutions.
Standards. Enhancements. Connectivity. Convergent has put them all together in a family of Workgroup Servers that give resellers the leverage to solve a wide variety of specific problems.

We started with industry standards for hardware, operating systems, networking and software. Things like UNIX* System V, Motorola's 68000 microprocesso r family, and VME and SCSI buses. The standards.
Then we enhanced these standards to give your customers increased performance and productivity. The simple windowing interface to UNIX is one example. Our fully integrated office automation package is anot he r.
And finally, we went one more step and connected our Workgroup Servers to a wide range of compute rs

Workgroup Server is a trad emark and Conve rgent is il registered trademark of Conve rgent Technologies, In c. U NIX is a trademark of AT&T. IBM is a regi ste red trad e ma rk of lnternaclonal Business Machines Corporation. Appl e and Macintosh are registered t rademarks o f Apple Compu ter Corporation.
CIRCLE NO. 19 ON INQUIRY CARD

Where great systems converge.

from other vendors. Including IBM* PCs and compatibles, Apple* Macintoshes~ other UNIX-based systems and IBM minis and mainframes.
Sound interesting? There's one more thing. Convergent offers a comprehensive VAR program to complement this strong product offering. Featuring the margins and support services you'd expect from a company exclusively dedicated to resellers. With no cross-channel conflict.

Standards, enhancements, connectivity and a great VAR program. To find out more about these areas of opportunity, call us today at 1-800-832-2255, ext. 296. In Europe, ring 44-3444-11707. Or write us: Convergent Technologies, 2700 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95150-6685, Mail Stop 10-015.
We'll help you find the end of the rainbow.

THE WORKGROUP SERVER FAMILY

S/SO TM

S/ 120 '"

Max Users

Max RAM

2 MB

5 MB

Max Disk Storage* 80 MB

140 MB

Technology

10 MHz 68010 CPU

12.5 MHz 68020 CPU

MIPS

.75

2.0

*storage listed in unformatted capacities

S/220 '" 22 5 MB 280 MB 12.5 MHz 68020 CPU 2.0

S/320 '" 32 16 MB 4.0GB 12.5 MHz 68020 CPU 2.0

S/640'" 64 64MB 4.0GB 25 MHz 68020 CPU 4.25

S/1280 '" 128 24+ MB 6GB 4xl6.67 MHz 68020 CPU 8.8

Convergent
When great ideas converge, great products emerge.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS
SPOTLIGHT

COVER STORY
Some industry observers say that the time has come for a strategy like Wyse's. "I don't know why they [personal computer vendors] have waited so long before moving toward a pas-

sive backplane," says a bemused John Lemons, president of Faraday Electronics. Faraday, Sunnyvale, Calif., has made a business of manufacturing single-board personal computers for industrial applications. "It's a

WYSE MIX FOR REVENUE SUCCESS
($ MILLIONS)

much quicker way to get technology to market," claims Lemons.
Indeed, time-to-market was a major consideration in opting for the backplane approach, says Christopher Kryzan, the Wyse product manager in charge of the modular personal computer line. "Instead of redesigning a complete system, we'll change only the boards. It will allow us to respond to market trends much faster. OEMs typically take a long time to get into new technology. Many are still selecting 80286 systems, but the 386 revolution has already started. Our modular approach will let OEMs react to the market as fast as retail manufacturers."

1987 TOTAL: $250 MILLION

1988 TOTAL: $317 MILLION

· TE RMINALS
Q WYSEpc

· AMDEK MONITORS WYSE MONITORS

Q WYSEpc 2861386
SOURCE: HAMBRECHT ANO QUIST INC.

SONEX acoustic foam is deadly to annoying computer room noise. And it'll look great in your hi-tech environment. Simply hang sheets of this patented, professional foam to quiet the combined clatter of fans, motors and printers. Call or write for complete facts and a free brochure: 3800 Washington Ave. North, Minneapolis, MN 55412. (612) 521-3555.
illbruck
CIRCLE NO. 20 ON INQUIRY CARD 32

Lots of slots
Although Wyse plans to customize systems for OEMs and system integrators, the four initial systems will be aimed at so-called "niche" users and will share many common features (see Table). For instance, all of the systems are configured with 8-MHz and 12.5-MHz versions of the 80286 16-bit chip or with the 16-MHz, 32-bit 80386. Base prices include a single 51/4-inch flexible disk drive. However, Wyse is offering system integrators wide latitude in choosing peripherals. Flexible disk drives are available in capacities of 360K bytes, 760K bytes (in a Jl/2-inch form factor) or I.2M bytes; rigid disk drives come in 20M-byte, 40M-byte and 70M-byte capacities. Systems with the smaller, seven-slot, chassis can accomodate three half-height devices. The larger chassis has nine slots and holds one full-height and three half-height mass storage devices.
Standard onboard main memory on the 80286 CPU cards is half a megabyte, expandable to IM byte. The top-of-the-line 80386 machine, the model 3216, can have up to 24M bytes of static RAM. That system utilizes a dedicated 32-bit memory bus so that additional memory cards can reside in any slot in the system. To ensure hardware compatibility with other add-in boards on the market , Wyse uses an 8-MHz PC/ATcompatible system on all the new systems. Switchable modes allow timing-sensitive applications to run compatibly. In addition, Wyse has
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

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So why wander aimlessly? We've been providing answers for 25 years. Send in your MetriCard application today. You'll see why you get more than just an instrument when you rent with Leasametric.
*Some limitations may apply.

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Never out of tune.
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from us, it is calibrated to the manufacturer's specifications. Every nit is picked so you can rest assured the piece of equipment you get has been thoroughly tested. And fully inspected.
And that goes for every instrument we carry. Analyzers. Meters. Recording devices. Signal sources. Transmission test equipment. Microprocessor test and development equipment. The list goes on and on. With products from the best names in the

guys tuned your instruments?"
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A final note.
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So join up. Send in your MetriCard application today. You'll see why you get more than an instrument when you rent with Leasametric.

"Yeah,we go Nowwould someboa

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Call if you haven't a clue.
Don't be shy. If you run into a problem, no matter how complex (or how simple, for that matter), just use our toll-free hotline.
You'll get all the help you need. From a technical professional. Advice on configurations,

he instrument
llease tell us how to use it:'

applications, even general chit-chat

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about equipment specifications.

If you've got a phone, you've

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Think you're on your own in a dark comer of Marseilles? Forget it.
Because our services are available around the world. From our offices in Canada, the European Continent and the good old U.S. of A. Not to mention our affiliates in a host of out-of-theway places.

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our latest Instrument Guide while we're processing your application.
So join us as we celebrate a

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Send in your Metri- quarter of a century of service and

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~~ LEASAMETRIC INST RUMENT RENTAL DIVISION
1-800-553-2255 ext.100
([n Canada 1-800-268-6923) With offices and in ventory centers in Canada, France and Germany_
MetriCard is a se rvice mark a n d trade ma rk of Leasametric Instrument Re nta l Division . Printed in llSA

MINI-M ICRO SYSTEMS
S POT LIGHT

COVER STORY

LOOKING AT WYSE'S MODULAR APPROACH TO PCs

bundled in software utilities so users can configure memory above 640K bytes, in accordance with the Lotus/ Intel/Microsoft and AST Research , Inc. expanded memory specifications (EMS).
Wyse is bundling into all its modular systems a number of features that are otherwise available for personal computer users piecemeal from a variety of third-party vendors. For example, a standard part of the system software is a disk-caching utility that the company claims speeds up disk operation by 40 percent to 50 percent by mirroring the most freq uently used areas of the drive in main memory.
Version 3.2 of the MS-DOS operating system, as well as GW BASIC, come with all Wyse personal computers. But Wyse has enhanced MS-DOS with an on-line Help menu that lists command parameters, gives examples of their uses and tells why each command is necessary or useful.
To further distinguish itself within the herd of personal computer vendors, Wyse has added a dash of spice to the outward appearance of its latest systems. All four come with a liquid crystal display on the front panel that can be programmed for a number of uses. The LCD can display the date and time of day, as well as the operating speed of the processor, the disk drive performance and other system activities. Among other things, Wyse is pitching the LCD at system integrators as a way to configure a system without having to attach a monitor.
Putting up a good front
Wyse is also offering a $30 style kit with which OEMs and VA Rs can customize the appearance of the systems. The kit includes a cable covering for the back panel, a platform for mounting the chassis in a tower configuration and a choice of red, yellow or blue buttons and jacks. Wyse is also providing two packaging schemes that change the chassis color, louver design and LCD position in order to differentiate the systems sold through distributors .
Wyse officials say the modular personal computers will allow the company to address a broad set of cus-

Feature CPU/speed Speed (MHz)/wait states Maximum RAM on CPU (M bytes) Expansion slots
8-bit 16-bit Mass storage slots half-height full -height Power supply (watts) Base price ($)

WY -2108 80286 8/ 1 1
2 5
3
190 1,900

WY -2112 80286 12 .5/1 1
2 5
3
190 2,300

WY -2214 80286 12.5/0 1
3(2 half-slot) 6
3 1 220 2.800

WY -3216

80386

16/0

-1

3( 1 half-slot) 6
3 ·
1 r·I
300 3,500

tomers. The small er WY-2108 and WY-2112 wi ll be aimed at the general office-automation market, which Wyse says will reach $19 billion this year. The more powerful WY-2214 and WY-3216 wi ll go to OEMs who provide platforms for such applications as CAD/CAM, file servers_and multi user systems.
To help resellers reach those latter users, Wyse is introducing with the personal computers a $799 add-in board with eight intelligent serial ports. The WY-995 board takes up a single slot and has eight RJ- 1I connectors on the back. It comes with all the cabling and D B-25 adapters necessary to attach data terminals or other serial peripherals, such as modems and printers. Continuous data can be transferred over all channels at 38.4K baud or in a burst mode over a single channel at 76.8K baud.
The WY-995 comes with 48K bytes of dual-ported static RAM as well as MS-DOS diagnostics and device drivers for the XENIX multiuser operating system.
With this onrush of equipment, say industry analysts, Wyse is positioning itself well for its next spurt of growth . Indeed, some contend the company has no choice but to diversify its prod uct line.
"It's a great move and one they have to make," says Bruce Lupatkin , an analyst with Hambrecht & Quist, "The market is sleepy for terminals. PCs are where the action will be."

Wyse's diversification in personal

computers will all ow it to use the

same successful mix of distribution

channels that it does for terminals,

accord ing to ana lyst Dan Reeve of

Cowen & Co., a Boston investment

service. Along with that, Reeve says,

the company's acq uisition last year of

Amdek Corp., a leading retail suppli-

er of PC-compatible monitors, will

allow Wyse to leverage its way into

the retai l business without making a

big marketing investment in brand

awareness . Altho ugh Wyse officials

have not yet said so, a line of Amdek

personal computers built around the

modular architecture is sure to follow

its OEM machines.

FACT FILE _ _ _ _ __

Wyse Modular System Architecture
Wyse Technology 3571 N. First St. San Jose, Calif. 95134 (408) 433-1000 Circle 474
..Line of IBM Corp.-compatible personal computers that can be configured with either Intel Corp . 80286 or 80386 processors at various clock speeds.
·· systems feature passive backplane architecture. CPUs reside on add-in boards to maximize configuration options.
·* Backplane accepts combinations of standard 8-bit and 16-bit add-in boards. Chassis available with either seven or nine expansion slots.
* *Optional Wyse WY-995 interface card allows up to eight terminals or other serial devices to be attached via a single expansion slot.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

I Yobr fM * If aQUStotnet:
DlYlfllAl':.cnJAChtng pOWer,
J20.ll:>a$Eld.&QPlicatiOlll
:a maximUmOffout'-Ot
\10ll canmiX and
~:·riit*'JMlfPle·e801C>-b8Sed file, termi·
_ftit,idf.OOlmmmic8tions processors that
m&Jor protocols. And connect up to 128 users.
Of course, it takes smarts to control architecture so advanced, so we distri·
buted an enhanced UNtx· System v·
operating system to give each processor
the power to do its own Job most effectively. And help keep the system at peak throughput.
And we didn't limit high intelligence to the inside. The Tower 32/800 comes in a compact, modular unit that's nearly cableless. A snap to upgrade or service.
All of which make the Tower 32/800 the most versatile and configurable computer of its kind. And the smartest. From a rock-solid $4.9 billion company with more than 20,000 service personnel in 700 locations. And one of the most complete VAR support programs in the industry. The NCR Tower 32/800. If you have the heart to go after big business, this Tower has the intelligence to take you there.
- ill 1811·-lrademark of NCR Corporation. UNIX and SyStems Vare lrademao1ul of AT&T Bell labonltones. Specifications subject to change. Your NCR sales representative can provide the latest informatton.
THE NCR 1DWER ASMART FOUNDATION 1D BUILD ON
NCR Corporation, USG-1, Dayton, OH 45479. Nationwide (800) CALL NCR.
CIRCLE NO. 21 ON INQUIRY CARD

see.

Imagine the possibilities when your system can provide the flexibility of vari-

able resolution up to 4K x 4K for demanding applications. Imagine that the

system can reproduce over 16 million colors.

There's no need to imagine if your systems incorpo-

rate the EIKONIX high-resolution digital imaging cameras.

Whether you choose the new EIKONIX 1000 for

its self-contained electronics, the Series 78/99 for its

superb color capabilities, or the Series 850 for unsur-

passed resolution, you are providing your end users

with some of the highest quality, highest performance

Eikonix high performance digital imaging cameras convert stationary pictures and objects into digital form.

digital imaging cameras commercially available. All this at an affordable cost.
EIKONIX is a Kodak company, which is your assur-

ance of a commitment to excellence in product quality and customer support.

Give your systems a whole new point of view. Whether the application

is color graphics, medical, Al, CAD input, scientific or any other that requires

high-resolution digitization of a stationary image or object, call us at (617)

275-5070. Or write to us at EIKONIX Corporation, Digital Imaging Products

Group, 23 Crosby Drive, Bedford, MA 01730. TELEX: 951231.

El KON IX® A KOO\K COMPANY

CIRCLE NO. 22 ON INQUIRY CARD

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

MIN I-M ICRO SYSTEMS SPOTLIGHT

Pyramid's RISC-based superminis afford a multiprocessor approach

Mike Seither, Senior Editor

Pyramid Technology Corp. has this month doubled the punch of its Series 9000 superminicomputers with its most powerful systems yet-threeand four-processor models that can operate at between 19 and 25 million instructions per second (MIPS).
Along with the introduction of models 9830 and 9840, Pyramid also has expanded its communications horizons by offering access to IBM Corp.'s 3270 SNA (Systems Network Architecture) environment. At th e same time, the Mountain View, Calif. , company has brought out an ANSI 85 COBOL compiler, optimized for its reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture. With those offerings, Pyramid hopes to bolster its growing presence in the commercial marketplace, especially for large database applications.
According to analyst George Wei ss of The Gartner Group Inc., a Stamford , Conn., market research outfit, Pyramid is repositioning itself between two ends of the data-processing world. "Their niche will be to act as a file server for workstations and as an extractor of databases tied to mainframes ," says Weiss. "It's going to be important for them to talk about connection between those two tiers and to provide tools like SQL (structured query language) interfaces to bring data into their environment."
The new SNA connectivity goes hand-in-hand with a recent announcement that Pyramid will couple its superminicomputers with workstations manufactured by Sun Microsystems Inc., a Mountain View neighbor.
Pyramid has had some success selling into the commercial marketplace since it first introduced system s in 1983. But many of Pyramid's installed base of 550 computers have been used for software development. One reason for that is the company's

Pyramid Technology's Series 9000 superminicomputers now come in three- and four-processor versions and are object-code compatible with all previous Pyramid systems .

OSX operating system, a dual port that allows users to easily switch between both AT&T Co.'s UNIX System V and the Berkeley UNIX Version 4.2 .
Pyramid's latest offerings round out the Series 9000 line. Last November the company brought out the oneprocessor 9810 and the two-processor 9820. Now, the 9830, with three CPUs, and the 9840, with four CPUs, establish the high end of the series. Using Digital Equipment Corp. 's VAX-111780 as a 1-MIP baseline for comparison, the Series 9000 offers incremental performance increases of 7 MIPS, 13 MIPS, 19 MIPS and 25 MIPS, according to Pyramid product manager Tom Stuart. Moreover, all of the company's computers, including the earlier 90X, 98X and 98XE, are object-code-compatible, allowing applications written for any system to run on all others, without a compiler.
A 9830 in a standard configuration sells for about $400,000. A similarly configured 9840 costs $490.000. For

that, buyers get a three- or four-CPU system with 32M bytes of main memory, 32 RS232 ports, a 470M-byte disk drive, a half-inch tape drive, a system console, a built-in Ethernet, an OSX 32-user operating system license and a one-year warranty.
More mass to store
Besides adding more CPUs. Pyramid has also doubled both the user support and the mass storage of the entire Series 9000 lin e. Users can now attain a maximum 512 attached terminals by adding 16-port intelligentterminal processors, up to a limit of 32. Total disk-drive capacity now stands at 29G bytes, up from I5G bytes on earlier systems. Main memory, available in 4M-byte or 16M-byte modules, still tops out at I28M bytes.
In the Series 9000. Pyramid has somewhat refined its original RISC architecture. RISC uses transistor to transitor logic, placing 528 overlapping 32-bit registers inside the proprietary CPUs. The intensive use of reg-

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS SPOTLIGHT

PYRAMID BUILDS ON ITS SERIES 9000 ARCHITECTURE
SY NCHRONOUS COMMUN ICATIONS

TAPE PRINTER ETHERNET

SYSTEM SUPPORT PROCESSOR

MULTIBUS ADAPTER

32 INTELLIGENT-
TERMINAL PROCESSORS

40M-BYTE-PER-SECOND MESSAGE-BASED XTEND BUS

CPU 1

MEMORY CONTROL UNIT
PLUS UPTO 12M BYTES MAX.

SOURCE: PYRAMID TECHNOLOGY CORP.

Pyramid's UNIX-based 9840 superminicomputer features four RISC processors. Multiple intelligent terminal processors can support up 512 users. Disk capacity for all Series 9000 systems has doubled to a maximum of 29G bytes.

isters and a simplified set of 128 instructions allow the CPUs to execute most pipelined instructions in a single clock cycle. To further increase the number of single-cycle executions, Pyramid has installed prefetch and branch-prediction features.
In addition , Pyramid has doubled the instruction and data caches to

32K bytes and 64K bytes, respectively. "Database applications that, before , just exceeded the cache limits now have an extra margin," explains Pyramid's Stuart.
Databases are a key to Pyramid's marketing strategy. The Series 9000 supports most major databases, in cluding those from Britton Lee Inc.,

Third-party resellers critical to Pyramid's success

Concentration on database applications is only one part of Pyramid's strategy to broaden the appeal of its RISC (reduced instruction set computer) machines. In March , the company entered the Pick System world by signing an agreement with VMark Computer, Natick, Mass. Pyramid will license VMark 's Pick-based Universe operating system, which runs under Pyramid 's OSX. That will give Pyramid users access to applications that were previously unavailable to them , like distribution and manufacturing.
Pyramid also plans to step up its activity in the reseller channel. Now, about 40 percent of the company 's sales come from reseller and OEM agreements , while the majority are direct. Richard Luccier, who nas recently joined the company as president, wants to reverse those figures . To get there, Pyramid has launched a program to identify resellers who want to run their vertical-market applications on more powerful machines . Luccier expects to have at least two dozen resellers on board before the year's end. Says Kathleen Hurley, an analyst with Dataquest Inc., San Jose, "Alliances with

third-party software vendors are critical for Pyramid . Without them they won 't sell many products."
Pyramid also has its work cut out for it elsewhere. In its last fiscal year, ending September 1986, the company posted a $2 million loss on sales of $38.6 million . Luccier attributes the losses to bloated inventories and a poor market. However, he believes the company is now breaking even because of internal cost-cutting measures. Cost cutting 's being done, he adds, without reducing the number of employees or cutting back on the company's $10 million research and development budget.
How well Pyramid spends its R&D funds may have a large impact on its future, says analyst Geroge Weiss of market researcher The Gartner Group of Stamford, Conn. He notes that Pyramid was slow in bringing its three- and four-processor system to market. " The mid -range of the mini market was once a golden egg ," he says . " But now , the competitive pressure is intense, and product life cycles are shrinking . "

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS SPOTLIGHT

Los Gatos, Calif.; Oracle Corp., Belmont, Calif.: Relational Technology Inc., Alameda, Calif.; lnformix Software Inc., Menlo Park, Ca lif.; and Unify Corp., Lake Osewego, Ore. To maintain its position in that market, Pyramid is trying to ensure that its systems have the muscle to access large amounts of data.
To that end, Pyramid recently brought out a virtual disk facility which resides in the operating systems and allows mapping between logical and physical disk volumessomething IBM and vendors of other large systems have been doing for some time. With a virtual disk, data can be split over several disks as one logical file . A logical database can also reside on several drives. By splitting up the database, and allowing the information to be reorganized , the virtual disk can help reduce bottlenecks caused by " hot spots," or areas of the disk holding information that is frequently accessed. Hot spots can also be assigned their own spindles

FACT FILE _ _ _ _ _ __

Pyramid Technology Corp. 1295 Charleston Road Mountain View, Calif . 94039-7295 (415) 965-7200 Circle 473
·' The 9830 and 9840, three- and four-processor superminicomputers, respectively, based on Pyramid's RISC architecture .
" Maximum configuration supports 512 terminals and 29G bytes of mass storage capacity .
'* Systems operate under Pyramid 's OSX operating system , a dual port of AT&T Co.'s System V Release 3 and Berkeley UNIX Version 4.2.
'* Opt imized ANSI 85 COBOL compiler, and IBM Corp. communications via 3270 SNA , now avail able with Series 9000 systems.

and heads, thereby further reducing

the possibility of informati on log-

jams, says William Gimple , Pyra-

mid's vice president for systems tech-

nology.

Pyramid claims it is the only UNIX

vendor to thus far offer the capabili-

ties of a virtual disk.

FAMILY PORTRAIT
IBM'S new Personal System/ 2 series consists of (from left) models 30, 50, 60 and 80. The $1,695 model 30 incorporates Intel's 8086; models 50 ($3,595) and 60 ($5,295), the 80286; and model 80 ($6,995), the 80386. Model 30 boasts twice the performance of the PC/ XT; models 50 and 60, twice the performance of the PC/ AT; and model 80, more than triple the performance of the PC/ AT. All models will run under the new 08/ 2 operating system due in the fourth quarter. Starting next month, Mini-Micro Systems will run a multiple-article series on the PS/ 2 family, quoting analysts, VARs, system integrators and vendors.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

The VMERAM/16 is the highest density VMEbus-compatible memory available anywhere, with the added bonus of EDC reliability. Clearpoint's unique EDC chip set features full single bit error correction and double bit error detection, with performance equal to or surpassing parity memory. The VMERAM/16 uses advanced ZIP megabit DRAMs to achieve the unprecedented capacity of 16 MB. It also supports block mode transfers (BMT) and unaligned transfers (UAT), as well as 24 and 32 bit addressing.
All Clearpoint memory boards come with a lifetime warranty and a 24-hour repairI replacement policy.
Write or call for
D VMERAM User's Manual ::;..0 Clearpoint's 80-page Designers
Guide to Add-in Memory D The 20-page Add-in Memory
e - Catalog and Selection Guide CLEARPOINT INC.
U.S.A. 1-800-CLEARPT Telex: 298281 CLEARPOINT UR Massachusetts 617-435-5395/ 435-2301 Europe Clearpoint Europe Telex: 71000 ACTH NL Tel: (31) 23-256073 Asia EPRO Ltd. (Hong Kong) Telex: 51853 JUNWI HX Tel: 3-721330
See us at INDEX Europe, Booth #141
CIRCLE NO. 23 ON INQUIRY CARD

INTERPRETER

NETWORKS
Syste111 integrators iu111p into netV1ork 111anage111ent

James F. Donohue Managing Editor
It should come as no surprise, but system integrators have discovered there's money to be made in network management. The reason: Money, or the saving of it when setting up and operating a network , is the chief worry among most communications customers.
"It's a very hot topic with telecomm users," says Don Wallace, project manager for Teknekron Infoswitch Corp., a system integrator and consultant in Richardson , Texas. "A telecomm network is very expensive, and users have no way to stay on top of the costs. Everything is manual , so they review the costs on very long intervals, typically a year," Wallace points out. "They want to do better than that."
Christopher A. Walker, account manager for Omega Datum Corp., a system integrator in Towson , Md ., says, "Networking can solve a lot of problems, and certainly we're going to be involved with it." Vendors of network management equipment have a long way to go, he observes. "Most of the things out there are no more than file-swap mechanisms. We'd like to see things operate at a little more elevated level. "
Computer networks are growing fast (about 35 percent a year) and have become hugely expensive (taking up to 60 percent of many computing budgets). Yet, selecting and implementing a network management system is not easy, because vendors offer so many incompatible products and so man y conflicting protocols. "There's a mishmash of tools out there, but nobody seems to have it integrated to make the whole process

NETWORK MANAGEMENT GETS ON A FAST TRACK

200 150

- (U.S. REVENUES-$MILLIONS)
NETWORK MONITORS
PERFORMANCE MONITORS c:::J

100

0
SOURCE: INTERNA T/ONAL DA TA CORP.
Revenue growth for performance monitors will slow because vendors increasingly will include that function in network monitors. Approximately one-third of revenues comes from upgrades of existing equipment.

run very smoothly," Wallace says. Despite this confusion, vendors
and system integrators agree on what they want network management products to do. The products ought to monitor who's using the network and when , and where the data is going; they should collect and display alarm signals; diagnose and fix problems (intelligently if possible); and perform administrative tasks like billing and cost allocation.
Network history: IBM and the rest
Like almost everything else in computers, network management is divided into two parts: IBM Corp. and everybody else.
IBM got into the business last year when it introduced Netview, a management scheme for multivendor networks running under IBM 's Systems

Network Architecture (SNA). Later, IBM came up with an enhancement, Net view/PC.
Netview brought under one roof several of Big Blue's alphabet soup of network protocols: Network Communication Control Facility (NCCF), Network Logical Data Manager (NLDM), Network Problem Determination Application (NPDA), Virtual Telecommunications Access Method Node Control Application (VNCA) and Network Management Produ ctivity Facility (NMPF). Netview/PC was part of IBM's outreach program: It makes it easier for vendors of other computers and other communications schemes to hook into the SNA network.
Several independent companies offer management products for Netview. One is Cincom Systems Inc.,

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

NETWORKS

Cincinnati, with Net/Master Management Component. A software solution to monitoring and control, Net/ Master checks error messages, captures statistics and prioritizes alerts for network managers. Another company with products for Netview is Timeplex Inc. , Woodcliff Lake, N.J . Specializing in monitoring the physical aspects of networks, Timeplex supports a software product called Link/View with which it ports many of its systems to run on Netview.
Two segments of product
In the IBM world, as well as in the non-IBM world, vendors tend to divide their products into two segments. These are: (1.) products that monitor the network's physical aspects-multiplexers and modems (what Victoria Duckworth, product manager at Cincom, calls the "wires and pliers end;" )-and (2.) products

that monitor the performance of the network, i.e. the movement of data over the wires.
Computer network monitoring makes up a small industry now, about $83 million in U.S. sales, according to International Data Corp. (IDC), the marketing information concern in Framingham, Mass. But forecasts are for rapid growth, almost threefold to $224 million in 1991.
Price cuts spurred by competition are behind much of this growth , says Katheryn Korostoff, senior market analyst at IDC. "Three years ago you could buy a good network management system for $250,000 to $350,000," she says. "Today, it will cost you about $150,000, and you can probably get one for less."
One such system that costs a lot less is offered by Codex Corp., Canton, Mass. Called the 9300 Series, it targets smaller networks (up to 400

:13 Analog (CQMS) Deuice Status Re 1
file lliew Test lie 1t

Line-status monitoring gets color coding in Codex's 9300 Series network management system: green for normal conditions; yellow, degrading conditions ; red, serious alarms; blue, acknoweledged alarms. Windowing permits operators to handle several jobs at once.
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

The RTRAM Series continues with the first 100% PC/RT-compatible memory for the new generation Models 6150 and 6151. Clearpoint-the first vendor of compatible memory for the original RT-has upgraded the design to support the higher performance RT. Memory cycle time has been reduced from 290 to 180 ns and access time from 170 to 100 ns. The new PC/ RT offers improvements of 3.6X in processor performance, up to 40X in floating point performance, and 4X in data
rate. Memory is more critical than ever to realitlng the full potential of
the new RT.
Clearpoint offers both 4 MB and 8 MB capacity cards, to allow users to configure 16 MB systems with two expansion slots. Other features are on-board interleaving and low power consumption. All Clearpoint memory comes with a lifetime warranty and a 24-hour repair/ replacement policy.
Write or call for D RTRAM User's Manual
D Clearpoint's SO.page Designers Guide to Add-in Memory
. . D The 20..page Add-in Memory Catalog and Selection Guide
CLEARPOINT INC.
U.S.A. 1-800-CLEARPT Telex: 298281 CLEARPOINT UR M.assachU8ettB 617-435-5395/ 435-2301 Europe Clearpoint Europe Telex: 71080 ACTH NL Tel: (31) 23-256073 Asia EPRO Ltd. (Hong Kong) Telex: 51853 JUNWI HX Tel: 3-721330
PCI R T io · rqiotuwd trade.....,n. ol ln'<'marional
Bual. . - M..o;hi... Corponorion.
CIRCLE NO. 24 ON INQUIRY CARD

· No, Maxtor isn't announcing a gigabyte drive. Not yet. But consider this. In just four years, we've increased capacities in our 5 ~-inch disk drive families from 85 MB to 800 MB. So can gigabytes be far behind? That's why now's the time to start thinking about what you could do with a gigabyte drive from Maxtor. Like open up new applications. New markets. And a devastating competitive edge. But then, you can get those advantages from every Maxtor drive. Because each one offers the highest performance, highest capacity and lowest cost-permegabyte in its class. So don't just think gig. Think Maxtor. Maxtor Corporation, 211 River Oaks Parkway, San Jose, CA 95134, (408) 432-1700, TELEX 171074. Sales offices: Austin (512) 345-2742, Boston (617) 872-8556, Orange County (714) 472-2344, New Jersey (201) 747-7337, San Jose (408) 435-7884; Woking, England (44)/4862-29814.
Distributed by: Anthem Electronics, Inc., Lionex Corporation, Pioneer-Standard Electronics, Inc., Quality Components, Inc., Storcx Corporation. © 1987 Maxtor Corporation.
CIRCLE NO. 26 ON INQUIRY CARD

INTERPRETER

NETWORKS

nodes) and starts at $11,500. The user monitor what's happening to certain

is prompted on line status through devices, the system integrator often is

color coding and can monitor several reduced to using primitive manual

jobs simultaneously via windows.

methods to fix a failure. When a

The companies selling products modem fails at the University of

that monitor the physical part of the Maryland at Baltimore, for example,

network have the biggest share of Bill Reynolds, director of computer

sales: $61.5 million this year. These operations, tries to figure out what

include Codex; Timeplex; AT&T Co.; device has failed and fix it with a

Case Communications Inc. , Colum- spare. Often, he says, "We can't find

bia, Md .; General DataComm Inc., the problem by analysis and have to

Middlebury, Conn.; lnfinet Inc., swap out components to try to isolate

North Andover, Mass. ; lnfotron Sys- what's wrong."

tems Corp., Cherry Hill , N.J. ; Para- One system integrator in California

dyne Corp., Largo, Fla. ; and Racal- notes that the way he knows that a

M ilgo Information Systems Corp ., modem has failed is "when one of our

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

customers calls up and screams."

Checking with 'sidebands'

Incompatibility of monitors and foreign devices on the network is an

Typically, these companies sell issue system integrators say vendors

products that do their monitoring must address quickly. "That's one of

over "secondary" channels, or "side- the issues that's been an inhibitor to

bands," which use a frequency (usual- effective network management," says

ly 150 Hz) that differs from the fre- Omega Datum's Walker.

quency of the channels carrying the main network traffic. That way , the To~s among performance watchers

monitoring doesn't interfere with the The second segment of the network

work traffic.

management business-companies

However, this technique presents that sell products that check on the

problems. The vendors use their own performance of the networks-is led

very private conventions for the side- by Avant-Garde Computing Inc. ,

bands. "Everybody has a propri etary Mount Laurel, N.J., and Tesdata Sys-

protocol, which they protect under tems Corp., Herndon , Va. JDC says

the threat of death ," says Stephen these two share more than half of this

Mank, manager of product marketing market segment's $21 million in 1987

at Codex. "That's how we differenti- sales. Other vendors include Cincom;

ate ourselves from our competitors." Dynatech Packet Technology Inc., Al-

A result is that a vendor's monitor- exandria, Va. ; Ocean Data Systems,

ing product works only with that ven- Inc., Rockville, Md.; and T-Bar Inc. ,

dor's modems and other network Wilton, Conn.

gear. To accommodate customers Increasingly, vendors are combin-

with foreign equipment, vendors sell ing the monitoring of the physical and

"wrap" or "wrap-around" devices performance aspects of networks. In-

that plug into the network control finet monitors both functions and in-

ports of the foreign devices.

tegrates th em in a relational database

But even the vendors admit these that supports administrative fun c-

wrap products don't work well. " They tions. Infotron does the same with its

can't read the analog portion of the Integrated Network Manager.

devices," Mank explains. They miss Customers have begun to demand

such conditions as jitters, distortions higher levels of sophistication in net-

and dropouts, which are key herald s work management. They no longer

of trouble coming on a line.

are satisfied with products that " fix "

System integrators say they have no problems by predefined (prepro-

efficient way to deal with this incom- grammed) means: for example,

patibility problem. If protocols can't by rerouting traffic around a failed

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

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CIRCLE NO. 25 ON INQUIRY CARD 51

INTERPRETER

NETWORKS

Wiii iBM iunk SNA?

Are you kidding? There 's not a chance in the world , says just about anybody you ask.
First , there 's all that money IBM Corp.' s already spent on SNA-Systems Network Architecture , Big Blue's hierarchical network operating system. Michael D. Zisman, chairman, Soft-Switch Inc., King of Prussia, Pa., says IBM has had 15,000 people working on SNA in one form or another for 15 years at its research operation in Raleigh, N.C. That's an investment which by now runs into the billions of dollars in just salaries and facilities costs.
And then there's all those customers worldwide who own IBM mainframe computers and use SNA to network them with other IBM computers. IBM has 85 percent of worldwide mainframe installations, says The Yankee Group, a Boston think tank. As far as IBM is concerned , SNA both makes these customers happy and locks them into the color blue. " SNA is the single most important strategy IBM has today," says Howard Anderson, managing director of The Yankee Group.
Nevertheless, in the past couple of years, IBM found itself slipping between SNA and a hard place.
On one side was that enormous investment. On the other were all those blue-tinted customers who, suddenly, had become restless. They began telling IBM they wanted ways to connect into other people's computers and computer networks, especially into Digital Equipment Corp.'s computers and into its DECnet network system.
At about the same time, IBM's European customers said they wanted their computer networks to operate under a framework called Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), established by the International Standards Organization (ISO). To compound matters, DEC said it supported OSI and moved to make DECnet a subset of it.

If these customers didn't get what they wanted, says Anderson , they threatened " to consider other options, including OPC-Other People 's Computers."
About this time , insiders say, IBM considered junking-or substantially revising , or " turning " - SNA. Better to lose a network operating system than the world's largest customer base.
Then IBM found a way off the horns of its dilemma. It formalized the Open Communication Architecture (OCA) it had been discussing with customers for years. With OCA, IBM allowed customers to attach the computers of companies like DEC, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Wang Laboratories Inc. to the IBM/SNA network-with a catch . You had to do it IBM's way.
" IBM specifies the rules by which you connect to their system, " explains Dr. Kenneth Thurber, president of system integrator Architecture Technology Corp., Minneapolis.
It was a clever scheme. IBM clung to SNA, but made it easier for anybody to connect almost anything into it-while maintaining tight control over how users made the connections. In the process, says Soft-Switch's Zisman, SNA changed meaning from " Shall Net Attach " to " Shall Not Abandon."
Insiders say IBM is reconciled to a belief that, eventually, the world will be divided into SNA and OSI. And IBM understands that these two worlds will connect. More than that, IBM plans to use OSI as part of its sales strategy. " IBM sees OSI as an Esperanto, the gateway into non-IBM environments," says Victoria Duckworth, product manager, Cincom Systems Inc. , Cincinnati, Ohio.
Says Thurber, " IBM's strategy is that SNA will become the de facto standard " for IBM networks. Then, he says, " IBM will build gateways to OSI. "

modem in a way determi ned in advance by a programm er. In stead, they want syste ms wi th eno ugh intell igence to figure o ut soluti ons for themselves.
" Networks have become too complicated for anybody to determine in advance what to do in every instance of a problem," says Mac Lewis, president of Computer Network Technology Corp. , New Hope, Minn ., a co mmunications ve ndor specializi ng in

moving data among mainframe computers. "When you connect I0 to 20 Eth ern ets, how can you predefine how to fix everything?"
Easier said than done
To meet this demand, vendors are turn ing to one of the computer industry's most maligned product categories: artificial intelligence. Several companies are working on Al for network management-including Avant-

Garde, Case Communications and

IB M. But , incorporat ing AI into net-

work management is presently more

talk than actual technology. Effecti ve

products, like expert systems that can

replace human beings and make deci-

sions as the need arises are seen to be

years away. " It seems that there is an

opportunity for artificial intelligence

to be app li ed to this technology,"

Lewis says. "But I've not seen any of

it im plemented at this time. "

M INI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

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CIRCLE NO. 28 ON INQUIRY CARD

F//O'I HEWLETT
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MS02701

INTERPRETER

MEMORY TECHNOLOGY

Bubble ·memory bursts into niche markets

Megan Nields, Staff Editor

When Intel Corp. introduced magnetic bubble memory (MBM) in the early l 970's, it was hailed as a replacement for conventional disk drive and mass storage media. Indeed , it seemed like the answer to a system integrator's prayers-a storage system with extremely high reliability, immunity to contaminants and resistance to shock.
However, MBM never really got off the ground. The cost per bit was, and is, relatively high for many engineering applications, and the componentfabrication process was complex. In addition, conventional rotating technologies were raising bit densities and lowering costs. As a result, MBM took on a narrower role than expectedpri marily in niche markets such as satellite communications, factory automation and certain military applications. Although progress is being made in terms of falling cost per bit and improving yield rates, widespread commercial use of the technology does not appear to be on the immediate horizon . MBM may be here to stay but only in confined areas.
All in all, con fusion seems to be the operative word in the bubble memory business today. Intel, once the leading U.S. manufacturer, has recently pulled out of the market, selling its MBM division to MemTech Inc., Folsom, Calif. Companies such as Hitachi America Ltd., Fujitsu Components of America (FCA) and Magnesys have different opinions about MBM's current applications and future.
Hitachi, now the leading international supplier of MBM, has been involved with the technology since 1970. The company's first MBM product, a l6K-bit device, was introduced in 1975. Further offerings included l M-bit and 4M-bit versions, introduced in 1980 and 1984, respectively. They were marketed as gener-

1111-~ ---~
Magnesys' Removable Bubble Memory Storage Subsystems come in 3 112- and 5%-inch ha/fheight drives, or in a two-cartridge VME industrial chassis (right).
al-purpose memory systems. The company's latest offering, the Picture Frame Coil, is a coin-sized, hermetically sealed edition of the 4M-bit unit that uses about 20 percent less power. It costs $358 in quantities of l ,000 and is the smallest MBM device on the market today.
MBM prices drop
Ed Klink, marketing development manager of Hitachi's Electron Tube Division, Schaumburg, Ill. , feels that MBM is an important product for certain niche applications-such as industrial and factory automation, telecommunications and bankingthat demand high reliability. According to Klink, military use of MBM is rising significantly and accounts for as much as 40 percent of the market. The company uses ion-implantation technology and a new magnetic circuit design to raise bit density and reduce the package size of MBM devices.
Klink says that the cost per bit of bubble memory has dropped fivefold since 1980, to average approximately l 0 millicents per bit. He said he expects it to continue to fall because of higher yields and reduced manufac-

luring costs. Hitachi's 4M-bit device costs 6.2 millicents per bit, while the hermetically sealed version runs at 8. l millicents per bit. He places the current worldwide market at about $106 million and expects it to swell to $135 million by 1987. Although Klink predicts that by 1990 more commercial markets will open up, he says that right now MBM is "way beyond engineers' and system integrators' comfort zone in terms of price." He suggests that, before M BM sells in significantly higher volumes, prices will have to drop considerably.
Jerry Houston, strategic marketing manager of Zitel Corp., Milpitas, Calif., places MBM costs at approximately $800 per megabyte while a rigid disk drive might run from $20 to $60 per megabyte, depending on the size on the drive and its market. Houston, like Klink, feels that bit densities will have to increase, if MBM is to be at all cost-effective. Zitel makes customizable, conventional memory systems.
FCA, Santa Clara, Calif., also considers the bubble memory business to be a niche market for harsh-environment operations. General manager Jack Foster does not foresee widespread commercial use of MBM and feels that for many applications, such as desktop computing, it is too expensive-even unnecessary. He says that the company plans to introduce a 4M-bit device in the first quarter of this year. A l 6M-bit product is in the development stages. Foster estimates FCA's current domestic market potential at about $10 million and thinks that it will rise incrementally, rather than dramatically.
Magnesys, of San Jose , is probably the only company dedicated exclusively to fabricating solid-state MB Ms for integration into data-storage subsystems for extreme environments. Ted Wuerthner, Magnesys president, feels that bubbles are too expensive and too difficult to use when sold as components. He describes them in this form as "a $2,500 answer to a $500 problem." Magnesys' product consists of a compact, 31/i- or 51/4-inch removable data cartridge that fits into an electronic drive containing the

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

INTERPRETER

MEMORY TECHNOLOGY

control circuitry. A VME industrial Brad Jones, senior applications en-

chassis version holds two cartridges. gineer for Targa Electronics Systems

The company defines its subsystem as Inc., Ottawa, agrees that MBM will

an application-specific product that not be used for commercial applica-

provides permanent memory storage tions until it is "a couple of genera-

and is "i nfinitely customizable for the tions ahead of where it is now," in

world outside of air-conditioned of- terms of cost vs. performance . He

fices."

a lso targets hostile environments

Packaged as subsystems

where extreme temperatures, vibration and portability are required.

Spokesmen at Magnesys feel opti- Targa builds and supplies MBM sub-

m1st1c about MBM's potential. systems.

Wuerthner estimates that the MBM market could be worth up to $I 00 Lack of interest

million annually in five years, if more Will Zachmann, vice president of

manufacturers took the subsystem ap- research at International Data Corp.,

proach, which would allow for higher the Framingham , Mass., market re-

yield rates. The company plans to search outfit, says that bubble memo-

ship subsystems at a price of $750 ry has not proved to be the force it

apiece in volume orders in the first was meant to be. He, like Jones, cites

quarter of this year.

improvements in conventional disk

Magnesys aims at four markets:

drive and CMOS technologies as part

· Retrofitting of installed personal of the reason . And he feels that, al-

computers that use either flexible or though prices are coming down, ap-

rigid disks in industrial applications; plications are still too specialized.

· VARs, who, Wuerthner says, re- "The idea seemed right ," Zachman

sell 80 percent of all the IBM Corp. states. "but it never delivered." He

PCs in the industrial world;

does not see bubble memory taking

· OEMs who put together pro- ~ff in the near future.

cess-control equipment;

Carol Weisenstein, formerly with

· Military applications such as Intel's MBM operations and now

ground-based battle planning.

with its automotive department in

Magnesys subsystems are read/ Folsom City, Calif., says that the

write units equipped with an integral MBM market suffered because of the

small computer system interface overall economic condition of the

(SCSI), making them plug-compatible computer industry since 1984 and the

replacements for disk drives with the fact that conventional disk drive tech-

same interface. Wuerthner states: nology has dropped in price. As to

"We recognized that users need MBM's future use in personal com-

tougher memory systems in severe puter and commercial environments,

environments due to the fragility of she says, " Most people in an office

rotating memory or the limits of environment are willing to put up

other technologies. Hence, the need with some disk drive failures and

exists for vertically integrated compo- quirks ."

nents and systems as cost-effective, solid-state memory devices that are Board manufacturers speak out

rugged, reliable and removable."

Bubbl-tec of Dublin, Calif., mar-

kets VMEbus-compatible bubble

BUBBLE MEMORY VS.

boards once built around Intel parts. Now, the company will switch to

CONVENTIONAL STORAGE Hitachi devices. Chief engineer Al

Fo reman says Hitachi , in its 4M-bit

Reliability Power consumption Immunity to shock Error rate Maintenance COST

Bubble
v v v v v

Conventional

device, offers lower prices and higher densities than does FCA. He feels it will be a long time before the cost of MBM is competitive with that of regular storage media.
Plessey Microsystems, Pearl River,

N.Y., has been using Hitachi's bub-

bles in its boards for several years. Doug Patterson, marketing manager for defense and custom products feels that , because MBM technology is a generation ahead of silicon technology, it will show growth and promise.

A look into the future

What about MBM's future? Hitachi

is studying new technologies like

Bloch-line that can achieve a IG-byte

capacity. Named after Nobel laureate

Felix Bloch by its creator, Dr. Susumu

Konishi of Japan's Kyushu Univer-

isty, Bloch-line devices utilize elon-

gated bubbles and offer a 6-msec ac-

cess time-I 0 times faster than rigid

d isks.

A single bubble carries more than I

bit of data. The bits are represented

by changes in polarization within the

wall of the bubble domain . Bloch-line

technology, which will probabl y not

be implemented until the mid I990's

or later, could finally be the way to

significantly lower the cost per bit of

M BM devices to appeal to system

integrators and engineers for every-

day use. Zitel's Houston feels that

Bloch-line technology could open a

lot of commercial doors to MBM fur-

ther down the road.

MemTech expects to continue the

R&D started by Intel on a I6M-bit

chip, while Magnesys will put more

work into lowering yields via a wafer-

level functional tester and circuits for

its subsystem.

There is talk about developing in-

dustry-standard MBM components.

Hitachi 's Klink is trying to form a

committee to do this. As he puts it,

"What happens to all those people

who were using Intel's bubbles? They

have to redesign their entire board

and use another company's compo-

nents. This is very expensive." Klink

says that Hitachi has made contact

with several vendors about using the

same architecture.

MBM looks like it will remain in

"niche limbo" for the next decade or

so. Right now the majority of system

integrators do not demonstrate a need

for MBM's high reliability and porta-

bility. But, whenever the price be-

comes right in the future, bubbles

may float well above their current

niche.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

CIRCLE NO. 30 ON INQUIRY CARD -

BECAUSE IT WORKS TOGETHER.

Introducing Tek Advanced PC Graphics: a fully integrated system of high-performance graphics, easy system connectivity, and unparalleled application

software for your PC. Tek Advanced PC Graphics starts with a flexible multiple-rate color graphics monitor that provides
640x480 Tektronix-style graphics as well as EGA and

CGA software compatibility.
Driving your monitor to a whole new level of graphics speed is Tek's PC4100 graphics coprocessor board . It features Texas Instruments"' powerfu l TMS 34010 32-bit

t--

Graphics System Processor for ultra-fast throughput of your design applications. Add to that Tek's PC-05 or PC-07 terminal emulation software, and you're ready for stand-alone computing or access to a world of mainframe graphics.
To bring those applications to life, you can connect a Tek color ink-jet printer. And start producing high-resolution, vibrant hardcopy output on either paper or transparencies.
Couple all that with Tektronix worldwide support and service, and your PC can gain the
same productive advantages that host-based
systems in scientific and engineering environments have had for close to two decades.
Tek's PC4100 graphics coprocessor board delivers serious graphics on a
stand-alone basis. Built round the
Jnstru-

Processor(GSP):" the graphics coprocessor board achieves a combination of sophisticated graphics and fast throughput your PC just couldn 't deliver before. The GSP assumes the complete graphics processing workload , freeing your PC processor for other requirements .
New companion monitor brings togetlw fine detail and
maximum f181dblllty. You'll
view your applications on Teks new multiple-rate monitor. In true Tek tradition, it pr011ides ideally balanced, 640x480 addressability and a 60 Hz non-interlaced

refresh rate. So you can use advanced packages like AutoCAD~ Zenographic's Mirage·· and VersaCAD®
Then, to move from GSP graphics to emulation of the IBM®Enhanced Graphics Adapter(EGA) mode, you simply soft-switch. And you 're
ready to run the popular PC packages you probably already use in CGA/EGA mode-standards like Lotus· 1-2-3~ Microsoft®WORD®and Microsoft®Windows~ to name just a few.
Last, but not least, Tek's PC4100 links you to a world of mainframe graphics. All you do is load Tek PC-05/PC-07. Tek PC-05/~7 tenninal
emulation software gives you
mallrfl811'18 thaloclll )Qa'PC. andPC-0

AND SETS YOU APART.

applications software on your PC as if it were a Tek 4105 or 4107 terminal.

TELECOMMUN ICATI ONS ~
~Xl 'l:NDlfUR[S ~-~--

Which means you can

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You can use these highly

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designer software pack-

Y?ur on-screen display on

ages such as ISSCO's DISSPLA® either paper or transparencies.

and TELL-A-GRAF, " MCS's ANVIL-500o:· SAS Institute Jnc.'s SAS/GRAPH, Precision Visuals' Dl-3000~ Swanson Analysis Systems' ANSYS" and McNeal-Schwendler's NASTRAN .

. Because of its 120 dots per inc~ addressability in both horizontal and vertical directions, you can achieve resolutio~ of up to 1280 points x 960 points per ''A" size image.

In addition , you can utilize ~oftware development tool sets
lIiGkeL,TTeCktSroannixdPSLTO/ Tso1f0tw" GarKeS~s
well as numerous driver support packages created for the
4105 and 4107.

All the key tools for software development, right from the outset. The new Tektronix Graphics lnterface'"(TGI) for the PC provides the basics of Tek graphics functionality to
application programs

Completing the picture: perfect color output with Tek's reliable ink-jet printers. Atthe push
of a button
the Tek 4696 lets you produce exacting color reproductions of

running under MS-DOS. What's more, in-circuit emulator, C-compiler, assembler and linker are all available from Texas Instruments to help software developers write applications packages for the PC4100 graphics coprocessor board.
To enable sufficient workspace for custom interfaces or specific application programs, the PC4100 graphics coprocessor board comes standard with a full megabyte of program memory.
Put yourself on the sure path of Tek graphics evolution.
Whether you choose Tek PC s~and-alone graphics, Tek's high-resolution monitor Tek terminal emulation or ail three, you can be assured Tek will keep you current with the best and most productive graphics. Because like all our products, Tek Advanced PC Graphics features a ~mooth built-in path-
way to higher-level graphics.
For more information about how Tek lets you stand alone and work together, contact your local Tek representative about Tek Advanced PC
Graphics. Or call , 1-800-225-5434. In Oregon, 1-235-7202.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

IBM MAINFRAME MVS
DB2 DATABASE

MAINFRAME GATEWAY
GLOBAL AREA NETWORK

DIGITAL MICROVAXll
VMS
APPLICATION PROCESSOR

TRUE DISTRIBUTED DBMSes PRESAGE BIG DIVIDENDS ..65
Distributed database management systems allow users to control locally vast amounts of geographically dispersed data. And local control means better response times, lower communications costs and increased data availability. However, as more users demand these benefits, system integrators must grapple with partitioning databases, maintaining data integrity, keeping data synchronized and solving complex communications questions. The first part of this two-part feature series investigates how some DBMS vendors are addressing the need for large amounts of on-line data in heterogeneous environments.

p. 65 . . . .. Integrating environments
OEC 20

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS: AN EVALUATION .. .11
Can a package be operated in interpreter mode? Does it support full-screen editing of stored text? ls the code procedural or nonprocedural? Is the file-structure network or relational? An independent applications-development company supplies the essential specifications on more than 50 database development tools for software developers and system houses.

VAX
IBMPC
p. 91 .. . Linking PCs to mainframes
1M-BYTE MEMORY

LANS LINK PCS TO MAINFRAMES . . . . . . · . . . . . . . .91
Gateway hardware and software combine a LAN's resources and flexibility with access to mainframe databases. The arrival of IBM Corp. LU 6.2 products and the emergence of LAN-SNA links just happen to coincide with marketing and merger agreements between 3270 board vendors and LAN companies. These machinations signal opportunities for system integrators and OEMs in the micro-to-mainframe market.
MULTIPROCESSORS BOOST SYSTEM POWER . . . . . . . 105
System integrators and OEMs should be aware that suppliers use the term multiprocessor rather loosely, but true multiprocessors are optimized for multiple job throughput. Mini-Micro Systems profiles the offerings of the major vendors and examines their implementations of CPUs, buses and operating systems.

TRANSPUTER CONTROL
PROCESSOR
1-7MIPS

I II I 111

VECTOR ARITHMETIC PROCESSING
UNIT
12 MFLOPS

DEC DIRECTIONS
GRAPHICAL INTERFACE SPEEDS PROGRAMMING .·. 1 21
Cortex Corp. demonstrates new ways for programmers to produce pictureperfect linked, compiled and documented progams for DEC VAXes, including the MicroVAX.

p. 105 . . . . . . . . . Battling the giants

- CIRCLE NO. 30 ON INQUIRY CARD

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

Fasten your seatbelts. The new Pinwriter®

P9XL printer from NEC is about to take off.

It cruises at 400

It's our fastest

characters per sec-

printer yet.

ond in draft mode,

·~-------·A~ct.ua~Ip.rint

140 characters per Second in letter

quality mode. sample from the Pinwriter P9XL printer.

Which means it can really make

those business letters fly. In fact, no other 24-pin

printer is faster.

And because it uses a 24-pin printhead ar..d a multistrike film ribbon-the same kind that's used in typewriters and letter-quality printers the P9XL also delivers better print quality than its competitors. It even prints in color.
But it's not limited to letters. The Pinwriter P9XL is a true multi-purpose printer that can fly through payroll, invoices, continuous forms , multipart forms - just about any business or office application.
Best of all, it's from NEC-the world's largest

manufacturer of 24-pin printers. The company that consistently offers you the highest reliability ratings in the industry. (You can expect your P9XL to run for five years before it might need a repair.)
So don't waste any more time. Fly down to your nearest dealer and ask to see the new Pinwriter P9XL. Or call NEC at 1-800-343-4418 (in MA, (617) 264-8635). Or ifyou prefer, write
to NEC Information Systems, Dept. 1610, 1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA 01719.

NEC PRINfERS.1HEYONLY STOP WHEN YOU WANTlHEMTO.
NEC
NEC Information Systems, Inc.

CIRCLE NO. 31 ON INQUIRY CARD

The ThleVideo 955. Seeing is belie ·

TVI955
Green or Amber

WY-50
Green Only

Yes

Sure, most $600 termi- Dynamically allocated

nals can scrunch 132

non-volatile function

512

128

key memory

columns onto a 14" screen.

But you need a magnifying glass to read them.

Maximum non-
volatile brees per function ey

256

Not so with the TeleVideo® High contrast super

955. That's because we

dark Matsushita screen

Yes

redesigned the proportion List price

$549

$499

ofour characters and put

more space between them. and necks feel a lot better.)

And then put them on a

Then we put all this in

high contrast, super dark

a machine with an incredibly

screen. The result is the most small footprint, measuring

readable 132 column ASCII just 9" x 12!'The result is

display available.

a terminal that meets all

But there's more to the the human factors stan-

955 than meets the eye.

dards recommended

Take our tilt-and-swivel for adoption by the

positioning, for example.

American National

The screen rotates through a Standards Institute.

full 270° right and left, and

For more information

from -5°to+15° up and

about the TeleVideo 955,

down. (Which makes backs call the nearest TeleVideo

regional office listed below, and we'll give you the name ofyour nearest distributor.
The TeleVideo 955. It's a real eye-opener.
0 TeleVideo® Settle for more.

TeleVideo Systems, Inc., 1170 Morse Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3568, (408) 745-7760, Regional Offices: Northwest {408) 745-7760, Southwest (714) 476-0244, South Central (214) 550-1060, Southeast {404) 447-1231, Midwest (312) 397-5400, East {516) 496-4777, Northeast (617) 890-3282.Amsterdam: 31.2503.35444, Paris: 33.1.4687.34.40, London: 44.9905.6464. IC 1987 ThieVideo Systems, Inc. WYSE is a trademark ofWyse Technology.
CIRCLE NO. 32 ON INQUIRY CARD

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

TRUE DISTRIBUTED DBMSes PRESAGE BIG DIVIDENDS

Despite their slow emergence, varied types of distributed database management systems promise to help integrate
heterogeneous computing environments

This is the first ofa two-part series on distributed database management systems. The second part will appear in the June issue ofMiniMicro Systems.
Wendy Rauch-Hindin Special Features Editor
One of the next frontiers in computer processing may well be the development of distributed database management systems. Such DBMSes will meet the increasing needs of users to share vast amounts of on-line data in heterogeneous computing environments. Several vendors have responded to the demand by beginning phased introductions of distributed DBMSes; still more are about to do so.
Distributed DBMSes allow a database administrator to partition a single integrated database and its control system and distribute them across multiple geographically dispersed, autonomous nodes. They do so in such a way that the location of any particular set of data is transparent both to users and applications. In the best case, the data is also synchronized. This partitioning stands in contrast to centralized DBMSes, which allow remote database queries via terminal emulation. The distributed processing possible with such query capabilities is often confused with distributed DBMSes.
The benefits of distributed DBMSes are multifold. First, a distributed design reflects an organization's structure. Second, it allows data to be stored locally, under local control. Local storage decreases response times and communications costs and increases data availability. Third, distributing data across multiple auton-

omous sites confines the effects of a computer breakdown to its point of occurrence; the data residing on the surviving computers can still be processed.
Fourth, a database's size and its number of users need not be limited by a computer's size and processing power. Instead, distributed DBMSes accommodate an unlimited number of computers, disk drives and users. This results in the fifth advantage. In many cases, multiple, integrated small systems might be less expensive than one large system. Sixth, and perhaps most important, a distributed database need not be constrained by the physical organization of data. Consequently, a distributed database manager and a smart data dictionary can be used to integrate, access, and update heterogeneous databases but still have them appear to users as a single logical database.
Who cares?
Banking organizations are particularly interested in distributed DBMSes, both to help manage their international trading business and to integrate activities in different parts of a bank. For example, they want to maintain domestic and foreign records and audit data in local databases and execute trades locally, but they also want to obtain worldwide status information on an ad hoc basis and execute distributed transactions.
On the other hand, for manufacturing companies with many plants and activities, distributed DBMSes' biggest attraction may be its ability to manage and access data at local sites, while also being able to integrate different types of files and data needed for computer-integrated manufacturing. The military, government agencies and large point-of-sale retail operations are still other examples of potential

A distributed database's structure need not be constrained by the physical organization of data.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

DISTRIBUTED DBMSes JOIN TABLES

SUPPLY

PART#
· · · ·

SUPPLIER#
· · · ·

(DETROIT) INVENTORY

QUANTITY PART# ON HAND
[ i l l ] (SF)
INVENTORY

QUANTITY

PART# ON HAND

(ROCHESTER) INVENTORY

· · · ·

PART PART PART# NAME LENGTH

PARTS

SOURCE: MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS

Fig. 1. In a distributed database, relational tables located at multiple sites can be transparently joined to answer a single query, such as, "Show me the IDs of all the suppliers who make 10-inch bolts that we have a shortage of." (Less than some specified amount is at hand.)
distributed DBMS users. Despite this interest of some years standing,
the advent of commercial distributed DBMSes has had to wait until a number of thorny technological problems were solved. Chief among the reasons for the market to develop now is the emergence of three types of computer industry standards. The first includes communications standards, such as Open Systems Interconnection, Manufacturing Automation Protocol and Technical and Office Protocols. These standards allow heterogeneous computers to exchange data. The second is the ANSI standard SQL (structured query language), which supports access to different databases. Finally, there is IBM Corp.'s LU (logical unit) 6.2 protocol, which provides a standard interface for transaction processing and allows ap-

plication programs to communicate via the application program-to-program communication (APPC) facility.
Problems remain
However, many technological and management problems remain to be solved before distributed DBMSes become widely used. Major concerns on the management side are how to distribute and maintain the data. Another problem with distributed DBMSes is a loss of node autonomy because, in order to support access from everywhere in the network, in many ways every node must have the same database design.
Technological problems are largely communications-related. They include excessive software and communications overhead, communication delays, poor response times, low system throughput and high communications costs.
Some database problems, such as query optimization and deadlocks, have for the most part been worked out. However, the communications and synchronization problems, combined with the programming complexity of distributed DBMSes, are too difficult to overcome

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

quickly. Consequently, most distributed DBMS vendors have adopted a multiphased product-introduction strategy.
As might be expected, the first introductions will incorporate the easiest to implement distributed DBMS features. Future releases will gradually add more capabilities.
Not all distributed databases are equal
Vendors are taking several different approaches to distributed processing and distributed databases (see Table). The oldest approach is to centralize the data but distribute the values of the data to local sites for processing.
Another existing distributed-processing scheme allows a single application to simultaneously access more than one independent database. Any file or database, however, must reside in only one node. IBM's CICS (Customer Information Control System) telecommunications monitor supports such a scheme, as do many DBMSes running on networks that support remote procedure calls.
A third approach provides periodic updated extractions from a centralized database for use at a remote site. This approach is exemplified by Digital Equipment Corp. 's VAX Data Distributor. This database allows users to employ the relational database operator of Digital's Rdb/VMS software to extract or replicate all or a subset of a central database and send it to a target node via DECnet. The database produced is a snapshot-in-time of the central database.
This extract-and-replication facility differs from most previous products in that it automatically updates the target database at a userspecified time. During the update, the extract method creates a new target-database copy, while the replication method updates only data that has changed. Target-database users can use the data for any kind of local processing, but they cannot update the central system.
Despite the name "Data Distributor," many database experts argue that this system is not a truly distributed database. However, this may not matter. For users, the big question is how many distributed database benefits the system provides.
An automobile dealership, for example, can use this type of database to locally replicate and query data associated with the cars it sells and the plants from which it buys. Users gain better response times because the data is local. In addition, this approach decreases network traffic because it decreases the number of remote queries. And the central processor is freed up for other tasks because the processing load is distributed more efficiently. On the other hand, the data might not always be up-to-date. Furthermore, Data Distributor runs only on the

VAX family.
Slice up the database
Partitioning data is really what distributed databases are all about. So, the most common type of distributed database being introduced is that which gives the database administrator the flexibility to partition the database and locate individual data at any location deemed suitable. Usually, it is one that is local to the region where the processing takes place.
Regardless of the location of the data, users see only a single logical database (Fig. I). They can create a view that is a join or union of tables (relations) in different databases without being aware that the data tables span multiple locations. Knowledge of where any particular requested data is located resides in a data dictionary. The DBMS routes requests to the proper location(s) and returns the data requested.
The major reasons for partitioning the data, as opposed to just replicating it, are to reflect an organization's structure, provide locality of reference and lay the foundations for accessing and managing heterogeneous databases. These benefits must be balanced against the high costs

The oldest database approach is to centralize the data but distribute the values of the data to local sites.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

CIRCLE NO. 33 ON INQUIRY CARD 67

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

NOT ALL DATABASES ARE CREATED EQUAL

Centralized DBMS: System and data reside in one location on one CPU. Data values may be distributed to geo· graphically dispersed users for local processing.

..~~~~
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~~I·!·.~i' $

poor

very high

very good

,,..,
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excellent

Distributed, non-integrated DBMS:

communications

good

low

very good

low

Independently operating DBMSes that

can be accessed by applications on

remote computers.

Distributed snapshot DBMS: Copy of the central database created by extraction and replication for use at remote site.

communications

good

very good

low to medium very good

medium

PARTITIONED, DISTRIBUTED INTEGRATED DBMSes

Distributed-query DBMS-transpar- communications. partitioning of

ent: Data spans heterogeneous com-

data, distributed-query

puters and software. Request for file

processing

may or may not require users to pro-

vide machine location.

very good

low to medium if most requests are
local

difficult

could be low

Distributed-query and -update

jcommunications. partitioning of

DBMS-transparent: Data spans het- data, distributed-query

erogeneous computers and software.

processing, distributed

updates

very good

medium if most very difficult requests are local

very good

Distributed DBMS with fragmented communications, partitioning of

tables-transparent: Data spans het- data, distributed-query

erogeneous computers and software.

processing, distributed

updates, fragmenting of

database tables

very good

low to medium if very difficult most requests are
local

very good

Replicated, distributed DBMS: Data

communications ,

is replicated and synchronized at mul- synchronization of redundant

tiple sites.

data

excellent

very good

medium because of synchronization
requirements

medium

medium to very good depending on synchronization technique

and overhead that can occur if applications require large numbers of data accesses to multiple remote sites. The costs and overhead problems are compounded if distributed update

capabilities to keep the data synchronized are involved. For these reasons, most initial introductions of distributed DBMSes support distributed queries, but full distributed-update

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

facilites are usually planned for later releases. Tandem Computers Inc. was the first to
support distributed queries, distributed updates and synchronized replicated data, with its Encompass database. An outgrowth of Tandem's quest for a fault-tolerant system (where one CPU could transparently process the data and transactions of a failed CPU}, Encompass is the only commercial, fully distributed DBMS that has been in the field for several years.
But Tandem no longer stands alone. Relational Technology Inc. (RTI) now offers Ingres/ Star, a distributed version of the Ingres database; Oracle Corp. has Oracle SQL*Star, a distributed version of its Oracle database. Both systems can retrieve data and perform joins across multiple sites and update any site in the network, all transparently to the user. However, the current versions of these DBMSes restrict updates to only a single site at a time. The ability to perform the, more difficult, distributed updates within a single transaction must await the next releases.
Applied Data Research Inc.'s new version of DNET, Release 2.0, supports location-independent distributed updates within one transaction. And Computer Corp. of America (CCA) has developed a fully distributed DBMS, with data synchronization capabilities, under contract for the military. CCA is now working on a commercial, general-purpose distributed DBMS called Adaplex. It plans to add distributed capabilities to its model 204 DBMS.
By the end of the year, Unify Corp. also will have a distributed version of its Unify database that will transparently perform distributed updates within a single transaction. And, to round out the list, later this year Informix Software Inc.'s Informix DBMS will support transparent distributed query capabilities that will perform joins on tables located on different machines.

As mentioned, reflecting an organization's structure is a major reason for partitioning data. This can be accomplished by storing in separate tables data that is local to a region or operation. Applications that need data from tables at several sites create a join or union of the tables. But, to create that join or union, it is necessary for the application to contain knowledge of how the data is distributed in different tables and how the tables are related. The resulting query can be complex (Fig. 2). If the data is contained in a single table that has been partitioned and distributed, the DBMS manages the complexity.
The need for automatic management of this complexity is most important when changes are made in an organization. For example, a company with regional offices in Chicago and Detroit might have a "Chicago Employees" relation and a "Detroit Employees" relation. If, as part of a cost-cutting move, the company combines these offices, it would be illogical for it to maintain two separate tables. Unfortunately, combining them into a single "Employee table" for the new regional office requires changing every application that references the Chicago or Detroit employee tables. However,

Partitioning data is really what distributed databases are all about.

Fragmentation is the next step
Database vendors are working on distributed DBMSes that allow users to fragment individual database tables and distribute the fragments across different nodes. In a horizontal-fragmentation scheme, different rows, or records, of a particular table might be distributed to different sites. In a vertical-fragmentation scheme, the columns, or field attributes, would reside in different places. In either case, the application program and the DBMS handle the table fragments at the various locations as if they were a single relation . RTI plans this fragmentation capability for the third quarter of 1988; the other database companies have not yet released their dates.
The advantages of fragmenting tables are flexibility and less need for intelligence in applications. Here's why.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

CIRCLE NO. 34 ON INQUIRY CARD 69

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

FRAGMENTED TABLES SIMPLIFY QUERIES
a. JOINING TABLES

TABLE1

TABLE2

TABLE3

A BC

B 0 E

B FG

ITTl ITTl ITTl

SELECT A,B,O,G FROM TABLE1, TABLE2, TABLE3
WHERE TABLE1 .B = TABLE2 .B ANO
TABLE2 .B = TABLE3 .B

b. FRAGMENTED TABLE TABLE1

ITTl !Til rm A B C

B DE

B FG

SELECT A,B,D,G FROM TABLE1

SOURCE: MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS
Fig. 2. A query that requires joining three tables (a) containing ABC, BOE and BFG on field B (the common field) is more complex than a query referring to a single table con-
taining fields A. B, C, D, E, F and G, where
the table is fragmented across three sites (b). As the dashed line in this Ingres/ Star query indicates, Ingres/ Star keeps track of the common field.
if "Employees" were a single table, fragmented horizontally, the only change necessary would be to inform the data dictionary that the Detroit and Chicago employee data are located in their new site. Similarly, use of a vertically fragmented table would eliminate the need to modify applications if a company changes a manufacturing process and brings in a new machine that combines two processes into one.
Unity in diversity
Even though Tandem and the database vendors who developed the initial distributed DBMSes did so to bring data closer to users, it is the need to link heterogeneous computing environments that will drive the market in the future.
Drawing attention to this concept is IBM's decision to stop work on its prototype distributed database R* (pronounced "R Star"),

which supported distribution of data across large mainframes. After having experimented with R* since 1979, IBM found , when it demonstrated the prototype, "that what the customers really wanted was the ability to share and move data within an enterprise, across desktop computers, workstations and intermediate-sized systems that would be connected via local networks or other communications methods," says Robert Yost, one of two managers for IBM's Starburst project. IBM's reaction was to begin development of a new distributed database, called Starburst, which Yost makes clear is still an experimental system.
Big Blue's blueprint
Nevertheless, Starburst is taking into account what appears to be all of the customers' data-sharing requirements. In particular, IBM is focusing on portability and extensibility. As to portability, the initial Starburst is being implemented on the IBM RT PC RISC (reduced instruction set computer) workstation under AIX-IBM's version of System V UNIX -as well as on an Intel Corp. 80286-based PC/AT running PC-DOS. These systems are vehicles for understanding what is necessary to make Starburst portable across a variety of comput.!rs, operating systems, networks, databases and so forth.
Long-term work on extensibility was undertaken because the range of applications for workstations and intermediate-sized systems is much greater than the range for mainframes. Extensibility means that the database can be expanded to support new types of data, including text, images, voice, complex objects and abstract data types-as well as support new operations on these data-in order to adapt to changing environments.
The extensibility characteristic actually applies to any database. It is particularly important to distributed DBMS users, because they are likely to want to integrate application data such as CAD/CAM, inventory control, images and statistical databases. And, for performance reasons, these users will want their specialized functions to run at the level of the database, as opposed to the level of the application.
However, specialized data and functions on different machines may introduce several variants of Starburst within the one, albeit distributed , database, as well as heterogeneity in terms of the ability of databases on different machines to work together.
This could lead to a problem that IBM's SNA (Systems Network Architecture) has been accused of. That is, becoming so enormous and multifunctional that, when slimmed down for practical implementation, two of them might not be able to talk to each other. To prevent

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

such a happening, Starburst designers are trying, from the start, to define a core that should be common to every version of the database. This core will not only permit sharing but also will support the requirements of specific application areas with optimized performance.
Another Starburst objective is a uniform high-level language to access local and distributed data, both within an enterprise and across enterprises. In Yost's view, this high-level language may well be SQL and extensions to SQL, both in terms of the data types and the operations it supports.
It probably will be SQL, in fact. Starburstgazers agree that Starburst could provide the blueprint for most vendors' future distributed databases, especially in terms of portability and heterogeneity.
UNIX databases are examples-support heterogeneity because they are relational , use SQL, run on a variety of computers from PCs through workstations and minicomputers and frequently work under multiple operating systems. Oracle's SQL*Star, for example, supports transparent queries and updates across the Oracle database and IBM's DB2 and SQL/DS products. And support for the non-SQL-based VSAM and IBM's IMS (Information Management System) are forthcoming later this year. RTI's Ingres/Star is also compatible with DB2 and has a prototype gateway to IMS that uses the SQL interface to IBM's Data Extract (DXT) product. Informix, too, is working on connecting to DB2.
As for mainframe/minicomputer databases, Information Builders Inc. is mo ving in the direction of a distributed DBMS that supports multiple heterogeneous databases. It is wellpositioned to do so because, on a single node, its Focus database can already read , relationally join, and generate reports from any Focus, IBM, or DEC files and can also generate SQL calls to relational databases. And the company has begun extending this capability. As a start, it supports distributed queries and distributed updates, within a single transaction stream and across dispersed Focus databases on DECnet. A smart data dictionary to provide transparency is due next year.
Information Builder' s rationale is simple. "Access capability within only one proprietary database or network is a limiting concept in that no large company has all of its data in a single file type," says Verne Sheidler, marketing support manager at Information Builders.
Cincom Systems and Cullinet Software Inc. are in complete agreement with this kind of thinking. According to Cincom, most of its clients have heterogeneous databases, and they are trying to find some way to integrate them. To provide solution, Cincom will extend its

existing support for vertically fragmented, replicated data across IBM (IMS, DB2, and VSAM), DEC (RMS), and Cincom (Supra and Ultra) databases and files to still other databases, primarily those that speak SQL. And beginning with distributed query capabilities, it will gradually extend this support across multiple nodes.
For its part, Cullinet claims its customers are overburdened with existing centralized production databases. They want to distribute part of their database processing, application and software development down to departmental minicomputers and PCs.
Cullinet's response was to develop a threetiered strategy that encompasses distributing not only databases but also applications across PCs, minicomputers and mainframes. The company plans three main products, all SQLcompatible. One is ADS Plus/PC, a PC version of Cullinet's ADS on-line application-development system. The second is IDMS/Distributed, a relational database that will run on VAX computers and PCs. The third is the mainframe-based Release 11 of IDMS/R.
Such multitiered distributed architectures may well be the most promising, near-term way

Most initial introductions of distributed DBMSes support distributed queries, but full distributedupdate facilities are usually planned for later releases.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

CIRCLE NO. 35 ON INQUIRY CARD 71

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TYING IT ALL TOGETHER

SUPERMINI UNIX

MAINFRAME

GATEWAY

GLOBAL AREA NETWORK

IBM 9370
VM
DATABASE PROCESSOR

DIGITAL VAX 8600
VMS
DATABASE PROCESSOR

LOCAL AREA NETWORK
~-~

80386 OR

68000-BASED SYSTEMS

XENIX/ UNIX

APPLICATION PROCESSOR

DIGITAL

MICROVAXll PC

VMS

APPLICATION PROCESSOR

RS232 ASYNCHRONOUS CONNECTIONS

TERMINAL

Fig. 3. A multitiered Cooperative Processing Architecture, from Unify, allows databases and applications to be distributed across interconnected computers, ranging from mainframes and minicomputers to workstations and PCs.
to cope with data sharing across today's heterogeneous computer systems. Accordingly, another proponent, Unify Corp., has developed what it calls a "Cooperative Processing Architecture" to help application developers grapple with this emerging environment (Fig. 3).
The computer hardware in this architecture is arranged in three tiers: PCs, UNIX- and VMS-based workstations and minicomputers (VM to come) and mainframes. The end-user interface and the data-entry and query tools run on PCs. The PCs provide fast response and interactivity. They also offload UNIX and VMS machines.
The UNIX and VMS machines handle the

flow of control and application logic. They provide the large memories and high performance needed by applications. Also, with this cooperative architecture, applications can be distributed across the UNIX or VMS machine and the PC.
The database is handled either by the UNIX or VMS machine or by a mainframe at the third layer. Still other machines can be networked at the second and third layers to distribute the data in the database. Access to the different databases occurs via an SQL interface.
Most vendors today agree with the multilayer distributed processing concept. However, Robert McCord, product marketing manager for distributed technologies at RTI, and Kenneth Cohen, director of product marketing at Oracle, both point out that SQL is not an automatic panacea to database compatibility. Even if high-level SQL statements are identical, subtle differences at the internal level make it necessary to map a database's SQL statements into the call to which each individual implementa-

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Companies mentioned in this article

Applied Data Research Inc. Route 206 and Orchard Road Princeton, N.J. 08543 (201) 874-9000 Circle 301
Clncom Systems 2300 Montana Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45211 (513) 662-2300 Circle 302
Computer Corp. of America 4 Cambridge Center Cambridge, Mass. 02143 (617) 492-8860 Circle 303

Cullinet Software Inc. 400 Blue Hill Drive Westwood, Mass. 02090 (617) 329-7700 Circle 304
Digital Equipment Corp. 146 Main St. Maynard, Mass. 01754 (617) 897-5111 Circle 305
IBM Corp. 1133 Westchester Ave. White Plains, N.Y. 10604 (914) 765-1900 Circle 306

Information Builders Inc. 1250 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10001 (212) 736-4433 Circle 307

Relational Technology Inc. 1080 Marina Village Parkway Alameda, Calif. 94501 (415) 769-1400 Circle 310

lnformix Software Inc. 4100 Bohannon Drive Menlo Park, Calif. 94025 (415) 322-4100 Circle 308

Tandem Computers Inc. 19333 Vallco Parkway Cupertino, Calif. 95014 (408) 725-6000 Circle 311

Oracle Corp. 20 Davis Drive Belmont, Calif. 94002 (415) 598-8000 Circle 309

Unify Corp. 4000 Kruse Way Place Lake Oswego, Ore. 97034 (503) 635-6265 Circle 312

tion responds. Data types must be converted.

Also, relations and attributes must appear the

same.

Another problem is that most vendors' SQLs

are not exactly the same. Adoption of the

International Standards Organization standard

SQL would promote compatibility but create

another problem. Specifically, the SQL cur-

rently under consideration by ISO is only a

subset of DB2 SQL, and that could create

acceptance problems.

A more serious problem occurs, according to

Tony Percy, director of product planning at

Applied Data Research, if the meaning and

identity of the data between different systems

are different because the databases were de-

signed without some central data administra-

tion. Pieces of data may have the same name

but mean different things, or vice versa. Or

users of one database may use a zero, meaning

no value in a field ; users of another may use a

specified " null" symbol. In either case, users

will receive wrong answers to their queries. And

they may not be able to recognize that the

answers are wrong.

What all this means is that, to obtain the

benefits of distributed DBMS technology re-

quires two things: applications appropriate for

distribution and coordination of the distrib-

uted databases. Coordination means a change

in an individual's style of doing business, and

such changes do not happen overnight. Conse-

quently, software developers and system inte-

grators can expect distributed DBMSes to fol-

low the pace of all new commercial

technologies: they will evolve slowly.

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Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 483 Medium 484 Low 485
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

CIRCLE NO. 36 ON INQUIRY CARD 73

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PostScript· is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. IBM· is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Canon· is a trademark of Canon U.S.A., Inc.
13.MS®

The right IBM channel connections will get you
on the bus faster.

Why settle for slow serial connections when the right connections will transport your data from the IBM channel to your bus? We offer high-speed interfaces to IBM®and compatible channels in a broad range of bus configurations - so all your devices can have the same fast access to the mainframe. And since we've been interfacing non-IBM devices and networks to IBM channels for over 12 years, we offer reliability no one else can match. 8900A Channel Interface Q-bus configuration
Our 8900A Channel Interface is based on a Q-bus TM design. Under the control of your de-
vice's DEC CPU, the 8900A is a fully functional control unit. It responds to any or all of the 256 IBM subchannel addresses with data transfer rates on the channel of up to 1. 2 megabytes per second. The 8900A will run multiple control unit emulations simultaneously, and serve multiple downline devices. 8600 Channel Interface Multibus configuration Our 8600 Channel Interface is based on Intel's popular Multibus®architecture. The 2-board 8600 matches our 8900A interface in both flexibility and power - but transfers data at up to 2 megabytes per second on the channel. 8400 Channel Interface VME bus configuration The 8400 Channel Interface incorporates the VME bus design on a single board. It transfers data between the IBM channel and the VME system memory by Direct Memory Access at up to 1 megabyte per second. 8300 Channel Interface Programmable parallel interface The 8300 Channel Interface is not based on any external bus architecture. It moves data at rates of up to 500K bytes per second and talks to a downline device through an 8- or 16-bit programmable parallel interface. If you're an OEM , the 8300 can be put on your form factor or bus for incorporation directly into your device. We'll not only get you from an IBM channel to the right bus. We'll get you there quickly and reliably. Call us at 1-800/531-5167 (in Texas, 512/288-1453) or write KMW Systems Corporation, 8307 Highway 71 West, Austin, Texas 78735.

K MW

SYSTEMS

CORPORATION

For the right connections
Auscom is oow a division of KMW Corp.
IBM is a registered trademark of Intematiooal Business Machines Corp. Mulbbus is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Q-bus is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporatioo.

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DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS: AN EVALUATION
An independent company evaluates over 50 database development tools available for applications developers, software houses and end users

The database market limelight shines primarily on the larger suppliers, such as AshtonTate, lnformix Software Inc. , Oracle Corp., Relational Technology Inc. and Unify Corp. However, to facilitate the work of software developers and system houses, a multitude of smaller suppliers also provide database development tools. Prices for these tools (which range from $35 to over $1 ,500) vary as widely as the capabilities offered.
To assist database developers, Humanic Systems Co., Lexington, Mass. , earlier this year released an evaluation of available development tools. Humanic Systems is an independent applications-development company. Its latest package is the MKS expert system, which the company wrote with a text-oriented database management system. MKS (Management Knowledge System) combines a knowledge base with fourth-generation database languages. Humanic Systems regularly evaluates database development tools for its own use in applications development.
The accompanying "Column Heading Explanations" will assist you in reading the evaluation table. The chart also includes an explanation of the abbreviations used in the table, as
well as definitions of some of the terms. The evaluation table covers over 50 database
development packages. Where there are several package entries in a single row, the information in the related column-including prices-applies to a combination of those packages.
The packages are arranged in the following order. The first four entries are packages that support SQL (IBM Corp.'s Structured Query Language) but do not have run-time fees. The next group of packages-through Advanced Development Technologies' The Creator, does not support SQL and does not require run-time

fees . Humanic Systems' president, W. Curtiss Priest, explains the importance of run-time fees thus: "For example, if you develop a package and you're facing, say in the case of(Relational Technology's] Ingres database, paying $300 for a run-time license, you can't even think of marketing the package for $200. Ingres and [Oracle's] Oracle database wrap everything in a single package, at a relatively high price."
The next group of packages, from Database Systems Corp.'s QINT to Microrim's R:base 5000, has run-time fees and supports SQL. The next group, from Ashton-Tate's dBASE Ill Plus to Software Products International's Open Access II, has run-time fees but does not support SQL.
The last group employs languages designed for library search problems. With these packages you do not need SQL, except for internal database control. This group includes textbased management systems (TBMS in the Table) such as Daytlo Inc.'s Daytlo as well as end-user-oriented packages with proximitysearching capabilities, such as ZyLab Corp.'s Zylndex . An example of a proximity-searching database query is " Did the word 'white' occur next to the word 'dog'?"
Humanic Systems includes this disclaimer with its evaluation: "The evaluation provided was conscientiously performed but may have errors or omissions because of the breadth of the undertaking. No user of the information should make momentous decisions or claims without obtaining and testing the various products described ."
A list of database development tool suppliers represented in the table follows the evaluation. The list includes full company addresses and phone numbers.
-David Simpson, Senior Editor

MINI -MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

U ntil now, you expected to get what you paid for. Bruning's new ZETADRAF 900 E-size, single sheet plotter gives you more.

How? We've designed and engineered a totally new E-size plotter to the point where it outperforms every other plotter of its type.

And at the same time, we reduced the price!
The drawing quality is superb. And, when you consider 6 g's acceleration, 45 ips chart speed and 8-pen color capability, its unmatched.
Of course our faster plot speed means your output is higher than ever. ZETADRAF 900 could cut the plot time for your most dense design in half.
ZETADRAF 900 supports all major CAD software packages and

is compatible with most computers. Interfaces include RS232, IEEE-488, GML and HPGL.
No prior plotter experience is required, even for liquid ink. ZETADRAF 900 has two levels of operation-novice and advanced. But everyone appreciates features such as the angled, LCD control panel and the ability of the plotter to store even complex user-designed configurations.

Sorry CalComp and HP. We just

didn't realize when we started out

that we could produce so much plot-

ter for so little money. But we did.

Get all the facts about ZETADRAF

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(BRUNlllG)

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

Column heading explanations

Price-Current list price (VAR pricing is often 40 percent less.)
(RT fee)-Does vendor support run-time applications and if so, what is the royalty fee? If not, what is the cost per application? (There is usually quantity discounting for run-time licenses of up to 50 percent to 70 percent for high volume.)
SQL-Does the package provide SOL (IBM's Structured Query Language) or a similar language?

Compiled/called-Can the code be compiled, and can it be called (or can it call the database management system file handler)?
C-fh-Can a C program access the file handler (and other fourth -generation language commands)?
C-sub-Can the package call C subroutines? X-Can the package code be compiled to increase execution speed? (Other supported languages such as Pascal and FORTRAN are included if known.)

Text store-Can the package store more than 256 characters per field and, if so, how many? And are they stored within the database structure or as a separate text file? " No" almost always means that there is a 256-character limit, rarely less.
Text editor-Does the package support full-screen editing capability for stored text?
Interpreter-Can the package be operated in interpreter mode to see results of single-line commands?

Nonprocedural or procedural-ls the code nonprocedural or procedural and, if a mixture, what sort of mixture?
General attractiveness-General attractiveness reflects the range of capabilities and ease of implementation (highly subjective). Note: A low score may simply mean that the package only performs file management, and that, although it may be excellent at that task, it lacks other tools useful for applications developers .
Notes-Includes package comparisons, results of speed tests, or type of file structure such as network or relational.

Definitions and abbreviations

Y-Yes
N-No
Y-N-Parts are; and parts are not
NA-not available
4GL-fourth-generation language: high level of nonprocedural capability
Derby-Derby Information Systems: A company that conducts annual contests in which database

companies are invited to compete on a single database-related problem. In other words , the company performs database development tool benchmarks, comparing code, determining how procedural or nonprocedural the code is, etc. The company is located in Berkeley, Calif., (415) 841 -1234.
QBE-Query-By-Example: IBM's fill -in-the-form mainframe query language
B-tree-lnternal structure of databases used by most relational database vendors

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS / May 1987

At least in order to get on-

graphs and charts to Desktop

WindowsT" and GEMTM in-

screen resolution of this qual- Publishing to CAD in an

cluding programs like Aldus

ity. And to get an accurate representation of what a facingpage spread-one that you can actually read-will look like when it's printed.
Introducing the LaserView TM Display System.
From Sigma Designs. LaserView consists of a large screen monitor, complete with display adapter, avai lable in your choice of 15 and 19· inch models. Big enough to put everything from simple
sI G

entirely new perspective.

PagemakerTMand Ventura

And at virtually full size.

Publi sherTM -plus familiar

Offering a noninterlaced

PC programs like Lotus 1-2-3TM

screen resolution of 1664 x

and AutoCAD~M We've even

1200-equal to 8 EGATM-sized included a copy of PC Paint-

or 11 Macintosh TMscreens-

brush Plus® to help you get

LaserV iew's "easy-on-the-eyes" started with LaserView.

paper-whi te display brings

So call Sigma Designs.

workstation-quality graphics

Because if you're serious about

and text to the PC level. It can making it to the big screen,

even generatefour levels of

Sigma Designs has what it

Sigma Designs lnc.

gray for increased on-screen

takes today.

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detail in photos and drawings. LaserView works with
all programs that run under
M A

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Fremont, CA 94538 415.770.0100

See us at Spring Comdex, Atlanta, Booth #424
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Trade ma rk s: l.a.se-r Vie w: Sigma Designs. In<".: ECA : lnl e rn a tion a l Bu s iness Machines Corporation : M1u·1nlus h: Ap ple Compult>r: Wi ndowi;: Mi rrosoft . Inc·. ; GE M: Di ~ it a l R e10t·arc h l11 c.: Pa~e m a k t>r: Aldu 11 Corporation: V1·111ura Pub l i,, la·r: Ventu ra Soflw arl' Inc.: Lotu s 1-2-3: Lotus Developme nl Corporation ; Au10C AD : AutoOe" k In c.: PC l'a inlbr us h Plus: Z-Soft Co rporal1 011 . * Fo r (' O rnm~ r<· i a l use o ul y.

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOL EVALUATION
Compiled/ called

dbVista6, db0uery'17 Raima

490(0) Y

(no memory

sub-

query}

d B SOL Word Tech Systems
pBase 4B Associates

349 (0) Y

35(0) Y

c-tree6; COL"'; Vitamin C' ; C-Terp '0 900 (0) Y

FairCom; Kurtzberg; Creative

compiler

Programming; Gimpel

limit

Phact6, Pquery", Preport7 Phact Associates d BMAN Versasoft c-tree6, r-tree7 Faircom
dBx Translation Programmers' Shop

965 (0) Y 9,999 NA Y-N

295 (0) N

650 (0) N

compi ler

lim it

(0)

CLARION Barrington Systems
Paradox Ansa

395 (0) N 80-char. Y

Y-N

scroll,

65K

bytes

695

(9.95 (QBE)

pe r

250)

Btrieve6, Xtrieve'. Rtrieve' Softcraft

635

N 4,090

Y-N

(0- Btrieve)

d BClll6 Lattice

250/500 N

(0)

R&R' Concentric Data
C-lndex6 Trio Systems TA S-PLUS Business Tools
Gennifer Byte I
File Manager Integrated Data Technology
asm Tree6 BC Associates
BTree6 SoftFocus

99 (0) N

395 (0) N

16K

bytes

69/199 N

10K NA

(0)

bytes browse

395 (0) N

34.95 N

(0)

395 (0) N

75 (0) N

32K

bytes

7 advantages of a network database ; has

limited SOL

ran in Derby

256K-byte version public domain

Ml ,

combination of packages

7 compare with Btrieve , etc., and c-tree,

etc.

5 much faster than dBASE Ill. ott1erw1se

very similar

faster than Btrieve, portable

7 translates dBASE II code into C source

code

9 COBOL, PL/1-like, financial orientation.

many facilities

NA M2

faster than oBASE 111, new PAL has

many features

NA Ml

"crash-proof," interface to BASIC as

well as C

4 standalone ISAM for C, 100% dBASE Iii compatible

like Rlrieve, for dBASE Ill

variable length for both key and

non-key fields

just came out with applications

developer

front -end to dBASE Ill for easier

applications development

relatively unknown package

fast because in assembler, relatively

unknown package

no limit to key size except available

memory

'dBASE Ill has a memo fie ld that is unlimited in size but not part of the searchable database and outside of the B-tree. 2dBASE Ill has an internal editor that can deal with up to SK bytes of the memo field ; otherwise. the field can be edited by an outside word -processing package. 30ne can add Lattice's dBClll to call the dBASE Ill database from C programs. ' Languages are ideal for library-search problems, and ii is unnecesary to have SOL except for internal database control. 5Source code p rovided (aids in transportability of application}. 68 -tree file manager (no query, screen 1/0 or report generation}. 'Report generator for a particular file manager or structure. ' Query facility for a particular file manager or structure. 'Windowing package for screen 1/0 from within C. See also Panel , Windows for C and Greenleaf . 10C interpreter, may add lo any C environment package to get interpreter. See also Interactive C and Run /C. Ml : Application language is mixed but predominantly a good nonprocedural language. M2: Application language is mixed and highly procedural.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOL EVALUATION

C' :!-.

I I ~
q,·

6'I!

~ i'

f ·
q

~,..".'=

<}' "'

i I I

d' ~

.I
-$

c;~

Compiled/called

.:'

. I #.J,.. ~

~
c;

I i Ji~j~ ·~~CD

~0 q

~
Cj

~ ~

...
~O'

CB Tree' Micro Computing

99 (0) N

Any dBASE Ill compiler (and dBASE Ill 800 (0) N

y2 y

Plus by Ashton-Tate)

The Creator

99 (0) N

Advanced Development Techr.ology

OINT Database Systems

995

(995)

32K

bytes

Knowledgeman II MOBS INFORMIX lnformix Software
XDB Software Systems Technology

500

(50)

995

(395)

32K

bytes

395

y 1,000 y

( 100)

Ingres Relational Technology
ORACLE Oracle/AT&T
R:Base 5000 Microrim

1,200

2.000

plus

400

(application);

(300)

1,500

(350)

64K

bytes

700

y 1,500; N

(450

4,092

per 5)

dBASE Ill Plus Ashton-Tate
Revelation Cosmos Progress Data Language
ZIM Zanthe 0 -Pro Q-N-E International Dataflex Data Access

500

(250

per 5)

950

(200)

64K

675

(200)

bytes

750

( 150)

8, 192

595

(NA)

750

(200)

PC Focus Information Builders

1,200 N

(400)

DataEase Software Solutions
O&A Symantec

600

(600)

bytes

per

form

300

(300) Natural/

Keyword

in WP

4 block retrieval calls , unlmited key length and record length

examples: Quicksilver (WordTec h),

Clipper (Nantucket) and FoxBASE +

(Fox)- all fast

relatively unknown package

IBM DB2 equivalent , ran in Derby

very comprehensive

UNIX strength , VMS; mainframe

migration

Y-N

ran in Derby, IBM DB2 equivalent

ran 1n Derby, IBM DB2 equivalent ,

mainframe migration

many M1

10 ran in Derby ; IBM DB2 equivalent : IBM,

DEC, DG, AT&T, etc.; mainframe

migration

y Pascal , M1

FORTRAN

Focus-like

no compiler

6 text DBMS, oriented toward end users

ran in Derby, Focus-like

10 Focus-like, but relational with variable

field editor

y Assembly M1

business-oriented, dBASE Ill-based

y Pascal M2

supports multiple environments

Y, M1 8

powerful business tool, network,

excellent report generator, mainframe

migration

menu, 8

filer integrated with WP, applications

developer soon

cannot write applications , can have

preset reports

'dBASE Ill has a memo fie ld that is unlimi ted in size but not part of the searchable database and out side of the B·tree. 2dBASE Ill has an internal editor that can deal with up to 5K bytes of the memo field ; otherwise, the field c an be edited by an outside word -processing package. 30ne can add Lattice's dBClll to call the dBASE Ill database from C programs.
' Languages are ideal for library-search problems, and it is unnecesary to have SOL except for internal database control. ' Source code provided (aids in tran sportability of application). 6B-tree fi le manager (no query, screen 1/0 or report generation). ' Report generator for a particular file manager or structure. ' Query facility for a particular file manager or structure. 'Windowing package for screen 1/0 from within C . See also Panel, Windows for C and Greenleaf. 1°C interpreter, may add to any C environment package to get interpreter. See also Interactive C and Run /C. M1 · Application language is mixed but predominantly a good nonprocedural language. M2: Application language is mixed and highly procedural.

MINI- MICRO SYSTEMS/ M ay 1987

Tandy has more experience in XENIX® multiuser systems than any other VAR vendoc

When it comes to selling XENIX-based multiuser systems, you need Tandy on your side. That's because Tandy has one of the largest installed base of XENIX systems in the world. And years of experience that put us head and shoulders above our competitors.
That's why it is to your advantage to become a Tandy ValueAdded Reseller. Once you do, you will profit from our proven experience and expertise in XENIX systems.
Multiuser efficiency The high-performance Tandy 3000 HD and versatile XENIX System V operating system (based on UNIX® System V, the standard of the UNIX world),

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The Tandy 3000 HD is IBM PC/ AT® compatible and has a 28ms 40 MB hard disk drive. With the 3000 HD's power, a XENIX operating system and inexpensive display terminals, you will be able to custom-tailor multiuser system solutions to meet your customers' needs. And that's a competitive edge that will help you grow your business.
Advanced 286 technology Based on the 16-bit Intel® 80286 microprocessor, the 3000 HD operates at 8 MHz and features 640K main memory (expandable to 12 MB). A high-capacity 51/4"

disk drive reads both 1.2 MB and 360K formats, allowing the 3000 HD to run either IBM® PC or PC/AT software.
Ready now for Tandy VARs XENIX-based Tandy 3000 HD multiuser systems are available through the Tandy VAR Program. A program that includes the most complete computer product line in the industry, competitive pricing, strong after market support, fast order processing, plus a leasing program
exclusively for Tandy VARs. *
For more information on Tandy's Value-Added Resale program and hot-selling industry-standard multiuser systems, write or give us a call today!

.-------·;i cl T · Tandy Corporation Value-Added Resale 1400 One Tandy Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76102 (817) 338-2387
·randy VAR Leasing Program administered by Dana Commercial Credit. XENIX/Registered TM Microsoft Corp . UNIX/Registered TM AT&T. IBM PC/AT/Registered TM International Business Machines Corp .
CIRCLE NO. 41 ON INQUIRY CARD

se tous about
technology as you are.

Chinon floppy disk drives are

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high level of overall quality. That kind of

You're serious about your systems.

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Finally there's a disk drive manufacturer

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that's as serious as you are.

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This same reputation is growing in the U.S. among serious designers, engineers

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CIRCLE NO. 42 ON INQUIRY CARD

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOL EVALUATION
Compiled/called

Palantir File Palantir Software
Open Access II Software Products International
Dayflo Dayflo Marcon Airs lnMagic In Magic AskSAM Seaside Software Citation Eagle Enterprises
Zylndex Zylab
4-1-1 Select Information Systems FYI 3000 Software Marketing
Notebook II Pro{Tem

395 (237)

N Data in WP y bridge to WP

595

N data in WP y

(not

query

yet)

from

395

(395)

1,495 N'

(1,495)

975

(975)

200 N'

(200)

185

(185)

195/695 N'

(195/695)

unlimited browse

149

(149)

browse

395

(395)

189

(189)

browse

integrated with WP

3 like Palantir File and more like Rapid

menus

File (Ashton-Tate)

6 broad TBMS (text-based management

system)

powerful TBMS

TBMS, slow

TBMS, fast

information-oriented

Lockheed Dialog-like, lexical, for law

firms, etc.

7 more limited searching than Zylndex, lexical

lexical

fl at file with variable length fields;

TDBS; has footnote, bibliography

capability

'dBASE Ill has a memo field that is unlimited in size but not part of the searchable database and outside of the B-tree . 2dBASE Ill has an internal editor that can deal with up to SK bytes of the memo field ; otherwise, the field can be edited by an outside word-processing package. 30ne can add Lattice 's dBClll to call the dBASE Ill database from C programs. ' Languages are ideal for library-search problems, and it is unnecesary to have SOL except for internal database control. ' Source code provided {aids in transportability of application). 6B-tree file manager (no query, screen 1/0 or report generation). 'Report generator for a particular file manager or structure. ' Query facility for a particular file manager or structure. 9Windowing package for screen 1/0 from within C. See also Panel, Windows for C and Greenleaf. 10C interpreter, may add to any C environment package to get interpreter. See also Interactive C and Run/C. M1 : Application language is mixed but predominantly a good nonprocedural language. M2: Application language is mixed and highly procedural.

Advanced Development Technologies 2720 N. 68th St. Scottsdale, Ariz. 85257 (800) 528-6060 Circle 332
Airs Inc. 335 Paint Branch Drive College Park, Md. 20742 (301 ) 454-2022 Circle 333
Ansa Software 1301 Shore Way Road Belmont, Calif. 94002 (415) 595-4469 Circle 334

Companies mentioned in the t able

Ashton-Tate 10150 W_Jefferson Blvd. Culver City, Calif. 90230 (213) 204-5570 Circle 335
Barrington Systems Inc. 150 E. Sample Road Pompano Beach , Fla . 33064 (305) 785-4555 Circle 336
BC Associates 3261 N_Harbor Fullerton, Calif. 92635 (714) 526-5151 Circle 337

Business Tools Inc. 4038-B 128th Ave., S.E. Bellevue, Wash . 98006 (206) 644-2015 Circle 338
Bytel Corp. 1029 Solano Ave. Berkeley, Calif. 94706 (415) 527-1157 Circle 339
Concentric Data Systems Inc. 18 Lyman St. Westboro, Mass. 01581 (617) 366-9035 Circle 340

Cosmos Inc. 3633 136th Place S.E. Bellevue, Wash. 98006 (206) 643-9898 Circle 341
Creative Programming Box 112097 Carrollton, Texas 75011 (214) 245-6090 Circle 342
Data Access Corp. 8525 S.W. 129 Terrace Miami, Fla_33156 (305) 238-0012 Circle 343

Data Language Corp. 47 Manning Road Billerica, Mass. 01821 (617) 663-5000 Circle 344
Database Systems Corp. 1118 E. Missouri Ave. Phoenix, Ariz . 85014 (602) 265-5968 Circle 345
Dayflo Inc. 17701 Mitchell Ave. N. Irvine, Calif_92714 (714) 476-3044 Circle 346
conlirlued on follow111g page

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 19 87

DATABASE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

Companies mentJOned continued from previous page

Eagle Enterprises 2375 Bush St. San Francisco, Calif. 94115 (415) 346-1249 Circle 347
FairCom 2606 Johnson Drive Columbia , Mo. 65203 (314) 445-6833 Circle 348
4B Associates 2518 Curran Court Pinole, Calif. 94564 Circle 349
Fox Software Inc. 27475 Holiday Lane Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 (419) 874-0162 Circle 350
Information Builders Inc. 1250 Broadway New York , N.Y. 10001 (212) 736-4433 Circle 351
lnformix Software Inc. 4100 Bohannon Drive Menlo Park, Calif. 94025 (415) 322-4571 Circle 352

lnMagic Inc. 238 Broadway Cambridge, Mass. 02139 (617) 661-8124 Circle 353
Integrated Data Technology Inc. 4775 Bunchberry Lane Colorado Springs, Colo. 80917 (303) 488-2583 Circle 354
Kurtzberg Computer Systems 41-19 Bell Blvd. Bayside, N.Y. 11361 (718) 229-4540 Circle 355
Lattice Inc. P.O. Box 3072 Glen Ellyn, Ill. 60138 (312) 858-7950 Circle 356
Micro Computing Services 2108C Gallows Road Vienna, Va. 22180 (703) 893-0118 Circle 357
Micro Data Base Systems Inc. (MOBS) P.O. Box 240 Lafayette, Ind. 47902 (317) 463-2581 Circle 358

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· Prohibits unauthorized use of software
· No need for copy protection · Algorithm technique

SOFTWARE USER BENEFITS
· Unlimited backup copies · Pocketsize key · Transparent operations · Transportable

(never a fixed response) · Virtually unbreakable
INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS: · 25 pin DB25P or DB25S · R232 / RS422/RS423

ONLY THREE SIGNALS USED: 0 DTR & RTS from computer
· Signal ground · DSR or optional DCD from
SOFTWARE SENTINEL-W or external device

EVALUATION KIT AVAILABLE

Teleo< 38ll078 17971 SKYPAllK CIRCLE SUITE E, lllVINE, CA 92714

(714)261 ·0228

CIRCLE NO. 43 ON INQUIRY CARD

....

Microrim 3925 159th Ave . N.E. Redmond , Wash . 98052 (206) 885-2000 Circle 359
Nantucket Corp. 5995 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City, Calif. 90230 (213) 251-7923 Circle 360
Oracle Corp. 20 Davis Drive Belmont, Calif. 94002 (800) 345-DBMS Circle 361
Palantir Software 12777 Jones Road Houston, Texas 77070 (713) 955-8880 Circle 362
Phact Associates Inc. 225 Lafayette St. New York, N.Y. 10012 (213) 459-3689 Circle 363
The Programmers Shop 128 Rockland St. Hanover, Mass. 02339-2223 (617) 826-7531 Circle 364
Pro{Tem Software Inc. 1136 Saranap Ave . Walnut Creek , Calif. 94595 (415) 947-1000 Circle 365
Q-N-E International 136 Granite Hill Court Langhorne, Pa. 19047 (215) 968-5966 Circle 366
Raima Corp. 3055 112th Ave ., N.E. Bellevue, Wash . 98004 (800) 327-2462 Circle 367
Relational Technology Inc. 1080 Marina Village Parkway Alameda, Calif. 94501 (415) 748-3316 Circle 368
Seaside Software 119 S. Washington St. Perry, Fla. 32347 (904) 584-6590 Circle 369
Select Information Systems Inc. 919 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Kentfield, Calif. 94904 (415) 459-4003 Circle 370

SoftCraft Inc. P.O. Box 9802 Austin , Texas 78766 (512) 346-8380 Circle 371
Softfocus 1343 Stanbury Drive Oakville, Ontario L6L 2J5, Canada (416) 825-0903 Circle 372
Software Marketing Associates 4615 Bee Caves Road Austin, Texas 78746 (512) 327-2882 Circle 373
Software Products International 10240 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego, Calif. 92121 (619) 450-1526 Circle 374
Software Solutions Inc. 12 Cambridge Drive Trumbull , Conn . 06611 (203) 374-8000 Circle 375
Software Systems Technology Inc. 7100 Baltimore Ave. College Park, Md. 20740 (301) 779-5486 Circle 376
Symantec 10201 Torre Ave. Cupertino, Calif. 95014 (408) 253-9600 Circle 377
Trio Systems 2210 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, Calif. 90403 (213) 394-0796 Circle 378
Versasoft Corp. 723 Seawood Way San Jose, Calif. 95120 (408) 723-9044 Circle 379
WordTech Systems Inc. P.O. Box 1747 Orinda, Calif. 94563 (415) 254-0900 Circle 380
Zanthe Information Inc. 1200-38 Anares Drive Nepean, Ontario K2D 7V2, Canada (613) 727-1397 Circle 381
ZyLab Corp. 233 E. Erie St. Chicago, Ill. 60611 (312) 642-2201 Circle 382

Interest Quotient (Ci rcle One) High 492 Medium 493 Low 494
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

~Ve got
the most affordahle, state -of- the -art data PBX you can buy.
Period.

Sequel's SDC family is the first series of intelligent data switches to offer you all large network management features, whether you need a few or hundreds. Features like single sign-on, time-of-day clock, toggling, redundant power and logic, security call-back, and more.

Think Small. Then Grow Big. You can start out with as few as six local ports and expand to as many as 1,536, worldwide. 0 Sequel 's SDC family links together terminals, I/O ports, printers, modems, and any device that sends or receives data up to 19.2K bit/s. Without line drivers or multiplexers. Even at maximum usage, the 19.2K bit/ s rate persists.
Meet The Three. The SDC 660 gives you a range of six to 60 ports. 0 If you outgrow it, keep all the cards and buy the SDC 6192 chassis. Now you can grow to 192 ports. 0 If you need to expand further; the SDC 6192 Network is the answer. Plug Sequel's local networking card into as many as 8 chassis and expand up to 1,536 lines.
Break The $100-Per-Port Barrier. With all this to offer and more, our switch costs less than any other. The low $100-per-port price begins at 30 ports.

Standard Features Sampling
· P<Wt contention by name, number, <W class ·Help menus ·Simultaneous toggling ·Priority queing ·Auto baud · Netw<Wk status display · Passw<Wd-controUed protection ·Alternate destination routing · Time-of-day reconfiguration ·Single sign-on

Find Out For YourseH. Call today and we'll demonstrate to you why Sequel's SDC family is so fast, flexible, and affordable. And why Sequel means "We're What's Next:'

SEQUEL

Sequel Data Communications, Inc. 5246 Greens Dairy Road Raleigh, NC 27604 (919) 790-0300 Telex 5106002826
CIRCLE NO. 44 ON INQUIRY CARD

With our new.PM/286 network

. Software savings, too.

server, you can put together highperformance networks for up to 40% less than the cost of comparable systems.
Look at the chart. You'll see the TeleVideo PM/286 network server beats the others and still gives you
all the power you're looking for.

We maxin'lize your software investment because the PM/286 runs a custom version of Advanced NetWare/286: and is compatible with virtually any single user or multiuser application written for MS DOS, NetWare or NETBIOS. We
also SUJ?port the key programming

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Our intelligent network Starboard is designed with an Intel 8088

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microprocessor maintaining high The PM/286 is built on TeleVideo's

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five years experience in the multi-

added. And the PM/286 is pow-

. ,,;

COST PER USER

user network , business, with

ered with the lntel 80286,8MHz engine. So it can handle heavy loads, serving up files almost as fast as you can say ·

TeleVideo PM/286
IBM Token Ring' Network
3Com3Server3 System·

8User System $1,257 $2,058 $1,942

16 User System $ 926 $1,'l74 $1,268

over 87,000 work-
stations attached to TeleVideo file
servers. Plus, it's
neW, backed with our unmatched ONSITE warranty

"fetch."

Novell" Server System

$2,119 $1,357 service.

The flexibility you need.
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Prices are manufaOt\lrer list for comparable

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Make the right connection.
Now's the time.to

you more options:

· find out just how

It's easy to add up to 24 users. With much you'll save with the new Tele~

the PM/286, you can use IBM PCs: Video PM/286 network server.

other compatibles or TeleVideo disk-

Call your TeleVideo represen-

less workstations. Our $999 disk- tative, or 1-800-835-3228 today·

less workstations feature built-in for more information, and to find

network connections, so installation out-about the TeleVideo seminar

is as easy as plugging them in.

coming to your area soon.

You can select the PM/286

Make the best price/perfor-

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tion: 40 or 71 Mbyte hard disk (and TeleVideo.

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and up to 24 users. All models

OTeleVideo® include a 1.2 MB floppy, 60 Mbyte
streaming tape back-up, and a high resolution monitor.

TeleVideo Systems, Inc., 1170 Morse Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3&68, (408) 745-7760. Regional offices: West (408) 745-7760; Southwest (714) 476-0244; South Central (214) 550-1060; Southeast (404) 447-1231; Midwest (312) 397-5400; East (516) 496-4777; Northeast(617) 890-3282.
European offices: Amsterdam 31.2503.35444; Paris 33.1.4687.34.40; London 44.9905.6464.
*JBM PC and Token Ring are trademarks of IntornationaJ Bustness Machine~ Corporation. Advanced NetWare/286 and Novell are trademarks of Novell, Inc., 3Com 3Server3 System is a trademark of 3Com CorporaUon. © 1987 TeleVideo Systems, Inc.
CIRCLE NO. 45 ON INQUIRY CARD

Plug-In Parallel Processing
HOW TO
BUILD AREAL REAL-TIME PROCESSING SYSTEM
The best place to start is with Parallel Processing from Concurrent Computer Corporation. You get outstanding price/performance from a unique system architecture
with an event·driven, real-time operating system that maximizes throughput, response and sheer computational power.
Power and Growth Concurrent Computer Corporation gives you all the power you need today and the ability to plug-in more when you need it. Without the high cost of replacing hard· ware or software. Our flagship Model 3280 MPS lets you start at 6 MIPS and grow up to 33 MIPS just by plugging in additional processors.There's no need to reprogram; no obsolescence of your existing hardware. Computers With AFuture There are a lot more reasons why Parallel Processing makes sense. Like its built-in reliability. Like the way it accommodates 1/0. The low life-cycle cost. They're the systems with abuilt-in future. Want more?
1-800-631-2154
or write us at Concurrent Computer Corporation 2 Crescent Place Oceanport, NJ 07757
Concurrent Coniputer Corporation
CIRCLE NO. 46 ON INQUIRY CARD

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

LANs LINK PCs TO MAINFRAMES

Local-area-network gateways to IBM SNA systems challenge conventional 3270 emulators, and LU 6.2 products
threaten to rattle the micro-to-mainframe arena

Jesse Victor, Associate Editor
Links between local-area networks (LANs) and IBM Corp. Systems Network Architecture (SNA) systems menace the long-standing dominance of 3270 emulator boards and software as the preferred method of connecting IBM PCs and mainframes. Offered by both traditional

emulator vendors and LAN suppliers, such gateways are profiting from growing corporate acceptance of the advantages gained by connecting diverse (and dispersed) personal computers with LANs.
Gateway hardware and software combine a LAN's resource-sharing and configuration flexibility with timely access for personal comput-

LINKID PCs ACCISS MAINFRAMI GRAPHICS

IRMALAN/APA Graphics Workstation software from DCA
enables a PC on a NETBIOS-com-
patible LAN to display, store and print mainframe graphics via the SDLC Gateway remote link and synchronous modems.

NETBIOSCOMPATIBLE LAN

GRAPHICS PLOTIER

IRMALAN APA GRAPHICS WORKSTATION
SOFTWARE ON PC

IRMALANSNA WORKSTATION SOFTWARE ON PC

PRINTER

SOURCE: DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES INC.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

ers to mainframe databases. And the emergence ofLAN-SNA links coincides with a spate of marketing, distribution and merger agreements between 3270 board vendors and LAN companies. All this activity is reshaping the micro-to-mainframe market-and offers new and more powerful options to system integrators and OEMs.
Vendors of products that allow PCs to emulate 3270 terminals are responding to these new market forces with software that gives PCs on a LAN access to IBM mainframe data. The products combine traditional 3270-emulation functions, such as multiple host sessions and hot keying between emulator and MS-DOS modes. In many cases, they offer enhanced functionality such as access to mainframe graphics.
For example, Digital Communications Associates Inc., whose IRMA micro-to-mainframe board is a de facto hardware standard, supplies four products for PCs on an IBM Token-Ring

Network-one of which provides on-line mainframe APA (all points addressable) graphics capability.
The company's IRMALAN APA Graphics Workstation software enables a PC to display host applications written for the IBM 31 79/G terminal and the 3270 PC/G and 3270 PC/GX that use t he graphical data display manager (GDDM) 4.0 package. Users can store host graphics images on the PC or send them via the computer graphics interface (CGI) and virtual device interface (VDI) standards to a variety of printers or plotters.
Gateways to versatility
Hot-key capability enables users to switch among five concurrent host sessions and between MS-DOS and terminal-emulation modes. T he package supports several of the company's file-transfer programs providing access to IBM mainframe time-sharing option

Replacing an IBM 3247 cluster controller, Proteon 's Network Interface System provides fast, fu/1screen response for 3270 terminals attached to a mainframe with the company 's ProNET-10 or ProNET-80 LAN.

LAN INTIRPACI IPllDS 3270 RISPONSI
Pro NET
LAN
WIRE CENTER

CONNECTIONS T032COAX A
DEVICES

CONNECTIONS TO 16COAXA
DEVICES

3270 DISPLAY

CONNECTIONS TO 16 LOCAL COAX A DEVICES

WIRE CENTER

3270 PRINTER

IBM MA INFRAME : 4370, 43XX,
3080X

SOURCE: PROTEON INC.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

GATIWAY ACCILIRATIS IBM·DIC DATA SWAP
3711 GATEWAY VM

IBM VM MAINFRAME
USERS CMS
VIRTUAL MACHINE

3711 NETWORK CONTROLLER

MICR0-11 COMPUTER
6900A CHANNEL INTERFACE

RSCS UTILITY

VM SPOOL

RSX/DECNET

NJE NETWORK UTILITY · FILE TRANSFER · MESSAGES AND
COMMANDS
IBM PC

MINI DISK MINI DISK

DEC20 VAX

IBM

IBMPC

SOURCE: INTERLINK COMPUTER SCIENCES INC.

(TSO), conversational monitor system (CMS) and multiple virtual-storage/time-sharing option (MVS/TSO) environments.
IRMALAN SOLC (synchronous data link control) Gateway and OFT (distributed function terminal) Gateway hardware and software give PCs on a LAN remote and coaxial access, respectively, to the mainframe via a gateway PC. Emulating a 3274 communications controller, the SOLC gateway supports up to 32 concurrent host sessions. It uses a half-height card in the PC to connect to a synchronous modem attached to an IBM 3705 or 3725 front-end processor. The latter connects a card in the gateway PC via coax to a OFT port on an IBM 3274 controller.
Emulator vendor CXI Inc. emphasizes the advantages of its consistent application program interface (API) and user interfaces on all its micro-to-mainframe products and also the ease of upgrading its standard emulator hardware and software with gateways to LANs.
Take, for example, the PCOX/Gateway Coax upgrade or PCOX/Gateway 16 upgrade. Because they are soft-loaded (via flexible disk), they require neither changes in programmable ROM nor local or remote emulator boards in IBM PCs to enable the PCs to serve

as gateways to NETBIOS-compatible LANS. The Gateway 16 upgrade provides 16 host sessions for PCs on the LAN.
These products, and the equivalent standalone hardware and software packages, work with PCOX Gateway-WS workstation software installed in each PC on the LAN. Emulating 3278/9 terminals, 3270 PCs and 3287 printers, the workstation package furnishes concurrent windowing of up to five host sessions, one PC session and two notepads for each PC. Included file-transfer software communicates with customer information control system (CICS), CMS and TSO applications on the mainframe.
Charles Morel, CXI chairman and CEO, emphasizes the benefits of a consistent API and user interface over the company's range of micro-to-mainframe and gateway products. "The keyboard, display and printer control interfaces are all the same," explains Morel. "The advantage is that any application program you have written or purchased that runs in a coaxial environment will run in a remote environment as a workstation LAN gateway. It offers a wide choice of micro-to-mainframe application software and leverage of your existing software investment."
AST Research Inc. takes a somewhat differ-

Two-way fullscreen communications among IBM PCs or terminals connected to an IBM VM mainframe and various DEC computers is furnished by Inter/ink's 3711 Network Controller and associated software, part of its 3711 Gateway (VM) product.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

'A LAN is probably the most efficient means of connecting PCs to the mainframe through a gateway.'

ent approach to SNA/LAN connections. It provides a LAN-5250 emulator link to IBM System 3/X computers-one that enables PCs on the LAN to communicate, without emulator cards, with multiple host computers.
With the AST-5250/Gateway, each gateway PC on a LAN equipped with the 5251I11 Plus emulation card and software can distribute seven 5250 terminal and/or printer sessions to up to 21 other nodes. The gateway product comes with file-transfer software, has an IBMcompatible API for IBM's PC Support 36 or 38 packages and runs on AST's Star System Starlan-type LAN and on NETBIOS-compatible networks.
Micro-to-mainframe product vendors broadcast their strengths in the new SNA-LAN bridge market. They stress their years of experience in refining their 3270- and 5270-emulator hardware and software through upgrading user interfaces, multiple host sessions, hot-key capabilities, 3270 keyboard adapters and other fine tuning.
" A LAN is probably the most efficient means of connecting PCs to the mainframe through a gateway," CXI's Morel argues. " CXI's focus in connecting PCs to the mainframe does not stop where the LAN begins. We can offer the expertise and technology accumulated in serving the micro-to-mainframe link to the users of LANs."
LAN vendors bring another perspective and other strengths to the SNA/LAN gateway arena. They can claim greater familiarity with the intricacies of LAN functions and emphasize fast screen response, without degrading LAN functions but with faster links to the mainframe and-in some cases-fuller emulation of IBM 3270 terminal capabilities.

"If an SNA product is sold by a LAN vendor, you know it will work with the LAN," contends LAN supplier Gateway Communications Inc. president and CEO David McMaster, " If you buy it from somebody else and hope it works with the LAN, you may have a problem."
LAN vendor Proteon Inc. stresses the fast response and full-screen 3270 capability of its 3270 network interface system. Enhanced 3270 features include seven-color graphics, extended data stream and programmed symbol support. Features such as simplified configuration control, remote diagnostics and automatic multiplexer support surpass those of similar IBM products, the company says.
Replacing an IBM 3274 cluster controller, the interface system connects up to 32 3270 terminals to IBM mainframes via the company ' s ProNET-10 or ProNET-80 LANs. Th e first runs at IOM bits per second (bps); the second, SOM bps.
Reach remotes at a fast clip
For maximum response. Proteon's Channel Attach unit connects directly to the ma inframe's bus and tag channel. LAN Attach un its support up to 32 terminals on the LAN with control unit terminal (CUT) ports or enhanced OFT connections.
" We provide remote operation with local speed, compared to the 3274 controller," maintains John Shriver, senior product specialist. "The LAN Attach units provide 70 percent to 80 percent of IBM mainframe channel speed. It's slow to bring up 3270 screens with 9.6Kbyte-per-second host links, the speed at which most remote 3270 terminals operate. On the other hand, 56K-byte-per-second connections are expensive. Our product operates two to six

Why syste111 Integrators

James J. Mullen, The Orion Group Inc.
Enhancements to IBM Corp.'s Systems Network Architecture, LU 6.2 (Logical Unit 6.2) and PU 2.1 (Physical Unit 2.1) constitute a peer-to-peer communications protocol that permits application programs on diverse computers to directly exchange data without host-computer intervention.
A device-independent protocol, LU 6.2 enables computers under SNA to send and receive data, start and stop execution of remote applications and perform error recovery. A simple, high-level language embodies standard "verbs," such as ALLOCATE, SENDATA, RECEIVANWAIT, to control communications. PU 2.1 provides the lower level protocols necessary for peer-to-peer communications.
IBM is committed to LU 6.2 as its basic strategy for

implementing program-to-program communications in future products and has configured the standard on nearly all of its processors. Other major computer vendors have announced support for the protocol, and its recent endorsement by the International Standards Organization means that future processors on Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) networks will be able to conduct peer-to-peer conversations with processors on LU 6.2-based SNA networks.
LU 6.2 also offers system integrators a number of immediate practical advantages for software development. Applications written directly to LU 6.2 are cheaper to develop, more portable and more robust than those based on proprietary protocols for process-to-process conversations. The protocol is well-specified and complete, making major changes unnecessary. Portable implementations of LU 6.2,

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

times faster than a 56K-byte-per-second connection to the host."
The 3270 system does not degrade the LAN response, Shriver claims. "When we run load tests, the mainframe runs out of steam in pumping out data before the LAN does. The response is good because the deterministic access of the token ring doesn't undergo collisions or back-offs," as do CSMA/CD (carrier sense multiple access with collision detection)or CA (collision avoidance) products.
Proteon offers a similar system, the ProNET/ SNA Gateway, which supports up to 32 concurrent PCs on its ProNET-4 or ProNET-10 LANs running Novell Inc. Advanced Netware/P. Each user can run two concurrent host sessions, and the gateway PC-being non-dedicatedcan perform other tasks. An alternative link, the Banyan 3270 SNA option, uses a network file server to support 64 simultaneous host sessions and has dynamic network reconfiguration capability.
Broad support for Ethernet LANs
Bridge Communications Inc. spotlights the wide range of terminals and terminal-emulation and file-transfer programs its enhanced EtherTerm 1.2 software supports for PCs on Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) LANs. Emulation programs tested with the package mimic terminals from Digital Equipment Corp. (VT52, VT I00, VT220), Tektronix Inc. (4105), Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP 2392) and Data General Corp. (Dasher 210).
The program replaces the PC's basic input/ output system's interrupt I4H interface routines with its own interface and uses the Xerox Corp. XNS (Xerox Network Systems) protocol. It permits PCs to access asynchronous ports,

X.25-based public data networks and pooled modems in addition to 3270 SNA sessions.
Ethernet LANs running TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol) are not excluded from 3270 connectivity. Based on those protocols, Bridge's TCPTerm software allows linked PCs attached to the network with a 3Com Corp. EtherLink controller board to transfer binary and text files (under the ARPANET file-transfer protocol), emulate DEC VT I00 terminals and communicate with an IBM host via a CS/ 1-SNA communications server.
Four concurrent host sessions under the control of a DOS-compatible multitasking executive plus entry to IBM DISOSS (distributed office support system) services are provided by Ungermann-Bass Inc. 's enhanced Net/One 3270 PC package for PCs on its Net/One LAN. Emulating many 3270 and DEC VT I00 terminals and 3287 printers, it controls four concurrent terminal and printer sessions and two asynchronous terminal sessions while running DOS-based applications. Support of the IBM 3270 PC Control Program Version 2. 1's API allows users to run IBM Personal Services/PC for access to DISOSS services as well as Linkware Corp.'s PC Connection program.
If you want to run your PCs on a LAN running PC/MS-DOS 3.1/3.2 and IBM PC Network-compatible applications, consider 3Com ' s solution. The 3+ 3270 package installed in a network server PC on the 3+ network emulates the 3274 cluster controller, 3278 and 3279 (color) terminals and the mainframe model 3287 model 2 printer. It allows local and remote mainframe access for file transfers and transaction processing.
Many companies still rely on the 3770 batch-

LAN vendors claim greater familiarity with the intricacies of LAN functions in promoting gateway products.

can't afford to ignore LU 6.2

such as The Orion Group's sna 62 peer-communications facility, can be bought off-the-shelf to speed the development of LU 6.2-based programs.
In addition, LU 6.2-based applications will migrate readily across the entire range of IBM processors from PCs to mainframes, and porting them to non-IBM processors will not entail significant restructuring of the standard interface.
In contrast to communications based on LU 2, such as conventional 3270 emulation sessions using 1,920-character screens, LU 6.2 sessions can contain characters of almost any length and in any format. With no required record size and no device-specific document-formatting code, network overhead is considerably reduced .
Finally, LU 6.2 supports communications over a

wide variety of media- including leased and dial-up phone lines, Token-Ring Network and Ethernet local area networks and X.25 links-without inherent restrictions on the data-transmission rate.
Because LU 6.2 allows network managers to choose the most economical transport medium for each segment of a network, the managers can achieve significant network cost reductions without degrading performance.
James J. Mullen is vice president of sales and marketing at The Orion Group Inc., Berkeley, Calif., which develops OEM SNA software.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

transfer protocol instead of SNA/SDLC-3270 links, especially for high-speed remote transfer of data after business hours. The G/SNAnet package from Gateway Communications supports interactive batch transfer from IBM mainframes with remote job entry (RJE) workstations connected to the company's Novell Netware-based G/NET PLUS LAN. The product also stands out in supporting multiple LAN gateways independently of file servers and multidrop lines.
"Having one product with both 3270 and 3770 capabilities is an advantage," maintains Gateway's McMaster. "SNA users might use batch processing I0 percent of the time. But when they use it, they use it a lot, particularly at night to save on-line charges."
Custom command scripts, pop-up menus and API ease file transfers; the non-dedicated PC server uses an Intel Corp. 80186-based communications card. Each PC on the net can access up to four 3270 or 3770 sessions. The company plans to make the G/SNAnet software capable of running on any Netware-based LAN or on the IBM Token-Ring, McMaster says.
Customized remote micro-to-mainframe applications are promised by Integrated Network Systems Inc. using its SDLC Gateway PC Adapter's APL With the board and software

installed in gateway PCs, system integrators can implement automatic log-on, transaction routing and store-and-forward functions for other PCs on a NETBIOS-compatible LAN.
If you don't want to bother with plug-in boards and software for your micro-to-mainframe links, Telex Computer Products Inc. offers 1260 and 1280 Intelligent Workstations with integrated 3278/9 (coaxial) and 3276 (remote) support and mainframe file-transfer options. They can function as communications servers, diskless workstations or zero-wait-state 80286-based PC/XT or PC/AT computers on a LAN.
Run high-end graphics
Many users demand high-end EGA (enhanced graphics adapter)-type graphics on LAN and mainframe-linked PCs, and products from Grafpoint and Ungermann-Bass fill this need.
Supporting IBM's EGA and AT&T Co. and IBM CGAs (color graphics adapters), Ungermann Bass' Net/One 3270 PC Graphics package allows PCs linked to the company's Net/ One LAN to run four concurrent 3270 graphic sessions with software such as the IBM GDDM, SAS Institute's SAS/Graph and Integrated Software Systems Corp. 's Tel-A-Graf.

Access to mainframe DISOSS services and peer-to-peer communications is afforded by Orion's DIA Facility and sna 62 software for applications running on UNIX processors and LU 6.2-compatible packages on IBM PCs.

LU 6 . 2 FACILITY PAVIS PllR-TO-PllR PATHWAY

DISOSS (DISTRIBUTED OFFICE SUPPORT
SYSTEM)

DOCUMENTS
IBM SYSTEM/370 OR
IBM SYSTEM/38

<...___\_4./_.
IBM DISPLAY WRITER OR
IBM PERSONAL SERVICES/36

ORION sna 62 PEER COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY
UNIX PROCESSOR SOURCE: THE ORION GROUP INC.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

LetYourCPU Reach Its Full Potential

With Data Access and Retrieval At Electronic Speeds
For disk intensive applications you need a peripheral storage device that performs as quick as your CPU. That's why we designed the MegaRam solid-state disk. It can access stored data thousands of times faster than a rotating disk. With this dramatic speed, your computer is kept working ... not waiting. In fact, it can provide a typical increase of 50% in CPU throughput! And, the MegaRam is completely transparent to your software and hardware; your CPU will treat it as another disk drive.
When to Buy a MegaRam SolidState Disk
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4. When you need your sort routines to
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If your CPU requires faster data access and retrieval, operates in hostile environments, or demands maximum disk reliability, you'll find the MegaRam a smart, cost-effective investment. Call or write today for full details.
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Available from 2 to 512 Megabyte capacities for the foll owing computers: DEC · Hewlett Packard · Gould · Prime · Data General · C.D.C. · Westingho use · Sperry Univac · Many Others. Features Full Software and hardware compatibility · Error detectio n and correction · Field expandable · Zero latency time · No moving parts. Options Battery Back-Up · Megastream tape back-up · Custom des igned inte rfaces · Dual port capab ili ty.
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831 S. Douglas Street El Segundo, California 90245 Telephone : (213) 536-0018 Telex : 664469 · FAX: (213) 536-0124 CIRCLE NO. 47 ON INQUIRY CARD

What stereo did for left and right, IMAGEN has done for front and back. Because we've designed a laser printing system that truly gives you both sides of the story.
A sophisticated process allows our 7320 ImageServer XP laser printer to print on both sides of a page, without any help from you, no matter how long your documents are. And because it can support signature printing on demand, you'll have all the capabilities of the corner print shop available in the corner of your office. Which means the 7320 will not only save you time, it'll save you money.
The 7320 prints 20 original pages per minute. With high-quality graphics as well as different typestyles and sizes. It can even use 11 x 17-inch paper for engineering
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At IMAGEN, we offer a wide range of laser printing systems, including our new 3320, that can be upgraded easily to the 7320's capabilities when you need them. So if you're looking for a workgroup printing system that can handle the workload, give us a call.
800-556-1234, Ext.199
In California, 1-800-441-2345, Ext. 199
CIMAGEN
../-'_ INI'ElllGENT PRINIING
CIRCLE NO. 48 ON INQUIRY CARD
*Speakers not included.

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

Screen-capture and print utilites are available with the package.
For demanding applications, Grafpoint's TNET-05 software allows PCs on a LAN to emulate Tektronix 4105 and 4107 color graphics terminals with a device driver processing the terminals' commands under MS-DOS. The 4105 version takes up only about IOOK of RAM, and both versions allow users to hot key between graphics and DOS sessions.
Grafpoint's future plans include a version of TNET, emulating the high-end Tektronix 4 I I5, and a coax version linking to SNA networks via a gateway. The company also will offer a package allowing a PC/AT equipped with Tektronix's new SGS 430 stereo color graphics system to emulate a Tektronix 4107 terminal , says Grafpoint CEO Charles Lingel.
Move up to DEC-IBM links
Effectively linking IBM and DEC VAX computer systems with LANs might require more sophisticated , flexible and higher level software-based solutions. Xyplex Inc., for example, offers the distributed Network Processing System, based on a host interface unit, PC controllers, remote gateways and distributed-network processors.
With system software residing in the DEC VMS operating system , it can , the company claims, link IBM and DEC computers and terminals to almost any LAN or wide-area network, including those based on Ethernet, thin-wire Ethernet, CATV broadband or optical fiber.
PC XPANDER hardware and software allows VAXes and PCs to control and execute each other's applications. VAXmail can be run from MS-DOS or data on the VAX can be downloaded into Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 on a PC, and execution of the program can be initiated from the VAX .
Interlink Computer Sciences Inc. emphasizes similar two-way communications between DEC and IBM environments for its 3711 Gateway in virtual machine (VM) or multiple virtual storage (MYS) versions. They have the additional advantages of direct applicationto-application communications, transparent data transfer and full-screen emulation of a DEC VTIOO or VT220 terminal on an IBM PC or 3278 terminal.
"You can use the standard IBM file-access procedure to access a DEC file and use standard DEC procedures to access an IBM file," asserts Interlink president Lambert Onuma. "You write the same code to access a DEC file via DECnet as you would to access a YTAM file on the IBM mainframe. With full-screen DEC terminal emulation on an IBM 3278 terminal , as opposed to the line-by-line capability of

some products, you can emulate DEC applications like All-In-I , the Editor and videotex."
Onuma claims his product's bilateral fullscreen capability, file access to the record level, program-to-program communications and SOOK-byte-per-second throughput give it advantages over DEC's SNA Gateway . "With our product, a guy at a terminal has good response time. Going at 56K bytes per second [to a host computer] for terminal emulation is too slow."
LU 6.2 lacks implementations
IBM's LU (logical unit) 6.2 and advanced program-to-program communications (APPC) protocols, plus associated lower level transport mechanisms, will play an increasingly important role in micro-to-mini-to-mainframe and LAN-to-SNA communications (see "Why system integrators can't afford to ignore LU 6.2"). But right now, LU 6.2 is mainly talk and little action .
LU 6.2's current status is defined by four key words: applications, demand, standards and IBM . Without applications, LU 6 .2 remains just a potentially powerful protocol. But demand is necessary to spur applications, and most industry observers see little demand.
"There are a lot of our customers talking about LU 6.2, but none saying they would buy LU 6.2 capability if we had it," says Gateway Communication's McMaster. "We have developed LU 6.2 capability on our 80186-based communications-controller card. But we haven't found any applications to warrant putting it on our networks."
Onuma agrees: "I haven 't seen many users doing program-to-program communications. The applications aren't set up that way." He contends that confusion among users and system integrators about the great diversity of micro-to-mainframe products-LU 6.2 in particular-is impeding acceptance.
Part of the confusion about the protocol concerns lower level links and much of the rest, some experts assert , stems from IBM. Some products billed as providing LU 6.2 capabilities support only the older physical unit (PU) 2.0 functions and not PU 2. 1, which is necessary to fully implement program-to-program communications as well as multiple sessions and multiple links between devices.
IBM's announced support for the enhanced connectivity facility (ECF) architecture, and the latest incarnation of LU 6.2-distributed data management (DOM) architecture linking PCs, System 3/Xs and CICS on 370 mainframes-only serves to muddy the waters further, many observers insist.
In any case, many of the functions promised (and not yet delivered) by ECF, such as creation of mainframe virtual disks, PC access to main-

Effectively linking IBM and DEC VAX computers requires sophisticated, flexible and higher level software-based solutions.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MICRO-TO-MINI-TO-MAINFRAME LINKS

Companies mentioned In this article

AST Research Inc. 2121 Alton Ave. Irvine, Calif. 92714 (714) 863-1333 Circle 383
Bridge Communications Inc. 2081 Stierlin Road Mountain View, Calif. 94043 (415) 969-4400 Circle 384
CXI Inc. 3606 W. Bayshore Road Palo Alto, Calif. 94303 (415) 424-0700 Circle 385
Digital Communications Associates Inc. 1000 Alderman Drive Alpharetta, Ga. 30201 (404) 442-4000 Circle 386

Gateway Communications Inc. 2941 Alton Ave. Irvine, Calif. 92714 (714) 553-1555 Circle 387
Grafpolnt 4340 Stevens Creek Blvd. San Jose, Calif. 95129 (408) 249-7951 Circle 388
Integrated Network Systems Inc. Box 91395 Mobile, Ala. 36691 (800) SNA-3270 Circle 389
Interlink Computer Sciences Inc. 39055 Hastings St. Fremont, Calif. 94538 (415) 792-6212 Circle 390

Network Software Associates Inc. 22982 Mill Creek Laguna Hills, Calif. 92653 (714) 768-4013 Circle 391
Novell Inc. 748 N. 1340 W. Orem, Utah 84057 (910) 971-4001 Circle 3112
The Orion Group Inc. 1912 Bonita Way Berkeley, Calif. 94704 (415) 548-0947 Circle 393
Protean Inc. 2 Technology Drive Westborough, Mass. 01881 (617) 898-2800 Circle 394

Telex Computer Products Inc. 6422 E. 41st St. Tulsa, Okla. 74135 (918) 627-1111 Circle 395
3ComCorp. 3165 Kifer Road Santa Clara, Calif. 95052 (408) 562-6400 Circle 3118
Ungermann-Bass Inc. 3900 Freedom Circle Santa Clara, Calif. 95052 (408) 496-0111 Circle 397
Xyplex Inc. 100 Domino Drive Concord, Mass. 01742 (617) 371-1400 Circle 398

frame databases and automatic downloading and conversion into popular PC file formats such as DIF (document interchange format) and worksheet, have been offered for years by micro-to-mainframe software.
"I think everybody is waiting on IBM. It will set the tone on how popular LU 6.2 is going to be," maintains Gateway's McMaster. "But there are some loose ends in the strategy. They haven't got it all together yet."
Software integrates LU 6.2
System integrators don't have to wait for IBM , however, to integrate LU 6.2 functionality into their applications. They can use The Orion Group Inc.'s DIA (document interchange architecture) Facility or Network Software Associates Inc.'s (NSA) AdaptSNA LU 6.2/APPC.
An enhancement to the company's sna 62 Peer Communications Facility, DIA Facility contains a set of C language function calls. They allow an application to access IBM mainframe DISOSS/370 library and distribution services. A PC running an IBM package with LU 6.2 capability, such as Personal Services/36, can have similar access and exchange data.
NSA's AdaptSNA package implements both basic and higher level mapped LU 6.2 verbs. The companion AdaptSNA LU 6.2/ASSIST tool kit eases program development with an application shell, interactive learning/ simulatiion facilities and high-level language interfaces to C and BASIC.
Orion president Paul Rampel spells out the advantages of LU 6.2-based programs for PCs on a LAN linked to a host computer. "LU 6.2 offloads host processing, such as formatting, to the PC. And throughput is increased because

less data has to go back and forth between the PC and host."
For the future, expect LU 6.2 functionality on a chip for advanced workstations, SNA-OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) links using the protocol and an increasing number of LU 6.2based 3270 and 3770 emulator products. For example, Orion is developing the latter two types of products via development agreements with, respectively, Retix and Xicom Technologies Corp.
The SNA-OSI gateway will permit transparent messaging between OSI-based X.400 storeand-forward services and SNA-based messaging under SNADS (SNA distribution services) and DISOSS through address translation and message formatting. Rampel says the LU 6.2-3 270 and -3770 product will ease the transition to LU 6.2 by providing simultaneous LU 6.2 and conventional 3270 emulator functions via support of lower logical units (0, I, 2, 3) and physical units (2).
Rampel expects long-awaited LU 6.2-based applications from major personal computer software vendors-as well as distributed databases grounded on the protocol-by the end of 1988 or early 1989. CXI's Morel foresees LU 6.2 products much sooner from micro-to-mainframe link vendors-beginning in the second half of this year.
Ultimately, what the protocol represents to both micro-to-mainframe and LU 6.2 product vendors is almost as important as the capabilites it promises: A welcome step toward standardization in a chaotic and confusing market.
0
Interest Quoti ent (Circle On e) High 486 Medium 487 Low 488

100

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

Everything you've ever wanted
in an IBM PCA\T compatible board computer.
And less.

The Qualogy 5121'" does on one board what other PC/AT compatibles do on threeusing a third less power.
And more. The 5121 is the most highly-integrated IBM PC/AT" compatible single board computer in the industry. On a single board, it delivers all the functions of the PC/AT motherboard-plus additional memory, controllers for floppy disks, Winchester drives, I/O ports and a clock/calendar.
And less. It does all this using only 30%of the power consumption required by comparable three-board systems. This is a distinct advantage where high ambient temperatures can be a major factor in equipment reliability.
Even less is even more. When the QPC-5121 is combined with our EGA graphics daughter board, the two boards can replace four boards-yet take up only one slot in a passive AT-compatible backplane! No other product family on the market can even begin to match this extraordinary level of integration.
Software compatibility. Not surprisingly, the QPC-5121 is completely software-compatible with the IBM PC/AT because of the ·BIOS from Phoenix'" Technologies.

It all adds up to much, much more. Take this high-level of functionality, low power consumption, compact, efficient design and utter reliability. Add total compatibility plus an enormous installed base of PC/AT software and hardware. Then add substantial cost savings.
Wait-there's even more! Finally, we back everything up with Qualogy's responsive support program, our nation-wide network of trained engineers guarantees a fast repair turn-around.
Could you ask for anything more? If you want to know more about the QPC-5121 in particular; or more about Qualogy in general, we'd like to hear from you. Please call:
800-556-1234, ext. 86. In California: 800·441·2345, ext. 86.
Or write to the address below:
QUALOGY
2241 Lundy Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131. Telex 4993489
Qualogy, QPC-5121 are trademarks of Qualogy Inc. IBM and PC/AT are trademarks of International Busi ness Machines Corp. Phoenix is a trademark of Phoenix Technologies, Inc.

CIRCLE NO. 49 ON INQUIRY CARD

Nobody in
saves more hard

the world
diskdatat

It's a fact - with more than 300,000 systems already in use, Irwin is far and away the first choice of PC users for reliable tape backup. Irwin also is the built-in system of choice by leading computer manufacturers.
Irwin offers PC designers and systems integrators these unique advantages:
· Proven, low-cost tape backup systems with 1013 reliability using high capacity, industry standard, rugged minicartridges.
· A broad product line of easy-to-integrate 10, 20 and 40 MB drives in
both 51A" and 3Yz" form
factors .

· Manufacturing facilities delivering over 20,000 units a month with additional capacities on standby.
· Patented, closed-loop servo positioner for the write/read head allows data recorded on an Irwin drive to be read by any other upwardcompatible Irwin drive.
· Easy-to-use, but powerful, EzTapeTM visual software for file-by-file or complete disk backup with unattended, automatic start.
· A staff of more than 50 graduate engineers, experienced and responsive in working with OEMs - and saving them money.

When you choose a tape backup system manufacturer as your partner, consider Irwin Magnetics.
Call our OEM sales department at 1-800-4211879 and get in on the best selling tape backup system in the microcomputer industry. Or write Irwin Magnetic Systems, Inc., 2101 Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105. We want to work with you.
EzTape is a trademark of Irwin Magnetic Systems, Inc. © I 987 Irwin Magnetic Systems, Inc.

CIRCLE NO. 50 ON INQUIRY CARD

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

MULTIPROCESSORS BOOST SYSTEM POWER

By often outperforming uniprocessor minicomputers,
multiprocessors can bolster OEMs
and system integrators against traditional
market giants
Andrew Allison, Contributing Editor
Intensified competition in conventional computers and forecasts of billions of dollars in sales are attracting more and more suppliers to the multiprocessor market. However, early participants have had mixed results in penetrating this midrange market segment, and several have gone out of business.
System integrators and OEMs should be aware that suppliers use the term multiprocessor rather loosely to describe a broad range of system architectures. The scheduler-driven execution of many tasks on a single processor, for example, is often (incorrectly) identified as multiprocessing, rather than multitasking.
Multiprocessor systems are optimized for multiple job throughput. Parallel processors, in contrast, focus on the execution of single jobs. Both, however, employ a number of processors, and the prospective buyer should be more concerned with performance and cost than with

what often amounts to architectural semantics. Multiprocessors are defined here as systems
that support a minimum of four processors. Although the same hardware and software implementation strategies apply to both 16- and 32-bit systems, bus bandwidth and address range requirements make 32-bit systems much more attractive for multiprocessor designs.
What are the common threads?
Available from numerous suppliers, multiprocessor systems make use of merchant market microprocessors (predominantly the Motorola Inc. MC68020) and established superminicomputer architectures. Most systems are tightly coupled; in other words, the processors share common memory and a single copy of the operating system. On the other hand, the processors in loosely coupled systems have individual copies of the operating system in local memory.
Operating systems for multiprocessors are typically UNIX-derived, with many suppliers offering a choice of System V or Berkeley Version 4.2 compatibility. Each vendor has its own approach to tuning the operating system for multiprocessor operation. Indeed, among systems based on merchant market microprocessors, this tuning is the chief means of differentiation.
The extent of modification required for existing applications and utility software to run in a multiprocessing environment is an important factor: in fact , buyers should view the need for anything more than recompilation with extreme caution.
Systems designed for the commercial multiuser/multitasking market are usually homoge-

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

105

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

MULTIPROCESSOR TARGETS DATA ACQUISITION AND CONTROL

FLOATING POINT
ACCELER ATOR OPTION

UP TO 32M BYTES RAM

FLOATING POINT ACCELERATOR
OPTION

32-BITCPU 68881 FPC

DATA

DISK

ACQUISITION

CON-

PROCESSOR TROLLER

TAPE CONTROLLER

HIGH PERFOR MANCE
MUX

INDEPENDENT GRAPHICS
SUBSYSTEM

DATA ACQUISITION PROCESSOR

MONITOR KEYBOARD
MOUSE

INDEPENDENT GRAPHICS
SUBSYSTEM
MONITOR KEYBOARD
MOUSE

HIGH PERFORMANCE
MUX

ETHERNET CONTROLLER

·..r

D/A

PARALLEL

SERIAL

GPIB

DIGITAL VO

INTERFACE

(IEEE -488)

DI A

PARALLEL

SERIAL

GPIB

DIGITAL VO

INTERFACE

(I EEE-488)

The 1/0 portion of the backplane in Masscomp's MC5700 is subdivided into four segments, each of which can accommodate standard Multibus controllers in addition to proprietary data-
acquisition subsystems, communications and graphics controllers.

neous (i.e., they use the same processor subsystems(s) throughout). Many such systems employ separate 110 processors. Those intended for specific applications, of which vector processors are the best known , tend to be heterogeneous. Multiprocessor implementations with UNIX-based front ends (such as Digital Equipment Corp.'s MicroVAX or Sun Microsystems Inc.'s workstations) are beginning to replace the more familiar configurations of superminicomputers with attached processors.
Multiprocessors based on microprocessors divide into three categories: low-end multiprocessors (four to 16 processors) , midrange multiprocessors-or multi microcomputers-( 16 to 64 processors) and massively parallel systems (more than 64 processors).
What's available?
Convergent Technologies' S/ 1280 is a typical low-end multiprocessor. Up to four loosely coupled, 68020-based application processor units (APUs) and multiple, application-specific, Intel Corp. 80186-based 110 processors (IOPs) support up to 128 users. All processors share an 11 M-byte-per-second asynchronous system bus.
File processors (up to five per system) each support four ST506 disk drives, and data processors (two per system) interface up to six SMD (storage module device) drives and four half-inch tape drives. The APUs run under Convergent's version of UNIX System V Rel.2,

SOURCE: MASSCOMP
and the company's real-time operating system controls the IOPs.
Arete Systems Corp. takes a similar approach with its family of fault-tolerant systems. Its Series 1000 machines support up to four 68020-based APUs, 12 68000-based IOPs and 256 users. Unlike the Convergent implementation, however, Arete's APUs are tightly coupled, with 8K bytes of onboard cache and up to I6M bytes of shared main memory.
Database IOPs (up to four per system) have 256K bytes of onboard static RAM , and support either four disk drives and one cartridge drive or two disk drives and four half-inch tape drives. Communications IOPs (up to 11) include up to IM byte of static RAM , eight RS232 ports and a parallel port. Three buses interconnect the subsystems; a I2M-byte-persecond processor-memory bus, a 25M-byteper-second mass storage bus and an 8M-byteper-second communications and control bus. Over half of the 1,000 systems delivered in the three years ending last December were remarketed by Sperry Corp. (now Unisys).
Another, better known, fault-tolerant system supplier, Stratus Computer Inc., takes a different approach. Stratus' XA-Series systems (remarketed by IBM Corp. as the System/88 and , outside the United States, by Olivetti) incorporate up to six loosely coupled processor subsystems. Each of these contain two CPU modules operating in sync.
Each CPU module contains two microprocessors, plus comparison logic that removes

106

M INI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

Nf:C Astra XL/32

Introducing the Astra XL/32. The Astra'" XL/32 is the first in a line of UNIX-based multi-user systems designed for small business and department level users. The XL/32 provides the power, flexibility and
expandability once found only in larger, more expensive systems. It supports up to 16 MB of main memory, up to 1GB of disk storage and up to 32 users.Which means it can efficiently and economically keep pace with the growth of any small business or department. And give VARs the necessary flexibility to stay ahead of your customers' fast-moving needs. It also protects
your biggest asset-your software investment. NEC designed the XL/32 to take advantage of
present as well as emerging industry standards. UNIX System V, for instance, is fast becoming a standard for scientific, educational, commercial and office automation applications. The XL/ 32 also supports a wide range of IBM and

other communications protocols and advanced families that include a line of Advanced Per-

networking capabilities.Which means a high- sonal Computers, communications equip-

level of compatibility with other vendors'

ment and reliable Spinwriter'" and Pinwriter'"

systems.

printers. Plus you have the power of NEC

When you team up with NEC, we don't

behind you . NEC is a $13 billion leader in

end up playing against you.

computers and communications.

Unlike most other big computer companies,

Want more? For our Astra XL VAR informa-

our sales force is not out trying to sell your pros- tion kit call 1-800-343-4419. In Massachusetts

pects.They're out there to help you make the call (617) 264-8635. Or write to NEC Informa-

sale. NEC offers larger discounts than the com- tion Systems, Inc., Dept. 1610, 1414 Massa-

petition which means higher margins for you. chusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA 01719.

Discounts are applied across all product fami-

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UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories.

CIRCLE NO. 74 ON INQUIRY CARD

-- -

-----
---

---

-----

Life in the fast lane.

Rise above your competition with our new family of high performance disk and tape controllers.

If you're designing an engineering workstation, a CAD/ CAM system or a high-end micro, we've got your disk and tape controllers.
Western Digital has moved into the fast lane, too, leveraging our proven experience in controller technology to bring you board-level solutions that interface both ESDI and ST412/ 506 drives to 32-bit systems.
And we've combined expertise and manufacturing capabilities with Adaptive Data's advanced LSI to provide you with solutions for peripherals clocked at up to 24 MHz.
THINK FASf. THINK WESTERN DIGITAL. For your new 386-based systems, our new WD1005-WAH is the answer. It's an AT-bus compatible controller for ESDI drives that's fullfeatured, with extensive ECC and data recovery techniques built in.
Tu interface ST412/ 506 drives to AT compatible systems zooming along at up to 16 MHz , specify our new WD1006-WAH. It uses either MFM or RLL encoding, supports 1:1interleaving, and includes full track buffer with read-ahead caching.
WE MAKE SCSI HUM, TOO. If your design spec calls for

using a SCSI interface, we've got board-level answers for you.
We've combined our WD33C93 single-chip SCSI bus controller with the ADS-3570 buffer manager chip and ADS-1000 disk controller to bring you the D200S family of ESDHo-SCSI hard disk controllers.
The D200S family interfaces up to four ESDI drives, to give your system the potential for over agigabyte ofstorage.And they're available in six performance versions, for systems running synchronously up to the maximum performance permitted by the ANSI standard, 4 MB/ s.
And the new TlOOA from Western Digital interfaces QJC-36 and QIC-120 tape drives to SCSI hosts. Plus, we have XT and AT host adapters for all our SCSI disk and tape controller products.
MOVE INTO OUR IANE. Put yourself on the road to higher performance and lower cost with Western Digital. For information on any of our controllers, call 800-847-6181
or write Western Digital Corporation, Attn: Literature, 2445 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA92714.
IBM XT and IBM Kr are trademarks of

CIRCLE NO. 53 ON INQUIRY CARD

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

the module from service and initiates diagnostics in the event of a disparity. Communications and disk controllers, memory and the links between them are also duplexed. Stratus replaced its original, 680 I0-based product line with 68020-based products in February.
Masscomp targets its multiprocessors at a specific market segment: high-performance, real-time data acquisition and technical computation. The company shipped its first system in November 1982 and its 2,000th over a year ago. The focus on real-time applications, and a timely switch from the original 680 I0-based product to using 68020s, has kept the company growing in a flat environment.
Masscomp's top-of-the-line MC5700 accommodates up to four processors. The tightly coupled APUs incorporate SK-byte caches and a IK-byte TLB (translation lookaside buffer), a proprietary memory-management unit (MMU) and three RS232 ports. A 68881 floating-point coprocessor is standard , but it can be replaced with a standalone floating-point accelerator that triples performance to 3 million Whetstones per processor.
The MC5700 APUs, one 1/0 bus adapter per APU and up to 32M bytes of shared memory are connected by a 30-slot, 26.67M-byte-persecond, segmented system bus. Each I/O adapter provides a direct-memory access (OMA) Multibus interface. Also available, in addition to the range of conventional I/O controllers, are proprietary subsystems for data acquisition and graphics, and eight-port RS232 multiplexers (eight per system).
Each system's pair of bit-slice, microprocessor-based, data acquisition and control processors interfaces to two nine-slot STD buses with a combined throughput of 2M bytes per second. Masscomp also offers a range of propri-

etary analog and digital controllers that enable an aggregate processing rate of I million 12-bit samples per second. The operating system supports both UNIX System V and Berkeley UNIX Version 4.2 and is enhanced for realtime operation.
NCR Corp. also has an entry in the microprocessor-based multiprocessor market. The NCR 9800 uses one to eight loosely coupled NCR/32-based APUs, each with up to I6M bytes of local memory. These are linked to one to four shared data storage processors (DSPs) by dual, 3M-byte-per-second channels. The DSPs incorporate from 2M to I6M bytes of battery-backed-up local memory, of which IM byte is required for system-management software (load balancing, mirroring, error recovery, etc.). Individual APUs handle 110 operations. NCR introduced a 68020-based version of its Tower line in February (MMS, March, Page 33). The Tower 32/800 supports up to four processors in a Multibus II-based system.
Multimicros vie with superminis
Midrange multiprocessors, sometimes called multimicrocomputers (MMS, December 1986, Page 49) achieve superminicomputer and even minisupercomputer performance by combining 16 to 64 processors with memory and 1/0 subsystems, usually in tightly coupled configurations. Like low-end multiprocessors, they use proprietary system buses, standard microprocessor 1/0 buses and variations on the UNIX theme.
The best known supplier, Sequent Computer Systems Inc. , has installed over 150 of its National Semiconductor Corp. NS32016- and NS32032-based Balance 8000 (two to 12 processors) and Balance 21000 (two to 30 processors) systems since initial deliveries in Decem-

MULTIPLI VICTOR PROCESSORS LINK VIA HYPIRCUBI

TO SYSTEM CONTROL NODE
(VIA RING, NETWORK)"

OTTHOER

{

NODES

(VIA HYPERCUBE

ARCHITECTURE)

(UNUSED)/

LINK ADAPTER
5 .3 M BYTES/SEC.
PEAK

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

1M-BYTE MEMORY

TRANSPUTER CONTROL
PROCESSOR
1-7MIPS

····
Ill

VECTOR ARITHMETIC PROCESSING
UNIT
12MFLOPS

SOURCE: Fl.QA TNG POINT SYSTEMS

Each processing node in a T Series system, from Floating Point Systems, includes a high-performance vector processor connected to other processors in a hypercube configuration, and to a system control node via a ring network.
109

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

Computer

SILICTID LINPACK (FORTRAN)

BINCHMARK RISULTS

U npack MFLOPS

(64-bit )

(32-bit)

DEC VAX 8800 (2) Sequent Balance 21000 (30) DEC VAX 8550/8700/8800 Encore Multimax 120 (16) DEC MicroVAX II Masscomp 5700 Sequent Balance 8000 Encore Multimax 120

2.0 1.5 .99 .5 .13 .099
.059 .055

2.7 2.25 1.35
NA .17 NA .o75 .067

Note: Argonne National Laboratories reports results for single processors. Multiprocessor results , with number of processors in parentheses, are from vendors.

Source: Argonne National Laboratories, Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Technical Memorandum 23, Dec. 8, 1986, unless otherwise indicated.

Suppliers use the term multiprocessor rather loosely to describe a broad range of system architectures.

ber 19S4. At press tim e, announcement of support for another microprocessor was scheduled for this month.
The Balance architecture uses dual-processor modules, each processor having its own floating-point unit (FPU) coprocessor, MMU and SK bytes of two-way, set-associative cache.
Subsystems are connected by a 26.67M-byteper-second system bus and a serial link that handles interrupts, semaphores and error management. NS32016-based IOPs (up to four per system) provide SCSI (small computer systems interface) bus and Ethernet interfaces plus two serial ports. Each subsystem supports up to four Multibus couplers. As with all multimicrocomputers, the number of backplane slots (12 for the SOOO, 26 for the 21000) is the limiting factor for expansibility.
Tolerant Systems Inc.'s Eternity line is the next most popular of this genre, with 60 installations by the end of last year. As implied by the name, this fault-tolerant implementation can loosely couple over 40 system building blocks (SBBs) via a dual-coaxial interconnect.
Each SBB contains three processor subsystems; a UNIX-compatible applications processor with SK-byte cache and FPU , a real-time processor (RTP) controlled by a dedicated executive program and a 32016-based IOP (a second IOP is optional).
The IOPs execute channel programs constructed in main memory by the RTP , and interface up to 15 controllers apiece. A selfcontained, dual-ported, 32016-based intelligent communication controller connects up to six 56K-byte-per-second serial ports to the 110 channels of two SBBs for fault tolerance.
Following a shaky first two years, Encore Computer Corp. began delivering its tightly coupled Multimax product line late in 19S5 and ended 19S6 as the third most prolific multi microcomputer supplier, with over 40 installations. Encore's products employ an ap-

proach similar to that of Sequent-two microprocessors per processor card. Encore's system bus-called "Nanobus"-uses separate 32-bit address and 64-bit data paths; and two-, fourand S-way memory interleaving to provide a IQOM-byte-per-second peak throughput.
With the optional Weitek Inc. I 164/11 65based floating-point accelerator, and a standard 64K-byte cache, the Multimax 320 subsystems (up to 20 per system) claim a performance of 2 million Whetstones.
Encore offers two kinds of IOPs: one that incorporates SCSI-bus and Ethernet controllers and one that interfaces three SCSI buses. Each SCSI bus supports four eight-channel disk controllers and a four-channel tape controller. All other 110 takes place via Ethernet connections to 32016-based I/O servers, each with 16 RS232 ports and a parallel printer port. The January announcement of an upgrade to the 32332 implies that Encore stands committed to the 32000 product famil y.
The fourth member of the original 32000based multi microcomputer system suppliers, with 25 systems installed at the end of ! 9S6 , is Flexible Computer Corp. The April 19S6 announcement of a 6S020-based processor module made Flexible the first supplier to offer a truly heterogeneous multimicrocomputer. The FLEX/32 implements a loosely coupled, hierarchical system architecture with three separate buses: local buses that accommodate two processors and/or memory modules, dual synch ronous common buses that connect I0 local buses per chassis and an RS422 SelfTest bus that connects all modules in a given chassis. A VMEbus interface on each local bus module (processor or memory) handles all 1/0.
Parallel processors stretch the limit
Parallel processing systems are specialized multiprocessor systems. They fall into two categories: common backplane implementation s that achieve parallel operation through the use of compiler technology, and architectures like hypercubes and systolic arrays in which processors communicate with a limited number of cohorts. Such systems are the focus of much activity in terms of both research and hype. By some estimates, about 60 companies are working on them.
Although many approaches to overcoming the bandwidth limitation of common bus architectures (frequently mislabeled as the vo n Neumann bottleneck) are being explored, the market for massively parallel systems is relatively small, and few suppliers are needed to satisfy it. Three that are actually deliveri ng systems serve to illustrate some key features of parallel processors.
BBN Advanced Computers Inc.'s Butterfly

110

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

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CIRCLE NO. 54 ON INQUIRY CARD
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CIRCLE NO. 55 ON INQUIRY CARD

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

system, of which there were over 70 installed at the year's end, is an offshoot of parent company Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.'s many years of experience in multiprocessor-based network switching. It uses packet-switching techniques to directly interconnect multiple processors over 4M-byte-per-second paths that do not require point-to-point connections. Packet switching overcomes a disadvantage of the more commonly employed hypercube architecture, namely, the difficulty of communicating with non-adjacent nodes, at the cost of reduced channel bandwidth.
The tightly coupled Butterfly system is expansible from two to 256 nodes. Each node contains a single-board computer with a 68000 or 68020 processor and up to 4M bytes of shared memory, plus a microprogrammed coprocessor that manages memory references and message transfer. Each node can also accommodate a serial or Multibus controller.
NCUBE Corp ., which began deliveries in December 1985 and installed over 50 systems last year, makes use of hypercube architecture. The NCUBE/four provides up to 16 IBM Corp. PC/AT-compatible nodes (providing 30 million instructions per second and 8 million floatingpoint operations per second) on four four-node

modules. The NCUBE/seven accommodates 16 to 128 nodes in a desk-side chassis; and the NCUBE/ten supports 64 to 1,024 nodes in 64-node increments.
Each node consists of a proprietary 32-bit microprocessor with 12 8K bytes of local memory and 11 pairs of IOM-bit-per-second OMA channels- I0 for links to other nodes and one for system 1/0. The I/O channel can move data at 90M bytes per second in either direction, for a total bandwidth of I80M bytes per second.
Floating Point Systems Inc., in addition to its range of multiple array-processor implementations Uointly marketed with DEC), offers a parallel-processor line based on the Inmos Ltd . transputer (see "Transputers and occam target concurrent processing"), nine of which were installed during 1986.
Floating Point's T Series systems are organized in a hypercube configuration. Each node consists of a transputer, a vector processor and IM byte of dual-ported, I60M-byte-per-second shared video RAM. An adapter expands each transputer link to four, providing 16 channels per node.
A special-purpose node connected to all other nodes handles system 1/0. In this system node, the vector processor is replaced by a disk

Buyers of multiprocessor systems should view the need for anything more than recompilation with extreme caution.

Transputers and occam target concurrent processing

The occam programming language, developed by lnmos Ltd., is designed specifically for concurrent, or parallel , processing. The language is based on three principles: processes communicate by message passing through explicitly defined one-way channels , do not share variables and synchronize only when communicating. These principles eliminate many problems associated with shared memory (such as contention, and cache and main-memory coherency); permit parallel processes to be remapped from a single processor to multiple processors by simply recompiling the code ; and allow program execution to be controlled by the availability of data.
lnmos designed its transputer family of RISC (reduced instruction set computer) microprocessors specifically to provide efficient execution of the occam language. Transputers feature on-chip static RAM, programmable external memory controllers, integral timers and four bidirectional serial (up to 20M-bit-per-second) direct-memory access links, which implement occam channels. Internal memory bandwidth is one 32-bit word per clock cycle (or SOM bytes per second at 20 MHz); external memory runs at up to one-third of that rate .
lnmos introduced its first transputer, the T414, in October 1985. It included 2K bytes of onboard static RAM, and delivered 639K bytes of single-precision (32-bit) Whetstones at 20 MHz using software

floating-point operations. In December 1986, the company announced the T800, which incorporates 4K bytes of RAM and a 64-bit floating-point unit. It operates at up to 30 MHz. lnmos claims that the T800 can perform 4 million Whetstones in its initial, 20-MHz implementation .
Occam processes operate on two levels-active and waiting. On a single transputer, active processes run on a round robin basis, with each running to completion or until forced to wait for communication. The number of transputers available is defined at compile-time, and processes are distributed accordingly.
In order to facilitate real-time processing, the active process list is split into high- and low-priority segments, with low-priority segments running only if the high-priority list is empty. Typical response time to a high-priority request is 1 msec, with a 4-msec maximum .
As an illustration of the power of transputer networks, a massively parallel processor employing 311 T414s, Meiko Ltd.'s Computing Surface, runs at 3 billion instructions per second. Upgrading to the T800, which has an integral floating-point processor, is expected to yield 360 million floating-point operations per second. Floating Point Systems Inc., a leading array processor supplier, has also introduced a transputer-based parallel processor product line.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

113

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

Growth in the multiprocessor segment will likely come at the expense of (and be resisted by) established players.

controller interfacing a front-end processor, currently a MicroVAX-based workstation . Other I/O controllers for the system node are under development.
Supermini makers remain reluctant
Only two of the established superminicomputer suppliers, Concurrent Computer Corp. (formerly Perkin-Elmer Data Systems) and Gould Inc. (formerly S.E.L.) offer multiprocessor systems.
Concurrent's 3200MPS product line tightly couples a 3230XP, 3250XP or 3280 CPU and up to nine attached processors via a 64M-byteper-second bus, under the control of a proprietary, real-time, multitasking operating system (OS/32). The auxiliary processors are identical to the central processor but are configured (and dynamically reconfigurable) as IOPs or auxiliary processing units. Each 3200MPS has a shared memory interface that permits several 3200MPS systems to access an external shared memory system or to cross-couple two 3200MPS systems.
Like the Concurrent systems, Gould's Concept/32 family of superminicomputers can be configured as asymmetric multiprocessor systems. A 26.67M-byte-per-second SELbus supports up to eight attached processors. Unlike the 3200MPS, however, the Gould systems are loosely coupled, with each processor having its own I6M-byte address space. Thus, different operating systems can be downloaded from the host to the nodes. The multiSEL, announced in January, is a prepackaged, four-processor configuration of the single-board microSEL implementation of the Concept/32 architecture.
Although not classified as general-purpose

mm1computers, Tandem Computers Inc.'s NonStop fault-tolerant systems are multiprocessors and fit best within the established superminicomputer category. NonStop systems consist of two to 16 loosely coupled processors connected by dual, 20M-byte-per-second buses. (It can be argued that, for fault-tolerant applications, the added robustness outweighs the cost of the additional physical memory and communications overhead of loose coupling.)
I/O is handled by dual-ported controllers connected to the separate 1/0 buses of two processors. As the market leader in the faulttolerant systems area, Tandem has probably installed more multiprocessor systems than the rest of the industry combined.
Technology pat, market dicey
Few technology issues remain unresolved in the multiprocessor field. Loosely and tightly coupled systems of minicomputer and microprocessor-based APUs are available from several suppliers. Dynamic load balancing is now common, and the capability to parallelize tasks is emergi ng.
Differences between implementation strategies usually revolve around the specific tasks for which the systems are best suited. In general , low-end multiprocessors are used in workstation, network server and multiuser applications, while multimicrocomputers and minicomputer-based multiprocessors compete with superminicomputers. The major qu estions are the size of the available market and the number of suppliers that it can support.
Of the superminicomputer suppliers, only Concurrent and Gould have fielded multipro-

Co1npanles 1nentlonecl In this article

Aret· Systems Corp. 821 Fox Lane San Jose, Calif. 95131 (408) 432-1200 Circle 313

Convergent Technologies Inc. 2700 N. First St. San Jose, Calif. 95150 (408) 434-2848 Circle 317

Argonne National Laboratory Mathematics and Computer Science Division 9700 S. Cass Ave. Argonne, Ill. 60439 (312) 972-7231 Circle 314
BBN Advanced Computers Inc. 10 Fawcett St. Cambridge, Mass. 02238 (617) 497-3700 Circle 315
Concurrent Computer Corp. 2 Crescent Place Oceanport, N.J. 07757 (201) 870-4712 Circle 316

Encore Computer Corp. 257 Cedar Hill St. Marlboro, Mass. 01752 (800) 336-2673 Circle 318
Flexible Computer Corp. 1801 Royal Lane, Building 8 Dallas, Texas 75229 (214) 869-1234 Circle 319
Floating Point Systems Inc. Box 23489 Beaverton, Ore. 97005 (503) 641-3151 Circle 320

Gould Computer Systems Meiko Ltd.

6901 W. Sunrise Blvd.

Bristol, England

Fort Lauderdale,

044-272277409

Fla. 33310

Circle 325

(305) 587-2900

Circle 321

NCR Corp.

General Systems Division

Ing. C. Olivetti
a C. S.p.A.

1700 S. Patterson Blvd. Dayton, Ohio 45479

Via G. Jervis 77

Circle 326

1-10015 lvrea, Italy

Circle 322

NCUBE Corp.

Suite 2030

lnmos Inc.

1815 N.W. 169th Place

Box 16000

Beaverton, Ore. 97006

Colorado Springs,

(503) 629-5088

Colo. 80935

Circle 327

(303) 630-4000

Circle 323

Sequent Computer

Systems Inc.

Messcomp

15450 S.W. Koll Parkway

1 Technology Park

Beaverton, Ore. 97006

Westford, Mass. 01886 (800) 854-0428

(800) 451-1824

Circle 328

Circle 324

Stratus Computer Inc. 55 Fairbanks Blvd. Marlboro, Mass. 01752 (617) 460-2000 Circle 329
Tandem Computers Inc. 19333 Vallco Parkway Cupertino, Calif. 95014 (408) 725-6000 Circle 330
Tolerant Systems Inc. 81 E. Dagget Drive San Jose, Calif. 95134 (408) 946-5667 Circle 331

114

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

There's good reason why: Facit printers are the toughest machines going.
Just consider the ordeal a bar code printer endures day in and day out. It's no wonder more and more resellers insist on Facit. For readability as much as reliability, they know their customers can depend on Facit line after line, time after time. And that means you'll spend less time troubleshooting problems for your customers. And more time building your business.
Facit printers are engineered to withstand the most strenuous environments. Everything ... from forms handling to fast precise output .. . is engineered to perform one way-perfectly! Facit makes a quality printer for every printer need-from dot matrix to laser. With a host of features and options for customized applications.
Facit also has one of the best service support programs in the business, to keep you and your customers running around the clock. We also have generous margins, to help you offer your customers trouble-free systems at competitive prices.
So put Facit to work for you ... for a bar code job no ordinary printer can pull off. Write Facit, Inc., 9 Executive Park Drive, PO Box 334, Merrimack, New Hampshire, U.S.A., 03054. Or call (603) 424-8000. You'll be glad you did. After all, when it comes to your reputation, isn't quality always on the line?

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CIRCLE NO. 84 ON INQUIRY CARD

Cid Gl'IPhlCI Terminal
Emulltlon Software

PC Plot IV is MicroPlot's newest graphics terminal emulation software package for IBM PC's and compatibles enabling complete emulation of Tektronix 4010/4014 and 4027, DEC VT·100/200, VT-52, and Retrographics VT-640 terminals. An enhanc version, PC Plot IV Plus, further allows complete Tektronix 4105 emulation. Features include XMOOEM and ASCII file transfer, user configurable online help, script language, modem commands, programmable function keys, convenient PC·OOS execute mode, autodial from telephone directory and more.

Expanded graphics capabilities include support of an IBM professional graphics display system providing 256 colors, a graphics screen dump to LaserJet printers, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Houston Instruments pen plotter drivers and numerous other auxiliary capabilities for customized applications.

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CIRCLE NO. 85 ON INQUIRY CARD

116

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

cessors (as opposed to distributed processing configurations like DEC's VAXcluster). This situation probably exists because of the large physical size and cost of processor increments, but also says something about superminicomputer manufacturers' perception of the importance of multiprocessors.
Similarly, in the mainframe market, most participants have chosen to remarket microprocessor-based systems-e.g. IBM-Stratus, Siemens-Sequent, and Unisys (Burroughs-Convergent and Sperry-Arete)-rather than develop their own multiprocessor systems.
The fault-tolerant market segment may exemplify the market as a whole. Despite optimistic forecasts in the early part of the decade, which lured several start-ups and much venture capital into fruitless efforts, the multiprocessor subsegment of the on-line transaction-processing market yielded just over a billion dollars in revenues last year. Most of that went to just two companies (Tandem, $836 million, and Stratus, $125 million).
The consensual forecast for the computer industry as a whole for the remainder of the decade predicts growth of roughly I0 percent per year. If the forecast is right, growth in the multiprocessor segment would presumably

have to come at the expense of (and be resisted

by) the established players. New market en-

trants such as minisupercomputer and RISC

suppliers will provide fierce competition.

Clearly, a pitched battle will rage (with a high

casualty rate) between superminicomputer,

minisupercomputer and multimicrocomputer/

parallel-processor suppliers for what is now the

high end of the superminicomputer market.

The flexibility of multiprocessor systems (vari-

able granularity, incremental growth capability

and fault-tolerance etc.) suit them well for

niche markets and midrange multitasking ap-

plications.

Thus, attractive opportunities exist for sup-

pliers and OEMs who clearly establish realistic

objectives. For their part, system integrators

should employ a few key criteria in making

purchasing decisions, i.e. evaluate the fit be-

tween application and multiprocessor-imple-

mentation strategy, the range of performance

required, the price/performance characteristics

across the range and the survivability of the

candidate suppliers.

Interest Quotient (Circle One) High 489 Medium 490 Low 491

Andrew Allison is a management consultant specializing in minicomputer and microcomputer technology, products and markets. Before establishing his practice in 1977, he had spent over 12 years with Digital Equipment Corp ., Rolm Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices.

Inthe worldofinformation storage, this is known as awarehouse.

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Now you can with Honeywell's new VLDS system (Very Large Data Store).

You no longer need thirty IO-inch reels of 6250 bpi 9-track

computer tape . Or 5,200 double-sided 5 1/4-inch floppy disks. Or

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. fifty-two 5Y4-inch WORM optical disks . Just VLDS and a single

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VLDS provides a 4-megabyte-per-second sustained transfer rate,

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VLDS is the latest advancement in Honeywell's line of magnetic tape systems that have

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For details on VLDS, and its OEM pricing, contact Tom BaJue , Honeywell Test

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Together. we can find the answers.
Honeywell

CIRCLE NO. 57 ON INQUIRY CARD

WHY TEAM UP WITH
A BIG COMPUTER COMPANY THAT PLAYS AGAINST YOU?

WE'RE ONE BIG
COMPUTER COMPANY THAT'S ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE.

With NEC you make the sale.

And when it comes to help-

You make the prorrts.

ing you seII, no one beats NEC.

Value added reselling is not the easiest business in the world. And it can get tougher ifyou're dealing with the wrong computer company.
NEC is different. We work

We provide an aggressive co-op plan.We train your sales force. We even have a teaming program to assist you in establishing colicensing agreements in geographic markets you can't cover.

with you . Not against you. VARs like you are the only
direct sales force we have. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

With NEC, you're selling one of the biggest and hottest product Tfnes in the business.
NEC isn't just one of those one-

Why more and more VARs

product companies.We have an

are sold on NEC's Preferred

extensive line of mini and micro

VAR program.

computers and printers.

Because it works to your advantage.
For one thing, NEC offers larger discounts than the competition. Which means higher margins for

Our newest mini computer
family is the Astra" XL series. Take the Astra XL/32. It's a powerful, flexible 32 user system based on the UNIX" operat- ·

ing system and an

open architecture.

Then there's our new

you. Discounts are applied across all product families. So you can concentrate on selling the products your customers want. Not the ones the computer company is pushing. And our program doesn't penalize you to get in the
game. Because NEC understands your business, we give the flexibility to ramp up gradually.

APC IV family of personal computers.The machines for the power user. And we're backing it with a multi-miIIion doIIar tv, radio
and print advertising campaign entitled, "Take it to the limit."
And then there's our le~end ary line of reliable Pinwriter and Spinwriter" printers.
Products are only one ingre-

dient. Support is another. Being able to convert your software is one more. We have a program for that too. A program that provides all the conversion tools and assistance you need.
Put a $13 billion leader on your side.
Call NEC. We keep pushing the limits in computers and communications. With our products. And with a program that helps our VARs seII them. To receive our VAR information kit, caII 1-800-343-4419.
In Massachusetts call (617) 2648635. Or write to NEC Information Systems, Inc., Dept. 1610, 1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA01719.
NEC

UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories .

CIRCLE NO. 58 ON INQUIRY CARD

It's a simple fact of VAR life. Some vendors just don't supply you with the kind of hardware you need to reach a wide range of customers. Fortunately, there is someone with more for you to sell. Hewlett-Packard. And what we have for you is the broad, fully compatible HP 3000 family
The breadth of the HP 3000 family means that you can meet the needs of a wide range of customers. From small businesses all the way up to Fortune 500 companies.
Compatibility across the HP 3000 line means greater flexibility in the configurations you can offer your customers. And it means that as your customers grow, they'll be able to upgrade easily-without modifying software.
What's more, Hewlett-Packard quality and support will help keep your customers satisfied. Just look at our record. In the 1986 Datapro SUIVey, Hewlett-Packard received top ratings for Overall Support Satisfaction. And in

the 1986 VARBUSINESS AnnualReport Card Revie~ our current VARs gave us highest ratings among major vendors for Quality of Products, Provision for Hardware Maintenance, and Overall Impression of Vendor.
Added to all of this are some of the most attractive financial incentives in the industry An entire arm of our sales force dedicated exclusively to supporting you. And our ongoing commitment to always asking "What if ... " about your business needs.
So if you're looking to sell more , look to those who give you more to sell. Hewlett-Packard.
For more information call 1 800 367-4772, Dept. 694E.
® Repnnted with perrmss1on from Computer Systems News
(VARBUSINESS)
F//'OW HEWLETT
~~ PACKARD
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CIRCLE NO. 59 ON INQUIRY CARD

zot ner c;to1J asking
··· ·

YoUll sell more
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DEC D IRECTIONS 11111
VAX PROGRAMMING

GRAPHICAL INTERFACE SPEEDS PROGRAMMING
Use of a graphics-based user interface, called 'Picture Programming,' and an application generator accelerates VAX software production

Craig Hill, Cortex Corp.
Programmer productivity is a chief goal of software developers today. One method of decreasing the timeand , hence, the money-that good software development requires is to program in a graphical mode. In this approach , software developers use pictures-icons, line drawings and so forth-to produce complete applications.
One company, Cortex Corp., recently introduced CorVision, whi ch uses a technique called " Picture Programming" to bring this capability to programmers developing software for Digital Equipment Corp. VAXes, in-

eluding the MicroVAX. It works in much the same way that hardware engineers use workstations and computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing systems to simplify design tasks. That is, application developers sitting at an IBM Corp. PC/AT or compatible (including VAXmate) use CorVision to draw up a complete design for a piece of software. That includes data-dictionary fields, file structures, menus, screens, reports and custom logic. Then, by pushing a button, the developer produces a completely linked and compiled application for the DEC VAX in machine language-and complete system documentation-directly

from the drawings. All of this vastly reduces the time it
takes to create an application by hand coding in a language like COBOL. Indeed, a recent estimate based on studies of users of the current Cortex product, Application Factory, which uses much of the same underlying technology, suggests that it may cut the time required by a factor of I0 or more.
In effect, CorVision automates most of the software life cycle. It establishes an integrated design, development and maintenance environment that automatically generates complex, multiuser applications. These applications run on VAX-fami-

DEC uses graphics on COBOL generator

Michael Tucker
The use of graphics to improve programmer productivity has become a main theme of modern software development. Increasingly, developers are finding that not only is a picture worth a thousand words but also 10,000 lines of code.
One of the premier exponents of the graphics approach is Digital Equipment Corp. Last February, for example, DEC introduced a COBOL generator with a graphics-based interface. The product runs on the VAX and allows developers to use a mouse or cursor keys to create flowchart-like diagrams that are then converted into modules of COBOL source code.
DEC's VAX COBOL Generator is not a fourth-generation language for the computer-illiterate, or even for the computer literate in a great hurry. Instead, it's meant for experienced COBOL programmers who would use the generator in much

the same way a senior management-information system (MIS) officer might use an entry-level assistant-to handle the actual, tedious task of coding to specifications already defined by an expert.
As such, the DEC Generator probably addresses the needs of MIS professionals who must work in COBOL but would like some of the advantages of a code generator- arguably this is a different market from the one targeted by Cortex Corp. with CorVision. Yet, in the long run, the larger meaning of the products is the same. Both demonstrate that the majority of computer users, even unusually sophisticated users, are demanding that computers take up the most uncreative, repetitive aspects of software development.
Michael Tucker is a former associate editor of Mini-Micro Systems.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

121

DEC DIRECTIONS VAX PROGRAMMING

Picture Programming allows an application to be symbolically represented by a series of diagrams depicting the structure and relationship of its components. This and the following screen shots show how CorVision can be used to develop an application. Here, the Status Screen displays red "gateways" into the diagrams and attributes of the application components.
ly computers using the VMS operating system. The product includes an interactive graphics environment that captures the application's design. This graphics environment is resident on the PC/AT or compatible and is tightly coupled through a transparent link to the VAX, where a central repository stores the information captured on the PC and drives an application generator based on Application Factory.
CorVision links front-end diagramming with back-end code-generation capabilities. Today's application-development tools are usually for only one end or the other.
Eliminates hand coding
Most software-production automation tasks so far, have concentrated on the back end of the development cycle. Typical back-end tools include fourth-generation languages (4GLs) and code, or application, generators. 4GLs streamline the coding portion of development through powerful instruction sets with procedural and non-procedural components, data dictionaries and programming and formatting aids. Code, or application, generators automate to varyi ng degrees the laborious process of hand coding. The functionality of the generator output varies significantly

among products. Some application generators only generate program modules, which need to be linked by hand. Others generate completely linked and compiled applications.
More recently, tools have appeared on MS-DOS machines to automate the front end, or design phase, of the life cycle. Most of these provide an automated drawing board that allows production of numerous design diagrams employing structured diagramming techniques by manipulating symbols and icons. They improve productivity in much the same way as word processing by allowing easy editing and storage of graphic images. None, to date, capture the necessary information in a format usable by back-end tools for code generation.
Opening a gateway with a mouse, a developer receives pop-up menus
that provide on-line access to all existing application specifications. The developer a/so uses the gateways to navigate among diagrammers and attribute screens.
CorVision automates the softwaredevelopment life cycle by capturing the necessary information with the diagrams on the PC to drive a generator on the VAX. The CorVision generator uses the proven technology of the Application Factory to produce complete functional applications. This allows a developer to move directly from visual design specifications or pictorial representations to a complete compiled and linked application.
Both CorVision and Application Factory rely on a tightly integrated series of modules to specify, document and generate applications. An "intelligent guidance system" recom-

The entity diagrammer allows developers to visually represent the structure and form of the data. Relationships between each of the files are diagrammed using standard diagramming methods.
mends the next logical step in the design and specification process and interactively keeps track of the completeness and consistency of the specification. In Application Factory, specification occurs by interactively filling in forms managed by facilities on a VAX. The specifications are resident in a central repository, which provides input for an application generator.
With CorVision, in contrast, a developer defines a complete view of the application using Picture Programming techniques. This involves using line drawings, icons, pop-up menus and windows instead of forms. Icons represent application components and relationships. Context-sensitive pop-up menus facilitate direct navigation between specification modules by pointing at "visible gateways" on the screen with a mouse. This visual-development environment provides extremely fast access for viewing and updating parts of an application.
For example, a user points with a mouse to an icon in a diagram that represents a file. A window opens to display the record layout to which it is associated. The user then points to another visual gateway for a field in the record layout and another window opens to display the field definition. The field definition includes a label and such information as the length of the field and whether characters are alpha or numeric, plus field

122

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

~ay.

Perfect terminal emulation software is perfectly forgettable. It installs quickly, runs easily, and performs every task that every user wants. You set it, forget it, and never hear about it again.
That's a perfect description of
Reflection 2. The most forgotten terminal emulation software in the world, because it makes your job so easy.
Versatile, accurate, easy to install
Reflection 2 offers complete VT220 emulation (with optional Tektronix 4010). Uuick, accurate file transfers with our proprietary protocol, or others. And easy installation of host file transfer software: Just upload it once from any PC with a single keystroke.

Expandedconunandlanguage Our robust command language lets you create
log-on routines which run at the touch of a key. Or automate any complex user requirement, from ALL-IN-I to VAX mail.
50,000 smiling Reflection users Only Reflection 2 lets PC users start a file
transfer, then go back to 1-2-3, WordPerfect, or other DOS programs while the file transfer continues. And PLUS, an optional feature, will back-up PC hard disks to your VAX automatically. Back-ups can even be initiated from the VAX
and execute after working hours.
Multinational keyboard and technical support Reflection 2 comes with DEC multinational
and national replacement character sets, European keyboard support, and help screens in English, French, and German. Unlimited technical support is no extra cost, by telephone or telex.
FREE evaluation copy If you are iin MIS manager supporting 25 or
more users, send for a free, fuJl)"-functional evaluation copy of Reflection 2 PLUS. If you don't agree it makes your job easier, return it with no obligation.
See how forgettable terminal emulation can be. Just remember this name: Reflection 2.
To order, for information, or your FREE evaluation copy, contact: Walker Richer & Quinn, Inc. 2825 Eastlake Ave. East Seattle, WA 98102 USA Telephone: USA (206) 324-0350 Telex: 311743 WRQUR
Dealer and distributor inquiries welcome.

From Walker Richer and Quinn. We're making connectivity easier.
CIRCLE NO. 80 ON INQUIRY CARD

GET 22 SLOTS OF OLATED, TRANSPARENT 1/0 WITH ADAC's SYSTEM 1200 AND 1953 BUS REPEATER.

Just one slot in your MicroVax II for Model 1953 Bus Repeater will plug-connect you to 22 half-quad or 11 full-quad slots (or any combination) ofl/O in our very versatile System 1200 enclosure. Common mode risk and inconvenient 1/0 wiring to your MicroVax II is eliminated.
Ready-To-Run ADLIBVMS Suh-Routine Software
In addition to offering the industry's most complete selection of QBUS boards, ADAC offers the ADLIBVMS library of ready-to-use sub-routine software. ADLIBVMS supports fast, real-time, interruptdriven data acquisition and control. ..eliminating hours and hours of software driver writing. 29 Callable sub-

routines are written in the same format as DEC device drivers.
Complete Signal Conditioning, Too
ADAC has the right multi-channel boards for all manner of analog 1/0 including thermocouples, strain gauges and RTD's, with appropriate cold junction compensation, linearization and bridge completion. Choices also include a variety ofdigital 1/0, serial 1/0, CMOS RAM, OMA, pulse, frequency and switch-sensing modules.
For the best way to interface your MicroVax II with 110 signals, get details on the System 1200 "no risk" solution from ADAC today.

DISKBASYS

PROMBASYS

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*Registered trademark Digital Equipment Corporation
CIRCLE NO. 81 ON INQUIRY CARD

DEC DIRECTIONS
VAX PROGRAMMING

edits such as range checks. The user then edits the definition and returns to the original diagram. The graphic representation of the file is automatically revised to reflect any changes in the definition . Likewise, manipulation of icons directly results in automatic changes to the underlying specification.
The central repository on the VAX stores all the specifications with its changes. It contains the information that drives the format and content of the PC diagrams as well as the input specification for the application generator on the VAX. Because all PCs in a CorVision development environment share the same central repository, changes made by one developer automatically show up on another de-

The menu diagrammer visually represents the logical flow of the application from the user's perspective. Different icons represent menu choices, functions, screens, reports and custom procedures. Additions or changes to the menu diagram result in the restructuring of the application .

4GL language called "Builder," or is added from libraries of 3GL routines. Builder programming is done with the help of an additional Picture Programming tool called "Action Diagramming." Action Diagramming structures, visualizes and self-documents the program code interactively as the developer types at the terminal. Syntax, consistency and completeness checks are performed by CorVision, on-line and in conjunction with the central repository and intelligent guidance system.
Custom coding is typically used to add specific procedures, such as check-digit routines and complex cross-field validations. CorVision provides numerous hooks throughout the design and specification process

Using the pop-up menus in the entity diagrammer, the developer can specify the relationships between the various files by defining the link structure.
veloper's workstation. In this way, the central repository helps maintain consistency within a development team and makes projects easier to manage.
Maintenance becomes a problem
Applications developed with CorVision are maintained in the same way they are developed. Because the description of the application is kept in the central repository, changes are implemented by changing the descriptions. Once again, a developer uses Picture Programming techniques to manipulate diagrams, icons and their underlying specifications. The modifications or enhancements are tracked by the intelligent guidance system and stored in the central

repository. The CorVision generator then regenerates only the affected parts of the application code as well as changes to data and data structures in the production application. Because software maintenance typically consumes 60 percent of the software life cycle, CorVision could significantly improve productivity in this costly and difficult task.
The use of Picture Programming to capture high-level specifications results in the automatic generation of an estimated 95 to 98 percent of the code necessary for a production application. The remaining, customized, code is written in a proprietary
A dataset attribute screen allows developers to window in on the icon
representing a file to display its at-
tribute screen, which defines the details of the structure of the file.

With pop-up menus in the menu diagrammer, developers can specify the major c,;omponents and structure of the applications.
for the addition ofcustom logic where desired. Hooks insert flags at places in an application where the program executes the custom code. For example, the input of a credit card number in a data-entry screen might trigger a routine to validate a check digit of the number.
CorVision supports the larger theme of an open architecture. It uses DEC's RMS (Record Management Services) file system and, in the near future, Rdb, DEC's relational database software. The product supports VAX clusters, DECnet and standard VMS data types. This means programmers can build applications that share data with other DEC applications. In addition, the generated application can use routines or existing

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

125

DEC DIRECTIONS
VAX PROGRAMMING
Specsu111111ary....__________________
· Product: CorVision ·Company: Cortex Corp., 138 Technology Drive, Waltham, Mass.
02154, (617) 894-7000 ·Machines supported: IBM Corp. PC/AT and compatibles and
Digital Equipment Corp. VAXes and MicroVAXes ·Memory requirements: 640K bytes on the PC/AT, 4M bytes on
the VAX ·Communications supported: RS232C , Ethernet ·Price: $50,000 to $175,000, depending on the VAX model.

Whenever your company activities or products ore reported in the pages of a Cohners magazine .. . whether in a feature article ... in a news story ... or on article on new products or technological innovations ... we con custom-design a Reprint for you to use in your soles, morl~eting , and public relations programs.
You con also include your advertising message in the Reprint so that it becomes your own special company promotion piece. Reprints con be a single sheet or a multi-page brochure. And the cost is surprisingly low, whether your order is in the hundreds or the thousands.
Consider these many uses:
· Moiling to your promotion list or customer list
· Distribution at trade shows or conventions
· As a leave-behind or soles tool for your soles staff
·....·..,..,.··. · As a public relations or public service release · New product announcements
For details contact: CAHNERS REPRINT SERVICES P.O. Oox 5080 Des Plaines , IL 60017-5080 (312)635-8800
126

program libraries written in any DEC-supported language. This feature facilitates application integration with external devices.
Because the computer generates the code, CorVision applications are bugfree. Automatic compilation to machine code at the time of generation means that the application is efficient. Production applications perform at a level that is comparable to those written in a compiled 3GL such as COBOL or BASIC.
Benchmarks show compression
It is difficult to determine exactly how much CorVision will improve programming productivity. However, much may be inferred from usage studies of Application Factory. These reveal dramatically compressed software development time. For example, a survey completed this year of 26 applications at 22 sites found an average improvement ratio in application-development productivity of 13 to I.
The survey used function-point analysis, a language-independent measure of programmer productivity, to measure project resources using Application Factory relative to a 3GL such as COBOL. In the study, the number of screens per application ranged from five to 204 with an average of 48. The number of reports ranged from zero to 90 with an average of 17. The average number of files was 37 with a range of four to I08. The smallest application was the equivalent of 8,000 lines of COBOL, while the largest was 250,000 lines. The average was 75 ,000 lines.
At an E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. installation in Camden, S.C., Application Factory delivered a 600 per-

cent productivity improvement in a

reimplementation with more func-

tionality. The application, used in a

fiber-manufacturing environment,

was a tracking application that re-

quired interfacing to five external de-

vices used in weighing, packaging and

distributing unfinished goods in pro-

cess. In this case , DuPont recei ved

estimates from three development

shops of 28, 36 and 38 worker-

months. Using Application Factory,

the project required two people and

only two and a half calendar months,

or five worker-months.

Such dramatic productivity in-

creases are directl y attributable to au-

tomation of a major part of the soft-

ware development life cycle. Cor-

Vision , by adding the visualization of

application design to proven genera-

tor technology, takes the automation

process much further than Applica-

tion Factory. It makes relationships

among various application compo-

nents easier to understand. Diagrams

at the same time convey more in for-

mation and are a precise medium of

communication. An easy-to-use

graphical design and specification en-

vironment should further enhan ce

the productivity improvements docu-

mented with CorVision's predeces-

so r.

Craig Hill is the president and found er of Cortex Corp., Waltham , Mass. Prior to founding Cortex, he was the director of Eastern Operations at lnforex and held positions at IBM Corp.
Interest Quoti ent (Circle One) Hig h 495 Medium 496 Low 497

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS / May 1987

~~~ At Last HardcoP-ies of Joor Best
Designs".ie
~~1o~S~Co11ds.

"".,- .

- Quality computer

_graphicsdesign takes

:time.

B" ul you shouldn!t -have to wait foi: a high-quality;'1eco:
nomica1 copy of your effort.
0;

The Seikosha,:NP-95II pr:ovides the hardcopy y u need, quickly and easily ... regafdless of the CRT or high-resolution graphic display ypu use.

The VP-95II is coniRletely 1280X1280

pixels-compatible. ltaccepts dot ~lock

frequencies to 80 l\IHz and ha~standard

GB input.

'-i ~

precision feed mechanism has completely eliminated paper jamming.
'::\,
To capture y,our design ideas on hardcopy, simplo/ ~urn on the VP-95Il and it will begin printing immediately.

If you want a copy of your best design efforts in
seconds, find out how quickly an9 easily you can · begin getting beautiful results wilh the Seikosha VP-9511.

Call or write us today.

'O "' \

he direct thermal lineJ>rinter u~ -s wid ~.5-inch) ppper so you can do ariiesize copies ditedly from your CRT with excellent 152.4 dots/inch resolutiqn,

And the:VP-95ffh_as been designed
to provide complete, trouble-free
operation. You can replace paper in seconds and the ~r,:inter's

For OEM:
SEIKOSHA CO.,LTD.
SYSTEM EQUIPMENT DIVISION
4-1-1, Taihei, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130,Japan Phone: +81-3-625-4610 direct Telex: 262-2247 SEIKO J Fax: +81-3-624-8666
For Distribution:
Seikosha America Inc.
1111 Macarthur Blvd., Mahwah, NJ07430 Phone: 201-529-4655
CIRCLE NO. 62 ON INQUIRY CARD

See us at Comdex/ Spring '87 Booth 1128 EAST HALL

e've taken our to its next logical

Introducing the VME Delta

CPU uses the popular MC68020 microprocessor

Series·· Computer System:

You can continue to upgrade to new generations

The ultimate in system-level

and even faster versions as they become available.

flexibility. For years, Motorola

We can get you up and running in record

has supplied OEMs and system time. The VME Delta Series is available with all

integrators with the widest the OEM tools needed to bring your applications

selection of VME boards

up to speed and up to date-fast! The UNIX®System

on the market-all based V/68'" Release 3 operating system offers a rich

on the most advanced VMEbus technology available. environment for developing

We have now taken this experience a major

multi-user and networking

step forward.

applications. Other enhance-

First, we formed an entirely new division to

ments include Remote File

better serve our OEMs and focus on their needs as Sharing-allowing users to

VME boards and system customers. And then, our share files among different

new Microcomputer Division designed the next

computers transparently.

level of systems integration-and your next logical

Also available are

system conclusion.

development tools

TheVME Delta Series Computer System. and high-level

The VME Delta Series redefines the concept of

languages such

configurability in VME systems. For starters, take its as C, FORTRAN,

compact enclosure. It contains 12 VME slots-plus room for up to four disk drives and a streaming tape.

Pascal, and COBOL. Powerful data management software includes

Major memory configurations.

UNIFY,®Oracle~ Informix~ color graphics, word

Main memory includes both parity and ECC. Up to

1.3 Gigabytes of mass storage is satisfied by a family

of ST-506, ESDI and SMD disks. Quarter-inch stream-

ing tape backup and half-inch, 9-track tape drives

are available.

Unsurpassed communications with other

worlds. Through intelligent communication con-

trollers, the VME Delta Series can handle data

from local or remote asynchronous devices. ,

Industry standard communications networks 1 f~

and host computers can be connected

~! j ·

using protocols such as SNA, Bisynch and

more. For high-speed, local area networking,

Ethernet®and TCP/IP controllers are available.

From MC68020 to the next
generation-just plug in the board. By

processor, spreadsheet and project manager.
The team behind your team: Our Microcomputer Division team can help your OEM team with application and technical support through 100 field offices located world-wide.
We also provide comprehensive support in a wide variety
of other areas-software and application update newsletters and a toll-free hotlinesuch as the one below.
Use it now-to find out more about our new Microcomputer Division in general and more about

adhering to industry-wide standards, the open

the VME Delta Series in

architecture of the VME Delta Series assures

particular

the future viability of your product. Its system

1-800-521-6274

Ee~erience
conclusion.

Intelligent Communications/ Networks
Supports industry standard protocols: TCP/IP on Ethernet SNA, Bisynch.
MAP Hardware and Software
Allows Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) technology to be incorporated into products.
Data Management Software
Supports UNIFY, Oracle, lnformix relational database systems.

Offlce Automation Software
Color graphics, word processor, spreadsheet, project manager and many more packages available.

PoMTerfulProcessors
Uses 32-bit MC68020 MPV and MC68881 Floating Point co-processor; easy upgrade to next generations.
UNIX·V.3/Remote File Sharing (RFS)
Uses SYSTEM V/68compliant with AT&T's UNIX System V Release 3 with RFS for easy system networking. Real-time executives are available.
Large Main Memory
Up to 16 Megabytes, with both ECC and parity.
Flexible Mass Storage, up to 1.3 Gigabytes
Internally, up to 4-51//' mass storage drives including floppy and Winchester drives, l/l' streaming tape. SMD disk and 9-track tape interfaces for additional external mass storage.
Open/Expandable Architecture
Tluelve 110 connector/transition slots; 12-slot VMEbus card cage (A32/D32); whopping 450 watt power supply covers any expansion need.
Local and Remote Diagnostics
Provides for cost effective remote testing via modem and comprehensive local testing.
Complete Development Support
Supports C, Pascal, FORTRAN, COBOL and other high-level languages; varied development tools available.
Attractive/Sturdy Enclosure
Floormount enclosure meets UL, CSA, VDE, JEC, FCC requirements; shock mountings for disk drive protection.
VME DELTA SERIES, System V/68 are trademarks of Motorola, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. Ethernet is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation. INFORM IX is a registered trademark of Informix Software. ORACLE is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. UNIFY is a trademark of UNIFY Corporation.

MOTOROLA Microcomputer Division
Approaching our technology from your point of view.
CIRCLE NO. 78 ON INQUIRY CARD

NE\N PRODUCTS
SYSTEMS

Megan Nields, Staff Editor

Computer suits IBM PC/AT
· 80286 CPU · IM byte of memory · I.2M-byte disk drive

Computer aims a t industrial uses
· IBM PC/XT compatible · Two models · Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2
System 2, an IBM PC/XT-compatible computer, is geared toward factoryfloor applications. The unit offers IBM PC/XT compatibility and is based on Microsoft's MS-DOS 3.2 operating system . Model I0 supplies I28K bytes of CMOS static RAM, expandable to I28K bytes, and two semiconductor storage units. Model 20 adds a 31/2-inch flexible disk drive. Both systems contain a serial port and up to 23 expansion slots. $1 , 195, model 10; $1 ,595, model 20. Pro-Log Corp., 2560 Garden Road, Monterey, Calif. 93940, (408) 3724593 .
Circle 401

An IBM PC/AT-compatible computer, the ST-100 utilizes an 80286 microprocessor. The unit provides IM byte of memory, a I.2M-byte flexible disk drive and flexible and rigid disk controllers. Options include an 80287 coprocessor. $1,295. IBI Systems Inc., 6842 N.W. 20th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33309, (305) 978-9225.
Circle 403

Computer employs 80286 processor
· 640K bytes of RAM · Six expansion slots · RS232C, parallel port
An IBM PC/AT-compatible personal computer, the PowerMate I employs an 80286 processor running at 8 MHz. The unit comes standard with 640K bytes of RAM expandable to 8.6M bytes; a I.2M-byte flexible disk drive and a rigid disk controller. It includes six expansion slots, an RS232C port and a parallel port. MS-DOS 3.2 and GW BASIC 3.2 are provided. $1,995. NEC Information Systems Inc., 1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, Mass. 01719, (617) 264-8000.
Circle 405

Computer sports 80386 processor
· 2M bytes of RAM · Parallel port · IBM PC/AT compatible
Equippped with an Intel 80386 microprocessor, the CP80386Top computer runs at 16 MHz. The IBM PC/ATcompatible unit supplies 2M bytes of RAM , parallel and serial ports, and a slot for the 80287 math coprocessor. A I.2M-byte flexible disk drive reads, writes and formats in 360K-byte mode. The unit runs more than twice as fast as the PC/AT. $4,995. Distri bution Plus, 7313 Grove Road , Frederick, Md . 21701 , (301) 695-0478.
Circle 402

Three-model desktop based on 80286 processor
· 12 MHz · 8. IM bytes · 8-, 16-bit slots
Available in three configurations, the 12-MHz Compaq Deskpro 286 replaces the original Deskpro 286. The unit uses an Intel 80286 dual-speed processor, up to 8. 1M bytes of memory and up to 80M bytes of fixed disk storage. The model I sports 256K bytes of RAM and a I.2M-byte flexible disk drive. Models 20 and 40 offer 640K bytes of RAM . Up to five 8- and 16-bit expansion slots are available. $2,999 , model I; $3 ,999 , model 20; $4,999, model 40. Compaq Computer Corp., 20555 FM 149, Houston, Texas. 77070, (713) 370-0670.
Circle 404

286 computer offers nine slots
· 6, 8, 10 MHz · 640K bytes of RAM · I.2M-byte flexible drive
The Equity III+ computer utilizes an 80286 microprocessor running at 6, 8 or I0 MHz. It offers 640K bytes of RAM, expandable to l 5.5M bytes, and a I.2M-byte flexi ble disk drive. A second configuration supplies a 40M-byte rigid disk drive with a 28-msec average access time. T he IBM PC/AT-compatible unit featu res built-in serial and parallel interfaces and ni ne expansion slots. $2,695, $3,895 with rigid disk drive. E pson America I nc., Suite 450, 190 I Ave. of the Stars, Los Angeles, Calif. 90067-6067, (213) 539-9150.
Circle 406

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 198 7

131

The people who make Seagate

the first name in disc drives:
Before we invest millions of dollars developing a new product, Seagate marketing specialists
like Marti Spieller spend lots of time talking to
our customers to find out exactly what they want. "We found that people who use PCs for CAD/
CAM graphics or financial applications need more storage capability;' Marti said. "But they want a storage system that's modular so they can start small and add on when they need more capacity."
Marti's research helped develop Seagate's DISC DATA MANAGER: a storage subsystem that expands modularly from 80 MB to over a gigabyte.
"We use multiple drives in the DISC DATA MANAGER so you buy exactly the amount of storage that you need;' Marti said. "You can upgrade as your needs grow simply by installing an additional drive. Multiple drives also allow people to keep duplicate copies of important files for added protection."
Customers have come to expect this kind of relentless emphasis on meeting their needs from Seagate. That's one reason they've bought more
than 5 million of our 5114." hard disc drives.
Seagate's reputation is built by its people. ff you think your drives should be made by
dedicated professionals like Marti, call us.
800-468-DISC. In California, 800-468-DISK.
c5S)> Seagate
The first name in disc drives.
CIRCLE NO. 87 ON INQUIRY CARD

NEW PRODUCTS
PRINTERS

Laser printers hold 3M bytes of RAM

Laser printer produces 15 ppm

· 300-dpi resolution ·Four emulation modes · 25 fonts
The LaserPro Silver Express and Gold Express laser printers provide 300-dpi resolution and font-download capabilities. They emulate Diablo 630, Epson FX-80, Hewlett-Packard LaserJet and NEC 3550 devices. The first model targets CAD/CAM and desktop publishing applications. It features 768K bytes of RAM , 25 bit-mapped fonts and a proprietary Command Language. The second unit has a memoryexpansion option that doubles the standard I.SM bytes of memory to 3M bytes. It offers HP's HPGL graphics language. $2,995, Silver Express; $3,695 , Gold Express. Office Automation Systems Inc., 8352 Clairmont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, Calif. 92111 , (619) 576-9500.
Circle 407

Laser printer outputs 8 ppm
· Sl 2K bytes of memory · Six built-in fonts · Memory boards
The Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II laser printer produces 8 ppm. It comes resident with Sl 2K bytes of memory for desktop publishing, word processing and spreadsheet printing. Features include two font-cartridge slots, a 200-sheet input bin and a 16character front-control-panel display. Memory boards are available in 1M- , 2M- and 4M-byte configurations. The unit offers six built-in fonts and RS232C and Centronics interfaces. Up to 32 fonts can be downloaded . $2,495. Hewlett-Packard Co., 1820 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303, phone local sales office.
Circle 409

· 300 dpi · Bit-map controller · 21 fonts
Generating 15 ppm , the 1500 laser printer provides a 300-dpi resolution and 21 standard fonts . The unit features a dual page buffer with 3.SM bytes of memory that permits the controller to store the image being printed whi le creating a second bit-map for th e nex t page. It emulates Tektronix 4014 graphics with four font si zes. Interfaces include an RS232C and a proprietary parallel. $11 ,990. Talaris Systems Inc., 5160 Carroll Caynon Road ., P.O. Box 261580, San Diego, Calif. 92 126, (6 19) 587-0787 .
Circle 411

Device combines printer, plotter
· Nonimpact unit · 2,000-sheet capacity ·Proprietary controller
The BGL nonimpact printing/plotting system utilizes a proprietary graphics controller and an electro-photographic engine. It features a 2,000-sheet capacity and Tektronix 4010 and 4014 emulation. The unit supports vector draw, alpha notation, point plot and incremental plot. It produces A-sized and B-sized copies. Four engines are available. $1 7,900 . BGL Technology Corp., 438 Constitutional Ave ., Camarillo, Calif. 93010, (805) 9877305 .
Circle 408

Dot matrix printers offer seven colors
· 24-pin, 18-pin units · 250, 360 cps · 256K-byte buffer
The P2424C and P24 l 8C are 24-pin and 18-pin dot-matrix printers, respectively. The first unit runs at 360 cps in draft mode, 180 cps in correspondence mode and 120 cps in letter-quality mode; the second device prints 250 cps in draft mode and 125 cps in letterquality mode. Features include a 4Kbyte buffer, expandable to 256K bytes, multiple font cartridges and Epson compatibility. Both printers perform seven-color printing. $1 ,295 , P24 l 8C; $ J,395, P2424C. Alps America, 3553 N. First St., San Jose, Calif. 95134, (408) 946-6000.
Circle 410

Two-inch printer suits OEMs
· 200 by 800 dpi · Proprietary software · Programmable speeds
A thermal array printer, the 2-inch AR-41 , aimed at OEMs, furni shes a resolution of 200 by 800 dpi . Propri etary software provides over I 3 fun ctions. Features include automatic paper feed , programmable speeds and a Ce ntronics interface. The device suits graphics , text , bar codes and hi stograms. $420. General Scanning Inc., 500 Arsenal St., P.O . Box 307 , Watertown , Mass. 02272 , (617) 924-1 0 I0.
Circle 412

134

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

This is the screen that dreams are made of-the ADDS 2020. Its unique 70Hz refresh display gives a stunning flicker-free performance. Along with a presentation so brilliant your operators will be happy to work with it all day.
And you'll appreciate our supporting cast of biggerthan-life characters. Presented on a 14" flat green, amber or white screen, our easy-to-look-at double wide and double high/wide characters can be viewed in your choice of 80 or 132 column format. With operator selectable settings for brightness and contrast.
Brains and beauty. But more than 1ust a terminal that's great to look
at, the ADDS 2020 gives you brains behind the beauty. Our exclusive HelpNotes5M feature lets you program assistance messages directly into the terminal. So you

can actually use our hardware to simplify your software.

The 2020 also gives you intelligent desk accessories

like a clock, alarm, calendar and a calculator that can

work directly with your current application.

Screen test an ADDS 2020 today. It could be the

beginning of a beautiful rela-

tionship. For more information

on the 2020 or our entry-level

1010, the first terminal in its

class to offer a built-in parallel

printer port, call 1-800-231-5445.

In N.Y. 516-231-5400. Ask for

Displays Marketing.

ass(§I

Applied Digital Data Systems Inc.

The person pictured above is a celebrity look-alike. The estate has not authorized or approved the use of look-alikes.

A Subsidiary of NCR Corporation 100 Marcus Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788

CIRCLE NO. 65 ON INQUIRY CARD

Introducing
multi-chanriel
commum·catt·ons
boards400%
faster than
what you're
probably using now.
Introducing the DIGIBOARD COM/Xi Series front-end processor. Intelligent multi-channel communications boards 400% faster than the industry standard.
Like our popular COM/X Series, they provide users of PCIXT/AT-compatible computers with four or eight individually addressable serial ports. But with the new COM/Xi series we've added: · an 80188 co-processor operating at 10 MHz · 256K of dual-ported RAM + 16K of ROM, all
accessible to user/ programmers for application and security software development · a modular design that allows us to customtailor 1/0 to individual customer requirements. On-board intelligence means more speed for multi-user operating systems and multi-channel data collection and dissemination. And makes the new DIGIBOARD COM/Xi Series a more intelligent choice for you.
Call 1-800-344-4273. In Minnesota, (612) 922-8055.
CIRCLE NO. 86 ON INQUIRY CARD 136

NEW PRODUCTS
DATACOM
Multiplexer furnishes DEC compatibility
· Eight lines · 256-character buffer · 38.4K baud rate
The SCD-DHV 11/8 asynchronous multiplexer is compatible with DEC operating systems and diagnostics. It offers eight lines with EIA RS232C and RS422 operation. A 256-character buffer for received characters and OMA is provided. The unit supplies baud rates · to 38.4K. Each communication line is independently programmable and includes switch-selectable device add resses. $792. Sigma Information Systems, 3401 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim , Calif. 92806, (714) 630-6553.
Circle 413
Communications link uses fiber optics
·Y .35 compatible ·Up to 76.8K bps · Full duplex
A single-channel, fiber-optic communications link, the FOM 9218 transfers data over a 2-km topology. It is compatible with V.35 interfaces with up to 76.8K-bps operation in synchronous or asynchronous mode. Two full-duplex units can be configured as a modem link or an interface extender. The device supplies fully transparent data, clock and control signals. $1 ,328 . Versitron Inc., 6310 Chillum Place, N.W. , Washington , D.C. 20011, (202) 722-8600.
Circle 414
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

Now tired-eye problems are gone with the wind, with the DEC-compatible ADDS 3220. The 3220's unique 70Hz refresh display gives one of the most brilliant flicker-free screen presentations ever.
And you'll appreciate our double features, too. Like our easy-to-read double high and double high/wide characters, viewed in a choice of 80 or 132 column format. All presented on a 14" flat green, amber or white screen. With user selectable settings for brightness and contrast.
A truly sophisticated performance.
But more than just great looks, the ADDS 3220 turns in a great performance, too. Our DEC-style keyboard enhances the performance of your software. With value-added features like 22 fully prqgrammable function keys and 256 bytes of non-volatile memory that help you
The person pictured above is a celebrity look-alike. The estate has not authorized or approved the use of look-alikes.

distinguish your product from the competition.

Naturally the ADDS 3220 is fully compatible with the

DEC Vf220, VflOO, Vf52, and ANSI X3.64. What's

more, it won Digital Review's 1987 "Best Alphanumeric

Terminal of the Year" award. Preview one today. Let us _

~ 4

show you that when it comes

to award-winning performances

ADDS gives a darn. For more in-

formation, call 1-800-231-5445.

In N.Y. 516-231-5400. Ask for

Displays Marketing.

aEJEJEI
Applied Digital Data Systems Inc.
A Subsidiary of NCR Corporation

100 Marcus Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788

CIRCLE NO. 86 ON INQUIRY CARD

NEW PRODUCTS
TERMINALS

Monitor displays up to 64 colors
·0.31-mm dot pitch · 14-inch unit · 800 by 560 pixels

graphics boards having scanning frequencies from 15.75 kHz to 35 kHz. $1, 795 , OEM pricing available. MicroTouch Systems Inc., I 0 State St., Woburn, Mass. 0180 I, (617) 935-0080.
Circle 415

A multisynchronous monitor, Multisynch Touch displays up to 64 colors on a 14-inch screen. The unit incorporates a 0 .3 1-mm dot pitch and an 800-by560-pixel resolutio n. It works wit h

2.5 Gigabytes

With 9-Track Industry Standard 1/0

Utilizing true read-after-write coupled with very powerful error correction, GIGASTORETM gives you an unsurpassed error rate of 1 in 1023 bits. In addition, you get a high speed search capability not available in most 9 track drives and the convenience of a T-120 VHS cartridge. IBM PC, DEC and other interfaces available.
Call Digi-Data, an organization with a 25 year history of manufacturing quality tape drives at (301) 498-0200.

TMGIGASTORE is a trademark of Digi·Data Corporation.

I I OIGl-DATA CORPORATION 8580 Dorsey Run Rood Jessup, MD 20794·9990 ....... (301) 498-0200 · Telex 87-580
· · · · · . .. First In Value

138

In Europe contect: Oigl-Oal Ud. · Unit 4 · Klnge Grove · Maldenl!Nd, Berklhire EnglMd SUI 40P · T__._ No. 0828 2ll&6MI · Telex 847720
CIRCLE NO. 87 ON INQUIRY CARD

Graphics terminal uses MC68020 processor
· 4.5M bytes of memory · 1,280 by 1,024 pixels · Pan and zoom
An interactive imaging and graphics display terminal , the 4660 is designed around a Motorola MC68020 microprocessor and a 6881 floating-point coprocessor. It offers up to 4.5 M bytes of memory, independent pan and zoom and two look-up tables. Resolution is 1,280 by 1,024 pixels. The unit supports up to nine 4-bit refresh memory groups. Features include a built-in video multiplexer and a 4M-pixel-per-second raster bus. $18, 700. Ramtek Corp., 221 I Lawson Lane, Santa Clara, Calif. 950528024, (408) 988-2211.
Circle 416
Color terminal targets CAD applications
· 5 I 2K bytes of memory · 19-inch screen · 640 by 480 pixels
An intelligent, color graphics terminal, the 4209 targets low-end CAD and technical data analysis applications. The unit displays 640 by 480 pixels on a 19-inch screen and supplies 5I 2K bytes of memory plus DEC VT I 00 compatibility. Up to 16 graphics colors and eight alphanumeric colors are selectable from a 4,096-color palette. An upgrade kit is available. $6,995. Tektronix Inc., P.O. Box 500, Beaverton, Ore. 97077, (503) 644-0161.
Circle 417
MINI-M ICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

There's a vast world of difference between the power of a super minicomputer and our new Firebreathers - the Gould NPLTM family of mini supercomputers. It's a whole new category of compatible Gould computers that bridges the gap between giant supercomputers on the one hand and superminis on the other.
The Gould NPL family offers you the power and speed ofsupercomputers at the cost of superminis, and they are every bit as easy to use. NPL the first Firebreather in the NPL family, delivers performance equal to first generation supercomputers.

Harness the power:
Multiprocessor parallel architecture.
High performance scalar and vector processing.
Real memory expandable to 4 billion bytes.
Industry standard I I 0 subsystems.
Continuous throughput 5 times faster than any supermini .
Gould 's proven UNIX®-based operating system, UTX I 32®.
Languages that include vectorizing FORTRAN and highly optimized C compilers, plus Ada®

How you use Gould's NPL family is limited only by your imagination.
Consider this power applied to complex scientific and engineering computations, simulation, real time data acquisition and intensive program development.
If your present computer no longer has the power you really need, get in touch with the future. Get in touch with Gould.
Gould, Inc., Information Systems Computer Systems Division 6901 West Sunrise Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33313 1-800-GOULD-10, TLX 441491

UNJX is a registered trademark o! AT811' Bell Labs. Ada is a registered trademark o! the U.S. Government. Ada Joint Program O!tice. NFL &lITX / 32 are trademarks o! Gould . Inc.

CIRCLE NO. 68 ON INQUIRY CARD

·}GOULD
Electronics

SUGAR
CORPORATE OFFICES: 2800 LOCKHEED WAY. CARSON CITY, NEVADA 89701 · PHONE: (702) 883-7611 ·TWX: (910) 395-6051 LFCAR S
UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories.
CIRCLE NO. 69 ON INQUIRY CARD

NEW PRODUCTS
SOFTWARE

interface. $995, single-user version; $1,995, multiuser version. Gupta Technologies Inc., Suite 240, I040 Marsh Road, Menlo Park, Calif. 94025, (415) 321-9500.
Circle 420
Software runs DOS on 386-based computers
Control/386 software runs on 80386-

based computers and supplies compatibility with 8088- and 80286-based systems. The package provides 32-bit emulation of AST's Enhanced Expanded Memory Specification and the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification. It allows users to run DOS applications on the 80386 CPU and can be customized. $8.00, Quantity 5,000. Phoenix Technologies Ltd., 320 Norwood Park S., Norwood , Mass. 02062, (617) 769-7020.
Circle 421

Datacom software links personal computers
RemoteTalk is an IBM-compatible PC-to-PC synchronous communications package with remote control and file transfer capabilities. Compatible with 18 SDLC boards, the software communicates via IBM's SDLC protocol at up to I9.2K bps. A synchronous modem is available. $295 and higher. Network Software Associates Inc., 22982 Mill Creek, Laguna Hills, Calif. 92653, (714) 768-4013.
Circle 418
OS supports 10 IBM PC/ATs
An operating system for the IBM PC/AT and compatibles, Pick Version 2.0 supports up to I0 users. The package provides advanced virtual-memory architecture and relational database capabilities. It supports three parallel printer ports, streaming cartridge tape drives and rigid disk drives. $1 ,295. Pick Systems, 1691 Browning, Irvine, Calif. 92714, (714) 261-7425.
Circle 419

Full-time Employment.for your
Laser Pnnter

Everyone knows printers are expen-
sive, especially laser printers. And most of the time, your printer just sits there waiting for something to do.
BUFFALO PRODUCTS has unveiled the intelligent way of keeping your printers employed full-time ... with the newest addition to our line of intelli-
gent buffers, the SX model. The Buffalo SX features 10 total in-
put and output ports, combining both serial and parallel interfacing, giving you total flexibility to arrange your
resource network. You can have up to 7 PC's sharing 3
output devices (printers, laser printers,
modems, plotters, etc.). 2 PC 's sharing
8 output devices or practically any combination in between.
Some of the outstanding features
include: · 256K dynamically allocated buffer, user upgradable to 1024K.

· Daisy-chain up to 9 units to expand your network.
· Simultaneous input by up to 3 users at a time.
· Individually configured serial ports for automatic protocol/baud rate and parallel/serial conversation.
· Battery backup to store setup configuration .
We are so sure you'll like what you get in the new Buffalo SX Buffer, we are offering a No Questions Asked 45-DAY-MONEY-BACK Guarantee along with our 1-year warranty.
And the best part is the price . . .
only $695
BUFHILD
PRODUCTS
Call 1-800-654-5301 In California, Call: (213) 493-2471 Sales and Marketing, CSSL, Inc.

DBMS software turns PC/AT into server
A database management system, SQLBase Version 3.1 turns IBM PC/ATs into relational database servers that can be accessed by multiple PCs · running on the IBM Token-Ring Network. The software operates on NETBIOS-compatible networks. It includes a C application programming
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

VAR Contact Mandi Wood ACP International , (714) 558-9058
Technical Assistance call : 1-800-345-2356

In California call: (408) 279-2356

CIRCLE NO. 70 ON INQUIRY CARD

141

86:100

00 serial 1/0 ports MB memory · 60MB streamer tape

· 25-840MB disk storage · 1MB disk/serial 1/0 buffer memory · 1-4 slave 68010 processors

Need Software? The Ensign 386:100 can run it all.

PC-MOS386*

XENIX386*

A multi-user MS-DOS look alike, that takes advantage of the 80386's multi-user capability.

The most popular commercial version of UNIX*. AT&T System V compatible.

If you use multi-user systems and need low prices and high performance then give us a call. IBC is the only company that can sell you a low cost 80386 computer that will last you for life.

THEOS386*
The latest version of THEOS (OASIS) for the 80386.

PICK**
A popular user friendly operating system now available for the 80386.

VARS, call IBC now to find the best dealer discounts in the industry. If you don't, your competition will .

21621 NORDHOFF STREET, CHATSWORTH, CA 91311

· PC-MOS 386 is a trademark of The Software Link XENIX 386 is a trademark of Microsoft UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories THEOS 386 is a trademark of THEOS Software Corp.
·· PICK is a trademark of PICK Systems and is only available from IBC Technologies (714) 261 - 5504 not affiliated with IBC/ lntegrated Business Computers

TELEX: 215349 TELEPHONE: (818) 882-9007
Nationwide on-site service available from REI/Recognition Equipment, Inc. (800) 225-8515

CIRCLE NO. 71 ON INQUIRY CARD

NEW PRODUCTS
SUBASSE MBLIES

SBC features
modular 1/0 functions
· Two RS232C ports · MC68000 processor · 2-, 4-channel OMA
The OB68K/VSBC I single-board computer uses a Motorola MC68000 processor and features over 20 modular 1/0 functions. It supplies two asynchronous RS232C ports and two RS4 22 ports and two- or four-channel OMA. A bus-interrupt generator allows the unit to function as an intelligent slave. Features include 5 I2K bytes of RAM. A 680 I0 processor is optional. $1 ,036 . Omnibyte Corp., 245 W. Roose velt Road West Chicago, Ill. 60185-3790, (31 2) 231-6880.
Circle 422

VMEbus adapter supports 128 devices

Systech Corp., 6465 Nancy Ridge

Drive, San Diego, Calif. 92121 , (619)

453-8970.

Circle 424

The HPS-6945 is a VMEbus-compatible host adapter for Unplug, a proprietary data communications subsystem. It allows support of up to 128 peripherals at distances to 1,000 feet away from the host computer, without use of repeaters. The device features a MC680 I0 microprocessor running at 12.5 MHz and 512K bytes of RAM . $1 ,770.

KEEP YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
To keep your free subscription to Mini-Micro Systems, tu rn back to the requal ification card attached to the front cover. Please fi ll it out and retu rn it to us right away.

De·pot Di·rectSM

(de' pO di rekt'), n. 1. reliable TRW quality. 2. fast turnaround. 3. single source repairs. 4. toll free: 1-800-922-0897.

Graphics controller works with IBM PC
· 10,000 cps · 1,280 by 960 pixels · 82786 coprocessor
A monochrome graphics controller for the IBM PC/XT and PC/AT, Desktop 1280 supplies a bit-block transfer rate of 10,000 cps and a line drawing rate of 1.25 million pixels per second with a resolution of 1,280 by 960 pixels. The Intel 82786-based device supports a 64-Hz non-interlaced refresh rate and the IBM Color Graphics Adapter. It can display two pages of text simultaneously. Features include pan and zoom. $1 ,295 . Verticom Inc., 525 Weddell Drive, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94089-2 114, (408) 747-1222 .
Circle 423
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

Now depot repair takes on a whole new meaning! Depot Direct"M from TRW is the preferred nationwide source of reliable, quality repair for microcomputer equipment and subassemblies.
Fast turnaround and competitive prices are just a toll-free phone call away. And you'll benefit from them often, because Depot Direct repairs a wide selection of popular brands. Included: Altos. IBM. TeleVideo. Hazeltine. Okidata. Wyse. Taxan. AT&T. Esprit. Multitech. Tandon. MPI. Sony. Rodime. Shugart. Quantum. Plus many others!

your service capability. Call toll free today for your free Depot Direct repair catalog and price list. Call 1-800-922-0897. (In New Jersey 201 -575-7110 Ext. 4231.l
Depot Direct : TRW gives depot repair a new definition.
TRW Customer Service 15 Law Drive
P.O. Box 2078
Fairfield, NJ 07006

Our professional, factory-trained technicians

expertly repair subassemblies, disk drives, printers, circuit boards, print heads, computers, terminals and peripherals. And all repairs carry a 90-day TRW Warranty.

··~··

See just how many advantages TRW's con-

TRW, Inc. 1987. TR Wis the name and mark of TRW Inc.

sistent quality and fast turnaround can add to Depot Direct 1s a service mark of TRW Inc.

143
CIRCLE NO. 72 ON INQUIRY CARD

Al l - I n-One AMT Office Printer M

FOl1S!l01RllllilDfS
Th· Allf OfflH 'rlllttf un 1tor· up lD·t9ht rnldtnt fonts . lo" c1n print lllfH fonh In lttltr, "-· orDr1ft.Ot. L ·tl.r~produus trut lttl·r·qu11lty chu1cttn 1l 15 cps. "- .odt producn c hine·
ttt1tll1tar·n·1r·l·tltr·qu1llty1t 10001. Dnft · odt prodocudnft · q11·lltych11r11 c ttrs11t~o 1 . Htrt lrtl-tUmplu:

Courier 72, one of the MO it
popular bu1lnes1 typehce1, prints 10 char11cter1 to the In c h .

l·lttrliotlltc 12, 1notherwldelr uHd tJpehu, prints IZch1nc ltri to tht Inch .

htlucll. ·l·lthot",.,....1,..,.,..1al1flt . . - 1 1. ,.. ··11 ll.l - . 1.... - ......

Tr..d PS, I propor110...1ty-1,..cH typefact, co··· la U.11dy · ~· n 1ypl·1 formal doc..m·11t·ll""'.

Scttnllftc\O:

=~ ~

··l~I col·

Sll'lWAlfClllP!TlllLITY
S1ntt tht MtT OHIU 'rlnhr un - h t t 1 llhblo '30 or (- 150, QI-. Sprint II. IPI Color,rlnttr,or EpHnprlnttr, tl1· Ml worh111th ·lrt111ll11n1off-tht-ihtlfioft111rt p1C h 9· .
SllCIIJ.ffffCll
Tht NIT Offt u ' · lnlt1 can p·r ror· ..111 lPKl1I prl11t t n9 f11n t tlon,, IH· thoH shown b·low :
- IO-dt11rHS - 20· dtfrtH - .JO-drgrtts
· hp1nded
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· Hor1 ;t;ont· l
- Or both

· A11l<1111tlt tut ror.. tttng

(·nt·rl n9

- Justtftcatlon

GAAPllJCS

PRlmlClllP!Tll lll lY
Tht AIH Offtu 'tillUf c1n contliln 11Ultlpler11tdenl8!Ul1tton1. Tiits fHturt ltO yov turn the "111 Offtu 'f !ll,tr tnto1 nrl·l.I' or ottltr pop11llr prtnttrs. For uaplt, If 1011'rtustn91 pro.gr·· thlt l ll pporh onl7 the EpHn J· -80 prlnttr 1nd not
~! ·Jf'~/~!!!.:t~!":!:.,~~~~: . ind

Fl111ll7,tht! Nl fO H lu,r l111ter c111 prlntf111l - color9r1phlu11lth n t hbltdot rHolutlon' 11p to 240"x.t80ttdol1Pt!rl11C:h.

lf olor ® rap~trn
·n·bt
~;ffl'm: ®fflcr ,Jlrintrr

T~:AMT Office PrinterTMPLUS

Tired of juggling three or more separate devices to meet your printing needs? Confused about which technology-daisywheel, dotmatrix, plotter, ink-jet, thermal or laser-is right for you? Worried about software/printer compatibility?
Introducing the AMT Office Printer PLUS, an all-in-one printing solution that does the job of all these devices with superb print quality, speed, and the ability to mix text with multicolor highresolution graphics.
How can one printer do so much? With an ingenious print mechanism, unrivaled font, graphic and color flexibility, multiple coresident emulations , plus widespread hardware and software compatibility.
The AMT Office Printer PLUS is applications-oriented. For word processing, there is better-than-letter and near-letter-qua! ity text, a font library with both fixed and proportionally-spaced fonts, variable pitches, language support, IBM graphic symbols, scientific and technical character sets, and built-in features that italicize, color, bold, shadow, super/subscript, underscore, expand, center, and justify text. For data processing, there is high-speed, draftquality text with up to 264 characters per Iine. For business graphics, CAD/CAMICAE plots, and other precision graphic applications, there are full-color graphic modes providing resolutions up to 240V x 480H dots per inch. And for technical applications, there is custom font generation, font down load, plotter emulation , and many other printing utilities.
Most importantly, the AMT Office Printer is fully compatible with software that drives the Diablo 630TM, Diablo C-150 Ink-Jet PrinterTM, IBM Model 5182 Color PrinterTM, or Epson JX-80TM . So just plug the printer into your computer's serial or parallel port, load your favorite software, and begin printing.
Isn't it about time to solve all your printing problems? The all-inane AMT Office Printer PLUS!

1157 Tourmaline Drive

CIRCLE NO. 90 ON INQUIRY CARD

Newbury Park, CA 91320 (805) 499-8741

European sales office UK (0) 7356-71464

Advanced Matrix Technology, Inc.

SOFT\NARE REVIE\N

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR LASER PRINTER

Edward Teja, Contributing Editor
Three classes of programs can make your personal computer and laser printer do more, and do it better. In selecting the programs, though, understanding their differences is critical, because vendors won't enlighten you unless you ask questions.
In the first class are the printercontrol programs that let you specify fonts and control page formats independent of your application program. Printer-control programs embrace all of the enhanced printing utilities, such as those that allow users to change fonts, highlight (with semigray scale), draw lines and boxes and, possibly, merge graphics and text.
The second class of programs lets you embed format commands that are executed as your documents are printed. And the third class are what many think of as WYSIWYG, or "what you see is what you get," pagecomposition packages.
The second class provides powerful software capabilities, if you have the patience to master them. Examples of this type of program include Polaris Software's PrintMerge and Ram-resident PrintMerge. Each offers interesting benefits to users but, for reasons that will become clear, they are examined separately.
PrintMerge is a natural publishing environment for those who use Micropro International Corp.'s WordStar for word processing. The command formats and logic are similar to those used in that popular word processing package. In fact , PrintMerge is recommended for use only with WordStar. At any rate, the more you use the package, the more you'll like the power and consistency it provides.
A key strength of PrintMerge lies in its powerful formatting tools. Handling the typesetting of tables, for instance, is usually difficult. Many programs require you to collapse data

(remove all spaces) and separate data fields with commas. Not so with the versatile PrintMerge: here, one simple instruction defines the characteristics of the input data; another defines the format of the output. Thus, you can accept data from a spreadsheet, word processing package or other source and use it without retyping.
A major difference between PrintMerge and similar programs is that this package controls the printing process. It provides a proportional-spacing algorithm that produces attractive output, and with every format difficulty encountered, the solution is evident-once you look at the commands in the text.
PrintMerge isn't the easiest package to use, but its logic and consistency make it understandable. And it is powerful. Its one shortcoming lies in its inability to use graphics images generated by popular bit-image paint programs.
On the other hand, Ram-resident PrintMerge lets users control the printer, change type fonts, draw lines and boxes and, what is of particular importance, merge graphic images with text.
Now, logic would dictate that a package called Ram-resident PrintMerge would be a faster version (not having to load fonts from disk) of the PrintMerge program. This is not the case. Ram-resident PrintMerge is a printer-control utility (a class 1 program) that has similarities to the class 2 PrintMerge package, but is substantially different both in how it works, and what it is trying to do.
We ran into problems making this product work, and most of those problems came from the fact that we expected it to be an extension or superset of PrintMerge. Furthermore, the documentation was of little help here. Polaris president Jack Leach admitted the shortcomings of the documentation and told us that his compa-

ny is already at work on new, clearer manuals. And he acknowledges the difficulties in learning the software. "But if a person sticks to it," he says, " they'll find that the effort is worth it." We agree. What is practically unforgivable is that both packages are called PrintMerge, leading to the understandable conclusion that, originally, Ram-resident PrintMerge was intended to be a true superset of PrintMerge.
A second caveat with this program is that it is intended for word processing packages, such as AshtonTate's Framework, that don't provide for managing more than one printer font. Using WordStar as the text-generation program begs for trouble. Leach explained that sellers are supposed to ask potential buyers what word processing package they intend to use and steer WordStar users away from Ram-resident PrintMerge.
Along with Ram-resident PrintMerge is a utility called Crunch ($49.95) that helps the Hewlett-Packard Co. Laserjet printer cope with the large files that graphics require. The utility shrinks the size of the file by eliminating unnecessary graphics commands. This helps the throughput-and you'll need all the help you can get. A reasonably complex page (containing a few tables) can take 8.5 minutes to print, and this comes from what supposedly is an 8-ppm printer, when it's confined to text.
In the end, both packages are worth their price. Impatience with PrintMerge's shortcomings quickly gives way to amazement at its power. But with either package expect to spend a full day just learning how to use it.
PrintMerge and Ram-resident PrintMerge, Polaris Software, 613 W. Valley Parkway, Suite 323, Escondido, Calif 92025, (619) 743-7800. $124 and $149 respectively.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

145

-inch Winchester Drives. The Idea. Refined.

LAPIN:
T ECHN0 l 0 GY

182 Topaz Street Milpitas, California 93035

408/262-7077

In association with

Prudential-Bache and Kyocera.

CIRCLE NO. 75 ON INQUIRY CARD

<l:l 1987 LaPineTech)lology Corporation

Mini·IUliara 1111e·1
Spring Peripherals Handbook

INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Product reference tables : terminals and printers . . . . .. ..... . .. ... . .. . 149 Precipitous price erosion continues in the terminals market; dot-matrix printers approach commodity status ; and impact line printers remain heavy-duty workhorses, despite pressure from laser printers.

PRODUCT GUIDES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Alphanume ric display terminals ............. . ........... . ... .. ... 151 Dot-matrix character printers .. .............. . .... . .. . . .. . . . ... .. 161 Impact line printers ....... . ............. ... .. .. . ..... . . .. .. .... 169

p. 151 ..... . . .

. Prices fall

HOW TO USE THE PRODUCT GUIDES - - - -- - - -

This edition of the Peripherals Handbook contains three Product Guides beginning on Page1151. Each Product Guide contains price and specification information, arranged alphabetically by company name. These tables are based on mail- and telephone-survey information.
Accompanying each vendor's name is the mailing address, telephone number and a circle number with which you may request additional information using the reader-service card located at the end of the issue.
To check product prices or specifications: · Find the appropriate product table · Find the alphabetically listed vendor.
To select a product: · Turn to the appropriate product table · Study the product offerings · Use the address information found with
the company name to contact the vendor.

p. 161 . ... . . ... Commodity status

To comment on the PenjJherals Handbook , or to suggest future product coverage, contact the Chief Editor, Mini-Micro Systems, Penpherals Handbook, Cahners Publishing Co., 275 Washington St., Newton, Mass. 02158-1630

p. 169 .

. Remaining strong

Cahners Publishing Company · A Division of Reed Publishing USA· Specialized Business Magazines for Building and Construction · Computer/Technology · Electronics · Food/Packaging· Manufacturing Industries · Medical , Design & Publishing MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS · (ISSN 0364-9342) is published monthly with additional issues in May and November by Cahners Publishing Company, A Division of Reed Publishing USA, 275 Washington St., Newton . MA 02158. William M. Platt, President ; Terrence M. McDermott, Executive Vice President; Jerry 0 . Neth , Vice President of Publishing Operations ; J.J. Walsh , Financial Vice PresidenVMagazine Division ;Thomas J. Dellamaria , Vice President Production and Manufacturing; Frank Sibley, Group Vice President. Copyright 1987 by Reed Publishing USA, a division of Reed Holdings Inc., Saul Goldweitz, Chairman ; Ronald G . Segel , President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert L. Krakoff , 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 MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS®. 270 St. Paul St. . Denver, CO 80206. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS®is circulated without charge by name and title to U.S.- and Western European-based corporate and technical management, systems engineers and other personnel who meet qualification procedures. Available to others at the rate of $65 per year in the United States; $80 in Canada and Mexico; $105 surface mail in all other countries ; air mail surcharge, $45 (14 issues) . Special HANDBOOK issues. $15. Single issues, $6 in the United States; $8 in Canada and Mexico; $10 in all other countries.
© 1987 by Cahners Publishing Company. Division of Reed Publishing USA. All rights reserved .
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

~ WBPA !\llP

147

Rip off hotel bills, airline tickets, invoices or any other type of form, up to six copies thick. Datasouth Demand Document printers put them out day and night and let you rip them off without losing the next form.

Datasouth Demand Document printers feature bidirectional dot matrix printing at 180 cps. You can print to within V2 inch of the tear-off bar, without affecting the next form. The push-button front panel and LED readout make

our printers exceptionally easy to use.
There's a Datasouth Demand Document printer for almost any communications environment The DS 180 DD has standard Serial and Centronics-type parallel interfaces. The TX 5180 DD emulates the IBM 5256, 5224 and 5225 printers in System 34/36/38 environments. And the CX 3180 DD emulates the IBM 3287 in 3270 environments.
No matter what kind of form you're printing, there's a Datasouth printer that could be doing it better. So call us at 1-800-222-4528,and ask about our Demand Document printers.
When you consider all the money-saving advantages, ifs really quite a steal.

Datasouth
AMERICA'S HIGH PERFORMANCE PRINTER COMPANY
nx PO. Box 240947, Charlotte, NC28224,(704) 523-8500, 6843018, DASO UW SALES: 1-800-222-4528, SERVICE 1-800-438-5050; lM:>st Coast Office: 415-940-9828
IBMrs a registered badernark c:J lntemaoonal Business Machines Corporation
CIRCLE NO. 76 ON INQUIRY CARD

SPRING PERIPHERALS HANDBOOK

PRODUCT REFERENCE TABLES:
TERMINALS AND PRINTERS
Precipitous price erosion continues in the terminals market; dot-matrix printers approach commodity status; and impact line printers
remain heavy-duty workhorses, despite pressure from laser printers

The tables in Mini-Micro Systems' biannual Peripherals Handbook are structured as general guidelines for volume buyers making critical purchasing decisions. We have mailed over 350 questionnaires and have made over 100 followup calls to provide you with as complete a listing as possible.
The product table covering alphanumeric display terminals lists 110 devices from 45 manufacturers. Terminal manufacturers have been plagued by precipitous price erosion over the last few years, which has led to a minor shakeout. But industry analysts predict a sales upswing beginning late this year. Their optimism stems from the increased popularity of multiuser microcomputers, which can accommodate more and more terminals, and the growth in terminal-intensive applications, such as on-line transaction processing and distributed data processing.
For example, a recent report by Frost & Sullivan Inc., New York, predicts that the overall terminals market will climb from 3.6 million units shipped in 1986 to more than 4.3 million in 1987. The market research company expects the number to top 8 million by 1992. Measured in constant 1986 dollars, that would represent a jump from $1 2.6 billion in 1986 to over $24 billion in 1992.
IBM Corp.'s 3270 family of terminals accounts for over 25 percent of the total installed base in the United States. Among intelligent~ terminal manufacturers, IBM and Digital Equipment Corp. hold commanding shares, 18 percent and 16 percent, respectively, according to Frost & Sullivan.
One of the more important technological advances in the terminals market is the development of denser, often proprietary, chips that reduce the number of discrete logic compo-

nents. This parts reduction in tum contributes to greater reliability.
Another trend revolves about single terminals that address all three major terminal categories: ASCII, ANSI and PC terminals. PC terminals do not have full PC compute power; rather, they are designed specifically for attachment to multiuser PCs.
Dot-matrix printers, our second product cat- . egory, face fierce competition from laser printers (MMS, April, Page 83). However, manufacturers are making technological improvements to protect market share in data logging, generalpurpose graphics and near-letter-quality correspondence (MMS, December 1986, Page 26). Improvements include a shift to 24-pin printheads, faster speeds, more emulation modes, wider carriages and inexpensive add-ins for color output. Dot-matrix technologies such as ink-jet and thermal transfer lead the way to better color output (MMS, January, Page 85.) Fueling the move toward color is an increasing availability of software that takes advantage of the color capabilities of matrix printers.
CAP International Inc., a market research company in Marshfield, Mass., pegs shipments of impact matrix printers at 3.5 million units in 1985, 4.5 million in 1988 and 4.8 million in 1991. In dollars, that's $2.3 billion in 1985, $3.4 billion in 1988 and $2.9 billion in 1991. Price reductions account for the predicted drop in revenues from 1988 to 1991 .
Impact line printers are also feeling the competitive heat of laser printers. Impact line printers seem destined for moderate growth at best. Nevertheless, Mini-Micro Systems rounded up 15 manufacturers of these high-volume, heavyduty-cycle workhorses. They represent more than 40 products from which to choose.
- David Simpson

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

149

Personal lasers, like chairs, weren't built to be shared.

Our new laser takes on as many as 10, comfortably.
Dataproducts' new LZR 1230 is the first laser printer in its class that's enough machine to go around.
At 12 copies a minute, for instance. it has the speed to take on up to ten office overachievers at once.
Plus it has the stamina to keep up that pace to the tune of 10,000 pages a month. Over twice the duty cycle of the LaserJet.
While personal lasers are ready to quit after the first 100.000 pages, ours is just getting started. On its way to 600,000.
The LZR 1230

also has three user ports (one parallel. two serial). standard. So three different computer systems can share it at the same time. No more cable switching.
And when it comes to handling paper, nothing in its class can touch the LZR 1230. It can automatically feed up to 750 pages-of
various sizes-plus 100 envelopes. Without being tended. Takes labels and transparencies. too. What's more. it emulates the Diablo 630, Epson FX-80 and HP LaserJet Plus. So you don't have to throw away your old software. All of which makes it the perfect printer for sharing. Call us. And stop playing musical chairs.

LZR 1230

Dataproducts®laser printers

1 (800~} SS6·1234, x S81

IN CA. 1(800)441-2345. x 581
6200 CANOGA AVENUE WOODLAND HILLS. CA 9ll65

CIRCLE NO. 77 ON INQUIRY CARD

ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY TERMINALS

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3M CO. (TELETERMINAL PRODUCTS)

311 Turquoise St., Milpitas, CA 95035, (408) 943-1970

Whisper Screen

intelligent

9-inch,

1923

monochrome

Whisper Screen 1924

intelligent

9-inch, monochrome

80x25 80x25

ADAC CORP.

70 Tower Ottice Park , Woburn, MA 01801, (617) 935-6668

2200CRX

intelligent/graphics

7-inch,

monochrome

64X24

ALTOS COMPUTER SYSTEMS

2641 Orchard Parkway , San Jose, CA 95134, (408) 946-6700

Altos 111

intelligent

14-inch, green 132x26

RS232C RS232C
RS232C
RS232C

DEC VT52, VT100 DEC VT52, VT100
TeleVideo 1910

Altos IV

intelligent

14-inch, green 80X26

AMPEX CORP. (COMPUTER PRODUCTS DIV.)

200 N. Nash St. , El Segundo, CA 90245, (213) 640-0150

210 plus

intelligent

14-inch ,

monochrome

132x25

220

intelligent

14-inch,

monochrome

232

intelligent

14-inch ,

monochrome

ANN ARBOR TERMINALS INC. 6175 Jackson Rd ., Ann Arbor, Ml 48103, (313) 663-8000 Ambassador XL intelligent/graphics 15-inch,
monochrome

VXL

intelligent/graphics 15-inch,

monochrome

132X25 132 X25
80x60 16QX6Q

RS232C

ADDS VP; TeleVideo 925, 1910

RS232C RS232C RS232C

ADDS Viewpoint, Regent; Hazeltine; Lear
Siegler; TeleVideo
DEC VT52, VT100, VT102, VT220
TeleVideo 925

RS232C , RS422 RS232C, RS422

DEC VT52 , VT100 DEC VT52 , VT100

GXL

intelligent/graphics 15-inch, monochrome

80X6Q

RS232C, RS422, DEC VT52, VT100; current locip Tektronix 4010, 4014

CHI CORP.

26055 Emery Rd ., Cleveland , OH 44128, (216) 831 -2622

EMP-SI

intelligent

14-inc h ,

monochrome

133X25

MP-UTS

intelligent

14-inc h,

133 X 25

monochrome

MP-3270

intelligent

14-inch,

133x25

monochrome

RS232C , Centronics
RS232C, Centronics
RS232C , Centronics

IBM, Sperry Sperry
IBM 3278

CIE SYSTEMS INC.

2515 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714, (714) 660-1800

CIE 7103

editing

14-inch ,

monochrome

132 X27

CIE 7800 CIE 7900

editing editing

14 -in c h , monoc hrome
13-inch, 7-color

132 X 27 132X27

RS232C, RS422
RS232C, coax RS232C

ADDS Viewpoint; DEC VT100; IBM 3180-1, 3180 -2
IBM 3178, 3191, 3278; DEC VT100
IBM 3179, 3279; DEC VT100

. /:'
· I q~-!!'

~I
; 1·

1,900(01)

Circle &11
12 programmable function keys, built-in modem
12 programmable function keys, built-in modem Circle 612
bar graphs, plotting

795(01) 495(01)
419(01)
529(01) 499(01)
1,595(01); 1,275(0100) 2,795(01) ; 2,235(0100) 3,090(01); 2,475(0100)
1,6 7 5 ( 0 1 ) ; 1,340(0100) 1,125(01); 900(0100) 1,125(01); 900(0100)
645(01)

Circle 613
16 or 32 programmable function keys, split screen
16 or 32 programmable function ke s, s lit screen
Circle 614
14 programmable function keys, line graphics, 7 national character
sets 15 programmable function keys,
split screen, scroll 10 programmable function keys,
line ra hies
Circle 615
programmable keyboard, scroll, zoom, line drawing graphics programmable keyboard, line
drawing graphics, scroll, zoom, 8 windows
bit-mapped graphics, PLOT 10 software, polygon draw and fill,
scroll, zoom
Circle 616
reprogrammable keyboard, 101 programmable keys, 22
programmable function keys reprogrammable keyboard, 101
programmable keys, 22 programmable function keys reprogrammable keyboard, 101
programmable keys, 22 ro rammable function ke s
Circle 617
80 function keys, split screen

795(01) 1,695(01)

24 function keys, RPO support 24 function keys, printer port

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

151

ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY TERMINALS

I
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CIE TERMINALS INC.

2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714 (714) 660·1421

CIT 20+

editing

14·inch,

monochrome

CIT 101XL CIT 224

editing editing

14-inch, monochrome
14-inch, monochrome

80x25 132X25 132X25

RS232C RS232C

ADDS Viewpoint: Lear Siegler ADM 3A. ADM
5: Televideo 910 DEC VT100, CIT 101e

RS232C, RS422

DEC VT220

399(01) 699(01) 699(01)

Circle 618
32 shifted function keys, non-glare screen, double-size characters
32 programmable function keys, multi-page memory
60 function keys, 11 set-up menus

DATAMAXX USA CORP.

1815 S. Gadsden St .. Tallahassee, FL 32301 , (904) 224-8213

1200 Series

intelligent

14-inch,

132X26

monochrome

7000 Series

intelligent

14-inch, monochrome

132X26

RS232C RS232C

Data General, DEC VT100, IBM 3278
Data General, DEC VT100, IBM 3278

1,195-2,495(01): 850-1,695(0100)
1,695-1,995(01 ): 1,360-1,695(0100)

Circle 619 40 function keys 40 function keys

DATAMEDIA CORP.

11 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, NH 03063, (603) 886-1570

ColorScan 90

intelligent/graphics 12-inch, 8-color

132X24

Elite 60 Elite 90

editing editing

14-inch, monochrome
14-inch, monochrome

80X25 132x24

RS232C , current loop
RS232C
RS232C , current loop

ADDS Regent 25, Hazeltine 1420, Lear
Siegler ADM 3A
ANSI X3.64: DEC VT100, VT101
ADDS Regent 25, Hazeltine 1420, Lear
Siegler ADM 3A

1,850(01): 1,203(0100)
950(01): 646(0100) 925(01): 629(0100)

Circle 620
17 precoded keys , 8 user-defined windows, non-volatile set-up mode
15 programmable, 12 precoded keys: 1 page of memory
17 precoded keys, 8 user-defined windows, non-volatile set-up mode

DATAPOINT CORP.

9725 Datapoint Dr.. San Antonio, TX 78284, (512) 699-7000

7350

editing/graphics

14-inch,

8QX24

monochrome

8216

editing/graphics

14-inch,

monochrome

80x24

8242

editing/graphics

14-inch,

monochrome

84X24

RS232C, RS422

Datapoint 8230

RS232C

IBM PC, TeleVideo 925

RS232C

Datapoint 8220

1.495(01): 1,091(0100)
599(01): 440(0100)
1,095(01): 7 0100

Circle 621
8 function keys, 10 control keys, split screen. character graphics 10 function keys, 10 control keys,
character graphics 10 function keys, 5 control keys, s lit screen, character ra hies

DECISION DATA COMPUTER CORP.

400 Horsham Ad ., Horhsam, PA 19044, (215) 674-3300

3761-41/61

editing

14-inch,

monchrome

3781-01/21

editing

15-inch , monochrome

80X24 132X27

twinax twinax

IBM 5291 IBM 3180, 5291

1,195(01) 1,650(01)

Circle 622
24 command keys, record/play back 24 command keys, record/playback, RS232C
printer port

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS CORP.

P.O. Box 698, Dover, NH 03820, (603) 742-7363

DV7000

intelligent

12·, 14-inch:

monochrome

DV8000 DV9000

intelligent/graphics intelligent/graphics

14-inch, 16-color
14-inch, 16-color

84X24 8QX24 80X24

RS232C, RS422, RS423, current
loop
RS232C, RS422, RS423
RS232C, RS422, RS423

ANSI X3.64, Ann Arbor
ANSI X3.64 ANSI X3.64

Clrcle 823
10 function keys, printer buffer, industrial
screen editor, character and line drawing graphics, industrial
screen editor, character and line drawing graphics. industrial

ERICSSON INFORMATION SYSTEMS AB

(Data Terminals Division, System 11), S-16398 Stockholm , Sweden, 46-8-7937000

DU1110

editing

15-inch,

80x24

twinax

monochrome

DU1111

editing

12-inch, monochrome

80x24

twinax

DU6225

editing

15-inch ,

80x24,

monochrome 132 .x 24

RS423, current loop

IBM 5251 IBM 5291 DEC VT220

Circle 624

FALCO DATA PRODUCTS INC.

1294 Hammerwood Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089, (408) 745-7123

FSOO

intelligent

14-inch,

132x44

monochrome

F5220

intelligent

14-inch,

132x44

monochrome

F5500

intelligent

14-inch,

132x44

monochrome

RS232C, RS422 RS232C, RS422 RS232C, RS422

ADDS, DEC, Hazeltine, TeleVideo, Wyse
DEC VT52, VT100, VT200
ADDS Viewpoint, Data General, IBM,
TeleVideo, W se

795(01) 595(01 ) 495(01)

Circle 625 16 function keys 13 function keys 16 function keys

152

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY TERMINALS

GENERAL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY INC.

1891 McGaw Ave.· Irvine. CA 92714, (714) 261 -1891

7700DS

dumb/graphics

14-inch,

monochrome

7710DS

dumb/graphics

14-inch,

monomchrome

80x25 80x25

twinax twin ax

IBM 5291 IBM 3179-2

GENERAL DIGITAL CORP.

160 Chapel Rd., P.O. Box 1657, Manchester, CT 06040, (203) 647-9700

VuePoint II

intelligent

10'h-inch ,

40 x 12 RS232C, RS422,

monochrome

RS423, RS485,

current loop, TTL

Smart VuePoint

intelligent

10 'h-in c h, monochrome

40 x 12

RS232C , RS422, RS423, RS485, current loo , TTL

HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. (ROSEVILLE TERMINALS DIV.)

8020 Foothills Blvd., Roseville, CA 95678, (916) 786-8000

2392A

intelligent

12-inch ,

80 x 24

monochrome

2394A

intelligent

12-inc h, monochrome

80 x 24

RS232C , RS422, Centronics
RS232C, RS422, Centronics

DEC VT52, VT100 DEC VT52, VT100

HONEYWELL INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC.

200 Smith St. , Waltham, MA 02154, (617) 895-6000

HDS1

editing

14-i nc h ,

monochrome

80X25

HDS3 HDS7

editing editing

14-in c h, monochrome
14-inch, monochrome

80 x 25, 132 X25
80 x 25, 132 X25

RS232C, RS422 RS232C, RS422 RS232C, RS422

ADDS, Hazeltine, Lear Siegler, TeleVideo, Wyse
DEC VT52, VT100, VT220
ANSI X3.64, VIP 7824

HUMAN DESIGNED SYSTEMS INC.

3440 Market St.. Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 382-5000

HDS2200

editing

15-inch,

monochrome

132x 25

RS232C

DEC VT52, VT100, VT220

IBM CORP.

900 King St. , Rye Brook, NY 10573, (914) 934-4828

3162

intelligent

14-inch,

monochrom e

3163

intelligent

12-in c h, mon och rom e

29 x 29

RS232C, RS422A RS232C, RS422A

DEC VT52, VT100, VT220
DEC VT100, TeleVideo 950

INFORMER COMPUTER TERMINALS INC.

12781 Pala Dr. , Garden Grove, CA 92641 , (714) 891-1112

200-205

intelligent

12-inc h ,

monochrome

200-207

intelligent

9-i nc h , monochrome

80 X24 80 X24

200-213

intelligent

10.2 x 5.7-inch, 80 X25 monochrome

RS232C RS232C RS232C

DEC VT102; IBM 3178, 3276; dual 3178/VT100
DEC VT102; IBM 3178, 3276, 5251 ; dual 3178/VT100
IBM 3276

INTECOLOR CORP.

225 Scientific Dr., Norcross, GA 30092,(404) 449-5961

ColorTrend 210

editing/graphics 14-inch, 8-color

132x24

ColorTrend 220

editing

14-inch, 8-color 80 X24

RS232C RS232C

ANSI X3.64; DEC VT52, VT100
DEC VT52, VT100, VT220

ITT COURIER TERMINAL SYSTEMS INC.

P.O. Box 29039, Phoenix, AZ 85038-9039, (602) 894-7000

1778

editing

12-inch,

monochrome

80X24

9210

editing

14 -in c h, monochrome

80 X24

9230/9236

editing/graphics

15-inch,

132 x 24

monochrome/ ?-color

coax coax RS232C

IBM 3270 IBM 3270 DEC VT100, IBM 3270

1,450(01) 1,550(01)
1,375(01) 1,875(01)
525(01) 750(01) 1,200(01)
795(01)
640-724(01) 895-985(01)
995(01); 796(0100) 1,3 9 0 ( 0 1 ) ; 1,112(0100) 3,500(01); 2,800(0100)
1,295(01); 945(0100) 1,695(01) ; 1,095(0100) 1,295(01) 1,295(01) 1,995/2,595(01)

Circle858
bit-mapped graphics
24 function keys, bit-mapped graphics Circle 828
touch sensitive display, 3 pages of memory, 240 programmable
touch areas additional on-board CPU off-loads
processing from controller
Circle 827
8 function keys, 4 pages of memory
8 programmable function keys, 8 a es of memor Circle 628
10 programmable function keys
14 programmable function keys
12 programmable function keys, scroll Circle 829
42 function keys, 4 pages of memory Circle 630
12 function keys, split screen, scroll
12 function keys
Circle 631
24 programmable function keys, built-in modem Circle 632
12 programmable function keys, vector graphics
25 function keys, 15 programmable function keys
Circle 633 24 programmable function keys
24 programmable function keys
24 programmable function keys, split screen

KIMTRON CORP.

1709 Junction Court, Bldg . 380, San Jose, CA 951 12, (408) 436-6550

KT-5 Version L

intelligent

14-in c h ,

132 x 24

monochrome

RS232C

ADDS , DEC, Hazeltine, Lear Siegler, TeleVideo

399(01)

Circle 634 82 programmable function keys

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

153

t-
cfI I ~

.l l J

ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY TERMINALS

. (Ij ;.;!!-
/.;;- .~·- .!

~~
~I!'Ii§
(·):t -.:::/

i·' ",'.. ~~·~

"~1i:f
-$

KT-7 Version L

intelligent

14-inch, monochrome

80X25

KT-7/PC Version L

intelligent

14-inch, monochrome

80x25

LEE DATA CORP.

7075 Flying Cloud Dr., Eden Prairie, MN 55344, (612) 828-0300

1222

editing

15-inch,

80x24,

monochrome 132x27

2131

editing

14-inch, 7-color 80x24, 132x27

LEE DATA CORP. (PHAZE TERMINAL DIV.)

7650 E. Redfield Rd .. Scottsdale, AZ 85260, (602) 991 -6855

1179

editing

14-inch, 7-color 80x24

1191

editing

14-inch, monochrome

8QX24

LIBERTY ELECTRONICS USA

332 Harbor Way, South San Francisco. CA 94080, (415) 742-9960

Freedom ONE

intelligent

14-inch,

132x96

monochrome

Freedom ONE plus
Freedom ONE Turbo

intelligent intelligent

14-inch, monochrome
14-inch, monochrome

80x96 132X96

LINK TECHNOLOGIES INC.

47339 Warm Springs Blvd ., Fremont, CA 94539, (415) 651-8000

220

editing

14·inch.

132X26

monochrome

MC3

editing

14·inch ,

132X44

monochrome

PC Term

editing

14-inch,

132X26

monochrome

RS232C RS232C

Data General D100, D200; DEC VT52,
VT100; TeleVideo 920, 925
IBM PC/AT/XT, TeleVideo 925

coax coax

IBM 3180 IBM 3179, 3279

Centronics coax

IBM 3179, 3279 IBM 3278, 3191

RS232C
RS232C RS232C

ADDS Viewpoint, Lear Siegler ADM 31,
TeleVideo 950, Wyse WY-50
Freedom ONE
DEC VT52. VT100, VT220; Data General
Dasher

RS232C, RS422, RS423, current
loop RS232C, RS422 ,
Centronics, current loop
RS232C, current loop

DEC VT52, VT100, VT220
DEC, Lear Siegler, TeleVideo, Wyse
PC Term, TeleVideo 925, Wyse WY-50

MEGADATA CORP.

35 Orville Dr., Bohemia, NY 11716, (516) 589-6800

8188·4

editing

15-inch,

monochrome

8188-6

editing

15-inch , monochrome

8188-7

intelligent

15-inch, monochrome

MICRO-TERM INC.

512 Rudder Rd., Fenton, MO 63026, (314) 343·6515

Foresight 4520

intelligent

14-inch,

monochrome

Foresight 4525

intelligent

14-inch, monochrome

Foresight 4560

intelligent/graphics 14-inch, monochrome

80 x25
135x26
132X32
80X25, 132X25 80x25, 132X25 80 X25, 132x25

MODULAR COMPUTER SYSTEMS INC. (MODCOMP)

1650 W. McNab Rd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310, (305) 977·1823

4614-A

editing/graphics

14-inch,

132X26

monochrome

RS423

OEM interfaced

RS232C , RS422 Data General 410

RS232C , Centronics , SCSI

ADDS, DEC, IBM, Sperry, TeleVideo

RS232C, RS423, ANSI X3.64; DEC VT52,

current loop

VT100, VT220

RS232C, RS423, ANSI X3.64; DEC VT52,

current loop

VT100, VT220

RS232C, RS423, ANSI X3.64; DEC VT52,

current loop

VT100, VT220;

Tektronix 4010, 4014

RS232C

NCR CORP.

1700 S. Patterson Blvd., Dayton, OH 45479, (513) 445-5000

7930

editing/graphics

12·inch,

80 X25

monochrome

7958

editing

14-inch , monochrome

80X25

RS232C

NCR 7900-1, 7901; ADDS Viewpoint
IBM 3270

499(01)
499(01)
1,885(01) 2,265(01)
1,865(01) 1,115(01)
449(01)
549(01) 599(01)
595(01) 546(01) 649(01)
2,800(0100) 2,700(0100) 2,250(0100)
695(01) 795(01) 1,295(01)
550(01)
995(01); 650(0100) 1,395(01)

84 programmable function keys
20 programmable function keys
Circle 635
24 programmable function keys, windowing, 4 sessions
24 programmable function keys, windowing, 4 sessions Circle 636
24 programmable function keys 24 programmable function keys
Circle 637
16 function keys
16 function keys
16 function keys
Circle 638
38 programmable function keys, split screen
40 programmable function keys, split screen, parallel port , 6 pages
of memory 40 programmable function keys, split screen, bidirectional auxiliary
rt Circle 639
up to 100 function keys, split screen
up to 100 function keys, windowing
Circle 640
15 programmable function keys. split screen, 2 pages of memory 15 programmable function keys, split screen, 7 pages of memory 15 programmable function keys, split screen, 7 pages of memory
Circle 641
64 programmable function keys, 20 editing keys, split screen, line
ra hies characters Circle 642
24 function keys, split screen, 12 graphic symbols 24 function keys

154

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

.I.

t-
clI I ~

l "l

ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY TERMINALS

.,# ;;-.

c..o '!!
..,.~·i.' / .,,.~~f Q·' "-'&= .

! ..
rIi~ .~l+.~ ,-.

...
~,f ..!'
-$'

.
.J'
§ ~
"'~

. ~~
q~·"~-=If

PARADYNE CORP.

8550 Ulmerton Rd ., Largo, FL 33540, (305) 530-2000

7812

intelligent

12-inch.

monochrome

7814

intelligent/graphics 14-inch, monochrome

7913

intelligent/graphics 13-inch, monochrome

80X24 132X43 80X32

current loop

IBM 3278 Model 2

RS232C . current loop
RS232C, current loop

IBM 3278 Model 2. 3, 4, 5
IBM 3279 Model 2B, 3B

PDS TECHNOLOGIES INC.

2000 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06430, (203) 333-5183

Ruggedized

editing

14-inch,

8Qx25

monchrome

RS232C, RS422, ADDS, DEC, Hazeltine, current loop Lear Siegler, TeleVideo

PLESSEY PERIHPERAL SYSTEMS

17466 Daimler Ave., Irvine, CA 92714, (714) 261 -9945

PT224

intelligent

14-inch ,

monochrome

132x24

RS232C, current loop

DEC VT52, YT100, VT102, VT220

PRIME COMPUTER INC.

Prime Park, Natick, MA 01760, (617) 655-8000

PT200

intelligent

14-inch,

monochrome or

15·color

132x48

RS232C, RS422

SCOTT SYSTEMS INC.

99-C South St ., Hopkinton, MA 01886, (617) 435-9578

5101

intelligent

9-, 12-. 14-inch;

monochrome

5271

intelligent

9-, 12-, 14-inch;

monochrome

5301

intelligent

9-, 12-, 14-inch; monochrome

64x30 64x30 64x30

RS232C, current loop
RS232C , current loop
RS232C , current loop

PARS IBM 3270 bisynch
PARS

TAB PRODUCTS CO.

1400 Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304, (415) 852-2400

E-22

intelligent

15-inch,

monochrome

132x27

RS232C

DEC VT52, VT100, VT220

TEC INC.

2727 N. Fairview Ave., P.O. Box 5646, Tucson, AZ 85703 , (602) 792-2230

Data-Pad

editing

9-inch ,

80x16

monochrome

TEC ET 80

editing

15-inch , monochrome

80x25

TEC ET 100

editing

15-inch, monochrome

80x25

RS232C RS232C RS232C

DEC, Hazeltine, Lear Siegler, TeleVideo ANSI X3.64
DEC VT100

TELEVIDEO INC.

1170 Morse Ave ., P.O. Box 3568, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3568, (408) 745-7760

905

intelligent

14-inch,

80x24

RS232C ,

monochrome

current loop

9220 PC Station

intelligent editing

14-inch, monochrome
14-inch, monochrome

8QX24, 132X24
8QX26, 132x26

RS232C, RS423, current loop
RS232C, parallel

ADDS, Hazeltine, Lear Siegler, Oume, Tele Video
DEC VT52, VT100, VT220
IBM PC; Kimtron KT-7/PC; Link PC Term; TeleVideo 905,
925

TELEX COMPUTER PRODUCTS INC.

6422 E. 41st St., Tulsa, OK 74135, (918) 627-1111

078-2

dumb

12-inch ,

monochrome

179-2

dumb

14-inch, 7-color

180-2

dumb

15-inch , monochrome

80x24
80x24 132x27

RS232C
RS232C RS232C

TERMIFLEX CORP.

316 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, NH 03054, (608) 424-3700

HT/40

dumb

2 linesx16

characters

HT/1000

intelligent

4 linesx16 characters

ST/32

dumb

2linesx16 characters

RS232C RS232C RS232C

1,300(01); 1,135(0100) 2.400(0 1); 2,095(0100) 3,100(01); 2,700(0100)
795(01); 585(0100)
895-1,695(01)
3,500(01) 3,500(01) 3,500(01)
660(01); 395(0100)
995(01) 1,795(01) 1,795(01)
409(01) 619(01) 629(01)
1,295(01) 2,095(01) 1.995(01)
395(01) 795(01) 195(01)

Circle 643 24 function keys
24 function keys
24 function keys
Circle 644 10 function keys, industrial
Circle 645 45 programmable function keys,
split screen, scroll Circle 646
26 editing function keys, 26 application function keys
Circle 647 24 function keys, split screen
24 function keys
24 function keys, split screen
Circle 648 51 function keys, split screen, 2
pages of memory Circle 649
10 programmable function keys, scroll, portable, LCD display
16 programmable function keys, split screen, scroll
16 programmable function keys, split screen, scroll Circle 650
32 programmable function keys
30 function keys, 28 editing keys
IBM PC/AT-style keyboard
Circle 651 24 command keys
24 command keys 24 command keys
Circle 652 hand-held, LCD display
4 function keys, LCD display. hand-held, battery pack hand-held, LCD display

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

155

ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY TERMINALS

l .J f

VISUAL TECHNOLOGY INC.

1703 Middlesex St. , Lowell , MA 01851 , (617) 459-4903

Visual 601

editing/graphics

14-inch,

monochrome

132X5Q

Visual 602

editing/graphics

14-inch,

132x50

monochrome

Visual 603

editing/graphics

14-inch,

132X50

monochrome

WYSE TECHNOLOGY

3571 N. First St. , San Jose, CA 95134, (408) 433-1000

WY-60

intelligent

14-inch,

monochrome

132X44

WY-85 WY-350

intelligent intelligent

14-inch, monochrome
14-inch, 8-color palette

ZENTEC CORP.

2400 Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051, (408) 727-7662

ADM 220

intelligent

14-inch,

monochrome

ADM 1000

intelligent

14-inch, monochrome

8392

intelligent

14-inch, monochrome

132X26 132x26
8Qx25, 132x25 8Qx25 80x27, 132x27

RS232C, RS422 , ADDS, Hazeltine, Lear

RS423

Siegler, Tektronix,

TeleVideo, Wyse

RS232C , RS422 , ADDS, DEC, Hazeltine,

RS423

Lear Siegler, Tektronix,

TeleVideo, Wyse

RS232C, RS422, DEC VT52, VT100,

RS423

VT220; Tektronix 4010,

4014

RS232C RS232C RS232C

ADDS, Hazeltine, IBM, Lear Siegler, TeleVideo,
Wyse
DEC VT52, VT100, VT220
ADDS, Hazeltine, Lear Siegler, TeleVideo

RS232C, asynch ASCII
RS232C, asynch

RS232C, RS422

HP 2382A, 2392A, 26216, 2622A

695(01) 695(01) 695(01)
599(01) 599(01) 999(01)
595(01) 399(01) 1,195(01)

Circle 653
48 function keys, split screen , scroll, bit-mapped graphics, PLOT
10 compatible 45 function keys, split screen , scroll, bit-mapped graphics, PLOT
10 compatible 45 function keys, split screen, scroll, bit-mapped graphics, PLOT
10 com atibfe Circle 654
16 function keys, split screen
15 programmable function keys
16 programmable function keys, split screen Circle 655
15 function keys, scroll, non-volatile set-up mode 4 programmable function keys
scroll

NEW ENGLAND
John J . Fahey Regional Manager 199 Wells Ave. Newton, MA 02159 (617) 964-3730
NEW YORK/MIO-ATLANTIC
Joseph T. Porter Regional Manager 1873 Route 70. Suite 302 Cherry Hill , NJ 08003 (609) 751 -0170 in N.Y.: (212) 972-0058
SOUTHEAST
Larry Pullman Regional Manager 6540 Powers Ferry Rd. Suite 170 Atlanta, GA 30339 (404) 955-6500
MIDWEST
Rob Robinson Regional Manager Lynne Graham Sales Coordinator Cahners Plaza 1350 E. Touhy Ave . P.O . Box 5080 Des Plaines , IL 60018 (312) 635-8800
SOUTHWEST
Don Ward Regional Manager 9330 LBJ Freeway. Suite 1060 Dallas, TX 75243 (214) 644-3683
MOUNTAIN STATES
John Huff Regional Manager 270 St . Paul St. Denver, CO 80206 (303) 388-4511
156

REGIONAL SALES OFFICES

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/ NEVADA
Len Ganz Regional Manager 18818 Teller Ave. Irvine, CA 92715 (714) 851-9422
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA/ NORTHWEST
Frank Barbagallo Northwestern Regional Sales Manager Rick Jamison Regional Manager Sherman Building , Suite 100 3031 Tisch Way San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 243-8838
BENELUX
Jan Dawson Tracey Lehane Cahners Publishing Co. 27 Paul St. London EC2A 4J U , England 011 -44-1-628-7030 Telex: 914911 Fax: 01 -628-5984
ISRAEL
Elan Marketing Group 13 Haifa St ., P.O. Box 33439 Tel Aviv, Israel 972-3-252967 Telex: 341667
ITALY AND FRANCE
Alasdair Melville Cahners Publishing Co. 27 Paul St. London, EC2A 4JU, England 011 -44-1-628-7030 Telex: 914911 Fax: 01 -628-5984

JAPAN
Kaoru Hara Dynaco International Inc . Suite 1003. Sun-Palace Shinjuku 8-12-1 Nishishinjuku , Shinjuku-k u Tokyo, 160, Japan 03-366-8301 Telex: J 2322609 DYNACO
KOREA
Korea Media Inc. Room 110, A-11 Bldg . 49-4 Hoihyundong 2-Ka , Chung-ku C.P .O. Box 2314 Seoul, Korea 02-775-9880 Telex: K26249
SCANDINAVIA
Martin Sutcliffe Cahners Publishing Co. 27 Paul St . London, EC2A 4JU, England 011 -44-1-626-7030 Telex: 914911 Fax : 01-628-5984
TAIWAN
Donald Shapiro Trade Winds, 2nd Floor 132 Hsin Yi Ad ., Sec. 2 Taipei , Taiwan 3932718 & 3913251 Telex: 24 117 FC Trade
UNITED KINGDOM
Jan Dawson Tracey Lehane Cahners Publishing Co. 27 Paul St. London. EC2A 4JU, England 011 -44-1-628-7030 Telex: 914911 Fax: 01 -628-5984

WEST GERMANY/ SWITZERLAND/ AUSTRIA/EASTERN BLOC
Uwe Kretzschmar Cahners Publishing Co. 27 Paul St. London, EC2A 4JU, England 011 -44-1-6 28-7030 Telex: 914911 Fax : 01 -628-5984
Mini-Micro Marketplace Carol Flanagan 275 Washington St. Newton, MA 02158 (617) 964-3030
Direct-Response Postcards Carol Flanagan 275 Washington St. Newton, MA 02158 (617) 964-3030
Career Opportunities Carol Flanagan Recruitment Advertising Manager 275 Washington St . Newton, MA 02158 (617) 964-3030
Cahners Magazine Division William Platt, President Tim Burkholder, Vice President Computer Group Tom Dellamaria, VP/Production
Promotion Staff Katherine Doyle Director, Marketing Services Beth-Ann Legare Promotion Assistant
Circulation Denver, CO: (303) 388-4511 Sherri Gronli Group Manager
MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

We've put TI technologies

Right now, there's a revolution going on in the office. Because with the speed, quality and affordability of the new generation of laser printers, applications like desktop publishing are changing the way businesses communicate forever.
The first family of second-generation laser printers.
The first generation of laser printers represented a major step forward in printing capabilities. But that was just the beginning.
Thanks to advanced, second-generation print engines and proprietary TI controllers, we've created a family of laser printers that offers improved com-

patibility and up to 10 times the duty cycle, 15 times the machine life and five times the paper capacity of their first-generation counterparts.
For example, first-generation lasers were capable of handling 3,000 pages per month. But with TI OmniLaserTM Printers, you can produce as many as 25,000 pages a month, and at speeds of eight and 15 pages per minute.
It's what we put into OmniLaser Printers that makes their output so special.
Omnilaser Printers combine advanced electro-photographic technology with the latest semiconductor technology. Text and images are produced with outstanding resolution by

addressing over 7.5 million dots on each page. But since each dot occupies a separate area of memory, it takes large-scale
Tl's expertise in semiconductor technology allows us to create specialized components to prooide laser printer users with increased easeof-use, reliability and power.

to work on paper.

processing and memory power to manipLllate, store and print these documents.
That's why our OmniLaser Printers perform so well. Because when it comes to semiconductor technology, TI wrote the book. Starting with our invention
:if the integrated circuit back in 1958,
md continuing today with our Mega:hip.. technologies that produce
idvanced semiconductor systems-on-a-
:hip, nobody ¥s done more to increase
:he power, density and capability of the
:levices that are becoming the heart of laser printers.
The intelligence inside an OmniLaser Printer is a case in point. It's a propri· !tary Tl controller that's so powerful, it
l8S more sheer processing capability :han you'd find inside an IBM® PC AT..
:omputer.

We also made our Omnilaser Printers easier to operate. Because when you've been building printers as long as Tl has, you develop an understanding of ergonomic factors. Like the convenience that comes from placing virtually all of the operator controls on an easily accessible front panel.
With PostScript®, the integration of text and graphics is anything but an afterthought.
PostScript, a standard in the desktop publishing industry, is a page description language that lets you control the placement, size and appearance of every element in your document. It's sup-
ported by both the OmniLaser 2108 and 2115 models, and with it you can
produce cleaner, clearer, more professional output than was ever previously possible.

The OmniLaser Printer family also includes models that emulate the features of many printer standards, including HP LaserJet Plus, HPGL and IBM Pro Printer.. , and since they're compatible with IBM, Apple® and others, there's an Omnilaser printer that's right for most applications.

These contienient plug-in cartridges provide for
easy font selection, either manually or under software conr:rol.
The Tl printer family includes laser printers,
forrru printers, personal primers and high-output models designed for shared-resource environments.
I> See back page Pr more infemnation. . .

The printers you need
if your needs are demanding.

Our family also includes sharedresource serial-impact printers.
Most shared-resource environments are pretty tough on the hardware involved. So it follows that the more widely your resource is shared, the tougher it'll need to be. Which is one good reason to consider our OMNI 800TM family.
Our Model 810, for example, has become the standard for heavy-duty system printers. Over the years, they've proved themselves to be so durable , most of the world's largest airlines depend on them for ticket printing.
Then there's our Model 880s, which feature high-throughput, near-letterquality printing and high-resolution raster graphics for data processing environments. And just about the only maintenance they require is the occasional ribbon change.
Increase operator productivity and eliminate forms waste.
The latest addition to our printer family is the Model 885 demand document printer. Just like the other family members, it's designed to be rugged and offer superior paper handling. But its differences make it ideal for applications where space is limited and paper waste is a consideration.
We've added a zero tear-off capability that eliminates forms waste. Simply put, it uses just one form where most printers would also use a second. It's front-loading, handles up to five-part forms with ease, and thanks to its small footprint, fits on a desk or countertop.

Tl's 885 demand document printer includes a zero rear-off capability to eliminate forms waste.
Mini or mainframe, our printers connect to IBM.
Plug in Tl's SNA/SDLC coax option and you can connect many of our durable printers to your IBM 3270 system quickly and cost-effectively. In the same way, plug in the TI Twinax option, and you can connect a TI printer to your System 34, 36 or 38.
The personal printers. Our family of personal printers is well
known for its sturdy qualities. We build them to offer industrial strength and design durability, coupled with convenient features like easily changeable font cartridges.
They feature dual-mode, letter-quality, color and graphics printing, and come in both 80- and 132-column models. And since they're compatible with most PC hardware and software on the

market, they can help in virtually any application. Durability and technology. A combination that's engineered to work for you.
As you can rrobably tell, there's a broad range of TI printers designed to fill most any need. And as different as they are in function, they have a couple of things in common: durable design and advanced technology.
Oprional interface boards make TI printers compatible with IBM 's 3270 protocol, or with System 34 , 36 or 38 minicomputers.
At Texas Instruments, building printers that deliver these qualities isn't just a goal, it's a commitment. We call it putting TI technologies to work on paper. And all you need to do to put it to work for you is call us toll-free at 1-800-52 7-3500. Call us soon. Because with your input, we can get to work on improving your output.

31672 Q 1987Tl
OmniLascr, MegaChip and OMNI 800 are trademarks of Texas Instruments Incorporated .
IBM is a registered trademark and PC AT and Pro Printer arc trademarks of lmemacional Business Machines Corporation.
PostScript 1s a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

TEXAS .
INSTRUMENTS

MATRIX CHARACTER PRINTERS

l' I

13-- I I
~,$
"~

"' (~: ;..;!-' .

3M CO. (TELETERMINAL PRODUCTS)

311 Turquoise St., Milpitas, CA 95035, (408) 943-1970

1902/1912

thermal

(5X7)

1904/1914

thermal

5x 7

ADVANCED MATRIX TECHNOLOGY INC.

1157 Tourmaline Dr., Newbury Park , CA 91320, (805) 499-8741

AMT 2000 Office Printer

impact

45, 100, 250

AMT 2100 Office Printer

impact

45, 100, 250

ALPS AMERICA

3553 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95134, (408) 946·6000

AL0224

impact

240

(24X36)

P2000

impact

250

(18X23)

P2424C

impact

360

(24X36)

APPLE COMPUTER INC.

20525 Mariani Ave., Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 996-1010

lmagewriter II

impact

250

(7x8

BROTHER INTERNATIONAL CORP.

8 Corporate Place, Piscataway, NJ 08854, (201) 981 -0300

M·1709

Impact

50, 200, 240

(7X9)

M-1724

impact (18X24)

60 , 72, 180, 216

M-4018

impact 9X11

100, 400·480

C. ITOH ELECTRONICS INC.
19300 s. Hamilton Ave ., Torrance, CA 90248, (213) 327-9100

9700

impact

100-250

(24X33)

9815

impact (18X36)

135·400

TPX-80

thermal (24X 15

50, 80

CIE TERMINALS INC.

2505 McCabe Way, Irvine , CA 92714 , (714) 660-1421

Tri Printer Model 10, 20, 30

impact

88-350

(17X16)

CITIZEN AMERICA CORP.

2425 Colorado Ave.. Santa Monica, CA 90404, (213) 453-0614

1200

impact

25, 120

(9X9)

MSP-10/ 15

impact (9X9)

40, 160

MSP-20/25

impact 9X9)

50, 200

DATAPRODUCTS CORP.

6200 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91365 , (818) 887·8000

8070 PLUS

impact

100, 300, 400

(1 8 X9)

l
,/'J'
(j
40, 80 40, 80
80, 96, 160 136, 163, 272 136, 163, 272
programmable
136 136 136
272, programmable
272, programmable
80, 96, 136
233, ro rammable 40, 48, 80, 96,
136, 160 40-136/68-231 40-160/68-272
132, 158, 226

~~i '

,,..i..!.../
~·r~:·#..

.. §
8/
"--=

RS232C (300 to 9.6K bps)
Centron.ics

299(01) 289(01)

RS232C, Centronics, ASCII parallel , Diablo,
Oume, NEC (110·19.2K bps) RS232C, Centronics , ASCII parallel, Diablo,
Oume , NEC (110-19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics
RS232C, Centronics
RS232C, Centronics

1,845(01) 1,645(01)
695(01) 995(01) 1,395(01)

Appletalk, serial

595(01)

RS232C , Centronics (9.6K bps)
Centronics, RS232C (9.6K bps)
Centronic, RS232C 9.6K b s)

699(01); 517(0100)
899(01)
1,895(01)

RS232C , Centronics (19.2K bps)
RS232C , Centronics (19.2K bps)
Centronics (9.6K bes)

1,395(01) 1,995(01) 350(01)

RS232C, Centronics 19.2K b s)

1,995(01)

parallel parallel parallel

269(01) 499/599(01) 499/749(01)

RS232C, Centronics (9.6K bps)

2,099(01)

...
,§
..~. ~
~
#
Circle 566 bit-image graphics
bit-image graphics
Circle 567 color printing for graphics and text , noise level less than 55 dB(a)
color printing for graphics and text, noise level less than 55 dB(a)
Circle 568 7-color printing, bit-image graphics
bit-image graphics
7-color printing , bit-image graphics
Circle 569 color printing, bit·mapped graphics
Circle 570 bit-image graphics, noise
level 55 dB(a) graphics
color printing, graphics
Circle 571 bidirectional graphics, quiet mode,
32K-byte buffer bidirectional graphics. programmable font cartridges color printing , noise level
less than 50 dB(a) Circle 572
removable interface, _p~in font cartrid e
Circle 573 graphics graphics graphics
Circle 574 color printing, bit-image graphics

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ May 1987

161

Four Lines. No aiting.

Our new CI-400 and CI-800 dot matrix line printers just added an extra way to get things done fast: A fourth speed we call our EXPRESS line. Which is going to make threespeed line printers look old-fashioned and awkward. And a thing of the past.

LO Memo Mode Mode

DP Hi-Speed Mode Oran
Mode

No matter what speed's on line, both printers use C.Itoh's proprietary longlife print head design, and a small dot wire to fill those hard-to-reach corners for corporate letter quality correspondence and solid industryspecified bar codes.

The four-speed CI-400 and CI-800 printers can print just about anything that your business needs. The CI-400, for example, prints out 400 lines per minute for high-speed data processing assignments. On the other line, tight and accurate letter quality at 85 lpm. In between you get 300 lpm for crisp, high-contrast bar codes and graphics, and a convenient 200 lpm memo mode.
The CI-800 takes four speeds even further. For even faster flexibility at 170, 400, 600 and 800 lines per minute.

All of which means you don't have to change lines to use one printer for one job and a different printer for another. Because the four speeds are all in one. Ready and waiting.
The new CI-400 and CI-800 line printers. You'll like our new line. In four different ways.
For more information on the CI-400 and CI-800, contact CIE Terminals, a C.Itoh company, 2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714; or call (714) 6601421 or our toll-free number(800) 624-2516.

CIE Terminals

CIE Terminals, Inc., 2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714 · Telephone: (714) 660-1421 (800) 624-2516
CIRCLE NO. 80 ON INQUIRY CARD

MATRIX CHARACTER PRINTERS

DATASOUTH COMPUTER CORP.

4216 Stuart Andrew Blvd ., Charlotte, NC 28210, (704) 523-9500

DS 180

impact

180

(9X7)

DS 220

impact

220

(9X7

RS232C, Centronics (110-9.6K bps)
RS232C , Centronics ---~((_110-9 . 6K ~)

1,395(01) 1,695(01)

Circle 575 dot-addressable graphics dot-addressable graphics

DICONIX INC. (KODAK CO.)

3100 Research Blvd ., Dayton , OH 45420, (513) 259-3100

150

, inkjet

150

RS232C, Centronics

479(01

Circle 576 graphics, light weig_ht , portable

EPSON AMERICA INC.

2780 Lomita Blvd ., Torrance, CA 90505, (213) 539-9140

EX-800

impact

300

(9X9)

EX-1000

impact

300

(9X9)

L0-2500

impact

324

(18x18)

80, 96 80, 96 136, 163

parallel, serial (300-9.6K .bps)
serial, parallel (300-9.6K bps)
serial, parallel (300-9.6K bps)

749(01) 995(01) 1,595(01)

Circle 577 color printing, graphics color printing, graphics color printing, graphics

ERGO SYSTEMS INC.

1758 Junction Ave., Suite G, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 436-7722

HUSH 80

thermal

6x7

40, 80, 160, r rammable

RS232C, Centronics (300-1200 bps)

165-230(01): 132-184 0100)

Circle 578 bit-mapped graphics, portable

FACIT INC.

9 Executive Park Dr., P.O. Box 334, Merrimack, NH 03054-0334, (603) 424-8000

4528

impact

165-225

80, 136

(9x9)

B3350

impact (18X18)

200

80, 136,

programmable

C7500

impact 18X18)

400

80, 136,

r rammable

RS232C, Centronics (9.6K bps)
RS232C , Centronics (9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics
9.6K b s

1,175-1,895(01)

Circle 579 bit-mapped graphics

1, 195-1,265(01) color printing , bit-mapped graphics

1,195-2,495(01) color printing, bit-mapped graphics

FLORIDA DATA CORP.

600D John Rodes Blvd ., Melbourne, FL 32935, (305) 259-4700

130

impact

75-600

(8X12)

3000

impact (8X12)

195-600

85-132, 237 85-132, 237

RS232C, Centronics, Dataproducts
(up to 19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, Dataproducts
___illE_!o 19.2K bps)

3,995(01) 3,495(01)

Circle 580

FUJITSU AMERICA INC.

3055 Orchard Dr ., San Jose, CA 95134. (408) 946-8777

DL2400

impact

60, 180

136

(36X24)

Centronics, IBM (200-9.6K bps)

1,195(01)

Circle 581
color printing: graphics: double, triple bin sheet feeder

DL2600

impact (36X24)

80, 240

136

RS232C , Centronics,

1,795(01)

color printing : graphics: double,

Diablo, IBM

triple bin sheet feeder

(600-9.6K bps)

DX2100/2200

impact (18X16)

44, 220

80, 136

RS232C, Centronics,

545/695(01)

graphics

Epson

~~~,~------~='-2'0=0-9.6K b=s"'---------------~-----

GENERAL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY INC.

1891 McGaw Ave., Irvine, CA 92714, (714) 261 -1891

5220DP

impact

400

(9X9, 9X18)

up to 198

twin ax

3,995(01)

Circle 582

5222DP

impact

200

(9X11, 17X11)

up to 198

twinax

2,495(01)

5227FA

impact (9X9)

120

up to 132

twinax

1,995(01)

GENICOM CORP.

Genicom Dr., Waynesboro. VA 22980, (703) 949-1170. (800) 437-7468

1020/1025

impact

100, 200

136-226/80-137

(36x 18)

programmable

3000 Series

impact (21X18)

90-180. 300-400

136-244,

programmable

3210

impact (9x18)

60, 240

132-226, programmable

RS232C, Centronics, Diablo, Epson, IBM
(9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, Diablo. IBM (9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, IBM, Okidata (9.6KQJ2s

998/798(01) 1,995-2, 645(01)
1,495(01)

Circle 583
dot-addressable, block, line drawing graphics
dot -addressable, block , line drawing graphics
dot-addressable, block, line drawing graphics

HEWLETT-PACKARD CO.

P.O. Box C-006, Vancouver, WA 98668-C006, (206) 254-8110

HP 2934A

impact

67, 200

(9X12, 36X24)

136, 223

RS232C (9.6K bps)

2,995(01)

Circle 584 bar code generation

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

163

MATRIX CHARACTER PRINTERS

/'
l I~
(Jo

,, I l--
I~

~, t(--.;:.

.!'~-;;..
4.~

I
I
,J
CJ

<~: ii'
"l' -1·l
~~~
.$~' ~~

.,. /-':..
·!!
4.<:...:

,,.,. .....,,,~, ~
;f-!'

OuietJet Plus ThinkJet

ink jet (19X12, 19X32)
ink jet 11 x12

40, 48, 160, 192
150

132, 158 80

RS232C, Centronics
RS232C , Centronics, HP-IB, HP-IL

799(01) 495(01)

HONEYWELL INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC.

200 Smith St. , Waltham, MA 02154 , (617) 895-3490

PRU7175 Model 34

impact

(9X9, 18X6Q)

45, 200

PRU7250 Model 46

impact (11 x9, 36x 1~

70, 400, 480

132, 158, 198, 220 136, 163, 204, 227

RS232C, RS422A (9.6K bps)
RS232C, RS422A J19.2K bEJS)

2,450(01); 1,960(0100)
3,495(01) ; _sz96(0100)

HONEYWELL INFORMATION SYSTEMS ITALIA

390 Fourth St ., San Francisco, CA 94017, (415) 974-6116

4/21

impact

40, 200

(9X11, 18X36)

4/66

impact (9X11, 9X36,
18x36)

75, 180, 480

4/66P

impact (9 X1 1, 9x36,
18X36)

75, 180, 480

136, 232
136, 213, programmable
136, 233, programmable

RS232C, Centronics (9.6K bps)
RS232C, RS422 (19.2K bps)
RS232C, RS422. Centronics (19.2K bps

849(01) 2,400(01)
2,995(01)

IBM CORP.

Old Orchard Rd ., Armonk, NY 10504, (914) 765-1900

4202

impact

40, 100, 200

(9X12)

4210

impact (9 x 12, 9 x 24,
18 x 24)

40, 100, 200

4224 Model 2C2

impact (7X7, 7X13,
12X 13)

100, 200, 400

136, programmable
66, 220, programmable
132, 158, 198

RS232C, Centronics (9.6K bps) twinax
IBM 43XX, 303X, 308XX, 309X, System/370,
3174[3274 Control Unit

799(01) 1,800(01) 6,700(01)

INFOSCRIBE INC.

1808 Michael Faraday Court , Reston , VA 22090, (703) 689-2805

800

impact

40, 200

(19x18)

1100

impact (19X18)

40, 200

1400

impact (24X18)

80, 400

136, 163, 224
136, 163, 224
136, 163, 224, rogrammable

RS232C, Centronics, current loop (9.6K bps)
RS232C , Centronics, current loop (9.6K bps)
parallel (9.6K bps)

1,895(01); 1,137(0100)
1,490(01) ; 894(0100)
1,845(01); 1,107(0100)

JDL INC. 2801 Townsgate Rd., Suite 104, Westlake Village, CA 91361, (805) 495-3451

850 EWS

impact (12X24, 36X24)

144, 360 136, 163, 232, 272

850 EWS/GL

impact (12X24, 36X24

144, 360 136, 163, 232, 272

RS232C, Centronics (600-19.2K bps)
RS232C , Centron1cs (600-19.2K bps)

2,495(01) 3,495(01)

MANNESMANN TALLY CORP.

8301 S. 180th St ., Kent , WA 98032, (206) 251 -5500

MT87

impact

200

(24X18)

MT290

impact

200

(40X18)

MT490

impact

400

48X18

RS232C, Centronics, Apple serial (9.6K bps)

132, 154, 218, 264 RS232C , c urrent loop , IEEE (9.6K bps)

132, 158, 198, 225

RS232C, Centronics 9.6K b s

599(01) 1,099(01) 2,549(01)

MODULAR COMPUTER SYSTEMS INC. (MODCOMP)

1650 W. McNab Rd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310, (305) 977-1823

4228

impact

150

132

(9X7)

4856

impact

150

132

9x7

RS232C (110-9.6K bps)
parallel DMP

4,140(01) 3,519(0100)
4,400(01) ; 3,740(0100)

NCR CORP.

1700 S. Patterson Blvd., Dayton , OH 45479, (513) 445-4000

6411

impact

180

6444

impact

400

80, 136
136, r rammable

RS232C, Centronics (19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics (19.2K bps)

795(01) 2,695(01)

noise level less than 48 .5 dB(a)
dot-addressable graphics
Circle 585 graphics, bar codes
7-color printing , graphics
Circle 586 bit-mapped graphics,
plug-in interface color printing, bit-mapped
graphics, fanfold and cut sheet feeder
color printing, bit-mapped graphics, plotter emulation
Circle 587 bit-mapped graphics,
SK-byte buffer
color printing; bit-image, vector graphics
Circle 588 dot-addressable graphics,
ruggedized
dot-addressable graphics, ruggedized
dot-addressable graphics, ~di zed Circle 589
14-color printing, graphics, plotter emulation
14-color printing , graphics, plotter emulation, HP-GL compatible Circle 590 dot-addressable graphics
dot-addressable graphics
color printing, dot-addressable ra hies Circle 591
Circle 592 color printing, bit-mapped graphics
bit -mapped graphics

164

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MATRIX CHARACTER PRINTERS

NEC INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC.

1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA 01721 , (617) 264-8000

P5XL

impact

100. 290

(24X36)

132-272

P6 P9XL

impact (24X36)
impact (24X36)

65, 216 140, 400

80-160 132-272

NEWBURY DATA INC.

2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 208, Hermosa Beach , CA 90254, (213) 372-3775

OSP 1

impact

110, 180

1-226,

(9 x 8, 9 x 5)

programmable

OSP 2

impact (12 x 10, 12 x 20)

100, 200

1-226, programmable

OSP 3

impact
1" x20

50, 100, 200

1-226, r rammable

NISSHO INFORMATION SYSTEMS CORP.

10855 Business Center Dr., Suite 100, Cypress, CA 90630, (714) 952-8700

NP-910

impact

58, 350

132-237

(9X 12, 17X24)

NP-2410

impact (24x 18, 24 x 36)

150-225, 300-540

OKI DATA

532 Fellowship Rd., Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, (609) 235-2600

Microline 193 Plus

impact

38, 180

(9x9, 17x17)

Microline 293

impact (9 X9, 17X17)

100, 200

Microline 294

impact 9x9, 17x17

100, 400

OLYMPIA USA INC.

P.O. Box 22, Somerville, NJ 08876, (201) 722-7000

NP 80

impact

200

(9X9)

NP 136

impact

200

(9X9)

OUTPUT TECHNOLOGY CORP.

E. 9922 Montgomery, Spokane, WA 99206, (509) 926-3855

OT-700n

impact

700

(9X7)

OT-850XL OT-880XL

impact

850

(9X7)

impact

850

9X7

PERSONAL MICRO COMPUTERS INC.

275 Santa Ana Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (408) 737 -8444

DMP-85

impact

120

7x9)

PRINTEK INC.

1517 Townline Rd ., Benton Harbor, Ml 49022, (616) 925-3200

910

impact

200

(9X9, 24X 18)

920

impact

340

(9X9, 24X18)

FormsPro 2000

impact 9X9, 24X18

200 '

PRINTRONIX INC.

17500 Cartwright Rd., Irvine , CA 92714, (714) 863-1900

S7024

impact

240

(7X9)

SINGER DATA PRODUCTS

790 Maple Lane, Bensenville , IL 60106, (312) 860-6500

612

impact

400

(18x36)

132-237
136, 163, 233 136, 163, 233 136, 163, 233. r rammable
40, 48, 68, 80, 96, 137
81 , 136, 163, 233
68, 81, 113, 136, 163, 226,
programmable 68, 81, 113, 136,
163, 226, 247 68, 81 , 113, 136,
163, 226, 247
80, 96, 137, r rammable
up to 227 up to 227 up to 227
68, 81, 136, 163, 232,
r rammable
132, 158, 198, 237, programmable

RS232C, Centronics, Diablo, Epson (9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics , Epson (9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, Diablo, Epson (9.6K bps)

1,495(01) 699(01) 1.795(01)

Centronics (9.6K bps)
Centronics (9.6K bps)
Centronics 9.6K b s

1,330(01); 770(01000)
1,420(01); 822(01000)
1,690(01); 1Q00

RS232C, Centronics, coax, twinax
(up to 19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics ~P. t'2.J.9.2K b s) ~

1,445(01) 1,845(01)

RS232C, RS422 (up to 19.2K bps)
RS232C , RS422. parallel (up to 19.2K bps)
RS232C , RS422, parallel u to 19. 2K~s)

749(01) 949(01) 1,499(01)

Centronics (9.6K bps)
Centronics (9.6K bps)

499(01) 649(01)

RS232C, Centronics (up to 9.6K bps)
RS232C , Centronics (up to 19.2K bps) twinax, parallel

2,395(01) 3,795(01)

Circle 593 color printing, graphics
graphics graphics
Circle 657
Circle 594 bit-mapped graphics, plug-in
cartridge interfaces bit-mapped graphics , plug-in
cartrid e interfaces Circle 595
bit-image graphics 14-color printing, bit-image
graphics
Circle 596 graphics, 7K-byte buffer graphics, 7K-byte buffer
Circle 597 dot-addressable graphics,
bar codes graphics, bar codes graphics, bar codes, 3 heads

Circle 598

Centronics

295(01)

proportional print , bit-mapped graphics
Circle 599

RS232C, Centronics (9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics (9.6K bps)
RS232C, Centronics
- (9.6K b s)

1,595(01) 2,395(01) 2,095(01)

dot-addressable graphics dot -addressable graphics dot -addressable graphics
Circle 600

RS232C, Centronics, IBM 3270, 5225 (9.6K b s

1,365(01)

color printing, bit-mapped graphics

Circle 601

RS232C , Centronics, current loop, Diablo
(150-9.6K bps)

less than 1,700(01)

bit-mapped graphics

166

MINI-M ICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

MATRIX CHARACTER PRINTERS

tf~.1G/.1.~. ~~

I
4.~~.!~ -

,I I
(j'

i'
<~;:
.l
,,.,. ·l'"
-~$~ '~ ~<~!i~

... ~·t~'
"if§
q .!f

615

impac t

400

132, 158, 198, 237, RS232C, Centronics, less than 1,700(01)

color printing, bit-mapped

(18 X36)

programmable

current loop, Diablo

graphics

(150-9.6K bps)

impact

400

132, 158, 198, 237, RS232C, Centronics, less than 1,700(01)

color printing , bit-mapped

(18X36)

programmable

current loop, Diablo

graphics

150·9.6K b s

STAR MICRONICS AMERICA INC.

200 Park Ave ., Suite 3510, New York, NY 10166, (212) 986-6770

NB-15

impact

100, 300

(24X13, 24X15)

NB24-15

impact 24X27 , 24X31

60, 180

Centronics Cen tronics

1,449(01) 1,099(01)

Circle 602

SYNTEST CORP.

40 Locke Dr., Marlboro, MA 01752, (617) 481 -7827

SP-2010

impact

130

5x9

Circle 603

RS232C , Centronics

1,035(01)

rackmount , ruggedized

110-9.6K b s

TANDY CORP. (RADIO SHACK)

1800 One Tandy Center, Fort Worth , TX 76102, (817) 390-30 11

DMP 130

impact

100

(9X9, 18X18)

DMP430

impact

180

DMP 2110

im act

80, 132, programmable
80, 132
80, 132

Centronics (600 to 2.4K bps)
Ce ntr onic s (600 to 2.4K bps)
Centronics

349(01) 699(01) 1, 01

Circle 604 graphics graphics
ra hies

TELEX COMPUTER PRODUCTS INC.

6422 E. 41st St. , Tulsa, OK 74135, (918) 627-1111

214XP

impact

9 X9, 18X24

100, 400

136, 220

twinax

5,100(01)

Circle 605 label printing applications

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC.

P.O. Box 809063, Dallas, TX 75380-9063, (800) 527·3500

850XL

impact

35, 150

(9 x 9, 15X18)

855

impa c t

35, 150

(9X9, 32X 18)

860XL

(9 X9, 15X 18)

35, 150

80, 134 80, 134 136, 272

RS232C, RS422, RS488, parallel (200-9.6K bps)
RS232C, RS422, RS488, parallel (300-9.6K bps)
RS232C, parallel

Circle 606
bit-mapped graphics, bidirectional printing, 256K-byte buffer
bit-mapped graphics, 256K-byte buffer, dual mode
bit-mapped graphics, wide-carria e version of 850XL

TOSHIBA AMERICA INC.

2441 Michelle Dr., Tustin, CA 92680, (7 14) 730-5000

P321

impact

72, 216

(24x36)

P341

impac t (24X36)

72, 216

P351 Model 2

impact 24X36

100, 300

80, 132 136, 226 136, 226

RS232C, Centronics (19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics (19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics 19.2K bps

699(01) 1,099(01) 1,599(01)

Circle 607 graphics graphics color printing, gr.aphics

WANG LABORATORIES INC.

One Industrial Ave., Lowell , MA 01851 , (617) 459-5000

VS-PM017

impact

400

132

VS -PM019

impact

200

132

RS232C (9.6K bps)
RS232C
(9 . 6Kb~

2,100(01) 1,395(01)

Circle 608 noise level less than 55 dB(a)

WENGER PRINTERS AG

Im Kagen 23/25, CH-4153 Reinach, Switzerland , (061) 76 87 87

Wenger 1/1

impact

30, 160

(9 X12, 18X36)

40, 48, 60, 68, 80, 96, 120, 137

RS232C, RS422A, Centronics, current loop
(110-19.2K bps)

Wenger 3/ 1

impact (9X 12, 18 X36)

75, 400

66, 80, 100, 112, 132, 158, 198, 220, 226

RS232C, RS422. Centronics
(300-19.2K bps)

Wenger 4/1

impact (9 X 12, 18X36)

100, 130, 400,

66-300

RS232C, RS422,

600

Centronics, current loop

-~-------=-_. (50-19.2K bps

XEROX CORP. (BUSINESS SYSTEMS GROUP)

P.O. Box 24, Rochester, NY 14692, (800) 334-6200

Companion 34LO

impact

(9X11 , 18X6Q)

60, 270

132, 226

RS232C, RS422A, Centronics
(1 .2K to 9.6K bps)

1,399(01); 1,119(0100)

Circle 609 bit-image graphics, noise level
less than 48 dB(a) color printing, bit-image graphics
color printing, bit-image graphics
Circle 610 bit-mapped graphics

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 198~

167

Electronic
American ElectronicsAssociation and Business present:

JJfilTIDfilIID IEil~cr;1lrr@IIDfi~~
A Business and Technology Update

~ he Japan Electronics seminar on October 7 in
ll Osaka is designed to help European and U.S.
executives seek out new business opportunities in Japan. The day-long seminar, which will coincide with the Japan Electronics Show, has been structured to provide attendees with a statistical overview of the Japanese electronics industry, as well as a preview of upcoming technological trends.
The seminar is intended both as an introduction to Japan for first-time visitors as well as an update of Japanese business and technology for seasoned travelers in the Far East. If you buy from, compete with, or sell to Japanese electronics companies, this seminar is for you.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Kaoro Kubo, vice president and general manager of NTI lntemational. ."The Japanese telecommunications industry: Opportunities for foreign suppliers"
Kazuhiko Kobayashi, manager of the Systems Engineering Division of Hitachi Ltd. "Factory automation in the Japanese computer industry"
Hiroshi Komiya, head of the Saijou Works, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. "Manufacturing technology in the semiconductor industry"
Bill Totten, president of Ashisuto K.K. "The Japanese market for U.S. and European software"
David H. Johnson, senior manager for Network Systems Sales, AT&T International. "Opportunities for U.S. communications manufacturers in Japan"
Dinker Bir, vice president of technology at Northern Telecom Japan Inc. 'Trends in telecommunications"
Pat O'Malley, strategic marketing director for the Semiconductor Sector at Nippon Motorola Ltd. "The Japanese semiconductor market"
Gen Narui, regional manager for Educational Services at Nihon Digital Equipment Corp. "Recent developments in artificial intelligence at DEC"

DATE: October 7, 1987
In conjunction with the Japan Electronics Show
LOCATION: Royal Hotel, Osaka, Japan
SEMINAR FEE: $350
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: English

CO-SPONSORS: AEAand Electronic Business
In cooperation with:
RAI Gebouw bv of Holland U.S. Electronics Industry
Japan Office Japan Electronics Show
Association Osaka Chamber of
Commerce and Industry EON magazine Elektronica of Holland Plesman Publications of
Canada

Stephen Donovan, representative director of Monolithic Memories K.K. "Selling niche products in Japan" Shohei Kurita, Tokyo editor for Electronic Business, author. "The Fifth Generation Computer Project" Gene Norrett, vice president and director of the Semiconductor Industry Group, Dataquest Inc. "Electronics trends among countries on the Pacific Rim" Alberto Socolovsky, associate publisher and editorial director of Electronic Business. "Structui;al differences between the U.S. and Japanese electronics industries"
Speaking on "Trends in consumer electronics":
Nobuyoshi Yokobori, manager of the R&D Planning Office, Corporate Engineering Division, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. Masaru Yamano, executive vice president, Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. Tadashi Sasaki, corporate management advisor, Sharp Corp. Nobuo Tateishi, executive vice president, Omron.Tateishi Electronics Corp.

REGISTRATION FORM

NAME - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - COMPANY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~
ADDRESS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

CITY _ _ __ _ _ _ STATE ____ ZIP _ _ _ __

TEL

TELEX

FAX _ _ _ __

NUMBER TO ATIEND - -- - - - - - - - - -
0 PAYMENT ENCLOSED

Please return your registration to:

IN U.S.A.: Ms. Florence Lewis American Electronics Assoc. 520 I Great American Parkway Santa Clara, Calif. 95054 Tel: (408) 987-4200
IN CANADA: Ms. Sharon Raspin Plesman Publications 2 Lansing Square, #703 Willowdale, ON. M2J SAi Tel: (416) 497-9562

IN JAPAN: Mr. Steve Weiner U.S. Electronics Office Kioicho Nanbu Bldg., 3F 3-3 Kioicho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo Tel: (03) 237-7195
IN HOLLAND: Nippon Express Nederland bv Pamassutoren Locatellikada I 1076 AZ Amsterdam Tel: (020) 79 27 77

CIRCLE NO. 83 ON INQUIRY CARD

IMPACT LINE PRINTERS

~' ~

qI~I

/.
lf~
c!i

CIE TERMINALS INC.

2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714, (714) 660·1421

Cl -3 0 0 +

85-300

266,

programmable

Cl-600+

170-600

266, programmable

DATAPRODUCTS CORP.

6200 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91365, (818) 887-8000

B-300/600/1000

300/650/1025

132, 136

BP-1500/2000 LB-300/615

1500/2000 330/650

132, 136 136

DECISION DATA COMPUTER CORP.

400 Horsham Rd ., Horsham, PA 19044, (215) 757-3322, (800) 523-6529

6706

600

132, 198

6807

700

132

DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORP.

200 Baker Ave., West Concord, MA 01742, (617) 264-1111

LG01

600

LG02

600

LP27

1200

132

GENERAL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY INC.

1891 McGaw Ave., Irvine, CA 92714, (714) 261-1891

3320LP

900

132

5240

300

198

5241

600

198

GENICOM CORP.

Genicom Dr., Waynesboro, VA 22980, (703) 949-1000

4410

400

132, 158, 175, 198, 217,

programmable

4440

800

132, 158, 175, 198, 217,

programmable

4500 Series

400, 800

132, 158, 175, 198, 217, ro rammable

HETRA COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIES INC.

P.O. Box 9000, Sebastian, FL 32958, (305) 589-7331

3106

6000

132

3300

1000

132

M INI-MICRO SYSTEM S/ M ay 1987

,~__

., ~i'
. ../

,, '.!!
"'"

~I~~#I

.. ;f
· 1 4.l?-!!'

~..
I
,,~.
~
~
Circle 551

3.5-16 3.5-16

RS232C , Centronics, Dataproducts (19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, Dataproducts 19.2K b s

4,495(01) 6,795(01)

bar codes, dual microprocessors with RAM
and ROM
bar codes, dual microprocessors with RAM
and ROM
Circle 552

3.5-18.75 3-16

RS232C, RS422, Centronics,
Dataproducts (19.2K bps)
RS232C , Centronics, Dataproducts (19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, Dataproducts 19.2K b s

6, 143/8,642/12,936(01) 22, 700/30,390(01) 5,495/6,795(0 1)

acoustic cabinet
direct access VFU, universal power supply
Circle 553

4-16 3.5 -17.5

twinax twinax

11,250(01) 11,450(01)

bit-mapped graphics Circle 554

4-16 4-16 3.5-18

RS232C, Dataproducts (1200 to 19.2K bps)
RS232C, Dataproducts (1200 to 19.2K bps)
Data~roducts

11 ,950(01) 14,000(0 1) 29,000-33,000(01)

graphics Circle 555

4-18 3.5-16 3.5-16

twin ax twinax twinax

12,500(01) 7,195(01) 9,595(01)

acoustic cabinet Circle 556

3-16.54 3-16.54 3-16.54

RS232C, Centronics, Dataproducts, Printronix (19.2K bps)
RS232C , Centronics, Dataproducts , Printronix (19.2K bps)
coax, twinax

6 ,195(01) 7,795(01) 1. 790 -9.420(o 1)

dot-addressable, block, line graphics
dot-addressable, block, line graphics
dot-addressable, block, line ra hies Circle 557

3.5-19 3.5-19

RS232C, Centronics, current loop , Dataproducts , IEEE 488 (19.2K bps)
RS232C, Centronics, current loop, Dataproducts , IEEE 488 19.2K b s

10,000(01) 14,000(01)

169

IMPACT LINE PRINTERS

HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. (BOISE DIV.)

11311 Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID 83714, (208) 323-2297

25639

300

132-220

2564B

600

132-220

25679

1200, 1600

132-220

3-16.7 3-16.7 3-18

RS232C , RS422C , Centronics,
Dataproducts, IEEE 488
(19.2K bps)
RS232C, RS422C, Centronics,
Dataproducts, IEEE 488
(19.2K bps)
RS232C , RS422C , Centronics,
Dataproducts, IEEE 488

5,700(01) ; 4,731(0100)
12,445(01); 10,080(0100)
28,050(01 ); 21,879(0100)

Circle 558 raster graphics
raster graphics
raster graphics

HONEYWELL INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC.

200 Smith St., Waltham, MA 02154, (617) 895-6000

PRU9901/9902

300/600

132/136

PRU9903/9904

900/1200

136

3-15 4-19

DPS 6 DPS 6

Circle 559
11,500-14,450(01); 8,050-11 ,115(0100) 26,000-33,000(01 ); - - 18,200-23,.1:.:0::.0::.(i..0:::..1:-0=.0::J)._ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

IBM CORP.

Old Orchard Rd ., Armonk, NY 10504, (914) 765-1900

4234 Model 2

120, 300, 400

4245-T20

2000

5262

650

3.5-16 35-22 3.5-16

twinax twinax twinax

8,800(01) 35,000(01) 13,500(01)

Circle 656

MANNESMANN TALLY CORP.

8301 S. 180th St., Kent, WA 98032, (206) 251 -5500

MT660

600

80, 100, 120, 132, 150, 198,

programmable

4-16

RS232C , RS422, Centronics, current loop , Dataproducts

8,490(01)

Circle 560 dot-addressable graphics

MT690

900

80, 100, 120, 132, 150, 198,

4-16

RS232C, RS422,

programmable

Centronics, current

10,500(01)

dot-addressable graphics

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ loop , Dataproducts'--- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MODULAR COMPUTER SYSTEMS INC. (MODCOMP)

1650 W. McNab Ad., Fort Lauderdale , FL 33310, (305) 974-1380

4240

300

132

4241

600

132

4242

1000

132

Dataproducts

8,600(01); 6,885(0100)

Dataproducts

10,250(01); 8,713(0100)

Dataproducts

15,875(01);

13,494 0100

Circle 561 acoustic cabinet

PRINTRONIX INC.

17500 Cartwright Rd ., Irvine, CA 92713, (714) 863-1900

MV150B

200

132, 165, 220

3-16

Centronics;

3,745(01)

Circle 562 raster graphics

Dataproducts; IBM 3287 , 5225

P1013

134

80, 96

4.5-11, 2-10

Centronics

795(01)

dot-addressable graphics

P6000 Series

400, 800

up to 256

3-16

RS323C; Centronics;

5,800-8,600(01)

graphics plot mode

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1B_M_3_2_0~ 3,3287,522=5'---~---------------

STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORP.

2270 S. 88th St., MD-3N, Louisville, CO 80028, (303) 673-6543

5000-050

up to 5000

132

3.5-22.4

Dataproducts, IBM FIPS

46,100(01)

Circle 563 dual hammer banks

TELEX COMPUTER PRODUCTS INC.

6422 E. 41st St ., Tulsa, OK 74135, (918) 627-1111

225

600, 800

132, 220

3-16

twinax

12,800 01

Circle 564

WANG LABORATORIES INC.

One Industrial Ave ., Lowell, MA 01851 , (617) 459-5000

5573

250

132

5574-1

600

132

5575

1100

136

9,000(01) 15,000(01) 26,000(01)

Circle 565

170

M INI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

30 MBytes/s onVMEbus

INTERPHASE®shatters the old speed limits of the VMEbus with its second generation of VME disk controllers boasting 30 megabytes per second bus speeds and above. Using a new INTERPHASE technology breakthrough called the BUSpacket Interface8 M ··· the new V/SMD 4200 Cheetah and V/ESDI 4201 Panther triple existing VMEbus speeds and approach the VMEbus
theoretical bandwidth of 40megabytes per second!
SIMPLY THE FASTEST
The combination of the
BUSpacket Interface and a large (128 KBytes) cache
memory provide the V/SMD 4200 and V/ESDI 4201 with unequalled speed, and make them the fastest SMD and ESDI controllers by a factor of three. No one even comes close!
In simple terms, the new
INTERPHASE technology

preformats

packets of data

to go across the bus

before acquiring it.

', ·

The INTERPHASE BUSpacket !

--·..p-r-o-d-u:c-ts. The four drive V/ESDI 4201 Panther even adds

approach unharnesses the

an integral SCSI port for easy

VMEbus from slow devices

addition of back up devices.

through deep, high-speed bus

Both products complement

FIFOs and an asynchronous

INTERPHASE's high-perform-

delay line-based state machine, ance V/Tape 3209 112" tape con-

which controls bus transfers.

troller, and are PLUG &: PLAY

Data is emptied onto the bus

software compatible with the

in packets at speeds

industry's most successful

30 megabytes per second

SMD and ESDI controllers,

and above.

our V/SMD 3200 and

STICK WITH THE WINNERS

V/ESDI 3201.

The V/SMD 4200 and V/ESDI THEY'RE GOING FAST

4201 also incorporate the

To learn more about the

proven INTERPHASE features fastest SMD, ESDI and 112" tape

of the multitasking Virtual

controllers around, call or

Buffer Architecture8 M,

write today ... but you better

Intelligent Caching, and zero

move fast ... INTERPHASE

latency operation found on

certainly is.

other popular INTERPHASE

(214) 350-9000

- . ~J~~£HASE

::::=============================

~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~==!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~

2925 Merrell Road· Dallas, Texas 75229 ·Telex: 9109976245 NASDAQ-NMS:INPH Interphase International
93a New Street, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP20 2NY, England (0296)35661 Telex: 826715 AERO G
lnterphase is a registered trademark of lnterphase Corporation. BUSpacket Interface and Virtual Buffer Architecture, are service marks of lnterphase Corporation.
CIRCLE NO. 93 ON INQUIRY CARD

ADVERTISERS' INDEX

COMPANY

INQUIRY

PAGE NO.

NO. COMPANY

INQUIRY

PAGE NO.

NO.

ADAC Corp....................... 124 ADDS ....... .. . ... . .. ... ..... 135, 137 Advanced Matrix Technology Inc...... . 144 Alga . ................... . . . ...... 176 Altos Computer Systems .. . .. . .. 25, 26-27 Ampex . ...... . . . ..... . .... . .. . ... 130 Analog & Digital Peripherals . . . .. ..... 176 Bizcomp . . ........................ 13 BP Microsystems ... .......... .... .. 174 Bruning Computer Graphics .. ........ 78 Cahners Exposition Group . .......... 111 Chi non America ......... . . ... .. .. .. 84 Chrislin Industries, Inc....... . ........ 12 CIE Terminals ............... ... 16, 162 Clearpoint ............. . ... . . 47, 49, 51 Communications Research Group . . ... 176 Concurrent Computer ................ 90 Conner Peripherals ........... . . .. 10-11 Convergent Technologies ... ...... . 30-31 CSSL . ............. ...... ........ 141 CYB Systems ....................... 6 Data Access Corp. . ... . . .... ....... 104 Dataproducts . . . . .................. 150 Datasouth Computer Corp. ... . ... . .. . 148 Data Track .. . ..... .. . . ... .. . ...... 174 Digi-Board ....... .. . .. ........... . 136 Digi-Data Corp.. ... . . .... ... .. ..... 138 Diversified Technology ...... . ........ 12 Eikonix ........... ... ..... .. .... . .44 Electronic Specialists . ..... .. . . ..... 174 Equinox Systems . .... ... ... . ... .. ... 8 Facit Data Products .. .. . . ... ........ 115 Flagstaff Engineering .. . .. .... ...... 176 Ford ..... . . ... .. . ......... . .. 76A-76B Fujitsu America Inc. Storage Division .... 7 Genicom .. ..... . .... ..... .... ... . 165 Gould Inc., Computer Systems Div. .. . . 139 Grafpoint ..... ............ ... ..... 174 Hayes Microcomputer Products ..... Cov. 2 Hewlett-Packard Co.. ...... . .... . ... 120 Hewlett-Packard Co./Mfg. . . . .. ........ 54 Honeywell Test Instrument Div. .. . 4, 116-117 !BC/Integrated Business Computers ... 142 IBS ...... ... .... .. .. .. ........... 116 lllbruck/USA .............. . ........ 32 Imagen Corp... . ... ...... ... .. .. ... 98 Imperial Technology Inc.. . .. . . ... .. ... 97 Innovative Data Technology (IDT) .. . ... 175 lnstanet Visuals ... . .. . . .. .......... 176 Intelligent Interfaces .... .... ... .. .. . 176

61 65, 86
90 216-218
17 63 221 10 205 39 54 42
9 12, 80 23-25
219 46
8 19 70 5 51 77 76 201, 202 66 67 29 22 204 7 56 220
6 79 68 206
1 59 28 4, 57 71 84 20 48 47 213 223 222

lnterphase Corp................. ... 171 loline Corp... .... . ................ 175 Irwin Magnetics .. . . ............ 102-103 JDL ...... ... ... . ....... . .......... 1 Kierulff Electronics ........ .. ....... 112 KMW Systems Corp. . ... .. .. ........ 76 LaPine Technology .. .. . . ........... 146 Leasametric ..................... 33-40 L/F Technologies Inc.. .............. 140 Maxtor Corp.. ... . .. ... . . . . ........ .50 Microplot Systems . ..... ... ......... 116 Microware, Inc. . ................... 175 Motorola/Micro-Computer Div. .. ... 128-129 Multi-Tech .............. . .. .. ... Cov. 3 Mylex ...... .. . . ... . ...... . . ..... .53 National Computer Graphics
Association .............. ... .... 173 National Semiconductor Corp. . ..... 20-21 NCR Corp. ............... .. . . . . .42-43 NEC Information Systems Inc... 2-3, 62-63,
107, 118-119 Nissho Electronics .. ... . . .. ......... 22 Omega . . . . .. .... ................ 175 Pioneer/Optical Memory Prods. Div. . .. . 15 Quality Micro Systems ....... . ..... 74-75 Qualogy Inc....... ... ............. 101 Qualstar ...... . . ............ .. .... 175 Radio Shack (Tandy Corp.) . . .. ....... 83 Rainbow . . ......... . ... ........... 86 Right Soft ........ ....... .. ...... . 174 Samsung Electron Devices .... .. . . . .. 28 Seagate Technology . .. . ....... . . 132-133 Seikosha ................. . ... .... 127 Sequel Data .... ......... . .... . .... 87 Sigma Designs . . ... .. .. .... ....... . 80 Softronics .... ...... .... . . ... .... . 175 Systech .............. .. .. 67, 69, 71, 73 TEAC Corp.............. ..... .. . . . . 19 Technology Forums . ......... . . ...... 14 Tektronix Inc.. ... ... . . ..... .. . . . . 57-60 Televideo/Compute r Div... . ... . .... 88-89 TeleVideofTerminals ........... ...... 64 Texas Instruments ..... . ... .... .. 157-160 TRW lnc./Customer Service Div. . ..... 143 Universal Data Systems Inc. ...... . Cov. 4 Walker, Richer, & Quinn ... . . ........ 123 Western Digital ......... . .. .... .... 108
See P 174-176 for Mini-Micro Marketplace

90 207
50 2
55 38 75
69 26 85 214 78 81 27
52 14 21 3, 31 74 , 58 15 208-211 11
49 215
41 43 203 18 87 62 44 40 212 33-36 13 73 30 45 32
72 82 60 53

This index is provided as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.

172

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

CAD
c
CAE
+

N·C·G·A
CAD/CAM
Shows How to Make the Equation Work for You. · ·
Focused on the Impact of Personal Computers and Workstations on the Engineering, Manufacturing and AEC Environments

A four-day conference and three-day exposition dedicated to the theory and specifics that will make computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering, as well as computerintegrated manufacturing work in your organization.
The Conference Conference Director Carl Machover has planned more than 30 dynamic conference sessions on all phases of computeraided engineering, manufacturing and AEC: PC applications, mechanical CAE and CAD, CD ROM, human factors and management issues, expert systems, and much more.
The Exposition More than 40 major vendors of hardware, software and services will display their PCs, workstations, peripherals, publications and more, specifically designed for CAD, CAM, CAE, CIM and AEC.
For More Information Simply return the response card and the information will be on its way. Or call the information hotline, 1-800-225-NCGA or 703-698-9600.
c· is the comprehensive implementation of computer-aided
technology for greater productivity. Come to NCGA CAD/ CAM '87 and see what that adds up to for you.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bayside Exposition Center, Boston, Mass. August 17-20, 1987

Send coupon to:

G-i1ii1ii-9' ~,.

National Computer Graphics Association
Department TK, Suite 200 2722 Merrilee Drive Fairfax, VA 22031

· Send me · complete · information
· about NCGA
CAD/ CAM · '87.

Name Title Company

Address

City

State

ZIP

CIRCLE NO. 52 ON INQUIRY CARD

MINI-MICRO MARKETPLACE
ATTENTION: BUYERS AND SELLERS OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THE COMPUTER
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION MARKETPLACE:

READERS: For additional information on the companies in this section ,
please circle reader service numbers on the Reader Inquiry card

THE Expert .sµstem
for Good Writing

TRACKER 1700 STAND ALONE 15 TO 20 MBYTE POWER FAIL PROTECTED RS-232-C CARTRIDGE TAPE SYSTEM
· Uses DC-300 Data Cartridges · Automatic Power Fail Restart with NO DATA LOSS · Auto-answer for Remote Sight Polling · 24K Battery Backed CMOS Buffered Stop-Start system · Dual RS-232-C ports with Independent Baud rate select · Ideal replacement for Columbia. Tektronics and Tandburg
tape drives. · Quantity priced under 2000.00 Ideal applications: Data Logging, Telephone Call Logging, File Transfer. Data Archiving , Process Control System Monitoring. For All of Your RS-232-CData Storage Needs Contact
Data Track USA 9451 Schap Lane Columbia, MD 21045 301 -992-9143 Telex : 6971182 COLRESH
CIRCLE NO. 201 ON INQUIRY CARD

RIGHlWRJTER®VERSION 2.l
THE Intelligent Grammar & Style Checker

· Automatically finds errors In grammar, style, usage and punctuation.
· Works with WordStar®, MultiMate®, and twenty other leading word processors.
· A knowledge base of over 3000 rules.

· Creaaldciunlgategsratdhee leovveelr.all .

· Comprehensive user manual Included.

' ·

I I_

RiGiiF~irro
r 1 '· · 1 ! ~I'() RA f 0 2033 Wood Street · Suite 2 18
Sarasota, Florida 33577 · Phone (8 13) 952·921 1

CIRCLE NO. 203 ON INQUIRY CARD

AVOID COMPUTER DOWNTIME!
· 11-25 MINUTES BLACKOUT POWER
· FRONT PANEL TEST SWITCH FREE CATALOG
· Slne~LPS · - NATURAL SINE WAVE UPS ·CONTINUOUS ON -LINE OPERATION · ELIMINATE :
·BLACKOUT ·SPIKE/SURGE · BROWNOUT DAMAGE
· EMl/RFI INTERFERENCE · EXCLUSIVE LITE UPS ILLUMINATE
WORK AREA WHEN LIGHTS GO OUT ·SINE-UPS, BATTERIES &LITE UPS
SU-250 250 WATT $1095.00 SU-500 500 WATT $1495.00
~Electron i c Specialists , Inc . 171 SO. MAIN , NATICK, MA 01 760
617-655-1532 TOLL FREE 800-225-4876
V ISA. MASTERCARD , AM ERICAN EXPR ESS
CIRCLE NO. 204 ON INQUIRY CARD

EPROM PROGRAMMER
$349

Get the whole story on graphics terminal emulation.

IBM·PC/XT/AT COMPATIBLE POWER FAIL PROTECTED RS·232·C FLOPPY DATA COLLECTION AND TRANSFER SYSTEM WITH UP TO 2.4 MBYTE OF STORAGE
· Writes/Reads IBM PC/XT/AT compatible Oise · Power Fail Protected with NO Data Loss · Remote polling via auto answer modem · Front panel manual or remote operation · Single or Dual Disc system · Up to 223 Files/Disc
Applications include: Data Logging , Program Loading . Telephone Call Logging. Store & Forward , and Message Handling . For All of Your RS-232-CDala Storage Needs Call
Data Track USA 9451 Schap Lane Columbia, MD 21045 301 ·992·9143 Telex : 6971182 COLR ESH
CIRCLE NO. 202 ON INQUIRY CARD

The EP- 1 is a great value, here's why:

· IBM PC Soll ware ioclude<I or AS·232 10 any computer

· ASCII Command driven opera11on All mtell1gence 1n unrt

· Reads Programs Copies over 150 types lrom l716 to 27512

· Op11onal Intel m1crocontroller programming head

· Menu-driven Chip Seteclion. No Personality Modules

· Fast Slow Quick-Pulse Programming Algorithms

· Intel (8080 & 8086) Motorola Tekhet Straight Hex Files

· Splits Files by Base Address and Odd' Even (16 bit systems)

· Gold Tex1001 ZIF IC socket · Full One-Year Warran!y

· Generate & Set Checksums · 5. 125.21 .25V Programming

· Over-Current Protection

· UV Erasers lrom S34 95

· 8 Baud Rates 300 to 38 400 · Same Day Sh1pmen1

BP~

10681 Haddington, #190 I Houston , TX 77043 713 461 -9430 800 225-2102

CIRCLE NO. 205 ON INQUIRY CARD

To find out more about software that lets your PC emulate TEKTRONIX"' 4105/ 6/7/9 and DEC VTlOO TMterminals, call or write:
Cl GRAFPOlnT
4340 Steven s C reeks Blvd ., S uite280, San Jose, C A 95 129 (408 ) 249-795 1
CIRCLE NO. 206 ON INQUIRY CARD

174

To advertise in the Marketplace, call Carol Flanagan 617-964-3030.

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/ M ay 1987

loline's new LP4000 plotter is twice as fast with twice the resolution of our popular LP3700. Delivering the best possible performance at the lowest possible price $5,495.
· 20 ips axial. 28 ips diagonal. · .001 " resolution . ·Plots on any media through 37.5" x 81 " . · 300 CAO/CAE applications. · Optional multi-pen changer (up to 20), and
HyperBUFFER (queues multiple plot files , and sorts vector and pen moves) .
19417 36th Avenue West
I 0 L IN E·Lynnwood, WA 98036
206-775-7861 coR·o·' "DN Telex : 4949856 IC UI
CIRCLE NO. 207 ON INQUIRY CARD
~RMIN~
EMULATIONS

Pressure, Strain and Force: 320 pages, with a new section devoted to pressure switches. New for 1987 are force measurement products, along with a wide selection of pressure transducers, strain gage sensors and load cell systems.
Call or write TODAY for more information/
Contact: OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. AN OMEGA Group Company One Omega Drive P.O. Box 4047 Stamford, CT 06907 Telephone: (203) 359-7613 Telex : 996404
CIRCLE NO. 208 ON INQUIRY CARD

Temperature: 820 pages cover all aspects of temperature measurement and control. Shows hundreds of probes, accessories, wire, handheld and panel readouts, controllers, recorders and computer interface equipment. Many new products have been added this year, including humidity measurement systems, and data acquisition devices .
Call or write TODAY for more information!
Contact: OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. AN OMEGA Group Company One Omega Drive P.O. Box 4047 Stamford , CT 06907 Telephone: (203) 359-7613 Telex : 996404
CIRCLE NO. 209 ON INQUIRY CARD

NEW RELEASE !

SOFTERM PC 2.0

* OYER 30 EXACT EMULATIONS

''' KEYBOARD MACROS

· HOTK EY

* VIRTUAL DISK CAPABLE · SCR IPT FILES
" KEYBOARD TRANSLATE * \11ULTITASKING

* FILE TRAN FER WITH 7 PROTOCOLS (i.e. KERMIT-SERVER.HAYES. X\110DEM.ETC.J
* CONCLRRENT A1\D BACKGROU\'D COMMUN ICATIOC\S

lllFl'RONICI
THE LEADER I EXACT EMULATIO 'S
800/225-8590
TELEX 450~ .1 ~

CIR.CLE NO. 212 ON INQUIRY CARD

OMEGA'S BOOK OF BOOKS
OMEGA'SEncyclopedia of Scientific and Technological Books is a one-stop ordering source for books from the major science and technology publishers of the world . This catalog gives information on over 12,000 books from 14 publishers covering 16 subject categories including all engineering disciplines, the sciences , math, engineering computer software, and computer science. For easy reference, books are " recommended ", and noted as " new". Others are grouped into mini-libraries for easy ordering . All books
can be ordered by calling an 800 number or by using the book's
easy-to-use order form . Most major credit cards are honored .
Circle reader service number or write today to:
OMEGA ENGINEERING One Omega Drive, P.O. Box 4047
Stamford, Connecticut 06907
CIRCLE NO. 210 ON INQUIRY CARD

Test Instrumentation and Tools: This new edition contains everything for the well-equipped instrument technician, engineer and scientist. Complete tool kits, oscilloscopes , multimeters, computer cabling, and electronic assembly tools are only some of the new products highlighted within this 136 page full color handbook.
Call or write TODAY for more information!
Contact:
OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. AN OMEGA Group Company One Omega Drive P.O. Box 4047 Stamford. CT 06907 Telephone: (203) 359-7613 Telex: 996404
CIRCLE NO. 211 ON INQUIRY CARD

ENCLOSURE PRODUCTS

9-Track Tape Subsystem for the IBM PC/XTI AT

In today·s informa-

· lion age . sharing data r 'between your mainframe

\.......,; d PC is an essential link.

Innovative Data Technology 's

112-inch. 9-track tape subsystems

feature the new " LEO " intelligent

tapecontroller for the IBM-PC/XT/AT

and compatibles including the new 386

C's. These allow users to write and read

7 or 9 track , industry standard tapes in den -

sities of 200/556/800/1600/6250 bpi with either

ASCII or EBCDIC codes compatible with most

mini's and mainframes. IDT offers user friendly DOS

window software utilities with help screens that will en-

able you to move your mainframe data to your PC. IDT also

has software support for XENIX and PICK operating systems.

·
Gr ~'IVf ll CHNOtoc.Y

5340 Eastgate Mall · San Diego , CA 92121 (619) 587-0555 · TWX : (910) 335-1610 Regional Office:
Eastern : (609) 596-4538 · Western : (714) 968-8082

'OOSIXENIXIPICl<llBM are 1e91stered trademai~s ol MocrosoltlPICKllBM 1especl1Yfl~

CIRCLE NO. 213 ON INQUIRY CARD

· Tape and Hard Disk Drive Enclosures for all Major Micros.
· Single Board Computer Packages · Custom Design Available · Class 'B' Certification Support
Can Be Provided · Call For Pricing and Catalog
( IVlicroware Inc. )
41711 Joy Road · Canton, Ml 48187 (313) 459-3557
CIRCLE NO. 214 ON INQUIRY CARD

,;,,/l /j
Now you can exchange data files between
your IBM PC and any mainframe or minicomputer using IBM compatible 1600 BPI
9-Track tape. Unit can also be used for disk backup. Transfer rate is up to 4 megabytes per minute on PCs and compatibles. Subsystems include 7' or 10 1/2" streaming tape drive, tape coupler card and DOS or XENIX compatible software. Prices start at $2,995.
0URLSTRR;
9621 Irondale Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311 Telephone: (818) 882-5822
CIRCLE NO. 215 ON INQUIRY CARD

MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS/May 1987

To advertise in the Marketplace, call Carol Flanagan 617-964-3030.

175

SOLUTIONS FOR DATA
-NETWORKSWITCHllll + MUmPl.EXllll + CONCENTRATION
The MC610 "Does It All"
NETWORK UPTO 500 RS-232 DEVICES
· NetwQf'i( AH Manufacturing Divisions · Save Money On Telephone Lines And Modems · Error And Path Control · Matrix Switch From Any Device To Any Other · Broadcast From Any One Device To Any Or AJI Others · Concentrate Data From Many Devices To A Single Port · Multiple Composite Data Channels · Menu Program For wparameter Set-Up" · Non-Volatile Parameter Memory
1-800-252-ALGO

COLLECTION/CONTROL . AND

Cartridge Tape Systems
Intelligent Stand Alone RS-232 or IEEE-488 Camtdge T - System
Replacement lor Tandberg, Columbia 300 B, C, & 0 and European MFG Tape Drives
a 7

· Stores 5.3 Mbytes or20 Mbytes of Binary or ASCII Data · Power Fail Standard-Power Fall "NO DATA LOSS" · Optional · Auto Answer Standard · Intelligent Search & Retrieval · IEEE-488 and/ or AS-232-C with data rates up to 2,500
characters/ sec: · Large input buffer allows umt to accept data non-stop
APPLICATIONS: Data Logging, Control System, Archiving, Program Loading & Storage. Back-up, and Telephone Switch Monitoring. Auto-polled Remote Data Storage.

1200
5.3 Mbyte

1600
20 Mbyte

WE SERVICE COLUMBIA TAPE DRIVES
300B - 300C - 300D Return Authorization Number Required

1-800-252-ALGO

ADD RS-232 DATA STORAGE
FLOPPY DISK SYSTEMS
MS/PC-DOS Compatible
CAPACITIES
360K, 720K 1.2 MEG 2.4 MEG · Stand Alone Dual Port RS-232 · Manual and Remote Operation · Power Fail with "No Data Loss" · Auto Answer Standard · Disk Full Buzzer · 50160 Hz Standard
OPTIONS: Battery Operated
oc Operations; +12voc to +sovoc
IEEE-488 INTERFACE "Custom Software Available" Priced from $995.00 QTY 1
rAm·~ l;~0..1~2-~~
INC 0 RP 0 RATE 0 11-.CRmlfWCHAOAO, OOUJMIU.,.:!tMM5
CIRCLE NO. 218 ON INQUIRY CARD
IBM COMPATIBLE RS232 EASl-DISK 3 V2/SV. " FLOPPY DATA STORAGE &
TRANSFER SYSTEM

PC to MINI to MAINFRAME COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE
The low cost solution for !Inking hundreds of PCs with centnll systernsl
· An Asynchronous Connectivity Tool· No Boards - Uses standard RS-232 ports · Provides distributed data management · Sends binary or text data or commands · Sends spreadsheets, programs, etc · 100% error-free data tran sfer · Links different operating systems · Uses phone lines, LANs packet nets · Connects multiple sites, unattended · Uses any low-cost modems, any speed
· $250 I Micros · $495-895 I Minis · $2995 up I Mainframes
COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH GROUP
'1b1S Corporil!e Blvd Baton Roucw LA 70808 {5041923 0888
(800) -24-BLAST
CIRCLE NO. 219 ON INQUIRY CARD

9-TRACK TAPE · OCR SCANNING WORD PROCESSING CONVERSIONS
CONNECT your systems! We manufacture conversion systems for your PC /XT I AT. Our " DISKETTE CONNECTION " can read and write almost any WP or computer diskette. Our "SCANNING CONNECTION" captures text and images for your desktop publishing system .Our "TAPE CONNECTION"
can read and write 80011 600/6250 GCR tapes. System prices start at S1195.
Flagstaff Engineering · 112!0 Kaibab Flagstaff, AZ 86001 · 602!-779-3341 CIRCLE NO. 220 ON INQUIRY CARD

Information Transfer to/ from Non IBM Compatible Systems to / from IBM systems: (Over RS232 Interface).
· Reads & W rites IBM DOS 3 112/5 1/·" Disks · RS-232C 1/ 0
· Rugged Portable Package /Battery Option · ASCII or Full Binary Operation · Baud Rates 110 to 19 2 K Baud · Automatic Data Verification
· Price $995 in Singles - OEM Otys. Less

28 other systems wllh 1tor1ge from 10DK lo 35 megabytes.

ANALOG & DIGITAL PERIPHERALS. INC.

815 Diana Drive Troy. Ohio 45373

513/ 339-2241

TWX 810/ 450-2685

CIRCLE NO. 221 ON INQUIRY CARD

PLOTTER/PRINTER BUFFERS IEEE-488 or RS-232 Interfaces

Your Network Sales Presentation Should Be As Profes~ional As You Arc ... And It Ca11 With

THEGREAT GRAPHIC EQUALIZER!

MicroPlot BOA-HPIB Buffer Micro Plot 55-Serial Buffer

YOU DON 'T HAVE TD WASTE TIME WAITING ON SLOW PLOTS OR PRINTOUTS! Simply connect a Micro Plot buffer between your
computer and plotler or printer. You save time - hours of time if you're working with complex plots .

· Mulliple copy and plot queuing
· Bidirectional Buffering

·Built-in Self Test · One Year Warranly

256K - $995 512K - $1195 1 Mbyle - $1495 2 Mbyte - $1995

INTELLIGENT INTERFACES INC. P.O. Box 1486/Stone Mountain, GA 30086-1486
1-800-842-0888 In Georgia (404) 381-9891

CIRCLE NO. 222 ON INQUIRY CARD

You can help clients clearly see and understand your nc1work design and funclion by using 1his
easy graphics system..just like the biggest companies do ...and you'll find that 1hc best prescn1a1ions will land the bigges1 contrac1s!

For only
$16.79
you gel enough grap hi ca ll y compa1 ibl e app l y~on sti ckers and grid boards to design
many multiple system s.

pluJ $3.00 ~hipping and handlin&
Texas Residents add .0625% Sales Tax

MC and VISA orders call toll-free

California: 1-800-331-5236 ext.#443

National: 1-800-992-4045 ext.#443

or se nd check or

mone)' order to:

Insta·Net

P .O. Box 161486

Fort Worth, Texas 76161

CIRCLE NO. 223 ON INQUIRY CARD

176

To advertise in the Marketplace, call Carol Flanagan 617-964-3030. MINI-MICRO SYSTEMS / May 1987

Error-Correcting 2400 bps Modems from Multi-Tech Systems:
When it has to be as good as it is fast
· Dial-up 2400 bps modems have arrived. More datacomm users are upgrading from 1200 to 2400 than ever before. But there can be a flip side to increased speed: more transmission errors. · That's why our MultiModem224E TM offers MNPTM error correction. Available in our 2400 bps desktop, internal and rack-mounted modems, MNP gives you 100% error-free transmissions, no matter how bad the phone line. MNP does it without the speed degradation of less efficient, software-based protocols.

· So, why buy error-correcting modems from MultiTech? There are many good reasons, including:

1. Multi-Tech modems are 100% Hayes-compatible (more so than Hayes' own 2400 bps modems*), and our MultiModem224E with error-correction costs less than a Hayes Smartmodem 2400 TM without this feature.

2. Bonus features, like speed conversion, both synch and asynch operation, battery-backed option settings and phone number memory.

3. Versatility: the auto-dial/auto-answer MultiModem224E runs at 2400, 1200 or 300 bps, with or without error-correction, automatically!

4. Our two year warranty means something. Since Multi-Tech modems are designed and manufactured at our Minnesota headquarters (as they have been for the last sixteen years), you can be sure we'll be here when you need us.

· Please call us toll-free at 1-800-328-9717, for

additional information ... get a modem that's as good

as it is fast!

*lnfoWor/d-815185-reprints available

Trademarks : MultiModem and the Multi-Tech Systems logo: Multi-Tech Systems Inc. · MNP: Microcom Inc.
Smartmodem : Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.

· Another important point: MNP Class 3 has emerged as an industry standard. It's now in the public domain, and has been implemented in virtually all 2400 bps modems that offer errorcorrection.

The right answer every time.

Multi-Tech Systems, Inc.· 82 Second Avenue S.E. ·New Brighton , Minnesota 55112 U.S.A.
1-800-328-9717 · 1-612-631 -3550 ·TWX 910-563-361 O(Domestic) ·Telex 4998372 MLTTC (International)
CIRCLE NO. 81 ON INQUIRY CARD

Universal Data Systems, the company that

developed the first 9600 bps dial-up modem, has

If your system must accommodate

now applied its special brand of craftsmanship to

periodic bursts of high-throughput, full·

the CCITT V.32 specification.

duplex communication, UDS craftsmanship and

The result is a full-duplex 9600 bps device for the

the V.32 standard provide a reliable, cost-effective

switched telephone network. When substandard

solution. For complete technical details and

line conditions are encountered, the device offers

quantity prices, contact Universal Data Systems,

automatic fallback to 4800 bps, while maintaining the full-duplex communications capability.
As you expect from UDS, the device fully utilizes the latest in CMOS technology for low-noise perfor-

5000 Bradford Drive,
Huntsville, AL 35805. Telephone 205/721-8000; Telex 752602 UDS HTV. ·

$249500
Quantity One

mance and very low (less than 20W) power con-

CIRCLE NO. 82 ON INQUIRY CARD

sumption. A new LCD control panel displays and configures modem set-up selections and displays outputs from the unit's comprehensive self-test regime. Auto-dial capability Is also included.

Universal Data Systems
@ MOTOROLA INC.
lnlormation Systems Group

UDS modems are offered nationally by leading distributors. Call the nearest UDS office for distributor listings in your area.

DISTRICT OFFICES: Apple Valley, MN , 612/432-2344 · Atlanta, GA, 404/998·2715 · Aurora, CO, 303/368·9000 · Blue Ball, 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 · Huntsvllle, AL, 205/721.0000 ·Issaquah, WA, 206/392·9600 ·Livonia, Ml , 313/522·4750 ·Mesa, AZ., 602/820-6611 · Miiwaukee, WI, 414/273-8743 ·Mission Viejo, CA, 714/770-4555 Mountain View, CA, 415/969-3323 · Richardson, TX, 214/680-0002 · St. Louis, MO, 314/434-4919 ·St. Peters, MO, 314/434-4919 ·Sliver Spring, MD, 301/942-8558 Tampa, FL, 813/684-0615 · Uniondale, NY, 516/222-0918 ·Van Nuys, CA, 818/891 ·3282 · Wiiiowdaie, Ont, Can, 416/495-0008 ·Winston-Salem, NC, 919/760-4184

Acrobat 11.0.13 Paper Capture Plug-in