BYTE-1988-09

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BORLAND PRESENTS

THIS

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r^SlCSt andixiost approachable implementation of that language"

—Danyl Rubin, AI Expert, on Turbo Prolog

"Most powerful

version of Basic ever"

—Ethan Winer, PC Magazine, on Turbo Bask

And able to leap

onto "new ground in the price/performance arena

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—John H. Mayer, Computer Design, on Turbo C

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See the technological excellence of Turbo C, Turbo Pascal and Turbo Basic!

Meet Turbo Prolog 2.0: Artificial Intelligence like you've never seen it!

The Critics Agree: Borland's

"Turbo C ... will stun you with in-RAM compilations that operate at warp speed."

Turbo C's® sleek compiler is so fast and powerful, we used it to write our equation solver, Eureka.™ Even better, all that muscle is wrapped in a smooth, integrated environment with everything you need to make writing, editing and compiling your programs a snap:

• Compiles 10,000 lines per minute*

• Online, context-sensitive help

• ANSI compatible

• Six memory models—tiny to huge

• 450 library functions

• Utilities: Librarian, Make, GREP

• Source code for MicroCalc spreadsheet

• Command-line version of the compiler

• Inline assembly that lets you mix C and assembler

System Requirements For the IBM PS/2'" and the IBM® family of personal computers and all 100% compatibles. PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 or later. 384K RAM.

—Richard Hale Shaw, PC Magazine

• Professional-quality graphics library supporting VGA, CGA, EGA, Hercules, and IBM 8514

• Interfaces with Turbo Pascal 4.0 and Turbo Prolog

Just $99.95

44 A lightning fast, fully featured C compiler suitable for almost everything ... Borland's Turbo C compiler is flexible, fast and friendly.

—Peter Feldman, PC Week }}

Heap Sort

Turbo C 1.5

Microsoft C 5.0

Compile time

4.7 sec.

16.3 sec.

Compile Slink time

7.4 sec.

19.5 sec.

Execute time

10.5 sec.

15.5 sec.

Object code size

1119

1313

Execution size 6392

7891

Son benchmark run on an 8 MHz IBM AT using Turbo C version 1.5 and the Turbo Linker version 1.1: Microsoft C version 5.0 and the MS overlay linker version 3.61.

"Turbo Pascal 4.0 flies 1 4.0 is ballistic!"-r0m5wfl«j

Almost from its introduction, Turbo Pascal® has been the worldwide Pascal standard. It's fast. It's flexible. It's affordable. And it gives you full control.

Compile more than 27,000 lines of code per minute*. And work in a complete, integrated programming environment with pull-down menus and a full-featured editor.

You don't have to swap code in and out to beat the 64K barrier; it's designed for large programs. Break your code into convenient modules and work with them swiftly and separately. If there's an error in one, you can see it and fix it.

System Requirements For the IBM PS/2"' and the IBM® family of personal computers and all 100% compatibles. PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 or later. 384K RAM.

t Customer satisfaction Is our main concern; If within 60 days of purchase this product does not perform in accordance with our claims, call our customer service department, and we will arrange a refund.

All Borland products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Borland International. Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders. Copyright ©1988 Borland International, inc. Bl 1230A

Turbo Languages are Super!

ike a rocket...

987 Programmer's Journal

Powerful features include:

• Producing EXE files

• Separate compilation

• Built-in project management

• Graph unit including support for IBM CGA. EGA, VGA, and 3270, Hercules and ATT 6300

• Online, context-sensitive help

*Run on an 8 MHz IBM PC AT.

Add expertise:

The Turbo Pascal Toolboxes

Start with Turbo Pascal Tutor for just $69.95 and add the others as your interests and expertise grow:

• Database Toolbox

• Editor Toolbox

• Graphix Toolbox

• Numerical Methods Toolbox

• GameWorks

Toolboxes require Turbo Pascal 4.0 Just $99.95 each

ii Each new Turbo Pascal 4.0 Toolbox is a virtual treasure of programming methods and tips.

—Giovanni Perrone, PC Week JJ

Circle 30 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 31)

"Turbo Basic compiles faster than anything I have seen." -Ethmwmer.pcMaga

Turbo Basic8 is the lightning-fast Basic compiler with a total development environment that puts you in full control. Even novices can write professional programs with Turbo Basic's full-screen windowed editor, pull-down menus, and trace debugging system. You also get a long list of innovative Borland features like binary disk files, true recursion, and increased compilation control. Plus the ability to create programs as large as your system's memory can hold—not just a cramped 64K. The choice is basic: Turbo Basic!

Just $99.95!

ii Turbo Basic, simply put, is an incredibly good product... Not only is this the most advanced BASIC ever, but Borland has lived up to its Turbo tradition.

— William Zachmann, Computerworld JJ

Add another Basic advantage: The Turbo Basic Toolboxes

• The Database Toolbox

• The Editor Toolbox

Toolboxes require Turbo Basic 1.1 Just $99.95 each.

System Requirements For the IBM PS/2™ and the IBM® family of personal computers and all 100% compatibles. PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 or later. 384K RAM. 640K to compile toolboxes.

Compare the BASIC differences

Turbo Basic 1.1

QuickBASIC 4.0 Compiler

QuickBASIC 4.0 Interpreter

Compiles Link to stand-alone EXE

3 sec.

7 sec.

Size of .EXE

28387

25980

Execution time w/80287

0.16 sec.

16.5 sec.

21.5 sec.

Execution time w/o 80287

0.16 sec.

286.3 sec.

292.3 sec.

The Elkins Optimization Benchmark program from March 1988 issue of Computer Language was used. The Program was run on an IBM PS/2 Model 60 with 80287. The benchmark tests compiler's ability to optimize loop-invariant code, unused code, expression and conditional evaluation.

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Turbo Prolog 2.0: Powerful Artificial Intelligence for your real-world applications!

New Turbo Prolog8 2.0 lets you harness powerful AI techniques. And you don't have to be an expert programmer or artificial intelligence genius!

You get an all-new Prolog compiler that's been optimized to produce smaller and more efficient programs than ever before. An improved full-screen, completely customizable editor with easy pulldown menus. All-new documentation, including a tutorial rich with examples and instructions to take you all the way from basic programming to advanced techniques. Even online help!

System Requirements far the IBM PS/2" and the ibm» family or personal compnters and all 100% compatibles PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 or later. 38JK RAH.

More new features! An external database system

for developing large databases. Supports B+ trees and EMS Source code for a fully-featured Prolog interpreter written entirely in Turbo Prolog. Plus step-by-step instructions to adapt it or include it as is in your own applications!

Support for the Borland Graphics Interface, the same professional-quality graphics in Turbo Pascal, Turbo C, and Quattro Improved windowing Powerful exception handling and error trapping features Full compatibility with Turbo C so the two languages can call each other freely Supports multiple internal databases High-resolution video support

Turbo Prolog Toolbox is 6 toolboxes in one!

More than 80 tools and 8,000 lines of source code help you build your own Turbo Prolog applications. Includes toolboxes for menus, screen and report layouts, business graphics, communications, filetransfer capabilities, parser generators, and more!

Toolbox requires Turbo Prolog 2.0

Just $99.95

(( If I had to pick one single recommendation for people who want to try to keep up with the computer revolution. I'd say, 'Get and learn Turbo Prolog.'

—Jerry Pournelle, Byte 1/88

An affordable, fast, and easy-to-use language.

—Darryl Rubin, AI Expert JJ

Just $149.95!

60-Day Money-back Guarantee t

For the dealer nearest you Call (800) 543-7543

Circle 32 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 33)

BORLAND

INTERNA T I 0 N A L

EVTE

SEPTEMBER 1988

VOL. 13/NO. 9

PRODUCTS IN PERSPECTIVE

67 What's New

89 Short Takes

TSI-020MX and Radius Accelerator 25, two 25-MHz Mac SE accelerator boards Turbo Prolog 2.0, adding a number of features SOTA MotherCard 5.0 and Microsoft Mach 20, running OS/2 on an IBM PC Choice Words, Webster's dictionary on a hard disk drive Tentime, Konan 's new hard disk drive controller

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Cover Story: 154 IBM and TandySame Channel, Same Plan for Growth

by Rich Malloy and Tom Thompson IBM's PS/2 Model 70-A21 and Tandy's 5000 MC provide extra computing power in an open design.

REVIEWS

164 Product Focus:

PostScript Printers Come of Age

by Steve Apiki and Stan Diehl New printers that are tops in quality and versatility.

183 Two for the Road

by Mark L. Van Name The Toshiba T5100 and GRiDCase 1530 prove that portable computers have come a long way.

195 An 80386 with a Twist

by JeffHoltzman The AST Premium/386 approaches the Compaq 386/20 in powerbut not in price.

203 Fax Board Faire

by Brock N. Meeks A look at the strengths and weaknesses of 10 microcomputer fax cards.

213 Ada Comes to the Mac

by Namir Clement Shammas

Does the Mac make

a reasonable development

system?

219 Software for Hardware-Style Debugging

by Namir Clement Shammas Soft-ICE extends breakpoint Cover Story/154 capabilities and protects

against reentrancy.

225 Total Word

by Lamont Wood Does it offer the total solution for word processing and desktop publishing?

231 Data Entry Goes High-Tech

by Lamont Wood DataPlex provides data conversion and a "universal front end" for data entry.

237 Review Update

IN DEPTH

240 Introduction: Display Technology

243 Face to Face

by Gene Smarte and Nicholas M. Baran A look at the four major display technologies—where they are now and where they're going.

Face to Face/243

Between Man and Machine/288

2 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL AVIS © 1988

257 Taking the Wraps off the 34020

by Ron Peterson, Carrel R. Killebrew Jr., Tom Albers, and Karl Guttag A new 32-bit graphics microprocessor from Texas Instruments lets you build a powerful workstation on a small board.

275 Lighting the Way

by Rolland Von Stroh and Brian Dolinar Electroluminescence is becoming a heavyweight contender among display technologies.

282 Monitor Makers

A guide to manufacturers

FEATURES

288 Between Man and Machine

by Ernest R. Tello

New advances in user-interface

technology could change

the way we interact

with our computers.

295 The BASIC Revival

by Namir Clement Shammas The "beginner's" language has significant new features and a structured approach.

HANDS ON

303 Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar:

Why Microcontrollers?, Part 2

by Steve Ciarcia The DDT-51 is a low-cost software development system with many features of more expensive systems.

313 Some Assembly Required: Floating-Point without a Coprocessor

by Rick Grehan High-precision floating-point emulation for your personal computer.

Fax Board Faire/203

EXPERT ADVICE

103 Computing at Chaos Manor: The Edge of the Envelope

by Jerry Pournelle Jerry combines his right stuff with the right hardware and the right software.

123 Applications Plus:

A Wolf and a Killer Shark

by Ezra Shapiro The wolf is Word 3.01; the killer shark is Full Write Professional.

129 Down to Business:

Is More Always Better?

by Wayne Rash Jr. Too often, companies make installations on the basis of comfort rather than functionality.

135 Macinations:

Comebacks, Backups, and Updates

by Don Crabb Some Mac software is born great, some is made great, and some is merely updated.

143 OS/2 Notebook: All Together Now

by Mark Minasi

Under OS/2, your programs

don't step all

over each other.

147 COM1:

Computer Conferencing Homecoming

by Brock N. Meeks Although computer conferencing is still in its infancy, it's locked into a niche market.

DEPARTMENTS

6

Editorial: Mac Clones and OS/2

Trends

11

Microbytes

24

Letters

33

Chaos Manor Mail

38

Ask BYTE

51

Book Reviews

359

Coming Up in BYTE

READER SERVICE

358 Editorial Index by Company 360 Alphabetical Index to Advertisers 362 Index to Advertisers by Product

Category

Inquiry Reply Cards: after 364

PROGRAM LISTINGS

From BIX: see 286 From BYTEnet: call (617) 861-9764 On disk or in print: see card after 320

BYTE (ISSN 0360-5280) is published monthly with an additional issue in October by McGraw-Hill Inc. Founder: James H. McGraw (1860-1948). Executive, editorial, circulation, and advertising offices: One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, phone (603) 924-9281. Office hours: Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Friday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM, Eastern Time. Address subscriptions to BYTE Subscriptions, P.O. Box 7643, Teaneclc, NJ 07666-9866. Postmaster: Send address changes. USPS Form 3579, undeliverable copies, and fulfillment questions to BYTE Subscriptions, P.O. Box 7643, Teaneck, NJ 07666-9866. Second-class postage paid at Peterborough. NH 03458 and additional mailing offices. Postage paid at Winnipeg, Manitoba. Registration number 9321. Subscriptions arc 522.95 for one year, $39.95 for two years, and $55.95 for three years in the U.S. and its possessions. In Canada and Mexico. $25.95 for one year, $45.95 for two years, $64.95 for three years. $75 for one-year air delivery to Europe. Y28.800 for one-year air delivery to Japan, Y14.4O0 for one-year surface delivery to Japan, $40 surface delivery elsewhere. Air delivery to selected areas at additional rates upon request. Single copy price is $3.50 in the U.S. and its possessions, $3.95 in Canada, $4.50 in Europe, and $5 elsewhere. Foreign subscriptions and sales should be remitted in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery of first issue. Printed in the United States of America.

Address editorial correspondence to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. Unacceptable manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by sufficient postage. Not responsible for lost manuscripts or photos. Opinions expressed by the authors arc not necessarily those of BYTE.

Copyright © 1988 by McGraw-Hill Inc. All rights reserved. Trademark registered in the United Stales Patent and Trademark Office. Where necessary, permission is granted by the copyright owner for libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy any article herein for the flat fee of $1.50 per copy of the article or any part thereof. Correspondence and payment should be sent directly to the CCC. 29 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970. Specify ISSN 0360-5280/83, $1.50. Copying done for other than personal or internal reference use without the permission of McGraw-Hill Inc. is prohibited. Requests for special permission or bulk orders should be addressed to the publisher. BYTE is available in microform from University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Rd., Dept. PR, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 or 18 Bedford Row, Dept. PR, London WC1R 4EJ, England.

Subscription questions or problems should be addressed to: BYTE Subscriber Service, P.O. Box 7643, Teaneck, NJ 07666-9866.

B

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 3

EVTE

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Frederic S. Langa

PUBLISHER/GROUP VICE PRESIDENT

J. BurtTotaro

OPERATIONS

Glenn Hartwig Associate Managing Editor

REVIEWS (Hardware. Software, Product Focus)

Cathryn Baskin Associate Managing Editor, Dennis Allen Senior Technical Editor, Software, Curtis Franklin Jr. Senior Testing Editor, BYTE Lab, Stephen Apiki Testing Editor, BYTE Lab, Stanford Diehl Testing Editor, BYTE Lab

NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY (MIcrobytM, What's Now, Short Tskes)

Rich Malloy Associate Managing Editor, D. Barker Senior

Editor, News and Technology, Anne Fischer Lent Senior

Editor, New Products

Peterborough: Roger Adams Associate News Editor, David

Andrews Associate News Editor, Martha Hicks Associate

News Editor

West Coast: Gene Smarte Bureau Chief, Costa Mesa,

Nicholas Baran Technical Editor, San Francisco, Frank

Hayes, Associate News Editor, Jeffrey Bertolucci Editorial

Assistant, San Francisco

SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITORS

Ken Sheldon Features, Jane Morrill Tazelaar In Depth, Richard Grehan At Large, Tom Thompson At Large

TECHNICAL EDITORS

Janet J. Barron, Janet Fiderio, Jon Udell, Stanley Wszola

ASSOCIATE TECHNICAL EDITOR

Robert Mitchell

CONSULTING EDITORS

Steve Ciarcla, Jerry Pournelle, Ezra Shapiro, Don Crabb, Brock N. Meeks, Mark Minasi, Wayne Rash Jr.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jonathan Amsterdam Programming Projects, Mark Dahmke Wdeo, Operating Systems, Mark Haas At Large, Rik Jadrnicek CAD, Graphics, Spreadsheets, Robert T. Kurosaka Mathemaical Recreations, Alastair J. W. Mayer Software, Stan Miastkowski New Technology, Alan R. Miller Languages and Engineering, DickPountain Algorithms, Roger Powell Computers and Music, Phillip Robinson Semiconductors, Jon Shiell High-Performance Systems, Ernest Telto Artificial Intelligence

COPY EDITOHS

Lauren Stickler Chief, Susan Colwell, Judy ConnorsTenney, Jeff Edmonds, Nancy Hayes, Cathy Kingery, Margaret A. Richard, Warren Williamson

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Peggy Dunham Office Manager, Linda C. Ryan, June N. Sheldon, Lynn Susan Valley

Nancy Rice Director, Joseph A. Gallagher Assistant Director, Jan Muller Assistant, Alan Easton Technical Artist

PRODUCTION

David R. Anderson Director, Virginia Reardon Senior Editorial Production Coordinator, Denise Chartrand Editorial Production Coordinator, Michael J. Lonsky Editorial Production Coordinator

TYPOGRAPHY

Sherry Fiske Systems Manager, Donna Sweeney Applications Manager, Chrlsta Patterson

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION (603) 924-6448

Lisa Wozmak Director, Lyda Clark Senior Account Coordinator, Karen Cilley, Linda Fluhr, Jeanne Gatcombe, Brian Higgins, Rod Holden, Wai Chiu Li Quality Control Manager, Julie Murphree Advertising/Production Coordinator

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Horace T. Howland Director, Pamela Petrakos-Wilson Promotion Manager, Wilbur S. Watson Marketing Services Manager, Dawn Matthews Marketing Events Coordinator, Lisa Jo Steiner Marketing Assistant, Stephanie Warnesky Marketing Art Director, Sharon Price Associate Art Director, Julie Perron Market Research Analyst

PLANNING AND RESEARCH

Michele Perron Director

Faith Kluntz Copyrights Coordinator, Cynthia Damato

Sands Reader Service Coordinator

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Philip L. Penny Director of Finance and Services, Kenneth A. King Business Manager, Christine Monkton Assistant, Marilyn Haigh, Diane Henry, JoAnn Walter, Jaime Huber

CIRCULATION

Dan McLaughlin Director

James Bingham Newsstand Sales Manager, Vicki Weston Assistant Manager, Karen Desroches Distribution Coordinator, Donna Healy, Direct Accounts Coordinator, Louise Menegus Back Issues

PERSONNEL

Patricia Burke Personnel Coordinator, Beverly Goss Receptionist

BUILDING SERVICES

Tony Bennett Manager, Cliff Monkton, Mark Monkton, Agnes Perry

BIX

BYTE INFORMATION EXCHANGE

DIRECTOR

Stephen M. Laliberte

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

George Bond

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Tony Lockwood

MICROBYTES DAILY

D. Barker Coordinator, Peterborough, Rich Malloy rVetv York, Gene Smarte Costa Mesa, Nicholas Baran San Francisco, Rick Cook Phoenix, Frank Hayes San Francisco, Jason Levitt Austin, TX, Larry Loeb Wallingford, CT, Brock N. Meeks La Mesa, CA, Stan Miastkowski Peterborough, Wayne Rash Jr., Sue Rosenberg Washington, DC, David Reed Lexington, KY

GROUP MODERATORS

David Allen Applications, Frank Boosman Artificial Intelligence, Leroy Casterline Other, Marc Greenfield Programming Languages, Jim Howard Graphics, Gary Kendall Operating Systems, Steve Krenek Computers, Brock N. Meeks Telecommunications, Barry Nance New Technology, Donald Osgood Computers, Sue Rosenberg Other, Jon Swanson Chips

BUSINESS AND MARKETING

Doug Webster Director (603) 924-9027, Patricia Bausum Secretary, Denise A. Greene Customer Service, Brian Warnock Customer Service, Tammy Burgess Customer Credit and Billing

TECHNOLOGY

Clayton Lisle Director, Business Systems Technology, MHIS, Bill Garrison Senior Business Systems Analyst, Jack Reilly Senior Business Systems Analyst, Bob Dorobis Business Systems Analyst, Fred Strauss Senior Business Systems Analyst

ADVERTISING SALES

Dennis J. Riley Director, (603) 924-9281 Sandra Foster Administrative Assistant

NEW ENGLAND

ME, NH, VT, MA, Rl, ONTARIO, CANADA &

EASTERN CANADA

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PA, KY, NJ (SOUTH), MD, VA, W.VA, DE, DC

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MIDWEST

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SOUTH PACIFIC

SOUTHERN CA, AZ, NM, LAS VEGAS

Jack Anderson (714) 557-6292

Tom Harvey (213) 480-5243

NORTH PACIFIC

HI, WA, OR, ID, MT, NORTHERN CA, NV (except

US VEGAS), UT, WESTERN CANADA

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Bill McAfee (415) 349-4100

TELEMARKETING

L. Bradley Browne Director Susan Boyd Administrative Assistant

BYTE BITS (2x3)

Dan Harper (603) 924-6830

THE BUYER'S MART (1x2)

Mark Stone (603) 924-3754

REGIONAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS MID-ATLANTIC, METRO NY & NEW ENGLAND, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Elisa Lister (603) 924-6830

MIDWEST, PACIFIC NORTHWEST, METRO NY & NEW ENGLAND Scott Gagnon (603) 924-6830

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BYTE DECK MAILINGS

National

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INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES STAFF

See listing on page 361.

EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICE:

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I and Communications; Russell C. White, Construction; Robert P. McGraw, Healthcare; Brian H, Hall, Legal. Senior Vice Presidents-Publishers: Laurence Airman, Data Communications; David J. McGrath, Engineering News-Record. Senior Vice Presidents: Robert D. Daleo, Finance; Michael J. Koeller, Human Resources. Group Vice Presidents: J. Burt Totaro, BYTE; Norbert Schumacher, Energy/Process Industries. Vice Presidents: George Bsinger, Circulation; Julia Lenard, Systems Planning and Technology.

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BYTE and BYTE are registered trademarks of McGraw-Hill Inc.

4 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

snvlRMORK Kee Getting Smarter

Smarter Artwork

Three years ago, Wintek engineers created smARTWORK to reduce the time and tedium of laying out their own printed-circuit boards. Thousands of engineers have since discovered the ease of use and sophistication that makes smARTWORK the most popular PCB CAD software available. And thanks to them, smARTWORK keeps getting better.

New smARTWORK Features

□ Silkscreen layer for component placement and identification

□ Text capabilities for all three layers

□ Selectable trace widths and pad shapes and sizes

□ User-definable library

□ Ground planes created with a single command

□ Solder-mask and padmaster plots generated automatically

□ Quick printer 2X checkplots

□ Additional drivers for printers and plotters

□ Optional drill-tape and Gerber photoplotter utilities D AutoCAD* .DXF file output □ Completely updated manual

□ 800 number for free technical assistance

smARTWORK transforms your IBM PC into a PCB CAD system

Interactive routing, continual design-rule checking, pad shaving, and production-guality 2X artwork have always been a part of smARTWORK. And now that many customer suggestions have become a part of the software, smARTWORK is an even better value. That's why we offer it with a thirtyday money-back no-nonsense guarantee.

2" by 4" section of a 10" by 16" doublesided board with silkscreen layer

Using an Epson or IBM dot-matrix printer, you can create 2X artwork and 1X or 2X checkplots in a fraction of the time hand-taping requires

Current Versions

HiWIRE V1.1M

smARTWORK V13r5

Camera-ready 2X artwork from an HI or HP pen plotter

The Smart Buy. Guaranteed.

Still priced at $895, smARTWORK is proven, convenient, and fast. Our money-back guarantee lets you try smARTWORK for 30 days at absolutely no risk. Call toll free [800) 742-6809 today and put smARTWORK to work for you tomorrow. That's smart work.

System Requirements

D IBM PC, PC XT, or PC AT with 384K RAM, and DOS V2.0 or later

□ IBM Color/Graphics Adapter with RGB color or B&W monitor

□ IBM Graphics Printer or Epson FX/MX/RX-series printer, and/or

D Houston Instrument DMP-40,41,42, 51,52, or Hewlett-Packard 7470, 7475, 7550, 7580, 7585, 7586 pen plotter

□ Optional Microsoft Mouse

Wintek Corporation 1801 South St. Lafayette, IN 47904 Telephone: [800) 742-6809 In Indiana: (317) 742-8428 Telex: 70-9079 WINTEK CORP UD

"smARTWORK". 'Wintek". and the Wntek logo are registered trademarks of Wintek Corporation "AutoCAD" is a registered trademark of Autodesk. Inc.

Europe: BIVA Terminals Ltd.. England. Phone: 04862-71001, Telex: 859502/Australia: Entertainment Audio Pty. Ltd.. Phone: (08) 363-0454 or (008) 88 8414/Brazil: Comicro Inlormatlca E Tecnologia Ltda., Phone: [041) 224-5616

Circle 292 on Reader Service Card SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 5

EDITORIAL ■ Fred Langa

Mac Clones

and

OS/2 Trends

The "Happy Joiner" Mac is up and running; and some early OS/2 users voice surprising opinions

At this year's Hannover Faire in Europe (the world's largest computer show), we got a sneak peek at a Taiwanese Macintosh clone. This summer, at Taiwan's Computex show, the clone was openly displayed, and it attracted crowds.

The clone is not for sale—yet. In fact, the prototype Mac knockoff was built primarily as a demonstration device for Mac-compatible gate-array chip setschips built in the U.S. by an unnamed manufacturer.

The story gets murky here. According to the generally reliable AsiaTrends newsletter, the company displaying the clone—its name translates as Happy Joiner Co., Ltd.—did as its name implies by acting as an intermediary between an offshore chip-design house and the U.S. manufacturer.

"Our gate array doesn't violate any existing copyrights," said a company spokesperson. "In fact, there is no copyright on gate arrays."

By themselves, the chips are at most only the foundation of a complete Mac clone; for example, you'd still need a legal ROM (a major stumbling block, considering Apple's recent litigiousness). AsiaTrends quotes the spokesperson as saying, "We met many people at the show who were very interested, including major Australian and Taiwanese software houses. The people we talked to

said they were very interested in writing a functionally compatible legal [ROM] BIOS."

Although the gate arrays are made in the U.S., Happy Joiner has no plans to sell them here. Instead, it plans to work with clone makers in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore to produce finished machines that would be sold in North America and elsewhere.

While I am sympathetic to Apple's desire to maintain control of its market, I'd also welcome a legitimate, inexpensive Macintosh—one that would do for the Apple side of the market what the lowcost IBM PC clones did for Intel-family machines: expand the user base, and spur vigorous growth in third-party hardware and software development.

The best kind of low-cost Mac would be one with an authentic Apple logo on it. Apple surely could produce such a machine: I've seen estimates that place Apple's manufacturing costs for a hard disk drive-equipped Mac SE as low as about $500. (The list price for such a machine is about $3600.) Yes, Apple has a healthy R&D budget, and both Apple and its dealers deserve fair profits, but surely these prices could come down some.

If it chose to, Apple could employ the strategy once used successfully by General Motors in offering a family of products ranging from Chevys to Cadillacs— from some kind of a true entry-level, lowball Mac up to Mac lis, and beyond.

If Mac prices stay high, we may see a strange new kind of machine: a Mac-like box with American chips, an Australian ROM, a Hong Kong motherboard, and a brand name that's something like Happy Joiner.

OS/2 Trends

Datapro, one of BYTE's computer-oriented siblings within McGraw-Hill, recently completed a survey of early purchasers of the OS/2 Software Developer's Kit (SDK). The survey results make for fascinating reading.

The survey culled out software developers and hardware companies in order to target the heavy-hitting end users— nondevelopers who were interested enough in OS/2 to shell out the $3000 for the SDK.

One surprise was the glacial pace these earliest adopters predicted OS/2 would take in becoming the operating system of choice for Intel-based machines. Many believe it will be well into 1989 or even 1990 before significant OS/2 applications are available: Unlike some industry gurus, these end users don't believe there will be an end-of-theyear blitz of OS/2 software this year.

A full third of the respondents see Unix as a serious alternative to OS/2. But Unix has its own perception problems. One participant said, "If Unix gets onto a commodity hardware platform so the end user can go down to the corner store or mail-order house and get [Unix] software, then Unix may make it in the enduser environment.. . .But if that doesn't happen, then OS/2 is going to wipe it out "

OS/2's major strengths were seen to be its screen-handling ability (assuming Presentation Manager lives up to its claims) and—strangely—its DOS compatibility. Vaunted features like Dynamic Data Exchange and the LAN Manager were cited far less frequently. The respondents saw OS/2's major weaknesses as stemming not so much from OS/2 itself, but from its timing: Lack of applications and delays in release were the two most-cited negatives.

All in all, the report is an eye-opening glimpse into the real world of OS/2 users. (Individual copies of "An Inside View of OS/2" at $695 can be ordered through Datapro, 1805 Underwood Blvd., Delran.NJ 08075.)

—Fred Langa

Editor in Chief

(BIXname "flanga")

6 BYTE" SEPTEMBER 1988

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MlCROBYTES

Staff-written highlights of developments in technology and the microcomputer industry

Study of Coordination Leads to New Groupware

Coordination is one of those things that you don't notice until it's not there. But Anatol Holt has noticed it; in fact, he's developed a new technology around it. Holt, who has worked at places such as Remington Rand and Boston University, developed a science called coordination mechanics. And next year, Holt's company, Coordination Technology, Inc. (Trumbull, CT), will release a computer implementation of coordination mechanics. The company claims that the new product will help groups of people on networked personal computers work together more effectively. And many routine tasks that have steadfastly resisted being computerized will soon be more efficiently done on a PC, CTI officials say. The CTI product works

by assigning each person to a number of groups. Each person then interacts with the other people in the group according to pairs of coordination patterns. For example, one person might be a requester, the other a responder. Other possible pairs are submitter/ approver and provider/ consumer. Any personal relationship can be represented by combining coordinationpattern pairs.

Once the relationships have been established, the program can guide and monitor the electronic mail communication between the members of the group. If you request a piece of information from someone else, the product will continue to remind that person to provide the information and will remind you that it has not been provided. Or if you submit an E-mail proposal to your

boss, and your boss in turn submits it to his or her boss, the CTI product will keep you up to date on the status of the proposal.

The product, which does not yet have a name or a price, will not be available until August of next year, a CTI spokesperson said. It will run under IBM's OS/2 Extended Edition or Microsoft's OS/2 and LAN Manager. According to CTI, the product will function as an environment and will be compatible with application software such as Lotus 1-2-3. A prototype version of CTI's program currently runs under DOS, but the company says it wants to wait until OS/2's Presentation Manager is available. CTI also says that OS/2's memory management techniques will considerably speed up the product, which currently is somewhat slow.

Ansa Develops Cooperative Processing Model with Paradox

One of the promising features of local-area networks (LANs) is the possibility of cooperative processing, with CPUs on the network sharing the processing tasks and "balancing the load" on the system. This is particularly useful in networked database applications that require compute-intensive tasks such as sorts, queries, and preparation of reports. Ideally, if a single workstation on the network is overloaded with tasks, it should be able to send some of its tasks to nodes that are less utilized. Borland's Ansa Software division (Belmont, CA) has written an application in the

Paradox PAL programming language, running under OS/2, that allows cooperative processing in Paradox. In a demonstration for BYTE, Paradox OS/2 was running on a beta version of 3Com's 3 + network. The PAL application controlling the cooperative processing uses a standard Paradox table that tracks the sessions running on each workstation of the network. As more sessions are activated (another report or sort operation, for example), the PAL application uses an algorithm to decide which workstation should execute the session, depending on current workloads. The PAL application is

made possible by the new SESSION command in the OS/2 version of Paradox, which performs the function of the OS/2 task selector in PAL scripts.

The cooperative processing application represents an "architectural concept" that software developers can use in their Paradox applications, said Borland's Richard Schwartz. Borland will make the application available to Paradox developers, he said. The application is a good example of the potential of multitasking capabilities combined with LANs for increasing the efficiency of CPUs on the system.

continued

NANOBYTES

• We'd like to see more of this modesty in our industry. At a Sony Microsystems (Palo Alto, CA) press conference announcing a twin-68030 Unix-running workstation, company president Mas Morimoto said it would be inappropriate for Sony to take sides in the current AT&T/Open Software Foundation fight over control of Unix standardization. "In this market, Sony cannot create a standard—we follow the standard. Sony is not that big an influence," he said.

• At the same press conference, Murray Goldman of Motorola confirmed that Motorola will be producing a 68040 processor, but he refused to comment on a time frame or specific features of the chip.

• Matsushita (Secaucus, NJ) says it has developed a digital optical disk recording system that can put 2.6 gigabytes of information on each side of a 12-inch write-once optical platter. The system has a read and write speed of 18 megabits per second, a spokesperson said. In an audiovisual application, for example,

all that storage space could hold 500 still pictures and an hour of stereo sound, according to Matsushita specs.

• MicroPro International (San Rafael, CA) plans to ship its WordStar for the Macintosh this month. The $495 Mac WordStar is a completely new product

continued

*— Circle 105 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 11

MICROBYTES

NANOBYTES

rather than a port from the MS-DOS version. President Leon Williams said the program will provide virtually every feature of WordStar Professional, WordStar 2000, and Microsoft Word, and much of what's in Aldus's PageMaker. Among the advanced features are ability to wrap text around graphics, text rotation, text routing, and grammar-checking. All the new WordStars are pushing hard into the low end of the desktop publishing market and will help push high-end desktop publishing "back into the art department," said product manager Dave Cannon. Versions for Unix and OS/2 are in the works, he said.

• Toshiba (Irvine, CA) is offering a new display and a new storage device for its T1200 laptop computer. For $475, you can get a backlit supertwist display swapped in. For $1200, you can have one oftheT1200's two 3Viinch floppy disk drives replaced with a 20-megabyte hard disk drive.

• NCR Microelectronics (Dayton, OH) has a new SCSI host adapter chip that can interface the IBM PC series, PS/2 Model 30, and compatibles to any small-computer-system-interface (SCSI) peripheral. NCR claims that the chip has a higher level of integration and greater versatility than its competitors. Product marketing engineer Prasan Pai declined comment regarding which companies would be the first to use the new chip. The CMOS 53C400 uses two rotating 128-byte buffers and a Move Block instruction to pro

continued

Chip Set Will Yield 80-MFLOPS PC Cards, Company Says

How about an 80-million-floating-pointoperations-per-second (MFLOPS) coprocessor card for about $3000? Sound too good to be true? Interstate Electronics (Anaheim, CA) says it will introduce a wavefront array processor chip set by the end of next year that will pack performance of 80 MFLOPS onto a PCsize card. Cost of the cards will probably be around $3000 each, and the company claims that you'll be able to hook four of them together to produce 320 MFLOPS of computing power for less than $20,000.

Those will be rather specialized MFLOPS. A wavefront array processor is designed to work on problems best solved by highly parallel methods. This means applications such as CAD, imaging, engineering and scientific simulation, computational fluid dynamics, and signal processing—the classes of problems often worked on by supercomputers.

The Interstate chip set will be based on the QUEN architecture, developed at Johns Hopkins University. QUEN uses an array of processors, with each pair of ad

jacent processors sharing a dual-port memory. Information is passed via the memories, and the memory units also handle memory-address generation and control data flow. The design produces a fast parallel processing system with minimum computational overhead. The first QUEN-based processors are being built using Analog Devices' 32bit digital signal processing (DSP) chip sets. Like many DSP chips, the Analog Devices sets are limited to fixed-point arithmetic, but like DSP chips in general, they are extremely fast.

Falling Prices, Changing Techniques Could Put GaAs in Your Next Personal Computer

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) chips have been considered an exotic but expensive technology. Microprocessor experts have agreed that until costs come down and yields go up, the chips will not find their way into personal computers. Costs have been coming down slightly, and several chip makers now say they're able to raise reliable output.

"Most of the groups working on it wanted to build the fastest devices they could," said David MacMillan, one of the founders of Gazelle Microcircuits (Santa Clara, CA). "They tended to have low yields, and since the fabrication plants were not heavily utilized, costs were high. GaAs chips were also historically difficult to use; they required multiple power supplies, had nonstandard logic switching levels, and required unique ceramic circuit boards to handle the microwave switching levels," he said. "We wanted to take GaAs's high speed and make it available."

Gazelle is one of the chip designers trying to solve

some of the problems and lower the costs of putting GaAs in personal computers. The company recently announced its GA22V10, a GaAs version of the 22V10 programmable logic device. The 22V10 isn't a household name with most computer users, but according to MacMillan it's commonly used in memory caching systems for high-performance systems based on the 80386, 68020, and newer reducedinstruction-set-computer (RISC) chips. The PLD is used for custom logic that interfaces the fast processor to slower dynamic RAM and a fast RAM cache.

The GA22V10 uses standard TTL logic levels for all inputs and outputs and runs from a 5-volt power supply. But inside, the gates are all GaAs. As a result, the propagation delay is 10 nanoseconds or less; that means the GA22V10 can run at speeds of 90 MHz or faster. The fastest silicon 22V10 runs at a top speed of around 50 MHz.

MacMillan explained that because Gazelle engineers chose a high-volume

standard part for its first chip, they were able to design it conservatively. "We traded off a little speed for reliability," he said. The result is that Gazelle is already getting good chip yields, MacMillan claimed. The company uses outside foundries to manufacture the chips.

TheGA22V10ismore than three times as expensive ($55 each in 100 quantities) as silicon chips with about half the performance (around $16 in 100 quantities), which makes it too expensive for most PC-type applications. The advantages of GaAs—high speed and steady performance across a wide range of temperatures and voltages— make such chips worth the price for some designers. But MacMillan said that with improving yields and volume, within 3 or 4 years GaAs chips should fall to around $10. The company will be introducing several products by the end of this year—more PLDs, as well as "other standard parts," MacMillan said.

continued

12 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Software Developers

Vi£

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The Block -- Natural Selection For Software Protection

Inventor and entrepreneur Dick Erett explains how "The Activator" provides sane protection for your intellectual property.

4 6T n ar|y industry, just as in nature, the JL process of natural selection raises one solution above another. Natural selection is the most elegant of engineers.

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/* Drau top of box.

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The people who co-developed the industry's most powerful personal computer operating system are now proud to announce programming languages to match.

Introducing Microsoft® Macro Assembler 5.1, C 5.1, Pascal 4.0, FORTRAN 4.1 and BASIC Compiler 6.0.

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Capabilities such as the ability to develop

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Support of direct calls to the operating system, and inter-language calling for mixing multiple languages on the same project.

Access to OS/2 system calls and a full complement of utilities, including an incredibly fast incremental linker and the

first protected mode programmer's editor that works equally well in real mode.

Microsoft CodeViewf our popular, advanced debugger that lets you untangle program logic at the source code level, no matter what code you're using.

(It even lets you debug protected mode programs up to 128MB of virtual memory, and larger programs than ever before in real mode.)

As the perfect complement to our new languages, we're also offering the Microsoft OS/2 Programmer's Toolkit.

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Microsoft, MS-DOS and CodeView are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

MICROBYTES

NANOBYTES

vide data burst rates of up to 1 megabyte per second, NCR says. Control over data burst rates permits matching speeds between a host bus and a SCSI peripheral.

• Researchers at Stanford University (with support from the U.S. Air Force) have developed a device called a "nanoindenter" for testing the strength and frictional resistance of thin films with thicknesses of less than 1 micron. The results from submicron materials testing can help engineers determine the wear resistance and corrosion characteristics of ICs and other applications using thin films.

• National Instruments (Austin, TX), which makes a variety of IEEE-488 test and analysis devices, is now running seminars on data acquisition and analysis using personal computers, like IBM PCs and Mac lis. Besides how to choose and use a data acquisition system, the lessons will include training sessions on hooking up sensors; capturing and graphing points; and formatting, filtering, compressing, and displaying waveforms. The seminars run until November in locations throughout the U.S. For more information, phone(800) 531-4742; in Texas, dial (800) 433-3488.

• For everyone who's waiting for a new desktop presentation program for the Macintosh, Software Publishing Corp. (Mountain View, CA) plans to release one next year sometime. The company is developing the program in conjunction with Three D Graphics (Pacific Palisades, CA),

continued

Currently, the company can put about 10,000 gates on a chip, and the number of gates per chip is roughly doubling every year, he said. MacMillan would not comment on the prospect of GaAs CPUs except to say that

in 2 to 3 years, the number of gates on a chip will be high enough to support such a processor.

Engineers at chip giant Texas Instruments have fashioned ICs containing GaAs and silicon transistors, com

bining the former's high speed with the latter's high density and low power use. With an innovator like TI behind such a project, desktop PCs powered by GaAs are likely within the next couple years.

DRI Hopes to Out-DOS MS-DOS with DR DOS

Digital Research, Inc. (Monterey, CA), is hoping a new operating system will help it regain some of the ground it lost to Microsoft. DRI says its MS-DOS workalike, called DR DOS, is a better operating system than Microsoft's. The new operating system is ROMable, offers 512-megabyte disk partitions and password protection, and costs up to 50 percent less than its competition. But though DRI says DR DOS can run all MS-DOS software, the system's commands aren't exactly the same—and, at least initially, it will be sold only to OEMs.

The new operating system wasn't his company's idea, according to DRI's Michael Malloy. OEM customers asked for an "entrypoint" operating system that would ease the migration to DRI's Concurrent DOS. "It

wasn't designed as a clone [of MS-DOS]. What we've done is used our own commands and command structure to create a wholly proprietary, unique product."

DR DOS can be put into ROM and executed from ROM. "These days, RAM chips are a precious commodity," Malloy said. "A ROMable operating system is valuable for laptops, because it gives you 'instant on' capability, and another use is in diskless PCs that function as nodes to a network." At 64K bytes, DR DOS is also slightly smaller than current versions of MS-DOS. DRI will also offer version 3 of its GEM mouse-andmenu graphical interface as an option for DR DOS; like the operating system, GEM can run entirely from ROM.

Malloy said some of the commands in DR DOS will

Company Claims to Cut Cost and Time of Prototyping Custom Chips

One of the fastest-growing areas in the computer business is the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). ASICs are custom-designed chips for specific applications. However, ASICs typically are expensive to produce; chip makers need high volumes to justify the investment.

United Silicon Structures (US2), a San Jose, CA-based subsidiary of a Europeanbased ASIC manufacturer, hopes to change all that with an ASIC manufacturing

method that allows "shortterm prototyping" and lowvolume production of ASIC designs. The company uses "E-beam" technology to write circuits directly onto the silicon wafer rather than using traditional photomasking techniques. With Ebeam technology (variablewidth electron beams), multiple ASIC designs can be produced on a single wafer. US2 claims that as many as 21 designs have been prototyped on a single wafer. In contrast, traditional photo

be familiar to MS-DOS users. "Some commands are generic; for example, FORMAT and COPY. And others date back to CP/M or earlier, such as DIR," he said.

Though DRI claims DR DOS can run all MS-DOScompatible software, DR DOS isn't being presented as an inexpensive MS-DOS copy. Malloy emphasized DR DOS's extensions beyond MS-DOS: large hard disk partitions (up to 512 megabytes, compared to MSDOS's 32 megabytes); password protection for all files and subdirectories; and a built-in help system behind each utility. "You can bring up help at any time with a single key combination," said Malloy.

Although DRI will initially sell DR DOS only to OEMs, the company is looking at the end-user market.

masking allows only a single design per wafer. With the E-beam method, a customer can get 10 guaranteed prototypes in about 8 weeks for a cost of around $20,000, US2 says.

As the cost of prototyping ASIC designs comes down, ASICs will be used more frequently in production computers. According to US2's Jacques Castaillac, "until now the main use of ASICs has been for logic replacement. The new trend

continued

16 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

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If reply card is missing, please write to The Library of Computer and Information Sciences. Dept. 7-ER9-00882, Riverside, N|, 08075, for membership information and an application. BYTE 9/88

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 17

MICROBYTES

NANOBYTES

which brought us Boeing Graph, aka Perspective.

• 3Com (Santa Clara, CA) has trimmed the prices of its adapters for connecting PCs to Ethernet and token-ring networks. EtherLink II will now sell for $445 instead of $495, and TokenLink will sell for $595 instead of $650.

• CMS Enhancements (Tustin, CA) will soon start selling an external 30-megabyte SCSI hard disk drive for the Apple He and IIGS and a similar-size unit for the Mac Plus, SE, and II. The half-height 3 Vi-inch units have an access time of 30 milliseconds, a spokesperson said. The Ile/IIGS model will have

continued

is to put entire systems on silicon."

Castaillac predicts that by 1990, the volume of ASIC production will match that

of printed circuit boards. By the end of 1989, US2 will be offering 1-micron CMOS ASICs (current designs are 1.5 microns).

US2 also offers ASIC design software that runs on Sun Microsystems workstations, Apollo workstations, and IBM PC AT computers.

Weitek Says New Math Chip Cures "Anemic" 386ers

Calling 80386machines "anemic number crunchers," Weitek has designed a single-chip floatingpoint coprocessor for machines based on the Intel 80386. The new Weitek Abacus 3167 coprocessor is object code-compatible with the Weitek 1167 coprocessor chip set and is available in 20- and 25-MHz versions.

In sustained performance at 25 MHz, the Abacus measures 0.7 MFLOPS doubleprecision LINPACK and 1.0 MFLOPS single-precision LINPACK, the company

claims. These figures represent floating-point performance comparable to that of a VAX 8560 and about triple that of the 80387 math coprocessor, according to Weitek official John Rizzo. In a demonstration, a threedimensional image screen refresh appeared significantly faster with the Abacus than with an Intel 80387— 1.4 seconds versus 4 seconds, according to Weitek.

Weitek president Art Collmeyer said that present

80386 systems, even with

80387 coprocessors, "fall well short of the perfor

mance standards for engineering platforms. PCs make up less than 20 percent of the CAD/CAM market." Weitek hopes to raise that percentage with Abacus. The chip plugs into the 121-pin Extended Math Coprocessor (EMC) socket supported on many 80386 system boards, including those from Compaq, AT&T, Dell, NCR, Sun, and Hewlett-Packard. An optional daughterboard allows installation of both the Abacus and the 80387 coprocessor, for maximum flexibility.

continued

M

With Maplnfo, More Ways Than Ever To Map Your Data

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Pin Map. Automatically use your existing database (from dBASE III or others) with street maps that we can supply. Maps from over 300 U.S. cities and towns contain all addresses, accurate to the correct block and side of the street. Type any address and Maplnfo will find it for you. Call to the screen your complete record.

Map

Thematic. Use our boundaries (state or county) or draw your own (sales regions, election districts, etc.). Create a database for the region (population, average income, etc.) Color code boundaries or entire regions based on parameters you define.

Presentation. Use powerful graphics Visual Database. Draw anything from

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a floor plan to aircraft design. Store data on any point or region. Create multiple layers to add flexibility to your display.

18 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

And that's just a sample. If you need to map your data, Maplnfo can do it for as little as $750. IBM PC or 100% compatibles, with 640K memory, a hard disk drive, and graphics capability.

To order, call 1-800-FASTMAP. In New York State, call 1-518-274-8673 (Telex 371-5584). Maplnfo Corp, 200 Broadway, Troy, NY 12180

dBASE III is a trademark of Ashton-Tate. IBM and IBM PC are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.

Circle 159 on Reader Service Card

Now You're Talking

Communicate with anyone anywhere in the world. Whether you use E-Mail or bulletin boards, information services like The Source and CompuServe,® or data file transfer, Everex modems meet all your communications needs.

Working at your desk or on the road, Everex offers you a complete range of modem solutions. We have 1200 or 2400 bps internal and external modems, modems that send and receive FAX communications, modems with MNP error correction, and a miniature modem that fits in your shirt pocket.

P.VER for Excellence is a registered trademark and EVEREX is a trademark of Everex Syslems, Inc. IBM, AT and PS/2 are registered trademarks and PC and XT arc trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. Hayes is a registered trademark of Haves Microcomputer Products. Inc. BitCom is a trademark of Bit Software. Inc. Apple is a registered trademark and Macintosh is a trademark licensed to Apple Computer, Inc. CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe Information Services. The Source is a trademark of Source Telecomputing Corporation. ©Copyright 1988 Everex Syslems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Circle 95 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 96)

All Everex modems offer worldwide compatibility with Bell, CCITT or Hayes® standards. And, our modems are compatible with IBM® PC™/XT™/ATs® and compatibles, PS/2s,® Apple® II and Macintosh™ computers.

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«r

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You can rely on Everex modems to deliver superb performance at an affordable price. So, when you need a modem for your PC/XT/AT or compatible, PS/2, or Apple II and Macintosh computers, Everex has the Answer.

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MICROBYTES

NANOBYTES

a list price of $955. The Mac model will list for $895.

• The Thing That Would Not Die, Part II: "Home business" was again the magic phrase of computer makers and other equipment manufacturers at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. Nearly every manufacturer who sells a combination of desktop PCs, typewriters, personal copiers, one- or two-line telephones, or low-cost facsimile machines is trying to peddle them for the home business market. There are about 13 million home businesses in the country, says the American Home Business Association.

Transmitted Invoice

The Abacus or 1167 chips do not support the 80387 instruction set, however. Applications written for the 80387 must be recompiled to run on Weitek's chips.

IBM does not currently support the EMC socket in its 80386 systems, but Far Point Engineering (Atlanta, GA) has announced a Micro Channel expansion board that uses the Abacus chip. Rizzo said Weitek hopes IBM will support the EMC socket but declined to comment further.

Several major engineer

ing software and compiler vendors said they'll support the Abacus coprocessor. These companies include CadKey, MCS, MacNealSchwendler, Swanson Analysis, Lahey Computer Systems, MetaWare, and other developers of engineering, statistical, and CAD/ CAM software. However, the Abacus chip poses difficult problems for companies that have traditionally relied on mainframe and minicomputer customers for the bulk of their revenues. For example, MacNeal

TECHNOLOGY NEWS WANTED. The news staff at BYTE is interested in hearing about new technological and scientific developments that might have an impact on microcomputers and the people who use them. If you know of advances or projects relevant to microcomputing, please contact the Microbytes staff at (603) 924-9281, send mail on BIX to Microbytes, or write to us at One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. An electronic version of Microbytes, which offers a wider variety of computer-related news on a daily basis, is available on BIX.

Schwendler is porting its lower-priced PAL2 finiteelement software but is reluctant to port its high-priced NASTRAN software, since that would undercut the company's minicomputer business, where prices and profit margins are higher than in the microcomputer industry.

The Abacus chip can be sampled now but won't be widely available until the end of the year. The chip is being manufactured for Weitek by Matsushita Electric Co. of Japan. The OEM price in quantities of 5000 is $445 for the 20-MHz chip and $882 for the 25-MHz chip; the daughterboard with a 20-MHz chip is $595. At the retail level, these prices translate into $1200 to $2500 added to the cost of an 80386 system, or at least three times the cost added by an 80387.

Checks Printed & Signed

Price, Qty, Part# Matched

Invn'"' Stamped "oded

\\f

(c)

Check Register

"S&sS

Open

Accounts

Payable

20 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 203 on Reader Service Card

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Oup Competitors SayjWe

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JKT .._i„L«i'* ,-*

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T-TTi

Precisely.

When our engineers design a Genicom printer, they start with the obvious: functionality. Building in all the features a printer user needs. And making sure that the printer will perform up to its expectations with unerring precision and rock-solid dependability.

But we go beyond that. Because we know that you also need versatile machines that offer a high degree of compatibility. As well as printers that you can upgrade or adapt to your future applications.

It all adds up to the fact that Genicom

offers you exceptional value for the dollar: superior performance on a long-term basis.

So the next time you're considering a new printer, think of Genicom first. We offer a full line of hardworking printers: everything from daisy wheels to lasers, plus dot matrix, line matrix and band printers.

Actually, we enjoy our reputation for overengineering because people depend on Genicom printers—over and over again.

rywiT tMi*fr |

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Circle 108 on Reader Service Card

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□ CAD 3—The PC-Flow 1.0 computer aided flowchart generation program. Color graphics required.

[5] COMM 4a,b,C,d,e—(5 disks) Join the world of sysops with RBBS Bulletin Board System 14.1 D.

H] DATABASE 1a,b—(2 disks) File Express 3.8 menu driven general purpose database manager.

U EDUCATION 1—Interactive DOS tutorial for new PC users. Makes learning DOS painless.

[2] FINANCE 1a,b—(2 disks) PC Accountant 2.0 personal bookkeeping and finance management.

_J GAMES 1—3-D Pacman, Kong, Spacewar, JanitJoe, futuristic Flightmare and more. Color required.

G GAMES 2—Qubert, Pango, Centipede, dungeons and dragons style Zoarre, etc. Color req.

_J GAMES 3—Blackjack with customizable rules, Armchair Quarterback (you call plays), and more.

□ GAMES 4—Star Trek, the Castle adventure game, and the original Colossal Caves Adventure, g

_J GAMES 5—The Hack adventure game from the 3> universities. Like Rogue, only much richer. >

□ GAMES 6—Pinball, Othello, Dragons, Sopwith (fly a Sopwith Camel) and more. Color required.

[I] INFO 1 a,b—(2 disks) Cooking recipes database with keyword/ingredient retrieval. Add your own.

\2\ MUSIC 2a,b—(2 disks) PianoMan 3.0 polyphonic music recording and playback program.

□ ORGANIZER 1—DeskTeam, a Sidekick clone, and the Judy personal calendar program.

[] PRINTER 1—Resident print control and font utility, intelligent spooler, banner maker, and more.

□ SIMULATION 1—Maze making program, MIT's Life simulation, starfields, etc. Color graphics req.

^| UTILITIES 1—A collection of invaluable general purpose DOS utilities. An absolute must for all.

G UTILITIES 2—More invaluable DOS utilities including screen burnout, ram disk, and more.

I | UTILITIES 3—A comprehensive set of debugging and diagnostic utilities for monitoring your computer.

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^J BUSINESS 2—Expressgraph business graphics. Chart your data and find trends. Color graphics req.

\z\ CAD 1a,b—(2 disks) Fingerpaint 1.2 advanced painting and Altamira object oriented design. Color.

\2\ CAD 2a,b—(2 disks) DanCad3d, an advanced 2D/3D drafting program w/animation. 640K, color.

\z\ COMM 2a,b—{2 disks) Procomm 2.42, an excellent modem program with terminal emulation.

□ EDUCATION 3—PC-Fastype 1.20 typing tutor, ideal for beginners and advanced students alike.

\2\ FINANCES 3a,b—(2 disks) Express Calc 3.12, a powerful and user friendly spreadsheet program.

□ GAMES 8—Striker helicopter attack and Risk, the game of world domination. Color required.

Q GAMES 12—Backgammon (play the computer) and Wheel of Fortune based on the gameshow.

I | GRAPHICS 1—Record and play back screen images! Excellent for demo, etc. Color required.

\3\ GRAPHICS 2a,b,c—(3 disks) An excellent 3-D surface modelling and shading program. Color.

\2\ INFO 2a,b—(2 disks) Zip-Phone, national areacode/prefix to zip-code cross reference.

{2} LANGUAGE 3a,b—(2 disks) The A86 3.09 macro assembler and debugger for 8088/86/286s.

[2] SHELL 4a,b—(2 disks) Automenu and HDM II 4.04 hard disk prog, for custom full-screen menus.

□ UTILITIES 5—Hard disk utilities for verifying, formatting, parking and optimizing your disk drives.

^2 UTILITIES 6—Advanced utilities including

Mark/Release (remove resident progs w/o reboot!) _J UTILITIES 7—More advanced utilities including

Masterkey (undeletes files from hard disks). \2\ WORD 1a,b-(2 disks) PC Write 2.71, a powerful word processing system w/spell checker, laser supt. Most software listed is shareware or user-supported.

3.5" formal add $1/disk. 125 page directory, add $2.

MicroCom Systems Cost of items

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24 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Recursion vs. Iteration

In "Problems and Pitfalls" (June), Alfred A. Aburto Jr. compares the usual Fibonacci benchmark to a "nonrecursive form" and says that "the performance differs by a factor of over 4500. Apparently, recursive function calls are highly inefficient" (page 224). This is incorrect. In the Fibonacci benchmark, when fib(24) is called once, it turns out that fib(23) is called once, fib(22) twice, fib(21) three times, fib(20) five times, fib(19) eight times, and so on, down to 28,657 procedure calls to fib(2). This redundancy causes the efficiency loss.

This and similarly inefficient recursive procedures often lead to the conclusion that recursion is necessarily bad compared to iteration. (That is the real comparison here, not recursion versus "nonrecursive" procedure calls.) However, any recursive routine can be written iteratively, and vice versa; it's easy to write a recursive fib() with no redundancy. The only reason recursion is usually singled out as worse is that it's easier to overlook redundancy in procedure calls than in a FOR... NEXT loop.

The benchmark tests procedure calls and addition. (It would be nice to remove the addition, but then there would be no answer to test.) It's difficult to compare recursive procedure calls to nonrecursive procedure calls, because it's difficult to write a program with one that does exactly the same as a program with the other, but the Fibonacci benchmark does a good job of comparing procedure calls under one compiler on one machine to those under another.

Daniel J. Bernstein Bellport, NY

Rounding Calculations

In "Error-Free Fractions" (June), Peter Wayner discusses a weakness in digital computing. His proposed solution, factorial-base fractions, is more open-ended than some alternative schemes of fractional representation. However, regardless of the storage method, the results of most calculations need to be rounded. Seldom do we consider that between

any two of the exactly representable digital values, there are infinitely many rational numbers.

In general, after multiplying two fractions, as many bits are required to exactly represent the result as are required to represent the two fractions. I call this "doubling the denominator." Adding terms with denominators that are mutual primes also doubles the denominator. Recursive operations, such as those used in modeling or in producing fractal approximations, soon overflow any scheme of representation.

For example, using factorial arithmetic, the Mandelbrot Set recursion z = z2 + c, with c = 0.25 (.012f), requires 5, then 9, then 17, then 33 factorial terms, for the first four iterations. If you were to use a 256-byte array for the factorial fractions, the result of the seventh iteration of this series would not be representable. In spite of the fact that 256 factorial terms can exactly represent an enormous quantity of values (about 10507), seven or eight multiplications are sufficient to find a number outside the scope of the method.

I think we'll be living with rounding errors for some time to come.

Larry Van Stone Stillwater, OK

Rave Review

I am not a subscriber to any personal computer magazine, although I pick one up occasionally. I want you to know that from the few BYTEs I've picked up, I have been impressed with your articles

continued

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Please double-space your letter on one side of the paper and include your name and address. We can print listings and tables along with a letter if they are short and legible. Address correspondence to Letters Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

Because of space limitations, we reserve the right to edit letters. Generally, it takes four months from the time we receive a letter until we publish it.

Who Says FoxBASE+ is Better than dBASE ?

The Experts!

TteFastest Most Powerful, dBASE comoaithio . __53rTheAooieMaiaraoshi

The Best Just Got Better—Now Shipping New FoxBASE+ Version 2.101

Nicholas Petreley, Info World Review Board: "FoxBASE+ has outdone itself. Once again, FoxBASE+ earns an "excellent" in performance, with kudos for responding to user suggestions. For sheer productivity, there is no other choice." InfoWorld "Editor's Choice" for 1987 and 1988! P.L. Olympia, Founder & President, National Dbase Users Group I Government Computer News: "FoxBASE+ is a supercharged dBASE, with all the features Ashton-Tate forgot. If you're into serious dBASE development and have not tried FoxBASE+, you are living in the dark ages and wasting your company's money." George F. Goley IV, Cont. Editor, Data Based Advisor: "The product is fast, very compatible, fast, easy to use, fast, relatively inexpensive, and very fast. In every test, FoxBASE+ outperformed the other products. And people who answer the phone at Fox know what they are talking about." David Irwin, Former President/CEO, Data Based Advisor: "From the dBASE compatibility standpoint, FoxBASE+ is flawless. From the speed standpoint, FoxBASE+ is unbelievable. From the "lazy factor" standpoint, FoxBASE+ is perfect." Glenn Hart, Contributing Editor, PC Magazine: "Initial tests of FoxBASE+ were simply stunning. In many ways, FoxBASE+ gives you the best of both worlds: all the benefits of interactive development and debugging, plus the speed and code protection of a compiler."

Circle 103 on Reader Service Card

FoxBASE anil FoxBASE-r are trademarks of Fox Software. dBASE and dBASE III PLUS are trademarks of Ashton-Tate. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computers, Inc.

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Adam Green, Contributing Editor, Data Based Advisor, dBASE Author:

"For the PC, FoxBASE + has consistently set the performance standard for dBASE compatible languages. For the Macintosh, FoxBASE+/Mac will set standards for innovation and leadership in a new dBASE implementation."

Don Crabb, Contributing Editor, InfoWorld: "You can expect blazing speed on the Mac. FoxBASE+/Mac breezes past tests that have proven stumbling blocks for Macintosh databases in the past. FoxBASE+/Mac combines complete dBASE compatibility with a genuine Macintosh user interface."

This is what they said about Version 2.00 of FoxBASE +. Imagine what The Experts will say about New Version 2.10 with these added features: Menu-Driven Interface, Program Documentor, Screen Painter and Template-Based Application Generator ... and Version 2.10 is even faster than 2.00!

Join The Experts. Get your copy of the New FoxBASE + Version 2.10 today! Now available at your nearest, quality software retailer, or directly from us by calling (419) 874-0162 Ext. 320.

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Circle 13 on Reader Service Card

S°ft\

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o£*?'»**£yot*r

HASP-II is a hardware device that connects externally into the printer port of the IBM-PC/XT/AT and PS/2 families.

Special electronic circuits form a unique code allowing only your customers to operate the protected software.

Hardware for Software Protection

HASP-II is "transparent" to the user. It does not interfere with the operation of other programs nor does it require actual connection of the printer to the computer.

\Xour customer can create backup copies of his programs but these copies cannot be used on another ["HASPIess" computer.

/mplementation is easy. You won't need the source program in order to protect your software, and yet if you have the source, we offer you the option to check for the HASP-II from within the program at any time. Software drivers are supplied.

A / o automatic copying program or device will be able to crack the HASP-II, since no such tools can I \lduplicate the plug. The HASP-II software is sophisticated and encrypted. The code returned from the HASP-II is algorithm dependent.

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on numeric methods and calculations methods.

I just read "Error-Free Fractions" by Peter Wayner (June). This was something completely new to me, even though I have taken a course on numeric analysis and my occupation as an engineer requires me to deal with numerically intensive applications.

BYTE seems to be unique among personal computing magazines in carrying such articles, and the articles that I have read intensively seem to reflect the state of the art. I hope you continue to carry such^irticles and continue the same high quality. It makes your magazine a standout among personal computer magazines.

James Larson Minneapolis, MN

Don't Reorder the Alphabet

As a programmer and student of computer science, I must comment on Billy R. Pogue's letter ("Reordering the Alphabet, " June). Pogue claims that "a few moments' thought shows that if our alphabet were arranged in descending order of frequency of occurrence of the letters, any search based on alphabetic order should go much faster, whether done by humans or computers."

In fact, computer search and sort algorithms are completely insensitive to the coding of the information that they operate on. That is, if you changed the order of the alphabet and therefore its representation as numbers inside the computer, the search or sort would produce the same results in the same time. The only change you would be able to see would be the order of sorted information, which always follows the order in which characters occur in the alphabet.

The reason for this behavior is simple. With very few exceptions, character data in a computer is represented as 8 bits per character. Therefore, the search or sort algorithms operate on the same amount of data, regardless of the coding of the characters. It is the number of bits of data rather than the coding of characters that dictates the amount of time an algorithm takes to run.

For a more rigorous proof of this principle, refer to "Sorting and Searching" by Donald Knuth (The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 3, Addison-Wesley, 1973), in which run times of various algorithms are derived. In each case, the run times are dependent on the length of the information being searched or sorted and are independent of the encoding of the information.

continued

26 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

THERE ARE FOUR WAYS

TO MEASURE THE

SPEED OF A LAN.

■ .

Ours only wins in three of them.

How fast does it install.

We have no competition in this category. LANLink 5X installs in about fifteen minutes, and it doesn't take a technician to do it. Since LANLink 5X uses standard parallel or RS-232 serial ports, installing a network means little more than connecting the cable and loading the software.

With hardware LANs, installation can easily take two daysone to set it up and one to tweak it. And it also takes someone who really knows what he's doing. That is, someone expensive.

How fast does it transmit.

Okay, this is the category we don't win; the hardware LANs are generally a little quicker. At least, they are under optimal conditions, which is how they rate themselves.

But LANLink 5X is pretty quick, too. At half a megabit per second, it's way out ahead of any other software LAN, and right at the heels of the hardware types. Which, of course, are far more expensive.

How fast does it maintain.

The real cost of a network is not so much the initial price as it is the continuing outlay for maintenance-adapting it to changing needs. That's something LANLink 5X does practically on its own.

Running under PC-MOS/386f" or PC-DOS, it turns your server PC into a multi-tasking controller, driving a truly expandable LAN that is easily and quickly upgradable.

A hardware LAN, on the other hand, becomes obsolete as new technology is introduced. And, to keep the network up and running as applications change, you need the attentions of a technician, on a continuing basis. A very well-paid technician.

:• How fast can you pay for it.

Now we've arrived at the bottom line, where LANLink 5X is toughest to beat. You can install a five-user LANLink network for about the same cost as the LAN board in a board-driven network. On top of that, factor in what you save on installation and maintenance time, and the difference is pretty dramatic.

LANLink 5X is available immediately, and it comes with a moneyback guarantee. Its price of $595 includes a server and a satellite module plus the network operating system. Additional satellites are available for $125.

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A simple experiment proves the point: Write a program that codes a file, giving each character its order in the "new" alphabet. Then use the DOS SORT command to sort some large text file, once for the uncoded version and once for the coded one. I tried it and found no difference in the run time.

Search and sort algorithms are complex and easily misleading. A few moments' thought about how computers work, however, should convince readers

that there is no benefit to reordering our arbitrarily ordered alphabet.

Brad Brown Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Minds vs. Programs

I read with interest the comments made by Shawn Corey (May, page 24) in response to my original letter (January, page 30). I would like the chance to address the issues Mr. Corey raised. To begin with, he seems to be under

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the impression that I am against all research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). I regret that I may not have made myself clear on this matter, since nothing could be further from the truth. AI research has made significant progress in many areas and added considerably to the body of human knowledge. We have also realized a number of tangible benefits from this research, which in some cases has been in the form of commercial products.

The point I was originally attempting to make was that there are some inherent limits to what AI is capable of realizing, and that these limitations are not technical but philosophical. Researchers in AI need to take a step back from the technical aspects and examine the enormous body of philosophical work pertaining to the nature of conceptual thought and how it relates to physical substance.

That this is necessary is demonstrated by Mr. Corey himself in that he appeals to a philosophical argument drawn from the school of thought known as materialism. Materialism contends that we are essentially "meat machines," and if this were true, his assumption that one day we will invent a "nonmeat machine" capable of conceptual thought would be entirely reasonable.

However, there is an opposing school of thought called, appropriately enough, immaterialism, which is further divided into dualism (the idea that we are "meat puppets") and hylomorphism (the idea that we have a nonmaterial component necessary for conceptual thought but that cannot be separated from the material component; there is no convenient and clever analogy for this one).

The immaterialist school has been held by such philosophical giants as Aristotle, the Stoics, Aquinas, Descartes, Pascal, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Hegel. If these thinkers are correct—and one would be obstinate to totally disregard the work of such an august body— then there cannot be a purely mechanical explanation for conceptual thought.

Even without appealing to ancients who are frequently believed to have nothing important to say to our age, I suggest that a number of modern scholars have demonstrated the value of philosophy to AI research. A persuasive argument was put forth by John Searle. This argument is briefly stated as follows:

1. Programs are purely formal (i.e., syntactical).

2. Syntax is neither equivalent to nor sufficient by itself for semantics.

continued

30 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

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BYTE 31

LETTERS

3. Minds have mental contents (i.e., semantic contents).

Conclusion: Having a program—any program by itself—is neither sufficient for nor equivalent to having a mind.

Mr. Searle is, I believe, a materialist, and therefore he's likely to contend that some kind of machine can—in principle—be built that is capable of conceptual thought. However, his argument with respect to computers is difficult to refute. I

would again suggest that those involved in AI research make every effort to examine the body of philosophical work pertaining to their subject in order to discover what the most fruitful avenues of their research will be.

Marin David Condic Parsippany, NJ

Nonrecurrent Steps

I am writing to correct an error in Gary Bricault's article ("Juggling Multiple

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Processes," May). The article introduces five operations in a code fragment:

(51) x : = y + z;

(52) a:=(b + 3)*c;

(53) d: = e*a;

(54) w :=d-x;

(55) writeln (d, w);

Clearly, S4 cannot execute until S3 has completed, since S4 requires a value for d, which is calculated by S3. Bernstein's second requirement—0(Si) C\ I(Sj) = [)—leads to the same conclusion. The output of S3 = (d); the input of S4 = (d,x), and the intersection of these sets is not null.

Thus, S3 and S4 cannot be concurrent. However, Mr. Bricault's precedence diagram (figure 3, page 317) for this code fragment incorrectly shows S4 as concurrent with S3. The correct diagram is as follows:

Charles E. M. Dunlop Yellow Springs, OH

FIXES

• Megahertz Corp. alerted us to some incorrect information that we published in our July 1988 Short Take of the EasyTalk board.

The list price of the board is $999.95. It runs on the Toshiba T3100 in addition to the Tl 100 Plus and the T1200.

After our July issue went to press, the company moved to 4505 South Wasatch Blvd., Salt Lake City, UT 84124, (801) 272-6000.

• The price of Spot from Flagstaff Engineering (Computing at Chaos Manor, August, page 108) should be $995.

32 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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Once again, Compaq introduces a personal computer that leaves every other PC in the dust. With its unsurpassed Intel 25-MHz 386* microprocessor, exclusive COMPAQ Flexible Advanced Systems Architecture, and up to 1.2 gigabytes of storage, the new COMPAQDESKPRO 386/25 is the ultimate expression of 80386 technology.

Its FLEX Architecture uses separate memory and peripheral buses operating in concert to reach maximum system performance, while maintaining compatibility with industrystandard hardware and software. By splitting

the work, they also prevent information bottlenecks in the system. The 25-MHz cache memory controller keeps data instantly accessible, and that lets the processor tear through applications with 0 wait states 95% of the time. All this translates into performance that's up to 60% faster than most 20-MHz 80386-based PC's.

And, with the optional Intel 387* or Weitek™ coprocessor, you'll even be able to match the numeric processing power of a dedicated engineering workstation at a fraction of the cost.

fasten your

Introducing the 25-MHz COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/25. The most powerful personal computer available.

You can go from one megabyte of standard, high-speed memory all the way to 16 megabytes. And for storage-hungry applications, such as networks using disk fault tolerance and multiuser systems, the COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/25, with two optional COMPAQ 300-/600-Megabyte Fixed Disk Drive Expansion Units, is able to provide up to a massive 1.2 gigabytes of highperformance storage. With an average access time as low as 20 milliseconds.

Of course, we give you a choice of 5V4" or 3V2" diskette drives and high-capacity tape backup options.

For sophisticated PC users who require the ultimate in power, compatibility, connectivity and overall system performance, no other personal computer comes close to the new COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/25.

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Take one for a quick spin and you'll see why COMPAQ computers earn unsurpassed satisfaction ratings from users and industry experts. For the location of the nearest Authorized COMPAQ Computer Dealer or for more details, call 1-800-231-0900. Ask for Operator 63. In Canada, call 1-800-263-5868, Operator 63.

COMPAQ- and COMPAQ DESKPRO 386« are trade.'"raarks of Compaq Computer Corporation. Microsoft? \M5-DOS? XENfX" and MS* ire .trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. MS* OS/2 and MS* Windows/386 are products of Microsoft Corporation. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. "Registered US. Patent and Trademark Office. COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/25 graphics ©1988 Accent Software, Inc. ©1988 Compaq Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

'Hereafter referred to as 80386SX, 80386 and 80387 respectively.

COMPAQ.

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Chaos Manor Mail

Jerry Pournelle answers questions about his column and related computer topics

BASIC Pilgrimage

Dear Jerry,

I was amused by your comments concerning Turbo Basic from Borland International. When some things didn't work as you expected, you patiently read the manual and went on to declare the product a "success." In contrast, however, you couldn't be bothered with reading the manual when doing a previous review of True BASIC and went on to declare the product a failure, referring to it as "True Madness."

Now that Microsoft has just released QuickBASIC 4.0,1 expect you'll soon be raving about its separately compiled program modules, calling them an "exciting development in BASIC programming." Of course, the program modules available in version 2.0 of True BASIC for the past 12 months "just don't seem like BASIC and will never be accepted by users of GWBASIC."

Have you noticed that each new version of QuickBASIC looks more and more like True BASIC and less and less like GWBASIC? The very features you condemn in True BASIC are being copied into QuickBASIC and Turbo Basic—the ANSI BASIC standards. (Thomas Kurtz of True BASIC and Dartmouth College served as chairman of the standards committee.) Whether you like it or not, Kemeny and Kurtz are dramatically changing the language. You detest their influence while unwittingly praising Turbo Basic and QuickBASIC for copying most of the ANSI standards.

In 1985, Apple Computer came very close to releasing MacBASIC, which included many features similar to True BASIC. The language was developed by Apple's own software engineers. However, according to the Wall Street Journal (September 25, 1987), Apple president John Sculley killed MacBASIC and signed over the rights to the MacBASIC name when Microsoft's Bill Gates demanded the product be withdrawn and threatened to cut off Apple's license to use Microsoft's program for the company's best-selling Apple II machine. Several of Apple's key software engi

neers resigned in disgust. The Journal quoted an Apple employee as saying, "He insisted that Apple withdraw what was an exceptional product. He held the gun to our head."

Sybex Publishing actually released a book on the MacBASIC language—a book that suddenly had no market. Tell me, is Mr. Gates a man we should all admire and hero-worship?

Alan F. Tomala St. Clair Shores, MI

Well, to begin with, True BASIC had all the defects of a compiled language without the speed and convenience; it "compiled" into p-code and interpreted that. Why would anyone want to do that? Turbo and QuickBASIC compile into stand-alone code that you can give your friends or sell for jujubes.

I will also admit that the name True BASIC and the arrogant letters denouncing "street BASIC" that accompanied it had a good bit to do with the attitude with which I approached True BASIC.

And whether you like it or not, the marketplace seems to have accepted Turbo Basic and QuickBASIC.

I hadn 't heard the story about Apple and Bill Gates. I must have missed that issue of the Journal. —Jerry

Proof Positive

Dear Jerry,

Once again, I take keyboard in hand to perpetrate correspondence. You often wonder if you have any effect on the computer industry. You do. I offer the following as proof.

Some months ago, you reviewed the NEC MultiSync monitor. Your main complaint was that the adjustments were completely automated. (I'll pass over

continued

Jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psychology and is a science fiction writer who also earns a comfortable living writing about computers present and future. He can be reached do BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, or on BIX as "jerryp. "

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CHAOS MANOR MAIL

your gripe about the size of the screen. Maybe you should consider hooking your current word processor to a projection TV set.) The new MultiSync II has a full set of manual controls. Except for the mode selectors, everything is handily located under a door in front.

Also, I would like to enter a comment on your taste in text editors. You prefer WordPerfect because it is "transparent." I would call it "invisible." Admittedly, I cut my teeth on WordStar 3.31. Further, I actually like WordStar. Maybe that implies something about my sanity, but at least my old faithful has a useful help facility. WordPerfect does not. If you ever lose that blasted keyboard template, you may as well buy a supply of goose quills.

WordPerfect's on-screen "help" comes in two flavors; you either specify the key with which you want help or give the initial letter of the function you want. This assumes you know what the various keys do and at what level of shift they do it. The "organization" of the function keys might best be described as antimnemonic. (WordStar, at least, groups similar operations under the same Control-key menu.) Finding the letter that will call up help for a specific operation is mostly luck. It took me two tries before I could find the command to exit a file. Even DisplayWrite, a program widely regarded as the joke of the industry, has an index of help screens. If WordPerfect has such a feature, it is well hidden.

Finally, how can anyone with your notoriously poor vision even use that blasted template? My optometrist whistles in awe whenever I bring him my new lens prescription, but I don't need an oversize monitor. What I do need is a blowup of the template.

If you insist on a transparent editor with automatic paragraph reformat, try PC-Write 2.71. It is faster, much more helpful, and does windows. Its worst feature is its documentation, which tends toward the dense side of understandable. If I could find a book on PC-Write that's half as good as Arthur Naiman's book on WordStar, I would switch in a minute.

Bryan Edenf ield Allendale, SC

One thing that isn 't generally known: when Art Naiman wrote his excellent book on WordStar, he used WRITE, the text editor I used for so many years. —Jerry

BRIEFly Speaking

Dear Jerry,

Last year, you casually mentioned that you have problems running BRIEF with

SideKick and SuperKey ("In the Chips," September 1987).

We recently started using BRIEF here in the office, and we had similar problems. We tried to run BRIEF with SuperKey and our own memory-resident software and found that the machine locked up just as you described. We were using an IBM PC AT with 3 megabytes of memory.

Our solution was to set two switches when starting BRIEF. We set -k (lowercase, no numbers) and the -p (lowercase). The first is a keyboard-compatibility switch. It's odd to have to set this when using a true IBM machine, but it seems that these memory-resident programs hang off the keyboard interrupt and can affect timings.

The second switch is a video-pagecompatibility toggle. Apparently, BRIEF uses the second video page to display text, and if some software doesn't support multiple video pages (such as SideKick or SuperKey), this can cause problems.

After setting these switches, we have experienced no problems in running BRIEF.

Terence J. Griffin Washington, DC

I find I don't need the power of BRIEF, and I've gone over to the Logitech Point editor for most of my programming. If I worked at programming full-time, I'd reconsider, but BRIEF had just enough commands that I'd keep forgetting them, while Point is totally intuitive. —Jerry

Avoiding Custom Programming

Dear Jerry,

At my law office, we had a very large relational database written in dBASE III. But we had to change it all the time because the attorneys and the judges would always be asking for new reports that had not been set up previously. We ran into custom programming costs because dBASE III is too difficult for ad hoc queries and custom reports to be designed by the secretaries and the data entry-level people.

So, we rewrote the entire system in Paradox. Now data entry and secretarial personnel can create ad hoc queries and custom reports with minimal time from our high-priced computing consultant. This saved us money. I thought you'd like to know.

Daniel J. Ashley Chicago, IL

I did want to know, and thank you for telling me. —Jerry ■

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 35

\r^\

aiu a

CAN THIS BE DONE?

A COMMUNICATION

DEVICE FOR THE

SPEECH - DEAF

Executive Audial

Rehabilitation

Society....

the EARS design competition FIRST PRIZE-M00.000

PLUS A % OF ROYALTY

SECOND PRIZE - $50,000

PLUS A % OF ROYALTY

THIRD PRIZE -$25,000

PLUS A % OF ROYALTY

Executive Audial Rehabilitation Society

500 American Bank Tower R O. Box 2703 Corpus Christi, Texas 78475

(512)882-6557

JUDGES COMMITTEE

WINNERS 1986 SUGGESTION CONTEST

JACK S. K1LBY, Dallas, Texas, Electronics Engineer HOWARD H. ARNOLD, Lewisville, North Carolina, Electronics Engineer JAMES S. NEWCOMB, St. Paul, Minnesota, Electronics Engineer HUBERT W. UPTON, Arlington, Texas, Electronics Engineer — Alternate PROFESSOR HUGH TOMLINSON, Corpus Christi, Texas - Coordinator

MILDRED CRUICKSHANK Telephone connection ED POTTHARST, Multichannel memory

36 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

m

v.

V.

r~\

WE THINK YOU CAN!

J HERE ARE 17,000,000 speech-deaf persons, i.e. do not understand speech, in the U.S. The

I objective isto provide a communication device that will allow one-on-one communication.

1 The final EARS design, incorporating all possible operational advantages and economies of production, may be the composite of the prize winners' designs and may also incorporate

I features of the designs submitted by non-prize winners. Winners will be accorded cash and royalties. All royalties negotiated by EARS will be passed through to the contestants. The royalties will be apportioned by the Judges on the basis of their evaluation of the importance of each element submitted by any contestant which is included in the Final Production Design.

Those desiring to participate should apply (by mail or phone) for a registered entry blank to the Executive Audial Rehabilitation Society shown. Each entry shall include design, programming instruction and an operating "bread board" model which need not conform to the size goals. EARS will compensate those contestants (whose entries are adjudged to be operationally feasible) for the current cost of the components used to build the bread board operational model. The entries will be evaluated by the Judges on the basis of merit, i.e. operationally effective that can be produced at a reasonable cost.

Detailed conditions of the competition will be set out on the entry form. DEADLINES: Entry forms must be procured and returned to EARS not later than October 31,1988. Designs and bread board models must be received by 5 PM. on May 1,1989.

All designs submitted and accepted by the Judges shall be the property of EARS. No essential conceptual element of a design shall constitute a conflict with an existing patent. Conceptual protection of the device has been established as of date of origin. Formal application for patents on pertinent features will be applied for by EARS. A firm of patent attorneys specializing in electronics is retained. All decisions by the Judges as to the award or non-award of prizes or royalty shall be final and shall not be subject to change, review or amendment by EARS., its Officers, Executive Committee or the design contestants.

DESIGN GOALS

DThe goal is a design for a hand-held, lightweight real time communication device capable of being produced at economical cost. The design should allow a speaking person to communicate on a one-on-one real time basis with the hearing-impaired person in any situation where normal conversation occurs and will provide for filtration of extraneous noise. The goal is a device contained in approximately 6" x 8" x 1W. A 5"x 7" screen will be on one side. The speech-deaf person can place it on a desk or hold it in hand. The speaker will first read a text identifying his phonetic alphabet in the memory. A multi-position switch would allow storage of the phonetic alphabets of different persons. For telephone calls, the speech of a person (whose phonetic alphabet is in one of the memory channels or who reads the text into a new channel) will enter the communication device through a standard telephone plug. The device will be battery-powered with rechargeable batteries but provide for alternative operation with a voltage converter. Intensive electronic speech analysis combined with the personal phonetic alphabet of the speaker will result in the "real-time" production of the spoken words on the screen. The speech of the hearing-impaired person not fitting the phonetic alphabet of the memory should be filtered out automatically if possible, otherwise manually.

B Equally important is a design for this device that can be manufactured economically so that the cost is within the means of this group of people, many of whom may be economically disadvantaged.

Circle 99 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 37

Ask Byte

Circuit Cellar's Steve Ciarcia answers your questions on microcomputing

Clipped by Clipper

Dear Steve,

I have a problem with my Clipper application, but perhaps it's a general problem. I can't find any way to access more than 15 files in my application because of the restrictions of MS-DOS. I think the only way I can solve this problem is to open another process, but maybe you could suggest something else.

Michael Stockel Berlin, Germany

Your problem is not so much a restriction of MS-DOS as it is a configuration problem.

Examine the contents of your CONFIG. SYS file if you have one. It should be in the root directory of whatever disk you boot the computer from (if not, add this file with the following). See if there is a FILES=?? statement, where ?? is a number that indicates the maximum number of files any application can have open at one time. You can increase this number to whatever you like, but each open file takes some memory, so the sky is not the limit. You should also add a BUFFERS=? ? statement to speed processing if you have lots of open files. However, remember that all this takes memory, and if Clipper takes too much to allow more open files, then you 're stuck because of Clipper, not MS-DOS.

Set the number affiles and buffers to the smallest value that accommodates your requirements. Typically, 20 is a good number. All this is listed in the MSDOS manual in greater detail. —Steve

Seeing Digital

Dear Steve,

Since June of 19871 have been considering purchasing a digitizer/transmitter and receiver system for several small systems that I deal with on a regular basis. The unfortunate part of the whole thing is that all I know of how the system works is what I could catch up to in the June 1987 Circuit Cellar.

What I'm looking for is a total rundown on the system, including both its good points and bad points. I plan on set

ting up a series of these in external cases and using my own telecommunications network. Would you be willing to give me some information on this system and your own thoughts on how it can be applied?

Jason S. Beam Saco, ME

The definitive works on the ImageWise video digitizing system are in "Build a Gray-Scale Video Digitizer, "Parts 1 and 2 (May and June 1987). The two subsequent articles ("Using the ImageWise Video Digitizer, " Parts 1 and 2, July and August 1987) went into some depth on applications for the hardware, featuring some image processing and colorization

IN ASK BYTE, Steve Ciarcia, a computer consultant and electronics engineer, answers questions on any area of microcomputing and his Circuit Cellar projects. The most representative questions will be answered and published. Send your inquiry to

Ask BYTE

One Phoenix Mill Lane

Peterborough, NH 03458

Due to the high volume of inquiries, we cannot guarantee a personal reply. All letters and photographs become the property of Steve Ciarcia and cannot be returned.

The Ask BYTE staff includes manager Harv Weiner and researchers Eric Albert, Tom Cantrell, Bill Curlew, Ken Davidson, Jeannette Dojan, Jon Elson, Frank Kuechmann, Tim McDonough, Edward Nisley, Dick Sawyer, Robert Stek, and Mark Voorhees.

programs that demonstrated how to write a software interface to the boards.

For your telecommunications applications, you '11 need to think about transmission time and hardware control problems. The transmitter uses run-length encoding to reduce the volume of data, but you '11 still have about 30K to 40K bytes for each image. Transmitting an uncompressed 62K-byte image at 1200 bits per second can take up to 9 minutes.

The transmitter and receiver will work

when connected together, either directly or through modems, but you '11 probably need to use a computer at each end to handle dialing, selecting options, and so forth. We've used BCC-52s and BCC180s, as well as ordinary PCs and ATs, with success. Teaming a BCC-180 with a 9600-bps modem gives you quite a bit of power. This is exactly what I have done in a subsequent ImageWise project in the fifth issue of Circuit Cellar Ink magazine. There are some sample programs and images on the Circuit Cellar bulletin board system (BBS) that may be of some use. Give it a call at (203) 871-1988 and see what we 've got for you. —Steve

Teaching an Old Board New Tricks

Dear Steve,

Upgrading to a new system (from an IBM PC to an AT, or from an AT to an 80386 system) costs not only the purchase price of the new system, but also the replacement cost for the boards. Could you design an adapter so that old PC boards would fit into an AT bus or so that PC or AT boards fit into a Micro Channel bus? Are such adapters already being marketed?

James P. Eshleman Jr. Philadelphia, PA

Using your old PC 8-bit expansion boards in the AT bus is just a matter of plugging them into any available expansion slot. Actually, ATs and all the clones I know of provide 8-bit slots for video cards, serial ports, parallel ports, and so on, but 8-bit cards will work in any AT expansion slot. Of course, 8-bit memoryexpansion cards won't be of much use, and while it would be possible to design an adapter, the result would be slot performance at a high price. You could also use the PC XT 8-bit hard disk drive controllers in an AT, but the 16-bit controllers are considerably faster and worth the extra money for most people.

Adapting PC or AT cards to the Micro Channel is another story, however. There are system requirements built into the Micro Channel architecture that

continued

38 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

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Established 1984

SEPTEMBER 1988 "BYTE 39

Circle 62 on Reader Service Card

Use it or lose it!

I

Use DataSaver

standby uninterruptible power supply, and protect your microcomputer against costly data loss and hardware damage.

• Constant AC line protection against power disturbances and interruptions.

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ASK BYTE

would make adapting these cards difficult and expensive. In addition to all the electrical problems, AT and XT cards are too big to fit into the PS/2 boxes. All in all, adapters to fit PC and AT cards into the PS/2 probably won't happen. —Steve

Translation, Please

Dear Steve,

I ran across some long FORTRAN source code recently that has what the author refers to as Warnier-Orr diagrams in place of the more generic English comment lines. As near as I can fathom, these diagrams appear to be a sort of condensed truth table outlining the program logic flow.

I'd like to know more about these diagrams so I can make some sense out of the cryptic symbols they contain. Could you or your knowledgeable readership offer any references?

James T. Himer Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Your question seemed easy until I started looking for an answer. Apparently, programmers must have stopped using Warnier-Orr diagrams. Searching through back issues, I found two articles in BYTE: "Structured Programming with Warnier-Orr Diagrams" by David A. Higgins (December 1977) and "WarnierOrr Diagrams: Some Further Thoughts " by G. T. Wedemyer (May 1978).

The only recent reference I found was the book Diagramming Techniques for Analysts and Programmers by James Martin and Carma McClure (PrenticeHall, 1985). -Steve

Hebrew Word Processing

Dear Steve,

What can you recommend as a current data book for information about software? I once had a copy of The Whole Earth Software Catalog, and The DataPro Report was highly recommended to me, but apparently neither is up to date.

I'm hoping to get specific information about word-processing programs in Hebrew and a shopping guide to word-processing systems with scientific notation and plotting capability.

Ellen Dean Cambridge, U.K.

I can readily understand your desire to have a truly current software directory. I'd like to know where to find one myself.

Unfortunately, in a business that grows and changes as rapidly as the microcomputer trade, any compendiums are dated before they 're published.

The most current information sources

are magazines such as BYTE, PC Tech Journal, and PC Magazine. These magazines contain the most current software/ hardware reviews, as well as manufacturers' advertisements, product notices, and other useful information. The manufacturers themselves are frequently the most useful information sources, although one must be wary of hype. Of the directory-type publications, the one published annually by PC Tech Journal is frequently the most useful.

Although I can't provide all the information you need, I can offer some sources for information on Hebrew wordprocessing software for IBM-type PCs. Two companies advertising PC software with multilingual text capabilities, including Hebrew, are Gamma Productions, Inc. (710 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 609, Santa Monica, CA 90401) and MegaChomp Co. (3524 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19149).— Steve

Pictures, Hexes, and the Weather

Dear Steve,

I have three unrelated questions.

For a long time, I've been seeing ASCII characters used to make some very good printer pictures. These pictures are found on BBSes all over the country. I was wondering how these pictures are made—some cannot even be listed to the screen and viewed. It takes an 80-column printer set to condensed mode and a small line spacing to make any sense out of the image data. Is there a software or hardware package available that can produce these picture files?

I have access to an EPROM programmer. It has its own card that goes into one of the slots in an IBM PC (it's not a serial-type programmer; it's like the $179 ones that many of the clone suppliers sell), and it programs up to four EPROMs at once. I've seen ads for EPROM data on a disk that is in the Intel Hex format. I am not sure if my programmer will accept this Intel Hex format. Can you describe the Intel Hex format so I can determine whether or not it is compatible with my programmer?

Now for the hard question. A long time ago, you wrote an article entitled "Build a Computerized Weather Station" (February 1982). You used a Heathkit anemometer and a temperature sensor connected to a computer to tell you of the changes in weather conditions. I'm also interested in predicting the weather. In fact, I purchased a program that, when supplied with a few readings (data such as date, location, average temperature, and current atmospheric pressure), will

continued

40 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

New diskdoubler

doubles the storage capacity doubles the storage capacity

of your hard disk

for $189

Upgrade the disk drive in your PC the easy way!

Datran's new DiskDoubler dd2000 is a short card that simply fits into any available slot on an IBM, PC, XT, AT, 386 or compatible, DOS 2.0 or greater.

Upgrade a 20 MB disk into a 40 MB.

The DiskDoubler lets you double the storage capacity of any hard disk without loss of performance. No matter what size hard disk you have, the DiskDoubler will double it.

Works With All Data. The DiskDoubler compresses data stored on a hard disk, including application programs, program files, COM and EXE files. You will appreciate the doubling of capacity for word processing, spreadsheets, and database files.

Powerful dBASE Capacity. The DiskDoubler is especially powerful when handing dBASE II, III and III Plus files, storing on the average three times as much data on your hard disk, i.e., your 20 MB hard disk will perform like a 60 MB disk ... an 80 MB disk will act like a 240 MB model. It works equally well for any size hard disk . . . and for only $189.00.

Principle of Operation. At the heart of the DiskDoubler is a new, powerful high-speed data compression microprocessor that incorporates Datran's state-of-the-art data compression technology, which represents years of research and development.

Totally Transparent Operation. Datran's high speed data compression technology coupled with our extensive operating software allows the DiskDoubler to process data at speeds compatible with disk operating speeds. It looks as though you've added a disk drive of double the capacity to your PC.

Breaks the 32 MB DOS Barrier. Because the DiskDoubler doubles the amount of data your disk drive stores, it effectively increases the 32 MB DOS barrier to 64 MB without any special software.

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SEPTEMBER 1988 "BYTE 41

The most affordable way

to build a skyscraper.

MultiSync Plus For superior business graphics, desktop publishing and CAD.

Or construct a bridge. Or design a circuit. Or even create a pie chart. With the MultiSync® Plus, high resolution graphics are well within reach. When used with the graphics board that was designed for it—the MVA 1024 from NEC-it may well be the ultimate value for all your CAD and business graphics applications.

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ASK BYTE

forecast the next three days' weather and even draw a local weather map. I was going to rely on the local weather radio and the cable TV weather channel for the data, but when they said for three straight days that the high was 9°F (in summer), I knew I needed my own source for this data. I remembered your old article and decided that it should provide some guidance for putting together a computer-controlled system to take readings every hour or so.

I'm not a programmer, but I figure that with trial and error I can make a program that will do what I want. The actual instruments and the interface to the computer is a bigger problem. Can you give me any clues on this? Also, is there a better or cheaper way for measuring wind speed and direction?

Donald P. Bolton Richland, WA

The "printer pictures" you mention are reminiscent of pictures I used to create when I was in school (before personal computers). The technique used involved creating the drawing (on graph paper), determining the shading or gray scale, and assigning characters to represent the shading or gray-scale levels.

The character assignments followed the concept of using the density of a character that is essentially centered in the character space. You can easily see that a + symbol has a lesser density than a if or a @. It would then be a simple matter to code in the lines of character (even using backspacing to increase density). I haven't experimented in this area in quite some time, but since you can create the rules necessary to code the character lines, you should be able to create a program to automate the process. This should be fairly easy, given that paint and video capture programs are available to get the image into the computer. I don't know of a commercial program, however, that creates these pictures.

As to your question about the Intel Hex format for files, this format differs from the normal Hex file in that the data is transmitted in record blocks, with necessary control and checksum codes. There are two types of records. The data record is formatted as

:BCAAAAOOHH<data>

CC<cr><lf>

where : is the start character, BC is the byte count of the record data (inclusive of control info), AAAA is the starting address of this record, 00 indicates that this is a data record, and CC is the two's comple

ment checksum of the binary summation of all the previous bytes.

The end-off He record is formatted as

:BCAAAA01CC

where : is the start character, BC is the byte count of the record's data, AAAA is the starting address of this record, 01 indicates that this is an end-of-file record, and CC is the two's complement checksum of the binary summation of all the previous bytes.

As you can see, it would be a simple process either to append or delete the control information. A short BASIC program would do the trick.

Regarding your third question, the methods for data collection of weather information have improved dramatically in recent years. Several devices are available to aid construction of these tools. Among them are the following:

• Temperature measurement: National Semiconductor's LM135-series precision temperature transducers

• Barometric pressure: National Semiconductor's LX05xxA series Monolithic Pressure transducers

• Wind directions: Hall-effect sensors and magnets

You '11 need to use the transducers in an analog environment, then convert the signals to digital information with an AID circuit (National's ADC0802 is a fairly easy device to use). You can use the Halleffect sensors digitally for count or direction. National Semiconductor can provide information on these and other devices in its linear and digital families (including sample application data). Contact National Semiconductor Corp., 2900 Semiconductor Dr., Santa Clara, CA 95051.

You might consider buying a new instrument system that Heath is marketing. The Digital Weather Master is portable and has the ability to monitor temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and rainfall. It also has some "history" functions built in. Perhaps you could investigate adapting this type of unit to your needs (it might be easier to start with afunctional and calibrated unit, then create the interface).

Concerning weather forecasting programs: I have investigated some programs (in fact, one of my associates went to great lengths to determine the reliability of one package). Unfortunately, most of them use NOAA-derived formulas that are so generic in nature that their reliability is highest in the midwest area of

the country. Extreme northern, southern, and coastal users will find that they need to fine-tune the algorithms to their native area. Consequently, it's always best for a new user to determine if the program can be modified (source code is provided) or allows for some form of area-dependent offsets.—Steve

Have ROM Will Travel

Dear Steve,

I have received conflicting information as to the possibility of removing the ROM BIOS chip from a Western Digital hard disk controller card and inserting it into an empty ROM socket on a PC XTclone motherboard. Removing the W3 jumper on the controller card would then tell the board that it should look to the motherboard for its BIOS. The purpose of these modifications is to remap the memory address of the hard disk BIOS from its normal C800 address in memory segment C into a location in memory segment F, along with the regular system BIOS. If the hard disk BIOS were in segment F, I could set up 128K bytes of my HiCard board (similar to the Max-It board advertised in BYTE) memory in segments C and D and put my 64K-byte Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification (LIM/EMS) window in segment E.

This chip-transfer scheme was suggested to me by someone in technical support at RYBS Electronics (which supplies the HiCard board); he claimed to have done this himself. However, someone at Western Digital technical support said that he had never heard of this and did not believe it could be done.

My computer is an XT clone assembled from parts primarily from JDR Microdevices. The turbo motherboard has seven sockets for 64K-byte ROMs. Only one of these sockets is currently used by the ROM BIOS chip. Can the suggested modification be done? I especially have a problem figuring out how two 64K-byte ROMs on the motherboard map into the 64K-byte space of segment F. If this modification is possible, would I have any problems with application or utility programs such as Norton Utilities, Fastback, or Coretest?

Franklin Chase Boston, MA

Maybe I don't quite understand what you 're trying to do, but it seems to me that if you 're using EMS 3.2 or EMS 4.0 with the small frame option, you only need 64Kbytes of space somewhere in the first megabyte of memory in which to put the

continued

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ASK BYTE

page frame. The expanded memory does not go into this space.

Moving the hard disk BIOS might work, but I think you might then have to boot with a floppy disk. The BIOS is programmed to scan for ROM programs in the memory range from C800.0000 to F400:0000, so if you address it at F800:, the hard disk routines won't be found during system start-up. If it turns out that the 800 part of the segment address isn 't sacred, you might be able to locate it at FOOO: and boot without trouble. If the ROM is relocated to F800:, you may be able to boot from a floppy disk and reset the interrupt vector to point to F800 and operate the hard disk, but I don't know for sure.

The empty ROM sockets on the motherboard are for ROM BASIC (cassette BASIC), and inserting the hard disk BIOS into that area shouldn 't interfere with the normal BIOS, which is only 8K bytes (the chip is 8K bytes by 8 bits).

Would this cause any problems with utility programs that do special things with the hard disk? Probably. I haven't done this, and it is impossible to predict how various programs will react to a change of this type. If you really want to do this, I think you should call RYBS Electronics again and see if you can get the full scoop. Maybe someone there can tell you exactly how to set it up. —Steve

Fishing for IIGS Info

Dear Steve,

I'm looking for information on the Apple IIGS. It's pretty hard finding anything. Can you help?

Todd Daugherty Chicago, IL

Your shortage of information on the IIGS isn't unusual or unexpected, although the people at Apple Computer aren 't as open with information as they used to be 10 years ago.

The best source I'm aware of for information is the A.P.D.A. (Apple Programmers ' and Developers' Association), which has membership dues of $20 per year and can supply development software, as well as hard-to-find manuals and such, all at reasonable cost. You can contact A.P.D.A. at 290 Southwest 43rd St.,Renton, WA 98055.

Another good source of Apple information is Don Lancaster. See his columns in Computer Shopper magazine and Radio Electronics magazine for specifics on his hotline and mailing address. His hotline number is (602) 428-4703 (business hours, weekdays, Mountain Standard time).—Steve ■

46 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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Book Reviews

The First Electronic Computer: The Atanasoff Story

by Alice R. Burks and Arthur W. Burks

University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, MI: 1988, 387pages, $30

Reviewed by G. Michael Vose

History books tell us that the ENIAC machine was the first true electronic computer. Its principal inventors, John W. Mauchly and J. Prosper Eckert, rightfully occupy a niche as pioneers in the annals of computing. But a successful 1973 court challenge to the ENIAC's patents showed that Mauchly developed much of the ENIAC's theory from information obtained from another man: John V. Atanasoff.

The trial in 1973 set the record straight about Atanasoff s contributions to digital computing theory. But the passage of time has obscured Atanasoff s seminal ideas. Mauchly and Eckert's work stays memorialized in dozens of history texts, while the pioneering efforts of Atanasoff are mostly forgotten.

Like the early work of the brilliant English mathematician Alan Turing, John Atanasoff s innovations were swallowed up by the turmoil of a world war. Unlike Turing, though, Atanasoff never returned to research in computing after his wartime stint as a researcher for the United States Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Washington, DC. Both Turing's and Atanasoff s contributions to the science of computing needed a chronicler to secure them their rightful place in history.

Turing's story became a major biography in 1984 (Alan

Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges). Atanasoff's story unfolds in The First Electronic Computer: The Atanasoff Story, written by a member of the ENIAC design team, Arthur Burks, and his wife Alice, a longtime techni

cal writer. Their book sets the record straight about Atanasoff s contribution to computing theory.

The ABC Computer

Atanasoff did not set out to invent a general-purpose com

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puter. His original purpose was to automate the calculation of problems in physics, a subject he taught and researched at Iowa State College. Specifically, he sought to mechanize the solving of large sets of simultaneous linear equations. To build such a device, he first had to develop a method for solving these algebraic equations that would lend itself to mechanization. He decided that he needed to solve sets of up to 29 equations with 29 unknowns at an accuracy of 15 decimal places.

Then, the task became one of putting together the pieces that would allow the execution of the algorithm. Atanasoff modified the standard Gaussian algorithm for solving simultaneous linear equations. His modified Elimination Algorithm required only addition and subtraction operations, avoiding the more complex multiplications and subtractions used in standard Gaussian calculation.

This simplified algorithm lent itself nicely to a digital calculation mode like that found in desk calculators used widely in the late 1930s. The Burkses' description of Atanasoff s algorithm makes it easy to understand how it led naturally to many of the decisions that resulted in Atanasoff s computer.

Atanasoff s assistant during the creation of the machine was Clifford Berry, a graduate student. When the patent issued in 1964 to Mauchly and Eckert came under challenge in the 1970s, Atanasoff began referring to his early computer as the ABC, for Atanasoff Berry Computer.

Once Atanasoff created his elimination algorithm, he and Berry proceeded to build a specialized computing device to execute his algorithm. One continued

ILLUSTRATION: MICK WIGGENS © 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 51

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of the research team's primary constraints was money. They had only a little more than $5000 to work with at a time when electronic components were scarce and expensive. Since capacitors, resistors, and wire were cheaper than vacuum tubes, Atanasoff invented a memory system using capacitors mounted on a drum; that mechanism further led to the invention of an electronic switching addsubtract circuit.

Along the way, Atanasoff developed several other important ideas: a way to regenerate or refresh the charge to the memory capacitors; calculating in binary rather than decimal; and performing arithmetic with logic functions instead of counting.

The Burkses describe the development of these ideas in the context of Atanasoff s attempt to build a machine to execute his algorithm. This motivation is contrasted with the early work of Mauchly, who was building machines to perform meteorological calculations. Mauchly's machine, called a harmonic analyzer, was an analog device. The kind of problem to be automated dictated the kind of machine needed.

Today, we live in an era of 1-megabit dynamic RAM memory chips in computers with circuitry to refresh memory on a regular basis. But in 1939, refreshing an electrical charge to a capacitor was a breakthrough idea. John Atanasoff intended to apply for a patent on this and the other ideas that went into the ABC machine. But wartime duty called, and that administrative task fell through the cracks.

Bones of Contention

The Burkses' book not only recounts the early work of Atanasoff, Mauchly, andEckert and describes the machines they built but examines these efforts in the context of the 1973 trial of Honeywell v. Sperry Rand. In this trial, Honeywell challenged the pat

ent granted in 1964 to Mauchly and Eckert and Sperry Rand for the ENIAC in hopes of avoiding the high royalties being charged by Sperry Rand.

The court case provides a dramatic backdrop for the Burkses' narrative. The authors pored over the trial transcripts and examined every document submitted as evidence. They quote the trial transcript on many occasions to reveal how the Honeywell attorneys extracted from Mauchly testimony revealing that much of his ENIAC knowledge had come from letters exchanged with Atanasoff and from a 1941 visit to Iowa to see the ABC machine.

Mauchly did not intentionally steal Atanasoff s ideas. In the manner of many scientists, he attempted to make himself aware of all the research on a given subject and to synthesize his own inventions given the current state of the art. Borrowing and using ideas developed elsewhere is not uncommon. Later, the absence of patent applications from Atanasoff no doubt made Mauchly and his employers think that the ideas they wanted to patent were available for claim. The social turmoil of an ongoing war only served to add to the confusion.

But the trial finally established who invented what. The authors' use of the trial as a device to frame the historical narrative makes an otherwise dry read much more exciting.

An Ax to Grind

It seems a truism to say that the people best qualified to record events are those who were involved—unless, of course, they lack objectivity. Coauthor Arthur Burks helped to build the ENIAC and well knew the other people involved with it. Only someone so intimately involved could care enough to want to make sure that the historical record was accurate.

But Burks's intimate involvement in the events raises some questions. While he continued

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worked with Mauchly and Eckert to build the ENIAC, he had no qualms about encouraging his later employer, Honeywell, to challenge his old comrade's patent claims. Setting the historical record straight is an admirable ideal, so long as that is the only motivation. The fact that there was a strong economic motivation taints ever so slightly Burks's role in telling the story.

Maybe Burks's 1988 book is intended to leave the world with the impression that his motives in 1973 were pure. Whatever the motivation, the resulting volume is another fascinating glimpse of the genesis of one of this century's major scientific accomplishments.

BRIEFLY NOTED

UNIX System Readings and Applications, Volumes I and

II by AT& TBell Laboratories, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1987, 416 pages (VolumeI), 336pages (Volume II), $19 each. From Aho to Weinberger, these volumes are the who's who of Unix research.

Unix originated at Bell Laboratories, and these books, originally published as Bell System Technical Journals in 1978 and 1984, contain about 20 insightful research papers each. Nearly everyone associated with the initial design and development of the Unix operating system contributes.

Volume I covers the early to mid-1970s, a time when Unix was already firmly entrenched in government and university installations. The papers discuss topics that are now commercial realities: "Unix on a Microprocessor," "The C Programming Language," and "Document Preparation."

Volume II introduces research from the late 1970s and early 1980s that relies heavily on ideas presented in Volume I. The original paper on C + +, an extension to the C programming language that is

rapidly gaining favor, is here, as are papers describing the historical development of Unix: "The Evolution of the Unix Time-Sharing System"; "The Evolution of C—Past and Future"; and "The Evolution of Unix System Performance."

There's little here for the programmer that isn't covered well in recent books, but for someone interested in the design philosophies and original applications of Unix, there's no better resource.

Most of the papers require a general knowledge of computer operating systems and hardware to be fully appreciated; however, the writing style is so uniformly accessible that anyone with even a cursory interest in Unix and its origins and design will find addictive reading in each volume.—Jason Levitt

Programming Windows: The Microsoft Guide to Programming for the MS-DOS Presentation Manager by

Charles Petzold, Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA: 1988, 852 pages, $24.95. Three years after Microsoft introduced Windows, Charles Petzold has produced the official guide to Windows programming. Written for Windows developers, prospective Windows developers, or the just plain curious, this book offers a solid foundation in Windows program development. Covering a wide topic with very few omissions, Programming Windows teaches the whys as well as the hows of programming for Windows.

The book's major strength is its examples. The author assumes that you are fluent in the lingua franca of Windows—the C language—so be prepared for all examples to be written in C. Petzold starts with simple examples and adds detail until functional programs have been created.

Unless you have a good

foundation in the basics of

window procedures, painting,

event loops, and other con

continued

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cepts, understanding Windows is impossible. Fortunately, the book's development of these topics is excellent. Once the basics are presented, the pace and level of treatment accelerates into high gear.

Windows provides a rich graphical environment, and Programming Windows contains many fine examples for graphics programming. Mastering the many service routines provided by Windows is just as important, and these topics are presented carefully and thoroughly.

As witness to the richness of Windows, 852 pages still doesn't provide space to cover several important advanced topics, like dynamic data exchange and rich text format.

Programming Windows is filled with details and inside information that make it worthwhile reading. The layout integrates charts, tables, and source code in a way that does not interrupt the flow of the text. Broad in scope and omitting little, this book is a must for anyone who is serious about Windows.

—Philip Taylor

Software Engineering: A Beginner's Guide by Roger S. Pressman, McGraw-Hill, New York: 1988, 294 pages, $49.95. This book is a sweeping but measured overview of modern software design principles for students and entrylevel professionals. Roger S. Pressman uses the requisite buzzwords: "prototyping," "data design/flow," "transform/transaction mapping," "abstraction," "program description language," and "white-box testing," and he provides supporting technical details and brief examples.

The author never loses sight of the real applications his theory will be put to, ending each chapter with a section entitled "What This Means to You." The text flows relentlessly but easily from analyzing the problem to designing the solution, coding the program, and testing and making

changes. The book's noteworthy conclusion is an exhaustive software engineering checklist and comprehensive example.

—Darrow Kirkpatrick

Expert Systems for Experts

by Kamran Parsaye and Mark Chignell, John Wiley & Sons, New York: 1988, 462 pages, $29.95. The role played by domain experts in the development of expert systems has expanded as the tools for building such systems have become higher-level and easier to use. Parsaye and Chignell's book is aimed at domain experts who might be thinking of implementing an expert system (with or without the help of a knowledge engineer), yet who are unfamiliar with artificial intelligence (AI) terms and concepts.

The authors provide a good, solid discussion of a broad range of technologies and methodologies currently in use in the development of expert systems. Chapters are devoted to logic and logic programming, knowledge and knowledge representation, uncertainty, the inference process, building expert systems, and knowledge acquisition and validation. The discussions are uniformly good and sufficiently detailed. The chapter on uncertainty, for example, covers traditional probability theory, fuzzy logic, certainty theory, exact and semiexact inference, and quantification of uncertain knowledge. I found the chapter on knowledge acquisition and validation to be valuable.

Detailed as the discussion may be, it is nevertheless fairly high level: There is no consideration of hardware, nor of specific expert-system building tools (despite an offer to refund the book's price upon purchase of one of several products from IntelligenceWare, of which Parsaye is chairman). Although this book would be a valuable resource for anyone developing an expert system on his or her continued

58 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 306 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 307)

Ecosoft Announces

'cosoft developed the original version of Microstat in 1978 and it has grown to become the most widely-used statistics package ever written for a personal computer. Microstat-II has been redesigned from the ground up to reflect almost 10 years of user feedback. The result of this synergism is a statistics package that is easy to use, fast, accurate.

Microstat-II has everything for your statistical needs:

• Descriptive statistics: mean, sample-population stardard deviation and variance, moments about the mean, sums, minmax, kurtosis, skewness coefficient of variation, standard error, sums of squares, deviation sums of squares

• Probability Distributions: Binomial, Hypergeometric, Poisson, Normal, Exponential, F, Student t, Chi-square

• Frequency Distributions: value or range, cumulative, percents with bar graph

• Scatterplots: With overlapping points

r- SAMPLE OUTPUT

Regression Analysis

LONGLEY.MII: Longle

y test data from

JASA vol.62,

pp. 819-41.

Forwards Regression

Proportion:

0 Tolerance

3 F enter:

0

F remove:

0

Step: 6

Dependent Variable: Total

Degrees of Freedom: 9

Ind Var Coefficient Std Error

Beta Coeff

F Statistic

Probability

Index 15.06187227 84.91492577

.046282023

.03146

.863140833

GNP -.035819179 .033491008

-1.013746349

1.14387

.312681061

Unemploy -2.020229804 .488399682

-.537542578

17.11003

.002535092

Military -1.033226867 .214274163

-.204740692

23.25154

.000944367

Popltion -.051104106 .226073200

-.101221114

.05110

.826211796

Year 1829.151465 455.4784991

2.479664383

16.12737

.003036803

r"2:

995479005

Intercept:

-3482258.635

r:

997736942

F-Statistic:

330.2853392

f (d.f.):

996603485

Standard Error:

304.8540736

Proportion Reduced:

000015805

Std Error (d.f.):

373.3684631

Cumulative Reduced:

995479005

Sum of

Squares D.F. Mean Squares F Ratio Probability

Regression 184172401.9 6

30695400.32 330.2853392 4.9840e-10

Residual 836424.0555 9

92936.00617

Total 185008826.0 15

in-Watson: idual

Case observed

Expected Res

1 . 559487689 Is -Is 0

+ ls +2s

1 60323.00

60055.66

267.34

. *

2 61122.00

61216.01

-94.01

*

3 60171.00

60124.71

46.29

*

4 61187.00

61597.11

-410.11

*

5 63221.00

62911.29

309.71

*

6 63639.00

63888.31

-249.31

k

7 64989.00

65153.05

-164.05

*

8 63761.00

63774.18

-13.18

9 66019.00

66004.70

14.30

*

10 67857.00

67401.61

455.39

11 68169.00

68186.27

-17.27

■

t

12 66513.00

66552.06

-39.06

*

13 68655.00

68810.55

-155.55

*

14 69564.00

69649.67

-85.67

*

15 69331.00

68989.07

341.93

*

16 70551.00

70757.76

-206.76

*

Hypothesis testing: mean or proportion, large and small

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AN0VA: Oneway, Twoway, Twoway with replication

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Correlation Analysis: matrix and cross products table

Regression Analysis: Multiple and Stepwise, forward and

backward

Time Series: moving average, centered moving average,

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Permutations, Combinations, Factorials, Contingency Tables

and Chi-square

Exclusive Features

We have also added features that make Microstat-II the easiest, most flexible statistics package you've ever used:

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• Configurable—change colors, file types, even set the mouse speed

• Variables may have missing data, aliased values, and unequal sizes

• New data administration: full screen editor for the utlimate in ease of data entry, new transforms (with conditionals) for creating new variables from existing data, range checking, and external file processing

• Expanded user's manual

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own, it could not serve as the only resource.

The authors present the material logically, with good use of accompanying figures and summaries at the end of each chapter. The appendixes expand on selected topics introduced in the main text, including search, general-purpose reasoning, propositional logic, and relational databases. A 3 3-page bibliography and index complete the end material.

Expert Systems for Experts has a broader audience than its title implies. I recommend it for students of AI and novice knowledge engineers, and as a valuable reference for more advanced AI practitioners.

—Alex Lane

Artificial Intelligence Programming with Turbo Prolog by Keith Weiskamp and Terry Hengl, John Wiley & Sons, New York: 1988, 262 pages, $22.95. Turbo Prolog books with the term "artificial intelligence" on the cover have gotten a bad reputation. A number of them merely rehash the user's manual or provide lengthy tutorials on fundamental Turbo Prolog concepts, paying only lip service to AI applications. Happily, this book bucks that trend, providing useful code and ideas for the beginning-tointermediate AI or Turbo Prolog programmer.

Authors Weiskamp and Hengl try to teach fundamental AI programming concepts and to show how to write useful programs in Turbo Prolog. After providing the reader with the obligatory opening chapters on the fundamentals of the language and its Turbo implementation, they progress from general-purpose toolbox code to specific AI applications.

The chapter on building an AI toolbox is deceptively easy to overlook in a first reading if you're at all familiar with Prolog and looking only at the code, or if you're a beginner looking only for Prolog programs to run. The chapter,

however, contains many interesting ideas on how to write portable Prolog predicates.

The discussion of inference engines is ambitious, beginning with a discussion of formal reasoning and predicate logic, continuing with a description of forward- and backward-chaining control strategies, and ending with the development of a simple inference engine.

Despite a whirlwind introduction, I found the discussion of natural-language processing quite meaty. Code is developed to implement recursive transition network (RTN) and augmented transition network (ATN) natural-language parsers. The final sections of the book attempt to deal with knowledge representation and expert systems; however, there just isn't enough room to give either subject sufficient coverage.

Although the scope of the book is too broad for its medium size, the authors go about their business in a clear fashion with examples that stick in your mind, such as a robot riding a bicycle downstairs to illustrate commonsense reasoning. The code, which is easy to read, is available on disk for $24.95. The book includes a glossary and an index.

While advanced AI or Prolog practitioners will find this book a bit light, others will find it a good way to learn more about AI and Turbo Prolog. -^Alex Lane ■

CONTRIBUTORS

G. Michael Vose is coeditor of OS Report: News and Views on OS/2 (P.O. Box 3160, Peterborough, NH 03458). Jason Levitt is a Unix consultant living in Austin, Texas. Philip Taylor is a Windows consultant and freelance writer in the Washington, DC area. Darrow Kirkpatrick is a freelance writer and computer consultant living in New Paltz, New York. Alex Lane is a knowledge engineer for Technology Applications, Inc., in Jacksonville, Florida.

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839

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215

Pfix 86 Plus

215

System V/386 (complete)

759

PC-Lint

101

T-Debug Plus V. 4.0

39

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w/Source

80

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169

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529

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279

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PC-MOS 386

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899

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101

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70

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56

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142

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90

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182

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56

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Microsoft COBOL

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165

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90

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96

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Turbo Basic

69

Turbo Basic Toolboxes

69

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DATABASE COMPILERS/

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185

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232

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90

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 63

0 to 60 in 5 seconds

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with new UniLab Microprocessor Development Tools

h 64Kbytes from hard disk to emulation memory in 5 seconds.That's moving. But today you've got to be fast just to stay in the race for better microprocessor designs.

■ The secret is a new, high-speed parallel interface: the Orion bus. Which zips data between your PC/AT and the 8620 analyzeremulator, breaking the RS-232 bottleneck.

■ The 8620 with O-bus gives you complete program diagnosis — and solutions — in real time. For more than 150 different microprocessors. Using the same command set environment.

□ A generous 2730 trace-cycle buffer with selective filtering lets you cut through the clutter and display just the traces you wish. And you get 1/xsec resolution in program time measurement. Plus continuous InSight monitoring of your

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64 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

INSTRUMENTS

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Circle 196 on Reader Service Card

BYTE

Products in Perspective

67

What's New

89

Short Takes

TSI-020MX and Radius

Accelerator 25

Turbo Prolog 2.0

SOTA MotherCard 5.0 and

Microsoft Mach 20

Choice Words

Tentime

Expert Advice:

103

Computing at Chaos Manor

by Jerry Pournelle

123

Applications Plus

by Ezra Shapiro

129

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by Wayne Rash Jr.

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by Don Crabb

143

OS/2 Notebook

by Mark Minasi

147

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by Brock N. Meeks

First Impressions

154

IBM PS/2 Model

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5000 MC

Reviews

164

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183

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and GRiDCase 1530

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Review Update

fHi

mi . i , i iigjttjsfc

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 65

IT'S TIME TO DO SOME SERIOUS 386 BUGBUSTING!

PROBE's menu bar and pulldown menus set a new standard for debugger interfaces.

PROBE has source-level debugging to let you "C" your program.

POP registers up and down with a single key.

' This is an out-of-range memory-overwrite bug. Since it is interrupt related, it only appears in real time.

Welcome to your nightmare. Your company has bet the farm on your product. Your demonstration wowed the operating committee, and beta shipments were out on time. Then wham!

All your beta customers seemed to call on the same day. "Your software is doing some really bizarre things','they say. Your credibility is at stake. Your profits are at stake. Your sanity is at stake.

THIS BUG'S FOR YOU

You rack your brain, trying to figure something out. Is it a random memory overwrite? Or worse, an overwrite to a stackbased local variable? Is it sequence dependent? Or worse, randomly caused by interrupts? Overwritten code? Undocumented "features" in the software you're linking to? And to top it off, your program is too big. The software debugger, your program and it's symbol table can't fit into memory at the same time. Opening a bicycle shop suddenly isn't such a bad idea.

THIS DEBUGGER'S FOR YOU

Announcing the 386 PROBE™ Bugbuster,*from Atron. Nine of the top-ten software developers sleep better at night because of Atron hardware-assisted debuggers. Because they can set real-time breakpoints which instantly detect memory reads and writes.

Now, with the 386 PROBE, you have the capability to set a qualified breakpoint, so the breakpoint triggers only if the events are coming from the wrong procedures. So you don't have to be halted by breakpoints from legitimate areas. You can even detect obscure, sequence-dependent problems by stopping a breakpoint only after a specific chain of events has occurred in a specific order.

Then, so you can look at the cause of the problem, the 386 PROBE automatically stores the last 2K cycles of program execution. Although other debuggers may try to do the same thing, Atron is the only company in the world to dequeue the pipelined trace data so you can easily understand it.

Finally, 386 PROBE's megabyte of hidden, write-protected memory stores your symbol table and debugger. So your bug can't roach the debugger. And so you have room enough to debug a really big program.

COULD A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP PUT YOU IN THE TOP TEN?

Look at it this way. Nine of the top-ten software products in any given category were created by Atron customers. Maybe their edge is — a good night's sleep.

Call and get your free, 56-page bugbusting bible today. And if you're in the middle f of a nightmare right now, c% ^*ff!l give us a purchase order number. We'll FEDEX you a sweet dream.

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'Versions lor COMPAQ. PS/2-80s and compatibles. Copyright 0 1987 by Atron. 386 PROBE is a trademark of Atron. Call 44.2-855-888 in the UK arid 49-8-985-8020 in West Germany.

Circle 22 on Reader Service Card

What's New

SYSTEMS

From MS-DOS to Apple and Back

Two microprocessors inside the IBM XT-compatible WPC Bridge allow it to run (without rebooting) MSDOS as well as "proprietary Apple-booting software," according to the company. The boards connect to the IBM floppy disk drive controller and then to the monitor and serial and parallel ports. You can also load FP BASIC from Apple DOS 3.3 for better compatibility.

Inside the machine, there's a 16-bit 8088 microprocessor that runs at 4.77 MHz for normal operation or at 8 MHz for faster operations, and a 65C02 microprocessor for 1-MHz Apple DOS operation. All you do is hit AltEsc to go back and forth between MS-DOS and Apple software programs. The system BIOS is from Up To Date Technology.

Memory in DOS mode is 512K bytes, expandable to 768K bytes, while memory in the Apple mode is 128K bytes for the main and auxiliary banks and 16K bytes for the Apple language card. Resolution in the DOS mode is 640 by 400 pixels; Apple-mode resolution is 720 by 360 pixels.

Two internal 360K-byte 5 '/4-inch half-height floppy disk drives come standard and operate off the two motherboards for Apple and IBM PC compatibility. On the IBM side, there are three full-length expansion slots and a clock/calendar. Both sides support an RS-232C serial port, a parallel printer port, and CGA capabilities.

An option on the IBM PC side is a 20-megabyte 3%-inch

WPC Bridges offer a choice of MS-DOS and Apple DOS.

hard disk drive that requires one of the full-length expansion slots. There's a slot on the Apple side for an optional Apple drive; there's also an optional 8087 math coprocessor. An AT-compatible keyboard and a built-in 12-inch

25-MHz Machines with Zip!

With company ratings of 27 percent better performance than Compaq's Deskpro 386/20, Advanced Logic Research introduced the FlexCache 25386, a 25-MHz, zero-wait-state machine. It's based on a proprietary extended-emulation 82385 cache system, which the company claims is an enhancement of the Intel 82385 form of caching.

This proprietary caching system is enhanced by a 64Kbyte, 25-nanosecond RAM

monochrome monitor come standard. Price: $1695.

Contact: Cordata Technologies, Inc., 1055 West Victoria St., Compton, CA 90220, (213)603-2901. Inquiry 751.

caching memory between the central processor and the main memory; direct memory access (DMA) caching of RAM I/O; byte, word, or doubleword caching; posted write-through on all accesses, including bytes; and background refresh cycles. Such a caching system makes the main memory 80 percent faster than the Compaq Deskpro, the company claims.

The Model 150 comes standard with 80387 support, 1 megabyte of main memory, one 1.2-megabyte 5 '4 -inch floppy disk drive, one 150megabyte enhanced-small

SEND US YOUR NEW PRODUCT RELEASE

We 'd like to consider your product for publication. Send us full information, including its price, ship date, and an address and telephone number where readers can get further information. Send to New Products Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. Information contained in these items is based on manufacturers' written statements and/or telephone interviews with BYTE reporters. BYTE has not formally reviewed each product mentioned. These items, along with additional new product announcements, are posted regularly on BIX in the microbytes.sw and microbytes. hw conferences.

device-interface (ESDI) hard disk drive, one serial port, and one parallel port. The Model 300 has a 300-megabyte ESDI hard disk drive with a controller.

Price: $9499 for Model 150; $12,499 for Model 300. Contact: Advanced Logic Research, Inc., 10 Chrysler, Irvine, CA 92718, (714) 581-6770. Inquiry 752.

Little features that promote using Hertz Computer's new 25-MHz machine as a file server include two cooling fans and possible hookup without floppy disk drives, keyboards, or monitors, according to the company.

Three standard versions include the big features as well. System 25/70 has a zero-wait-state 64K-byte cache with 2 megabytes of 32-bit RAM that's expandable to 24 megabytes. There's a 1.2megabyte floppy disk drive, a 72-megabyte hard disk drive, and support for all types of 5 lA- and 3 Vi-inch drives. A VGA controller is standard.

Eight expansion slots include two 32-bit, five 16-bit, and one 8-bit. There are two serial ports and one parallel port, and the system can run anything from MS-DOS to OS/2 to Unix/Xenix.

Enhanced systems have 150- (System 25/150) and 320(System 25/320) megabyte hard disk drives. Price: $11,995 for System 25/70; $13,995 for System 25/150; $15,995 for System 25/320.

Contact: Hertz Computer Corp., 325 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10016, (212) 684-4141. Inquiry 753.

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 67

WHAT'S NEW

PERIPHERALS

Tallgrass Drives into the PS/2

Changing one module in the 40-megabyte tape backup system from Tallgrass Technologies upgrades the AT- and XT-compatible TG-1140 floppy disk drive to work at the faster AT and PS/2 floppy controller speed of 2.4 megabytes per minute.

You can also buy that tiny replacement module that's compatible with the 1.2megabyte-per-minute XT-controller speed and put it into the PS/2 floppy disk drive and have a PC-compatible drive. Replacing either module takes about a minute, and you won't need any special tools.

There's also an economical 2-megabyte-per-minute tape backup subsystem in this QIC series of products that comes in Macintosh and higher storage models.

A special feature allows you to locate individual files on the tape in 20 seconds or less. Other features include automatic backup, Novell/ 3Com and Unix/Xenix compatibilities, and data sharing with other QIC-40 systems. Finally, tapes with 60-megabyte capacities, which will be available soon, will be compatible with the TG-1140. Price: $495 for an internal PC, PS/2, or compatible; external cabinetry, $179; replacement module, $79 each. Contact: Tallgrass Technologies Corp., 11100 West 82nd St.,Lenexa,KS 66214, (913) 492-6002. Inquiry 756.

Clearer Than Night and Day

Beyond all-black and allwhite picture elements is the gray-scale level of graph

Tallgrass PS/2, AT, or XT tape backup drives.

ic-quality that Cornerstone Technology achieves with its DualPage display.

The company's newest monitor system, which includes a custom controller, features 4 or 16 levels of gray scale. You can also view two pages simultaneously; with a 19-inch screen, the two split pages come out about 30 percent smaller than actual paper size.

The board fits into a single expansion slot on an IBM XT, AT, PS/2 Model 30, or compatible. When you couple it with Cornerstone Technology's proprietary fonts, the package is compatible with PostScript. Times Roman, Helvetica, Courier, and Symbol fonts are available.

With a standard Hercules graphics adapter in the monochrome graphics mode, you

get a resolution of 720 by 348 pixels. With the enhanced, 16-gray-level adapter (which piggybacks the standard card), resolution is enhanced to 1600 by 1280 pixels.

Refresh rate is 67-Hz noninterlaced, video bandwidth is 200 MHz, and a script-driven diagnostic program is included. Microsystems' NeWS and Microsoft's Xenix are supported. Optional drivers for desktop publishing include Ventura Publisher, AutoCAD, AutoShade, Publisher's Paintbrush, and PageMaker.

Also available is a singlepage display system, which features 768- by 1008-pixel resolution with a 15-inch portrait screen.

Price: $2395 for 4-gray-level system; $2795 for 16-level system; $999 for single-page system.

Moniterm Conquers with the Viking

An on-board coprocessor allows the 24inch Viking 2400 monitor to speed up certain functions and simply skip others, like slope adjustments, according to the manufacturer, Moniterm.

It's the Hitachi HD63484 ACRTC that does the work for this giant AT- and PS/2compatible monitor with a resolution of 1280 by 960 pixels, refreshed at 66 Hz. The 24-inch display and the

coprocessor are specifically designed to accelerate AutoCAD and VersaCAD. Several operating platforms are supported, including MicroSoft Windows, DRFs GEM, GSS, Media Cybernetics' Dr. HALO, and Lotus 1-2-3.

Price: $2995.

Contact: Moniterm Corp., 5740 Green Circle Dr., Minnetonka, MN 55343, (612) 935-4151. Inquiry 761.

Contact: Cornerstone Technology, 1883 Ringwood Ave., San Jose, CA95131,(408) 279-1600. Inquiry 757.

Printer Races at 600 cps

A dot-matrix color printer that prints in draft mode at 600 characters per second was introduced by Honeywell Bull Italia. That's faster than most laser printers.

The new 4/68 color printer can also print up to 150 cps in letter-quality mode. The reason for such speed, the company says, is a special 18-pin print head with two 9-pin vertical arrays. During draft printing, the two arrays are lined up and allow each character to be printed in half the time. In letter-quality mode, one of the arrays is staggered with respect to the other to produce a higher-quality character.

The paper-feed mechanism allows you to print both single-sheet and fanfold paper interchangeably. If you press a front-panel button, the 4/68 automatically retracts the fanfold paper and allows you to insert a single sheet of paper through a slot in the front of the printer. Pressing another button resets the fanfold paper.

Paper-handling features allow the 4/68 to handle formats from 4% to 17 inches wide, from 4 to 24 inches long, and up to C-size portraits. It can accommodate up to five carbon copies and has a parking feature and bottom feed. Price: $2450. Contact: Honeywell Bull Italia, 120 Howard St., Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94105,(415)974-4340. Inquiry 762.

continued

68 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

jVpplicaUonsVack

beWeen W» October \5,^88

Ymrpadorours?

If you perform calculations, the answer | is obvious.

MathCAD 2.0.

It's everything you appreciate about working on a scratchpad-simple, free-form math-and more. More speed. More accuracy. More flexibility.

Just define your variables and enter your formulas anywhere on the screen. MathCAD formats your equations as they're typed. Instantly calculates the results. And displays them exactly as you're used to seeing themin real math notation, as numbers, tables or graphs.

MathCAD is more than an equation solver. Like a scratchpad, it allows you to add

© 1988 MalhSolt, Inc.

Circle 161 on Reader Service Card

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text anywhere to support your work, and see and record every step. You can try an unlimited number of what-ifs. And print your entire calculation as an integrated document that anyone can understand. Plus, MathCAD is loaded with powerful built-in features. In addition to the usual trigonometric and exponential functions, it includes built-in statistical functions, cubic splines, Fourier transforms, and more. It also handles complex numbers and unit conversions in a completely transparent way.

Yet, MathCAD is so easy to learn, you'll be using its full power an hour after you begin.

Requires IBM PC* or compatible, 512KB RAM, graphics card.

IBM PC® International Business Machines Corporation. MathCAD* MathSofl. Inc.

What more could you ask for? How about the new Advanced Math Applications Pack ?

A $55 value, it's yours free when you purchase MathCAD between August 1 and October 15,1988. The Advanced Math Pack includes a custom binder, software and documentation for 16 advanced applications such as:

• Runge-Kutta Solution of First Order Differential Equation

• Solution of Second-Order Differential Equation

• Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors of a Symmetric Matrix

• Convolution and Correlation of Sequences

• Convolutions using FFT's

• And many more!

If you're tired of doing calculations by hand or writing and debugging programs, come on over to MathCAD.

For more information contact your local dealer or call 1-800-MATHCAD, ext. 2775 (In MA: 617-577-101? ext. 2775).

MathCAD'

MathSoft, Inc., One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139 SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 69

WHAT'S NEW

A D D - I N S

MFLOPS for Less

A floating-point array processor card for IBM PC XT-compatible computers promises to deliver from 8 to 25 million floating-point operations per second (MFLOPS) for under $100 per MFLOP. That means it speeds up some (but not all) computationally intensive applications, like scientific computing, from hours to minutes, according to the company. The half-length card is based on AT&T's DSP32 for the XT, a single processing chip with a floating-point digital signal processor. The DSP32-PC has 32K bytes of zero-wait-state static RAM. There's an upgrade available to 128K bytes of static RAM. Also available is a development system, including the board, an assembler, a window-based emulator, a math library, and demonstration programs.

In company benchmarks, a 1024-point complex fast Fourier transform was executed in 3.25 microseconds (fas). A finite impulse response was executed in 80 nanoseconds per TAP, and a 3 by 3 matrix multiplication was

The DSP32-PC reduces scientific computing to minutes.

completed in 2.2^s.

A C compiler will include a math library. The DSP32C, an AT board with upgrade and development system, may be available as soon as October, when AT&T ships the AT version of the chip. Price: $745 for XT board; $50 for upgrade; $995 for development system (including the board); the DSP32C version of the board will be under $1500.

Contact: Communications Automation & Control, 1642 Union Blvd., Suite O, Allentown, PA 18103, (215) 776-6669. Inquiry 763.

31 Users on Your AT

Up to 31 ASCII terminals can now be connected with RS-232C cabling to AT and compatible boards from UltraTek for distributed computing, based on Alloy Computer's NTNX operating system.

RS-232C cabling means 19.2K-bps transmission, and Alloy Computer's operating system means one Multi-Master board per terminal. Each board has an 8088 microprocessor and 512K bytes of

Putting on the Bits

An on-board BIOS supporting more than 60 hard disk drive types is standard with high-end floppy and hard disk controllers from Perstor Systems. Designed for use in 16-bit expansion slots of 80286 or 80386 AT-compatible computers, the controllers operate at 9 and 10 megabits per second.

Unlike standard Macintosh File System (MFM) and run-length-limited (RLL) controllers that support 17 and 26 sectors per track, the Perstor controllers use a pro

prietary disk interface to increase the number of sectors per track to 31. So models PS180-16F and PS18016FHP, which are MFMand RLL-compatible, are rated to increase hard disk capacity by 90 percent. Model PS200-16F (only RLL-compatible) is rated to increase hard disk capacity by 100 percent. Each controller can manage two hard disks and two floppy disks, in any combination from 360K-byteto 1.44-megabyte capacities in either 3 Vi- or 5 '4 -inch formats.

The PS180-16FHP's advantage over the PS180-16F is its resident BIOS cache, which runs in any combination of normal internal memory, Lotus/ Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification (LIM/EMS) memory, or AT extended memory. Price: $345 for the PS 18016F; $375 for the PS 18016FHP; $365 for the PS20016F.

Contact: Perstor Systems, Inc., 7631 East Greenway Rd.,Scottsdale,AZ 85260, (602)991-5451. Inquiry 766.

RAM (upgradable to 1.2 megabytes). You'll need an expansion chassis if you want to use more terminals than you have slots in your AT. Price: $695.

Contact: UltraTek, 400 Walnut, Suite 335, Redwood City, CA 94063, (415)364-1060. Inquiry 765.

Transform Your AT into a Multiuser Master

One full-length AT-compatible card, an interface box, a monitor, and a keyboard are now all you need to compute as far as 200 feet away from your host AT. The AT needs only full-length slots and a hard disk drive.

Add eight more cards, interface boxes, monitors, and keyboards, and you'll have the maximum number of processing stations—each with a serial and parallel port for modems and printers that can be shared by all the other stations on the network.

Each card has its own 80286, and 512K bytes of RAM running on ODOS, a DOS-compatible multiuser operating system.

Two cards are offered: The 0-286H gives the stations Hercules graphics capabilities and monitor resolution up to 720 by 348 pixels; the O286E has CGA, MGA, and EGA graphics capabilities for monitor resolutions of 640 by 200, 720 by 348, or 640 by 400 pixels, respectively. Price: $1295 for 0-286H; $1495 for 0-286E. Contact: Our Business Machines, Inc., 12901 Ramona Blvd., Suite J, Irwindale, CA 91706,(800)433-1435; in California, (818) 337-9614. Inquiry 764.

continued

70 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Get Sprint and you'll never be afraid of the dark!

Nothing holds a candle to Sprint!

Features

• = Yes O = No

Sprint WordPerfect MS Word WordStar MultiMate 1.0 4.2 4.0 4.0 Adv. 1.0

Maximum file size

Disk

Disk

Disk

4MB

128K

Thesaurus (integrated)

•

•

•

•

•

Windows Open (maximum)

6

2

8

1

1

Files Open (maximum)

24

2

8

1

1

Cross-Reference (dynamic)

•

O

O

0

O

Indexing Options

7

1

3

3

0

Columns: Parallel

•

•

•

•

•

Snaking (chg. * same page)

•

•

Not same pg.

O

•

H-P LaserJet Support

Full

Partial

Full

Partial

Full

PostScript Support

Full

Text

Full

O

Text

Mouse Support (integrated)

•

0

•

0

0

Dynamic Shortcuts

•

O

0

O

O

Alternative User Interfaces

•

O

O

0

o

Verify Spelling as you type

•

o

o

0

o

Programmable Macro lang.

•

o

o

o

o

Save File'

5.9

41.1

9.7

4.4

1.0

Top to Bottom2

7.5

7.5

49.4

8.1

21.0

Search and Replace3

1.6

6.6

4.6

17.1

13.4

Find Unique Word

3.3

6.2

7.0

13.8

20.6

Suggested List Price

$199.95 $495.00 $450.00 $495.00 $565.00

Time tests were performed on an Acer 286 (8 MHz). 640K RAM. ' File size 103K. 2I636 lines. 314 occurrences. Times shown are in seconds. (Benchmark details available upon request.) Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.

•Customer satisfaction is our main concern; if within 60 days of purchase this product does not perform in accordance with our claims, call our customer service department, and we will arrange a refund.

All Borland products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Borland International. Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders. Copyright • 1980 Borland International. Inc. gl ^37

Forgetting to "Save" is a fact of life as are power outages, and it used to be that a power outage could wipe out everything you've done. Not any more. Your work is always safe when you Sprint.8

Sprint's "Auto-Save" automatically saves your words as you type, so if the lights do go out, you may be in deep darkness but not deep trouble.

Sprint's Auto-Save is more than "insurance," it's also invisible. You know it's there, but it does its job without interrupting yours.

Sprint: It's the word processor with everything!

You name it, Sprint's got it. Incredible speed, Auto-Save, a customizable user interface, and professional output. Sprint even includes a bonus pack of alternative user interfaces that make it act like WordStar,® MultiMate,® WordPerfect,® Microsoft® Word, or other familiar word processors—a $99 value free!

Sprint has all this and does all this for only $199.95 instead of the up to $600 that some companies demand. Sprint automatically saves your words; it also automatically saves your money. Sprint—The fast track to performance word processing.

60-Day Money-back Guarantee*

For the dealer nearest you Call (800) 543-7543

Circle 34 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 35)

BORLAND

I N l E R N A T I 0 N A I

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE

71

WHAT'S NEW

HARDWARE • CONNECTIVITY

Ethernet Meets Mac with SCSI

Besides becoming the floppy and hard disk controller interface of choice for both Apple and PS/2 systems, the SCSI has now become a possible local-area-networking port for industry-standard 10-megabit-per-second Ethernet connectivity.

Adaptec has introduced the Nodem, which uses the SCSI port of Apple computers this way. That means the Nodem, in the form of a 5- by 8- by 2-inch peripheral, can automatically enhance the transmission rate between Apple machines 40-fold over what was previously possible with the 230K-bit-per-second LocalTalk cabling system,

SCSI Nodem enhances AppleTalk.

while retaining Apple's connectivity operating software, AppleTalk.

Another advantage is that the Nodem doesn't use any internal slots, so you can share information more easily among the Mac Plus (which has no slots), the Mac SE (which has

one slot), and the Mac II (which has five slots).

Up to eight different devices can daisy chain on the SCSI bus for connectivity with the three most popular Ethernet transmission media—coaxial, thin coaxial (Cheapernet), and twisted

Voice and Data Travel Together on the Twisted Pair

Two machines compatible with AT&T and Siemens Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interfaces are now available from International Computers Ltd. (ICL), a subsidiary of Standard Telephones and Cables PLC Group.

Both of the AT-compatible machines allow transmission on two 64K-bit-per-second ISDN B channels and one 16K-bit-per-second ISDN D channel (but only if you're one of the small but growing number of telephone company customers served by an ISDN central office switch).

The machines could be looked at as two luxury telephone/computer hybrids. The telephone includes more bells and whistles than the average business executive's telephone, and the manufacturer claims the 80386 version is faster than Compaq's 386/20.

The Model PWS 20 is an

8-MHz, zero-wait-state machine based on Intel's 80286 microprocessor. It comes with a 40-megabyte hard disk drive, a 720K-byte 5 Vt inch floppy disk drive, and six 16-bit and two 8-bit expansion slots. Peripherals include an ISDN telephone, an EGA color monitor, and an AT-style keyboard. The Model PWS 386 has the same features, plus an Intel 80386 that runs at 20 MHz with no wait states.

Both models include MSDOS 4.1, a multitasking Microsoft-designed DOS with a 640K-byte RAM limit per task. MS-DOS 4.1, which was designed earlier this year for ICL and to date has been sold only in the U.K., includes multitasking that ICL has used to provide telephone status on the computer screen's bottom four lines.

A single-slot add-in board with a proprietary S/T interface is used to connect the

computer and telephone to your local central office over standard telephone wiring. That connection, with standard RI-45 connectors, will handle the three channels totaling the 144K-bit-per-second transmission rate.

Several ISDN features include auto-answering; directory-, speed-, and recentcall dialing; and a status display of incoming and outgoing call information. The system includes several nonISDN connectivity features as well, including V. 120 rate adaption software and X.25 packet assembler/disassembler support over one clear 64K-bit-per-second B channel.

Price: $8000 for PWS 20; $10,000 for PWS 386. Contact: International Computers Ltd., Inc., Network Systems—ISDN Group, 777 Long Ridge Rd., Stamford, CT 06902, (203) 968-7222. Inquiry 767.

pair copper. The Nodem architecture is based on Adaptec's I/O controller ICs, rather than traditional Ethernet chip sets. And while Macintosh system disks are available now, the company says IBM-compatible system disks should be available next year.

Price: $545 for coaxial; $595 for Cheapernet or twisted pair. Contact: Adaptec, Inc., 691 South Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035, (408) 945-2520. Inquiry 768.

Hook up Your Network Through the AC Lines

PowerLink is a networking system that links any two IBM PCs or Apple Macintoshes and their printers through your building's existing power lines. And, according to its maker, you'll soon be able to expand it to interconnect up to eight systems.

The system transfers data through your computer's serial port at 19.2K bits per second. You simply plug the network device into the nearest wall outlet and you're connected to the Link network. The only limitation is that devices must be on the same side of a power transformer, but this is usually no problem if they're in the same building.

The Link hardware is provided either as an add-in card for the IBM PC and compatibles or as an external 10-inch box for serial port connections.

Price: $495 for the external unit; $395 for the add-in card; Many Link software for two PCs, $165; Many Link for up to eight PCs, $395. Contact: Netline, Inc., 85 West Center St., P.O. Box 3000, Provo, UT 84603, (801) 373-6000. Inquiry 769.

continued

72 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

The easy way to move files between the 5V4" world of PCs, and the 3V2" world of PS/2s, Laptops, and 386s: Sysgen's Bridge family.

Because your PCs, PS/2s, 386 s and laptops all talk to different floppy disk sizes and formats, they can become frustrating islands of information.

For the simplest way to get files back and forth, just install Sysgen's Bridge products. Presto: Your different computers can talk to common diskettes.

Sysgen pioneered bridges. Now here are three ways to simplify your life in a multi-computer office.

Solution 1: Our Bridge-File 5.25 floppy disk drive.

A best seller, with over 50,000 installed. Attach it to your PS/2, and you can read and write files from PCs. Critics and users alike have raved

**-f?il

about its small footprint, ease of use, and dual density capacity of 360Kb and 1.2Mb. (IBM's drive is twice the size, yet stores only one-fourth the data.)

Every PS/2 user deserves this easy connection to the world of PCs.

Solution 2: Our Bridge-File 3.5 floppy disk drive.

You get 720Kb and 1.44Mb capacities. Connect it to any PC, and you can read and write files from PS/2s, 386s, laptops, and other 3 W machines.

Now all your PCs can share files with your newer systems.

And here's the ideal controller: The Omni-Bridge Controller.

Trademarks: Sysgen, Bridge-File, Omni-IJridge-Sysgen Inc.; PS/2—International Business Machines Corporation Registered Trademark: IBM-International Business Machines Corporation.

Circle 266 on Reader Service Card

Controls up to four drives, so you can mix and match 5W, 3W, and floppy tape drives as you need. This hot card gives you big storage, plus twice the floppy disk and floppy tape transfer performance rates! At only $95, this is a winner.

Get your computers talking. Call the Sysgen Hotline for the name of your nearest dealer. 1-800-821-2151.

SYSGEN

INCORPORATED

556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 73

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

SCANMAN" g

Pop any image up to 4"x II"straight into your IBM PC, XT AT PS/2 or 100% compatible system. Clip it, crop it, resize and rotate it, color it. Merge it. Save it. Store it. Choose between high contrast or high detail. Import images into any best-selling DTP application(PageMaHeruVenturaTetc.). Use it in any major publishing program. All you need is $299, a spare card slot, and five minutes to set up. HOW ON EARTH IS THIS POSSIBLE FOR $299?

Be comforted. Scan Man carries Logitech's Customer Satisfaction Guarantee, and includes all you need to be up

running in minutes.

COMES A S T R O

ScanlVfan

Hand-Held Scanner from

S3 LOGITECH

Personal Peripherals. Worldwide. PageMaker is a trademark of Aldu5and Ventura Publisher is a trademark of Ventura Software Inc.

CALL TOLL FREE: (800) 231-7717 OR (800) 552-8885 IN CALIFORNIA

Please send me my ScanMan: BY988

□ ScanMan for IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 models 25 and 30, and 100% compatibles $299.00

□ ScanMan for IBM PS/2 model 50 and above and 100% compatibles $349.00

Shipping and Handling (per item): $ 6.50

CA Residents add applicable sales tax: $

Total: $

D Check or Money Order Enclosed □ Visa □ MasterCard

Card Number £Xp Date

Cardholder Name

A uthorized Signature

(Please print!

Ship to: Name

Address

City I State I Zip

Offer valid in the U.S. only. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. 30-day Money Back Guarantee. DEALER INQUIRIES WELCOME. Send to: LOGITECH. Inc., attn: Coupon Redemption Program, 6505 Kaiser Drive, Fremont, CA 94555

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WHAT'S NEW

HARDWARE • OTHER

Micro Channel on a Chip

If you're designing add-in cards for the Micro Channel, One Chip Plus can make your job easier. It's a fullfledged design system that's built around a chip.

One Chip Plus contains the decoding and logic functions to simplify the design of memory, I/O, and multifunction adapter cards for PS/2 machines. It includes programmable decoding for extended memory, expanded memory, multiple I/O ports, and ROM. It also supports Micro Channel DMA arbitration and burst-mode DMA. Programmable memory and I/O timing match slow and fast devices and can connect directly to single- and dualin-line memory modules.

A software kit includes a LIM/EMS 4.0 memory driver. A proprietary design lets you program the Micro Channel ID number rather than designing it into the hardware after being designated the number by IBM—a process that has been known to hold up the design phase.

The company's Acquisition Engine, which provides high-level programming commands for background and foreground data acquisition and I/O control in the form of a 5 '4 -inch floppy disk, eliminates the need for additional programming and hardware, the company says. The acquisition engine subsequently accepts software modules that interface to any I/O function. Price: $34 for One Chip Plus; $995 for a combined I/O and memory package; $349 for the Acquisition Engine; $95 for the Application Guide. Contact: Capital Equipment Corp., 99 South Bedford St., Burlington, MA 01803, (800) 234-4232; in Massachusetts, (617) 273-1818. Inquiry 770.

ONE

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Capital Equipment's MCA design system.

Disk Duplicators Multiply

While the floppy and hard disk duplicating companies have thus far concentrated on hardware for software developers, one duplicator company is offering lessexpensive products for companies with volatile, voluminous databases.

The new Datapath Technologies' Copy Manager can copy up to four 3V2-inch or 5 W -inch disks—or any combination—all at. once.

The Copy Manager requires one full-length PC slot per four disks and acts as a peripheral. There's also a duplicator expansion unit that allows another four disks to be copied at one time, bringing the total to eight disks that you can copy at once, in any configuration. The Copy Manager copies 480 copies per hour in its fastest configuration.

The Model 1042 Copy Manager comes in a low-end configuration to copy four 360K-byte 5 W-inch disks. On the high end, the Model 1040 copies up to four of any combination of 3 Vi- or 5 W-inch

disks. The Model 1052 expands any of the six Datapath four-copy versions by four 360K-byte 5 W-inch drives. The Model 1050 expands any of the four-copy versions by four drives of any configuration—both expansions increase total copying ability to eight disks simultaneously. Price: $1995 for Model 1042; $2250 for Model 1040; $1395 for Model 1052; $1650 for Model 1050. Contact: Datapath Technologies, Inc., 46710 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA94538, (415)651-5580. Inquiry 771.

Throw Your Typing Skills into the Trash

A peripheral on which to write and store handwritten information allows those who haven't mastered the art of typing to have the same computer literacy as others, according to the manufacturer.

PenWriter can translate printed handwriting and hand drawings into ASCII and works with all IBM compatibles.

The peripheral is a 640- by 400-pixel backlit liquid crystal

or plasma display. Accuracy with the stylus is rated at better than 0.015 inches. Four operating modes are available: stream, switched stream, point, and incremental. Price: $1895 with LCD; $2895 with plasma display. Contact: Scriptel Corp., 4145 Arlingate Plaza, Columbus, OH 43228, (614) 276-8402. Inquiry 772.

Storage Betters Board Testing

Digital EGA storage of sine waves gleaned from IC boards allows technicians and engineers to more quickly test board components and circuitry, thanks to the analog signature analysis tool from Huntron Instruments.

The 5100DS allows you to send a current-limited sinewave voltage signal across two points of an add-in board, store the sine-wave traces, and then go through other boards to verify components and circuitry with an EGA graphics display of the produced sine waves. A trained eye can notice leakage and backf low problems, the company says, allowing troubleshooting of all but gate-control devices.

You need an 80286 or 80386 machine, DOS version 3.0 or higher, 640K bytes of RAM, a 3Vi- or 5 W-inch floppy disk drive, a 10-megabyte hard disk drive, an EGA card, an EGA monitor, and a parallel printer port. Price: $9500 without controller or computer; $14,000 for an entire system. Contact: Huntron Instruments Inc., 15720 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek, WA 98012, (800) 426-9265; in Washington, (206) 743-3171. Inquiry 773.

continued

76 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

I1II-: WALL STREET JOURNAL

■^■"~ INFO WORLD

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ORACLE

Gives Your PC

a Monopoly

66 ORACLE'S top guns make dBASE look like a peashooter."

Data Based Advisor, June 1988

661/it isn't in ORACLE, it probably isn't in anything else, either... For readers who want it all, this is the product to buy."

Software Digest, September 1987

§6 A robust, full-blown mainframe database that will run on a micro. ORACLE will crunch data until your eyes roll back in your head."

Infoworld, April 1988

66 Professional ORACLE is the program of choice for those who want sophisticated forms, reports, and SQL capabilities without having to program extensively."

Software Digest Ratings Report Advanced Relational Database Programs, September 1987

&6 Well constructed and powerful, Professional ORACLE is an excellent choice for... application developers."

Winner, Editors Choice, PC Magazine. May 1988

BW

EDITOR'S I.HOICI

66 . provide(s) applications developers with unlimited power... Security provided by [ORA CLE] on the single-user PC is as extensive as it is on the largest mainframe..."

PC Tech Journal, December 1987

The experts agree. When you buy the ORACLE database for your PC, you acquire several important ORACLE monopolies. compatibility: ORACLE is SQL, compatible with IBMs DB2 and SQL/DS. portability: It's the only RDBMS that runs on mainframes, minis and PCs. connectabilitY: It's network ready with the unrivalled ability to make different databases on different machines — mainframes, minis and micros — appear to be one database on one machine. Finally, price: Tens of thousands of copies of ORACLE for the PC have sold for S1295. But until September 30th, 1988 you can see what made Oracle Corporation the world's largest database company, and what has the experts so excited.

Pass GO and collect Professional ORACLE for only S199* Or go to JAIL with some really old technology.

COMPATIBILITY ■ PORTABILITY • CONNECTABILITY

Call 1-800-ORACLE1, ext,149or an ORACLE MasterVAR today,

L_

Wait for AshtonTate to get their SQL act together. In the meantime, just sit here and watch the ORACLE players pass you bv. Or order Professional ORACLE today. The S199 price expires on September 30th.

ygi_BSjJBlTE

^.>ri1,Oi;1nl.M.gSha?e;4„, .

Uitra-Hlgh-Speed Modems

PC ORACLE OFFER • Oracle Corporation^ 2(1 Davis Drive ■ Belmont, California 94002

□ Enclosed is my business card or Letterhead,

(no P.O. boxes, please) with a Q check or D VISA

□ MC □ AmEX credit card authorization. I want to piss GO and collect copies of Professional

"PRICES VALID IN tHE UNITED STATES ONUf REQUIRES AN BQ286/803B6 PC WITH 640KB MAIN MEMORY 1MB EXTENDED MEMORY AND DOS 30- © 198B BY ORACLE CORPORATION OR REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF PARKER BROTHERS QSASE IS A REGISTERED 1RAOEMARK OF ASHTONTATE COVERS OF THE MAGAZINES SHOWN ARE COPYRIGHTED BV IHElR RESPECT

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 77

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • PROGRAMMING

►Go Step Reset Brkpnt Exnn Hap User Cud File Lib Optio

Foruard Re

Testing Embedded Software

Archimedes calls it the first microcontroller simulator with a C source-level debugger. SimCASE is a window-based program that allows you to create software prototypes without any target hardware. It debugs C programs at the source level and locates bottlenecks in your code. The simulator consists of the Simulator Engine, the C & A Assembler Source Debugger, the Performance Analysis Tool, and the Input Stimulus Generator.

The Simulator Engine simulates the microcontroller on the computer, including the instruction set, the interrupt handling system, and all I/O ports. The Source Debugger gives you the option of symbolic and source debugging on the C or assembly level. It includes tools like trace, code and data examinations, step, and breakpoints.

Develop Al Applications Under OS/2

Production Systems Technologies reports that OPS83 was the first language to integrate procedural and rule-based programming. Now the company has introduced OPS83 for OS/2, enabling you to develop larger artificial-intelligence applications in protected mode. Applications under OS/2 can have at least 32 times as many rules or data items as applications under MS-DOS, according to Production Systems Technologies.

OPS83 has a Pascal-like syntax. It supports separate compilation for program development efficiency and stan

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locking.

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Software, there are 93 external

Code Base routines orga

nized into 9 modules. The pro

The Performance Analysis

with SimCASE, you can

gram indexes three times

Tool tests your design ideas by

download it to EPROM or to an

faster than dBASE III Plus,

giving you the execution

emulator for final testing.

Skip 100 is 100 times faster,

times of every block and line of

The kit is available for the

and it executes Do While loops

code and helps you identify

8-bit Intel 8051 family. It runs

1000 times faster, Sequiter

bottlenecks in the design.

on the IBM PC, XT, AT, and

reports.

You can graphically

compatibles with at least 640K

To run Code Base you

display the execution profile of

bytes of RAM and DOS 2.1 or

need Turbo C, Quick C, or

a program with the Perfor

higher. It also requires an Archi

Microsoft C 5.0 or 5.1.

mance Analysis Tool. The In

medes C cross-compiler kit.

Price: $149 (includes source

put Stimulus Generator takes

Price: $895.

code).

a disk file you've created that

Contact: Archimedes Soft

Contact: Sequiter Software,

contains a stream of input

ware, Inc., 2159 Union St.,

Inc., P.O. Box 5659, Station

signals and tests the program

San Francisco, CA 94123,

L, Edmonton, Alberta, Can

for response to external stim

(415) 567-4010.

ada T6C 4G1, (403) 439-8171.

uli. Once your code is tested

Inquiry 779.

Inquiry 774.

dard subroutine linkages that allow you to interface with other languages. The development environment is coded in C and assembly language. It requires the Microsoft C Compiler and an IBM PC or

compatible running OS/2.

Price: $2950.

Contact: Production Systems

Technologies, 5001 Baum

Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15213,

(412) 683-4000.

Inquiry 776.

Programming from a Menu

With the introduction of EngLan, computer programming is simplified to the point of choosing functions from a menu. Gentry Software reports that debugging is limited to removing logic errors, because the code you choose is already written. Each time you choose a new command, it is displayed at the bottom of the screen, and you can make changes using the

view/change submenu.

The program is designed for small-business and general-application programs. It runs on the IBM PC and compatibles with 256K bytes of RAM. Price: $49.95. Contact: Gentry Software, P.O. Box 4485, Springfield, MO65808, (800)346-9475; in Missouri, (800) 6348439. Inquiry 775.

Modula-2 for OS/2

Operating in what Logitech calls "dual mode," its OS/2 version of Modula-2 lets you port applications between DOS and OS/2, as well as develop applications that run under real and protected mode.

Included in Modula-OS/2 is Logitech's text editor. It features multiple windows and menus along with a customizable user interface. The OS/2 version of the editor lets you use it with or without a mouse and compile in the background or foreground. Price: $349.

Contact: Logitech, Inc., 6505 Kaiser Dr., Fremont, CA 94555, (415) 795-8500. Inquiry 778.

continued

78 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Will The Real

VGA

Please Stand Up

It's easy to identify the leader in VGA resolution-just look to the company that brought you the first 800 x 600 EGA card.

800 x 600 VGA with 256 Colors

1024 x 768, too. Either way, Genoa's SuperVGA HiRes™ is the best way to see VGA. And your spreadsheets will look great, with 132 columns and 60 rows for your viewing pleasure.

Crash-free Windows

Yes, we do Windows-no problem. And SuperVGA HiRes is compatible with both the VGA PS/2 monitors and the EGA Multisync monitors, in VGA and EGA modes.

So don't settle for inadequate imitations. Get the highest VGA performance at the best price, in true Genoa tradition.

For the dealer nearest you, contact: Genoa Systems Corporation, 73 E. Trimble Road, San Jose, CA 95131 FAX: 408-434-0997 Telex: 172319 Telephone: 408-432-9090

ti Genoa

SYSTEMS CORPORATION

Genoa Systems Limited (U.K.) Tel: 01-720-5064

© 1987 Genoa Systems Corporation. SuperVGA HiRes is a trademark of Genoa Systems Corporation. Windows is a trademark of MicroSoft, Inc. Multisync is a trademark of NEC Home Electronics.

Circle 111 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 79

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING

CAD on the Mac

Generic CADD, previously running only on the PC, now runs on the Mac. The Mac program offers the same computer-aided drafting and design capabilities, according to Generic Software.

You can create drawings from a set of simple objects, including points, lines, circles, arcs, ellipses, and Bspline curves. You can draw objects in up to 256 colors, layers, and line types; and you can move, copy, erase, or break objects, rotate them at any angle, and scale them.

The Macintosh version lets you edit multiple drawings in separate windows simultaneously. You can cut and paste objects between different windows within the program and with other programs using the PICT format.

Generic CADD Level 1 for the Mac is also compatible with MultiFinder. It runs on the Mac II, SE, and Plus. Price: $99.50. Contact: Generic Software, Inc., 8763 148th Ave. NE, Redmond, WA 98052, (206) 885-5307. Inquiry 784.

High-Speed Simulation

DSIM, an event-driven, interactive, mixed-level simulator that supports switch- and gate-level simulation, now runs under OS/2. You can use the program for digital simulation, and it has special features for MOS (metal-oxide semiconductor) circuits.

The OS/2 version of DSIM can simulate a maximum of 7000 gates using 1 megabyte of memory. Under DOS, using 640K bytes, it could simulate a maximum of 2500 gates. The OS/2 version supports all the

Generic CADD makes its Macintosh debut.

features available in the DOS version, including switchlevel simulation, interactive waveform display, and tabular display functions. Price: $1250 for the OS/2 version; $495 for the DOS version.

Contact: Roche Systems Corp., 1705 North Rankin St. Appleton, WI54911, (414) 733-6077. Inquiry 782.

Another CAM?

CAM. This time, it stands for computer-aided mathematics. CompMath 1.02 is a menu-driven advanced mathematics program that contains general, complex, matrix, engineering,

and statistical mathematics.

Under the general math option, you can calculate factorials, angular units, log-toany-base conversion, and rectangular/polar conversion with graphs. You can also calculate rtth roots. The complex math option lets you perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of complex numbers raised to real powers. You can calculate complex roots and exponents and plot complex graphs.

The matrix math option offers matrix inversion, add/subtract math, multiplication, and transposition operations.

The engineering selection is an introduction to engineering math, with polynomial, quadratic, and simultaneous equation calculations, and derivative and integration.

The statistical option on the menu lets you choose to load numerical data from a

keyboard or disk file and store to disk. It lets you perform basic statistical mathematics and plot bar graphs or scatter graphs with regression line plotting.

The program's graphics capabilities let you plot graphs in polar/Cartesian coordinates and a variety of other functions.

CompMath 1.02 runs on the IBM PC and compatibles with at least 256K bytes of RAM, DOS 2.0 or higher, and a CGA, EGA, or Hercules monochrome graphics card. Price: $49.

Contact: Bsoft Software, 444 Colton Rd., Columbus, OH 43207, (614)491-0832. Inquiry 786.

Statistical Software

A program that performs multiple regression analyses on data sets of up to 50 independent variables and any number of observations was announced by YakiSoft of Canada.

YREG reads data from ASCII files and can be used interactively or in batch mode. It produces the usual regression output, as well as predicted values, residuals, influence diagnostics, and a plot of residuals versus predicted values. Univariate statistics, including mean, variance, minimum, and maximum, are produced for each variable.

The program runs on the IBM PC and compatibles with 256K bytes of RAM. You'll need a CGA display for residual plots. Price: $33.

Contact: YakiSoft, P.O. Box 4151, Station C, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Y 4P3, (613) 733-4563. Inquiry 783.

continued

80 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

Now that the best name in

CAD is this affordable,why

settle for a generic brand?

What's in a name? When it comes to the Autodesk name, a lot. In fact, it's the bestselling, most well-tespected name in the CAD business. There simply is not another company with the credentials to make that claim.

That's why you shouldn' t settle for anything less than AutoSketch,® the best way to get started in CAD. AutoSketch is the precision drawing tool from the Autodesk family of products. Not only is AutoSketch priced at just $79.95 * but unlike some entry-level CAD products, you don't have to keep spending more to add the features AutoSketch already has. Standard features like boxes, circles, stretching, mirroring and rotating—to mathematical precision. And advanced CAD capabilities like dynamic PAN and ZOOM and automatic dimensioning and scaling, in up to 10 working layers.

Circle 23 on

Of course, if you do want to move up from AutoSketch at some point, your files can easily be uploaded into AutoCAD?

AutoSketch runs on IBM® PC/XTT7AT®and 100% compatible computers, and supports IBM's PS/2.™

So if you're ready for CAD, why not go with the name that rates highest among both critics and users? Anything else is, well, second-rate.

To order AutoSketch call 1-800-223-2521. For the name of your nearest AutoSketch Dealer or for more information, call 1-800445-5415 Ext. 1 or write to AutoSketch, 2320 Marinship Way, Sausalito, CA 94965.

AUTODESK, INC.

Reader Service Card

I \

El

<

'A speed-enhanced version (9 times faster), requiring a math coprocessor, is available for $99.95.

AutoSketch and AutoCAD are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Autodesk, Inc. IBM and Personal Computer ATare registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Personal Computer XTand PS/2 are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

UserSoft/C Means Business

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UserSoft/C is the Business C

UserSoft Business C is the financial C compiler that makes sense to both clients and programmers. It is not just another C compiler.

Compare the functions:

UserSoft Business C is a superset of Power C, Microsoft C and Turbo C. It has over 1,000 standard and business development functions. The SuperlOR component of UserSoft Business C has the input/output features of COBOL, PL/1, FORTRAN and BASIC and yet can read financially formatted data (eg. $2,109.87 CR). UserSoft Business C has 36 easy-to-use matrix functions for management science (operational research), business statistics, finite element and circuit analysis.

Compare the Portablity:

UserSoft Business C supports the latest features of standard ANSI C. If you already have a C compiler (MS-DOS, UNIX, VS, VMS, MVS, etc.) our Business Development Tool package will commercialize your compiler for only $199.95 for PCs. This package is suitable for IBM, Wang, Sun, VAX and other systems.

Compare the Documentation:

The UserSoft Business C manual provides actual programming examples for every function — over 1,000 of them.

Compare the Product:

UserSoft Business C is the capability union of C + COBOL + BASIC + PL/1 + FORTRAN + Make + SCREEN:PC version of UNIX's curses + database tools + graphic tools + IBM mainframe's VSAM + a multiple window graphic debugger and more.

Compare the Price:

It's a fraction of what you might expect — the complete UserSoft Business C package is available at the introductory price of $249.95 while the Business Development Tool Package is available for $199.95.

"In our testing, none of your claims have failed. It is to our advantage to use SUPERIOR, SAM and screen for our research. I strongly recommend that all professional program developers use SUPERIOR, SAM and screen for artificial intelligence, scientific, engineering, industrial, financial and especially business related applications."

Dr Paul R Schroeder, PhD (MIT)

President of Maximum Storage, Inc. Co-FounderoflNMOSUS Sole Designer of Mostek 4116 Co-Designer of Mostek 4027

UserSoft Business C: The ultimate C language for business & financial applications

UserSoft Business C is a new ANSI compatible compiler that runs faster and easier than Microsoft C and has more functions than Turbo C®. It cuts coding for business and financial applications byatleast50%-90%.

If You're Just Beginning,

Usersoft Business C makes learning C a pleasure.

If You're Programming In COBOL, BASIC or FORTRAN,

switching to UserSoft Business C will be easier than you expect. UserSoft Business C retains the best of these languages while simplifying C without loss of any standard C features.

If You're Programming in C,

you may switch to UserSoft Business C or enhance your current compiler with our Business Development Tool package. This will give you UserSoft Business C capabilities on most popular systems such as Microsoft C, Power C, Turbo C, UNIX C, and Wang VS C.

UserSoft Business C: With a new state-ofthe art C debugger

UserSoft Business C debugger will reduce the time you spend debugging your C programs by at least a factor of 10. Hallows you to debug graphics programs on a single monitor.

UserSoft Business C: The World's most versatile Data Manager and Database Tool

Our Structured/Access Method (S/AM) allows:

• unlimited types of key (including graphics)

• unlimited numbers of key parts

• unlimited numbers of data fields

• mixing of fixed and variable lengths for data fields or key parts

• data encryption from file level down to byte level

• unlimited devices for storing a key part or a data field

•unlimited size for any key part

• unlimited number of tables

• unlimited concurrently open files

• maximum protection on data security

S/AM is well suited for applications to finance, banking, business, imaging, artificial intelligence, knowledge-based information, science, engineeering, simultation and industrial control.

Business

Development Tool Package

USERSOFT

UserSoft Systems Limited

Suite 1512,409 Granville St Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 1T2 Telephone 604/681.8872

It wilhin 60 days of purchase, this product does not perform in accordance with our claims, call our cuslomer service department and we will arrange a refund.

All UserSoft products ore trademarks or registered trademarks of UserSofl Systems Limited. Other brand and producl names ore trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Copyright4' 1988 UserSoft Systems Limited

Power C is o trademark of Mix Software MS-DOS, Microsoft C is o registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation Turbo C is a registered trademark of Borland International IBM, MVS and VSAM are trademarks of International Business Machine Sun is a trademark of Sun Microsystems DEC, VMS and VAX are Irademarks of Digilol Equipment Corporation UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratory VS is o trademark of WANG Laboratory

To order Call: 1 -800/663-0322

60 Day Money Back Guarantee Not Copy Protected

See us at Comdex 88 at the Tropicana Booth — T617

Circle 287 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 83

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • BUSINESS

Professional Write Adds Features

If you're already a Professional Write user, you'll find that, with version 2.0, you can now read and write to files from other programs, you have a choice of many preset fonts, there's a new filefinder capability, and you have enhanced table-editing features.

Version 2.0 lets you integrate database management and spreadsheet data into your word-processing documents without converting from one format to another. You can even import Lotus 1-2-3 named ranges and coordinate ranges, and you can merge data from dBASE III, ASCII, or Professional Write's own address book into form letters without any conversion.

When it comes time to choose a font, you call up a menu of preset fonts, including those for Hewlett-Packard LaserJet and DeskJet printers, Apple LaserWriters, and other PostScript printers.

The file-finder capability lets you sort DOS directory listings by filename, extension, date, or size. If you forget the name of a file, you can search for it with a string of characters that may be contained in the file.

Professional Write 2.0 lets you manipulate rectangular blocks of text. It also features a built-in five-function calculator that can recalculate rows of numbers.

Version 2.0 runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, and compatibles with at least 512K bytes ofRAMandDOS2.0or higher. Price: $199.

Contact: Software Publishing Corp., 1901 Landings Dr., P.O. Box 7210, Mountain View, CA 94039, (415) 962-8910. Inquiry 791.

Professional Write 2.0: a word processor for managers.

Wordbench: Tools for Writing

Addison-Wesley's Wordbench word processor runs on the IBM PC and the Apple He, lie, andllGS.

The program is made up of an outliner, notetaker, add-in manager, writer, print manager, and folder manager. The

outliner and notetaker are integrated so you can assign or reassign notes to any point in the outline. If you move headings, the program automatically moves the corresponding notes. You can then merge all the notes and the outline into a first draft.

Notetaker can also work as your information manager, allowing you to search notes by subject, key words, or priority

From Integration to Decision Support

The upgraded Framework III represents a new strategy for AshtonTate, which no longer views Framework as an integrated package, but as a decisionsupport program.

Enhancements to Framework include the ability to import and export files with WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01, and the ability to run other applications without leaving Framework. It also has support for memory beyond the 640K-byte limit, mouse support, a thesaurus, and electronic mail.

Better performance shows up in the more powerful outliner, easier file management, better dBASE compatibility, a spreadsheet that recalculates 50 to 100 percent faster, and verb tokenization to speed up per

formance of programs written with Framework's applications language.

The new telecommunications and network support in Framework III uses Action Computing's MHS (Message Handling System) message format.

A local-area-network (LAN) version of Framework III is scheduled to be released soon, according to Ashton-Tate.

Frameworklll runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, and compatibles with 640K bytes of RAM and DOS 2.0 or higher.

Price: $695; LAN version, $995.

Contact: Ashton-Tate, 20101 Hamilton Ave., Torrance, CA 90502, (213) 3298000. Inquiry 787.

markings. You can also edit and print notes.

The add-in manager lets you integrate future applications and features. Brainstormer is the first add-in included with Wordbench, and it includes freewriting, invisible writing, nut shelling, and goal setting. Freewriting lets you write in a continuous stream, but not edit. Invisible writing conceals words as you enter them. Nut shelling limits the amount of space in which you can write, and goal setting asks for subject, point of view, audience, and purpose of writing.

The writer facility in Wordbench manages the writing, editing, and formatting tasks and also serves as the merging point between the outliner and the notetaker. You can also use the writer to import and export information from other programs in ASCII format.

Some of the desktop tools in Wordbench include the viewer, a window that lets you see and work with two documents at once, a spelling checker, a thesaurus, word search, and a format tool.

The folder manager maintains files; it gives you access to macros and keeps track of all the documents in a folder. Finally, the print manager contains all the commands and functions that enable you to print a document.

Wordbench runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, and compatibles with 256K bytes of RAM and DOS 2.0 or higher. The Apple version requires 128K bytes of RAM and ProDOS 8.

Price: IBM version, $189; Apple version, $149. Contact: Addison-Wesley, One Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867, (617) 944-3700. Inquiry 788.

continued

84 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

EmulateThe Best WthThe Brightest

There's no denying the availability of some outstanding dedicated terminals to access Digital? Hewlett-Packard, and Data General® host systems. Which makes the task of precisely emulating the performance of those dedicated terminals on an IBM® PC or compatible a rather significant challenge.

Based on the feedback we've received from Smaflerm® users, our family of terminal emulation software has met the challenge, passed every test, and surpassed, in the opinion of a host of enthusiastic users, the performance of the host system terminals being emulated.

The reasons why we shine are fundamental.

Every SmarTerm emulation is precise. So precise, in fact, that a dedicated terminal's Smaflerm counterpart fully emulates not only advanced performance features but also unique terminal quirks and bugs.

Every Smaflerm emulation is easy to use. It's one thing to make software do what hardware does. It's another challenge to minimize software's human wear. The people designing our products understand the nature of the people using them.

Every Smaflerm emulation is easy to learn. These days, training costs are a hot topic. Software intended to boost overall system efficiency must recognize the value of learning speed. We have.

It's also easy to learn more about how Smaflerm emulations can help you shine, ^bur software dealer can supply all the details. Or you can contact us at (608) 273-6000 to request complete specifications and a demonstration disk of the Smaflerm emulation that precisely matches your requirements. fflpncflfr*

© 1988 Persoft. Inc., 465 Science Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 U.S.A. Persoft and SmarTerm are registered trademarks of Persoft. Inc. All Rights Reserved. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Digital is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. Data General is a registered trademark of Data General Corporation.

Circle 205 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 85

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • CONNECTIVITY

Have a Blast with Your Mac

With MacBlast at each end of a data transfer, you can send data to other vendors' systems from a Mac Plus, SE, or II. MacBlast uses pull-down menus that give you access to DEC VT-52, VT-100/200, and other terminal emulations. The communications program also supports MultiFinder and lets you switch back and forth between other applications.

MacBlast retains many of the features found in other products in the Blast family, including auto-dialing; autolog-in to remote systems; automated modem operations; and BlastScript, a programming language that lets you set up repetitive tasks or scripts.

MacBlast supports the MacBinary standard and uses a proprietary full-duplex protocol to send data in both directions at once. It operates through RS-232C ports with a hard-wired link or phone line and modem, or over asynchronous links over Ethernet or AppleTalk networks. It can send and receive binary files, text, and console commands. Price: $195.

Contact: Communications Research Group, 5615 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, (504) 923-0888. Inquiry 794.

Share and Share Alike

You can share hard disks and printers with one to four other users with Connect-PC. The utility gives you access to the servers' disks on a file-by-file basis. And you can use it in multiuser applications, as it supports DOS file and record locking.

The utility also supports up to three serial or parallel

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MacBlast performs simultaneous sends and receives.

printers at the server. It can send up to 1000 characters per second to each printer, according to Micro Advice. Using the advanced print options, your printer output is saved on disk, allowing you to generate output whenever you need it.

Micro Advice reports file transfer speeds of up to 115,000 bps for Turbo XTs, ATs, and 80386s, and 56,000 bps for XTs.

Connect-PC comes in two

varieties. The first is the software server, which has no hardware other than the COM ports. The second type is the hardware server, which includes software and a board. Price: $199 for two PCs; $299 for three; $649 for four (includes board); $749 for five (includes board). Contact: Micro Advice Corp., 400 Phillip St., Unit 9, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L5R9, (519)884-4231. Inquiry 793.

Track Action Across a Network

Track action of workgroups with ActionTracker, a project-management program from Information Research. The network version of ActionTracker integrates the activity of each member of a network so everyone knows who's responsible for what and when.

The network version runs on Novell's Advanced Netware 286 and any DOS 3.1 NETBIOS network, according to the company. It includes Project Query Language (PQL), ActionTracker's relational report writer. Price: $1498. Contact: Information Research Corp., 2421 Ivy Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22901, (800) 368-3542; in Virginia, (804)979-8191. Inquiry 795.

continued

Fast File Transfers

Fastwire II lets you exchange data between 5 54 -inch and 3%-inch floppy disk drives or hard disk drives on different machines. When running in parallel mode it transfers at a rate of 500K bits per second, Rupp Brothers reports.

In what the company calls Turbo Serial mode, it transfers at 200K bps using seven-wire serial cable. Fastwire II features errorchecking and three user interfaces.

With the basic version of Fastwire II, you have a choice of one 6-foot serial or parallel cable, both with thumbscrews that fit IBM PCs, laptops, and PS/2s. A 4-head serial cable comes with 25-pin and 9-pin AT

style connectors. To use Fastwire II, you connect the cable to your system and load the software onto each computer. No changes to the config.sys file are necessary, and the program automatically connects the machines and selects the proper serial or parallel ports.

The three levels of user interfaces include the splitscreen mode, which displays current directory files on both computers; macro/ script form mode, which lets you write and record customized scripts for daily or routine transfers; and advanced command mode, which provides you with a command-line interface that allows you to enter complex transfer commands with just

a few keystrokes.

You can also use Fastwire II to back up and manage files on a hard disk. You can back up only the most recent files or those that have been altered since a specified date. You also have options to view, rename, or delete files on either system.

Fastwire II runs on the IBM PC and compatibles with at least 170K bytes of free memory and DOS 2.0 or higher.

Price; $ 129. 95 for basic version; $159.95 for deluxe version with both serial and parallel cables.

Contact: Rupp Brothers, P.O. Drawer J, Lenox Hill Station, New York, NY 10021,(212)517-7775. Inquiry 792.

86 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

FACT

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE

".IP! Modula-2 looks like another classic in the making. It generates code as good as or better than leading C compilers and the programming environment is a genuine pleasure to use'.'

Dick Pountain

BYTE Magazine

"After months of frustration with Logitech Modula-2/86, I bought TopSpeed Modula-2.. A am delighted with it. Not only did it perfectly compile my 10,000 lines of existing source, it's just more fun as well'.'

Hans U. Gerber

ETH, Switzerland

' 7 liked all of the hard-disk space that was recovered after I deleted my BORLAND, MICROSOFT, and LOGITECH compilers, because with TopSpeed Modula-2 all the rest are obsolete. " Robert D. Randall Donnelley Marketing

See us at COMDEX Cashman A348

The successor of Pascal: JPI TopSpeed Modula-2 produces better code than Microsoft C, Turbo C, Logitech Modula-2, and Turbo Pascal 4.0.

JPI TopSpeed Modula-2 is a professional Modula-2 development system with full support of memory models, multi-tasking, long data types, structured constants, long and short pointers, 80x87 inline code and emulator, separate compilation, direct BIOS/DOS calls, etc. The comprehensive library includes CGA, EGA and VGA graphics support, math functions, sorting, file handling, window management, a time-sliced process scheduler and more.

The Compiler Kit includes: High-speed optimizing compiler (3,000-5,000 lines/min. on a PC AT 8MHz). integrated menu-driven environment with multi-window/multi-file editor, automatic make, fast smart linker. All Modula-2 sources to libraries included. BONUS: Complete high-speed window management module included with source. 258-page User's Manual and 190-page Language Tutorial.

The TechKit includes: Assembler source for start-up code and run-time library, JPI TopSpeed Assembler (30,000 lines/min), TSR module, communications driver, PROM locator, dynamic overlays, and technical information. 72-page manual.

System Requirements: IBM PC or compatible, 384K RAM. two floppy drives (hard disk recommended).

Circle 137 on Reader Service Card

TopSpeed's seamlessly integrated

environment.

VID, the Visual Interactive Debugger, coming soon.

JO 1 2 3 4

<

<

7 Sets

Sieve benchmark measured by the British Standards Institution (BSI) — 25 iterations on an 8MHz AT.

Compiler Kit $99.95 TechKit $59.95

To Order:

In the US & Canada, call: 1-800-443-0100

Ext 255, 24Hours. Or mail us your order with a check, money order, or VISA/MC information. 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee.

Shipping & handling charges: In North America: Add $5.00 shipping & handling, plus $2.00 for each additional product. Overseas: Add $20.00 shipping & handling, plus S8.00 for each additional product.

Jensen &

Partners

International

1101 San Antonio Rd, Suite 301 Mountain View CA 94043 Phone: (415) 967-3200

In England and Europe contact:

Jensen & Partners UK Ltd., 63 Clerkenwell Rd., London EC1M 5NP. Phone: (01) 253-4333. Compiler Kit £59.95, (add £4.69 for VAT & handling in the UK; £4.00 handling in Europe). TechKit £34.95 (add £4.03 for VAT & handling in the UK; £4.00 handling in Europe).

TopSpeed is a trademark of Jensen & Partners International. Olher brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respeetivc holders.

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • OTHER

Maintenance Program for Your PC

Like the original Disk Technician, the advanced version identifies disk problems before they cause errors. The new version tests the overall condition of the hard disk first and moves any data in the unsafe spots to good locations. If it finds a reliability problem, it will perform a low-level reformat and then continue with testing.

Other additions include four different seek tests, an automatic screen-saver function, a data- and file-allocation table recovery for down systems, and a bundled copy of SafePark Advanced.

Disk Technican Advanced works with two hard disk drives, up to 136 megabytes each with MFM-type controllers, or 208 megabytes each with RLL-type controllers. You can partition each drive into C through Z with up to 32 megabytes in each.

The program runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and compatibles. Price: $189.95. Contact: Prime Solutions, Inc., 1940 Garnet Ave., San Diego, CA 92109, (619) 274-5000. Inquiry 799.

USED: 7,958,336

PKWOUS TEST/

niOt DETECTION, ANALYSIS AND REPAIR JESUITS . ISOFT 2 [SOFT 3 ISOFT 4 I HMD IREPfilEEDI ill

Remote Control for Your PC

With Remote2 you can operate PC programs from other modem-equipped IBM PCs. The program consists of the Host and Call. The Host is installed on the host computer and includes Remote2 Manager, which you use to configure the Host software and maintain the user database.

DAILY: 06/29/88 2 1 LEEUY: 96/16/88 4 j nONTHLY: 06/19/88 11 0

3 hr 2 ran

4 HR 27 ran

u i hi 13 ran

TODAY'S DSTEI06/21/88-MSDAY DRIVE LETTEt:C HD L05ICAL SELECT TEST :DAILY ATOIAT1C

CYLINDER; 9- 459 HEAD: 8- 3 SECTOI: 1-17

i HA NfiiM

for Fill M?wt m mim wl

. for sewn report

Disk Technician Advanced performs hard disk analysis.

Call is a communications program that calls Remote2 Hosts. With the Host program, Call provides you with exact screen and keyboard mapping of the host computer, file transfers, remote printer redirection, CGA graphics, and a data-compressed link.

Remote2 lets you call files and programs on LANs. It also features a chat window for typed discussions and explanations. Keyboards and screens at both ends of Remote2 are live, and either can control the host. The caller can also choose to lock out the host's keyboard.

Security is provided by individual user passwords. Each user must go through a required action at log-in time, giving control over the system to the manager.

The program also has a callback feature that lets the host call the caller back at a predetermined phone number. This not only adds another level of security but saves you money if you are calling long distance.

Remote2 runs in restart, manual, or always ready mode. Restart mode lets you reboot the host PC between calls. Manual lets the operator tell the host to accept a call. Always ready answers an incoming call with no operator intervention.

Remote2 runs on the IBM PC and compatibles with DOS

2.0 or higher and 48K bytes of free RAM for color and 36K bytes for monochrome. Price: $129 for Host; $89 for Call; $195 for both. Contact: Digital Communications Associates, Inc., 1000 Holcomb Woods Pkwy., Roswell, GA 30076, (800) 241-6393; in Georgia, (404) 998-3998. Inquiry 797.

Keeping a Watch on Your Battery

If you use a batterypowered laptop, you don't want your batteries to get low. With Battery Watch from Traveling Software, the terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) software pops up a gas gauge-type display, showing you how much power is left in your laptop's battery. The gauge shows how much time you have left based on how you've been using the system during the current session, and the information is updated every 2 minutes.

To prevent the batteries from running low, the program has a deep discharge feature that overrides your lap

top's automatic shutoff feature and discharges the battery. This is necessary to keep nickel-cadmium batteries from running low as a result of short charge/recharge cycles. Price: $39.95.

Contact: Traveling Software, Inc., 19310 North Creek Pkwy., Bothell.WA98011, (206) 483-8088. Inquiry 798.

A Window

on Your dBASE

Files

With Q&E, you can query and edit dBASE II and III, FoxBASE, Clipper, and other dBASE-compatible files. You can view multiple dBASE files simultaneously in different windows. Its query capability supports ad hoc and stored queries, the results of which you can copy into word processors and other Windows products.

The program's editing capabilities let you update fields and delete and add records. It allows WYSIWYG editing, and you can create new database files and modify existing file definitions.

The program functions as a stand-alone database system or as an integrated Windows interface to dBASE-compatible files. You do not need a copy of dBASE to use Q&E.

To run Q&E, you need an IBM PC or compatible with at least 512K bytes of RAM and DOS 2.0 or higher. The company reports that Oracle and SQL versions of Q&E will be available soon. Price: $129.

Contact: Pioneer Software, 4900 Waters Edge Dr., Suite 135, Raleigh, NC 27606, (919) 859-2220. Inquiry 800.

88 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

TRIPP-LITE POWER PROTECTION

TYipp-Lite offers many types of dependable efficient and inexpensive power protection devices to satisfy your various power concerns, such as brown and blackout protectors, line stabilizers and conditioners, emergency back-up systems, DC to AC inverters, spike and surge protected multiple outlet strips-to name a few! Call for more spec'sVinformation!

UNE STABILIZERS/ BROWNOUT PROTECTORS

LS-SOO 600W $79.00

LC-1200 1200W $149.00

LC-1800 1800W $199.00

EMERGENCY BACKUP

SYSTEMS

BC-200

BC-325

BC-450

BC-750

BC-1200

BC-2000

200W 325W 450W 750W 1200W 2000W

$239.00 $299.00 $399.00 $599.00 $799.00 $1 299.00

DC TO AC POWER INVERTERS

PV-100 PV-200 PV-400 PV-550

100W 200W 400W 550W

$64.95 $82.95 $124.95 $179.95

*f*

EPROM

PROGRAMMER

Program your own EPROMS with this EPROM PROGRAMMER which features an internal card and external metal box with 4 zero force DIP insertion sockets. Programs up to 4, ]6K thru 5I2K

(Includes $179.95 software) EW-904

EPROM ERASER

Simple, easy to use operation, it erases up to 9 eproms at one time with a 2S40A1 wave length.

LA-6A $59.95 EPROM ERASER WITH TIMER

(Not shown). S«me spec's as above unit, but includes

""' LA-6T $79.95

IB2-0

2 outlet

IB2-6

2 outlet

IB4-6

4 outlet

IB8-15

8 outlet

$38.00 $48.00 $64.00 $87.00

Each power bar features multiple fitters, spike and RFI-EMI noise protection and is available in 2, 4 and 8 outlet models.

ISOTEL®

Tola] protection for modem/telephone lines as well as full ISOBAR protection for AC lines. Isold provides complete surge protection for computers, modems, FAX machines, telephones or any sensitive electronic equipment.

• RJ-II input jack, output jack/cord.

• Full 4-outlet ISOBAR surge suppression

• AC and modem protection in one unit.

COMPUTER MONITOR

TILT N'SWIVEL STAND

Personal Computer Tool Kit

SWITCHBOXES

All switchboxes come in heavy metal cases, are EMI-RFI protected and have rotary switch construction with gold plated contacts.

DB-25 25 UNE SWITCHBOXES

AB25-2 AB25-3 AB25-4 AB25-5 AB25-6 AB25-X

Two Position Three Position Four Position Five Position Six Position Cross Over

29.95 34.95 39.95 49.95 79.95 39.95

ELECTRONICS, INC.

"Ifawi Ztt&uuUt SufaUtf "Tfallil"

TO ORDER TOLL FREE IN TEXAS

AND IN THE USA, CALL:

1(800)531-5369

FAX 1(512)340-2409

STORE HOURS: 8:00-6:00 M-F, 10:00-2:00 SAT. 10731 Gulfdale, San Antonio, TV. 78216 (512) 8284503

CENTRONICS 36 LINE SWITCHBOXES

AB36-2 AB36-3 AFJ36-4 AB36-5 AB36-X

DE-9 9 UNE SWITCHBOXES

Two Position Three Position Four Position Five Position Cross Over

34.95 39.95 44.95 59.95 49.95

TERMS: Minimum order 110.00. We accept Mastercard, Visa, and American Express at no additional charge. For C.O.D. orders, add 15.00. For orders under 1100.00, add J3 00 handling and actual UPS shipping charges. For orders over 1100.00, we pay handling charge - you uy actual UPS shipping charges plus insurance. Purchase orders accepted from approved accounts. All returns require an RMA ' and are subject lo a restocking lee. Teias residents add 7.5X sales lax. Prices subject lo change and we are not responsible for typographical errors.

TWINAXIAL SWITCHBOXES

AB09-2 AB09-4

Two Position Four Position

29.95 ABTWX-2 44.95 ABTWX-4

Two Position Four Position

39.95 54.95

DA-5 15 UNE SWTCHBOXES

MONITOR-KEYBOARD SWTTCHBOX

AB15-2 AB15-4

Two Position Four Position

3495 ABMKB-2 49.95

Two Position

8 PIN MINI-DIN SWITCHBOXES

DC-3? 37 UNE SWTCHBOXES

AB37-2 AB37-4

Two Position Four Position

ABMD8-2 ABMD8-4 °g|? ABMD8-X

Two Position

Four Position

Crossover

BNC SWITCHBOXES

EEE-488 SWITCHBOXES

ABBN-2 ABBN-4

Two Position Four Position

AB24-2 34.95 AB24-4 44.95

Two Position Four Position

RJ-II RJ-45 SWTCHBOXES

WANG SWITCHBOXES

A8BNTN-2 ABBNTN-4

Two Position Four Position

ABRJ11-2 ABRJ11-4 39.95 ABRJ45-2 69.95 ABRJ45-4

Two Position Four Position Two Position Four Position

59.95

29.95 44.95 54.95

59.95 79.95

29.95 44.95 34.95 49.95

APPLE CABLE ASSEMBLIES

AC-1

AC-2

AC-3

AC-1

AC-5

AC-6

AC-7

AC-8

AC-9

AC-IO

SCSI-HD

SCSI-DC

SCSI-EC6

$79.95

POWER DIRECTOR

PD-100

Features: 5 surge protected outlets control computer and peripherals, surge protected modem and telephone plugs, surge indicator, noise filter for EMI-RFI.

$14.9!

SE6V

This 6V iHttiom battery is **fF direct replacement for your\il old AT battery-{repli IBM and others).

MODEM

WTECTOR

Protect your modem f

from spike and surge J ''0>i

problems with this ^Jp *

unit. *

$12.95 msp-i

CABLE ASSEMBLIES

To order cnilom able utemblla, all lie CABLE DEFT. (512)366-4199.

immmmiKkm

PPC301-6 PPC301-10 PPC301-15 PPC301-25

6 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 25 ft.

7.95 9.95 14.95 19.95

CENTRONICS 36 PIN CABLES MALE-MALE

36MM-6 6 ft.

36MM-10 10 ft.

8.95 10.95

DIABLO 630 PARALLEL PRINTER CABLE

RADIO SHACK PARALLEL PRINTER CABLES

PPC304-6 6 ft. 9.95

PPC305-15 15 ft. 12.95

bmbbbbbbm

25MM-6 6 ft. 7.95

25MM-10 10 ft. 9.95

25MM-25 25 ft. 19.95

25MM-50 50 ft. 37.95

25MM-1CO 100 ft. 69.95

DB-25 ■ 25 UNE CABLES MALE-FEMALE

mmimwrnmiumh

9MM-6 9MM-I0 9MM-25 9MM-50 9MM-1O0

6 ft.

10 ft. 25 ft. 50 ft. 100 ft.

7.95 9.95 14.95 22.45 37.45

i,!iamwHM!>.M,j'm

9MF-6 9MF-10 9MF-25 9MF-50

6 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft.

50 ft.

25MF-6 25MF-10 25MF-25 25MF-50 25MF-10O

6 ft. 7.95

fO ft. 9.95

25 ft. 19.95

50 ft. 37.95

9MF-100 100 ft.

EEBBM

XTM-6 PC/XT to Modem

ATM-2 AT to Modem 2 ft.

ATM-6 AT to Modem 6 ft.

JRM-6 PC Jr. to Modem

100 ft.

69.95

488-1 488-2

1 Meter

2 Meter 4 Meter

SERIAL CABLE ASSEMBLIES

SC0O4

SC004-A

SC005

SC0O5-A

SC007

SC007-A

PC to Usenet (25S to 25P)

At to Laserjet (3S to 25P)

PC to Diabk) 630 (25S to 25P)

AT to Diablo 630 (93 to 25P)

PC to Diablo 630 API (25S to 50P)

AT to Diablo 630 API (9S to 50P)

DRIVE CABLE ASSEMBLIES

DFC-XTS

DFC-XTE

HDC-XT

HFDC-AT

2H0C-22

DFCEX-XT

YAD-4

TPA-4

IJ'iiiKilW*»

MAC512 to IMAGE II

lie to IMAGE II

He to IMAGE II

MAC t to IMAGE II

MAC+ to 9 Pin MAC Adapter

MAC+ to Hayes Modern

8 Pin Mini Din to Open End

MAC512 to Hayes Modem

He to Hayes Modem

lie to Hayes Modem

MAC+ to SCSI Disk SCSI Daisy Chain Cable SCSI 6 ft. Extention Cable

9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 11.95 15.95

Dual Floppy Cable (34S-34ETwisl-34E)

Dual Floppy Cable (34E-34ETwist-34E)

Hard Drive Cable Set XT (20S-20E S 34S-34E)

Hard & Floppy Drive Cable Set AT

Dual Hard Drive Cable Set

External Floppy Cable (37P-34E}wist-34E)

Driw Power'T' Adapter

TEAC 3 1/2" Power Adapter

POPULAR PC CABLE ASSEMBLIES

KEC-6 Keyboard Ext. Cable 6 ft.

MEC-10 Monitor Ext. Cable 10 ft.

9P-RCA 9 Pin Male lo RCA Plug 6 ft.

RGB-6 RGB Cable, 9 Male lo 8 Pin Rett

VMC-10 Video Monitor Cable, RCA to RCA

CARD CABLE ASSEMBLIES

CC001 CC002 CC003 CC004

Game Port Cable 16S-15S Parallel Port Cable 26S-25S Serial Pott Cable 26S-25P Serial Port Cable 10S-9P

GENDER CHANCERS

ACPC-02 ACPC-03 ACPC-04

PC Power Cord PC Power Adapter Cable Monitor Power Ext. Cable

3.95 4.95 5.50

AGC-9M

AGC-9F

AGC-15M

AGC-15F

AGC-25M

AGC-25F

AGC-36M

AGC-36F

9 Pin Male to Male 9 Pin Female to Female

15 Pin Male to Male 15 Pin Female to Female

25 Pin Male to Male 25 Pin Female to Female

36 Pin Male to Male 36 Pin Female to female

T3ESSE3SS&

ADAPTERS S PROBLEM SOLVERS

Null Modem Adapter - Inline

Mini Patch Box Solder Type

Mini Tester 7 LED's

AT Serial Cable Adapter

Parallel Cable Adapter

RS-232 DB-25 Surge Supressor

Modem Surge Protector

RS-232 Breakout Box

DB-25 Wiring. Device Solderless

7.95 9.95 14.95 22.45 37.45

7.95 6.95 7.95 16.50

39.95 43.95 4995

15.95 15.95 15.95 15.95 15.95 15.95

6.95 6.95 8.95 12.95 14.95 12.50 3.50 6.95

395 335 6.95 6.95

250

795 895 8.95 8.95

5.95 5.95 5.95 5.95 5.95 595 8.95 895

5.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 9.95 1235 39.95 14.95

Circle 512 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 88SW-1

REGIONAL

CAD to the Maxx

MaxxiCAD is a threedimensional CAD package that offers up to 14 active views of a drawing at a time and drawings with up to 256 levels. If you need help understanding any of the 200-plus commands, you can press a key and the program draws an example of the command with a textual description onscreen.

Other features include hidden-line removal, revolved surfaces, and shading. You can rotate any view around x, y, or z axes or your own defined axis. You can choose between using icon or text menus. The program works on IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, PS/2s, and compatibles with a CGA

What's New

SOUTHWEST

MaxxiCAD draws on-screen examples of all its commands.

or EGA card, a hard disk drive, DOS 2. lor higher, and 640K bytes of RAM. MaxxiCAD is compatible with Microsoft-compatible mice and Calcomp or Summagraphics tablets.

Price: $1895.

Contact: Computer Resource Technology Corp., 2164 East Broadway Rd., Suite 310, Tempe, AZ 85282, (602) 9219638 or (800) 628-2828. Inquiry 824.

Software Provides Multiuser Capability to OS/2

With TPS/2, up to 48 users can execute multiple applications running under OS/2 on a single PS/2 processor. You can also use the software to run IBM Series/1 programs on PS/2s. TPS/2 doesn't alter the OS/2 operating system, so you can run OS/2 applications from the system console while running TPS/2 applications on the other terminals of the system.

You can write applications for the TPS/2 interface in C or COBOL. The software is designed to reduce the amount of continued

Important TIPS* for BYTE Subscribers: Receive Product Information 10 Days Earlier!

BYTE

TNI SMALL SYSTEMS JOURNAL

iDENTfFICATiON CARD

John Sample 785432189

All you need is a touch-tone telephone and your subscriber I.D. number.

See instructions facing the Reader Service Index in the back

of this issue for outrageous time-saving opportunities!

*BYTE's Telephone Inquiry Processing Service

88SW-2 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

SAVE 15%

ON THESE NEW BOOKS

FROM McGRAW-HILL

INTRODUCING PC-DOS AND MS-DOS

By T. Sheldon. 374 pp., illus., softbound Find out about the free advanced capabilities of DOS and how to use them. "Wonderfully enlightening... well-written... my pick for technical book of the year." - Online Review 056559-7. Regular Price: $18.95 Your Price: $16.10.

THE WORKSTATION DATA LINK

The Micro and Mainframe Data Exchange

By M. Adrian. 256 pp., illus., softbound Shows you how to transfer many types of data files between microcomputers and mainframes and successfully integrate microcomputers into the corporate world. 000474-9. Regular Price: $24.95. Your Price: $21.20.

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL COMPUTER CONSULTANT

By A. R.Simon. 256 pp., illus., softbound Everything you have to know to set up and run your own computer consultant (or software development) business, full- or part-time. No business experience required! 057296-8. Regular Price: $18.50.Your Price: $15.70.

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AI AND EXPERT SYSTEMS

Now available in a TURBO PASCAL Edition! This new edition shows you how to apply AI programming techniques to create expert systems in TURBO PASCAL for your own use. 037476-7. Regular Price: $19.95. Your Price: $16.95.

By R. I. Levine, D. E. Drang, & B. Edelson. 256 pp., 99 illus.. softbound All about artificial intelligence and how to utilize it on your personal computer. Gives you everything from basic concepts to sophisticated programming techniques. 037470-8. Regular Price: $19.95. Your Price: $16.95.

INTRODUCING UNIX" SYSTEM V

By R. Morgan & H. McGilton. 480pp., illus.. softbound Guides you step by step through the facilities, commands, utilities, and applications of System V, AT&T's new version of the UNIX operating system. 043152-3. Regular Price: $19.95. Your Price: $16.95.

UNIX" UTILITIES: A Programmer's Guide

By R. S. Tare. 640 pp., illus., softbound Save time and effort with popular UNIX utilities! Helps you write efficient, bug-free programs and significantly reduce turnaround time. 062884-X. Regular Price: $24.95. Your Price: $21.20.

McGraw-Hill

Computer Books and Software

CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-2-MCGRAW

dBASE DEMYSTIFIED: dBase II/III/III Plus" Applications and Solutions to Real Problems

By L. Barnes 288 pp., 120 illus.. softbound Covers the full range of dBase features and shows how to apply the various releases of dBase to real-world problems. 003844-9. Regular Price: $19.95. Your Price: $16.95.

DATABASE EXPERT'S GUIDE TO SQL

By Frank Lusardi. 224 pp. This user-friendly guide provides programmers and managers with a thorough introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL) and relational database concepts. It describes the language's constructs and guides you through complex syntactical possibilities, while emphasizing SQL's practical use in designing and implementing databases. Hardcover 039006-1 Regular Price: $39.95 Your price: $33.95. Softcover 039002-9 Regular Price: $24.95 Your Price: $21.20.

MICROEXPERT

By B. Thompson & W, Thompson. Your own expert system! This affordable expert system shell allows you (beginner or programmer) to see how a system works as you build it yourself. Software includes tutorial for design of knowledge base and creation of rules. Source code provided. "Highly recommended," Online Today. IBM PC 852109-2 Regular Price: $64.95 Your Price: $55.20. Apple II 852110-6 Regular Price: $54.95 Your Price: $46.70.

HARD DISK MANAGEMENT IN THE PC & MS DOS ENVIRONMENT

By Thomas Sheldon. 224 pp., illustrated. This guide for organizing and managing a hard disk system gives procedures needed to build a menu system and directory structure. Softcover 056556-2 Regular Price: $24.95 Your Price: $21.20.

For fast service call TOLL-FREE 1-800-2-MCGRAW or use coupon below. 15-day examination period.

lm

McGraw-Hill Book Company

RO. Box 400, Hightstown, NJ 08520

Please send me - at 15% off the regular price - the products whose code numbers (the number before the regular price in above blurb) I have checked below. I understand I have 15 days for free examination before I send payment for those products I want tc keep (plus postage, handling, and local tax) and return any unwanted products postpaid.

□ 056559-7 $16.10

□ 043152-3 $16.95

□ 062884-X $21.20

□ 057296-8 $15.70

□ 003844-9 $16.95

□ 037470-8 $16.95

□ 037476-7 $16.00

□ 852109-2 $42.45

□ 852110-6 $42.45

□ 852138-6 $42.45

Name_

Address. City

. State _

_Zip.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 88SW-3

REGIONAL WHAT'S NEW

IPlllitlllSPI

SOU T H WEST

code you must write to support an application; up to 70 percent of the code is eliminated using advanced screen generators and transaction builders. Because TPS/2 is written in C, it can run on any system that has a C compiler.

TPS/2 runs on IBM PS/2s and compatibles, IBM RT/PCs, and all Series/1 models. It runs on OS/2, AIX (a derivative of AT&T Unix), EDX, and RPS. OS/2 language support includes COBOL/2, C, and assembly. It requires 2 to 4 megabytes of memory, depending on the number of terminals.

Price: $1995, up to 17 users; $3295, up to 48 users. Contact: TPS Systems, 14100 San Pedro Ave., Suite 600, San Antonio, TX 78232,(512)496-1984. Inquiry 822.

Full-featured Word Processing Runs Under Windows

WinText 1.0 lets you view and edit up to four documents at once, including cutting and pasting words and graphics between documents when using the Windows Clipboard. The program also features a second window for communicating and editing between windows without affecting what's in the Windows Clipboard.

Other features include a WYSIWYG text display, an Undo command to cancel the last 2000 characters entered, a reverse Undo command, automatic backup based on elapsed time or number of characters, and pull-down help menus with

dialog boxes.

The program is written in C and works on IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, or compatibles with DOS 3.0 or higher, Windows 2.0 or higher, and 512K bytes of RAM. Price: $350. Contact: Palantir, Inc., 12777 Jones Rd., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77070, (713) 955-8880 or (800) 368-3797. Inquiry 826.

Flowchart Drawing Program for the PC

TurboFlow 1.0C lets you draw flowcharts with your own or the program's prebuilt flowchart symbols. You can export the charts to a device or disk file in bitimage, HPGL, DM/PL, or

PCL format.

With the program's rubberband-box feature, you can draw symbols at any size; paper sizes up to 34 by 44 inches are supported. Cutand-paste, reduce-enlarge, and automatic flowchart scanning features are included.

TurboFlow 1.0C works on IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, and compatibles with a Hercules, EGA, or CGA board and 256K bytes of RAM. According to Daytron, the program supports all mice and HPGL, DM/PL, and SweetP/ComScriber plotters. The program is written in assembly language for speed, the company reports. Price: $39.95. Contact: Daytron Electronics, Inc., 610 South Sherman, Suite 104, Richardson, TX 75081, (214) 669-2137. Inquiry 825.

Computers For The Blind

Talking computers give blind and visually impaired people access to electronic information. The question is how and how much?

The answers can be found in "The Second Beginner's Guide to Personal Computers for the Blind and Visually Impaired" published by the National Braille Press. This comprehensive book contains a Buyer's Guide to talking microcomputers and large print display processors. More importantly it includes reviews, written by blind users, of software that works with speech.

This invaluable resource book offers details on training programs in computer applications for the blind, and other useful information on how to buy and use special equipment.

Send orders to:

National Braille Press Inc.

88 St. Stephen Street

Boston, MA 02115

(617) 266-6160

$12.95 for braille or cassette, $14.95 for print. ($3 extra for UPS shipping)

NBP is a nonprofit braille printing and publishing house.

88SW-4 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Buy with

Confidence

In an effort to make your telephone purchasing a more successful and pleasurable activity, The Microcomputer Marketing Council of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. offers this advice, "A knowledgeable buyer will be a successful buyer." These are specific facts you should know about the prospective seller before placing an order:

Ask These Important Questions

• How long has the company been in business?

• Does the company offer technical assistance?

• Is there a service facility ?

• Are manufacturer's warranties handled through the company?

• Does the seller have formal return and refund policies?

• Is there an additional charge for use of credit cards?

• Are credit card charges held until time of shipment?

• What are shipping costs for items ordered?

Reputable computer dealers will answer all these questions to your satisfaction. Don't settle for less when buying your computer hardware, software, peripherals and supplies.

Purchasing Guidelines

• State as completely and accurately as you can what merchandise you want including brand name, model number, catalog number.

• Establish that the item is in stock and confirm shipping date.

• Confirm that the price is as advertised.

• Obtain an order number and identification of the sales representative.

• Make a record of your order, noting exact price including shipping, date of order, promised shipping date and order number.

If you ever have a problem, remember to deal first with the seller. If you cannot resolve the problem, write to MAIL ORDER ACTION LINE, c/o DMA, 6 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017.

This message is brought to you by:

the MICROCOMPUTER

MARKETING COUNCIL

of the Direct Marketing

Association, Inc.

6 E. 43rd St.,

New York, NY 10017

MMC

MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL

of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc.

© Direct Marketing Association, Inc. 1988

$t Cf-fifuttt

SEPTEMBER 1988 • BYTE 88SW-5

BV

#T2—Software Piracy

,<

lUffpl

'JL,. .''"(

lS'Sli'->

iSMII^BUj.1

Those fantastic Byte covers—and boy, do they look great on this stylish, % sleeve T-shirt from Robert Tinney Graphics! The colored sleeves and neckline vividly complement the full-color design. And don't mistake this for a rubbery patch that cracks and peels off after a few washings. This is true fourcolor process: the permanent inks are silk-screened into the fabric, resulting in a beautiful, full-color image that lasts!

You'll also appreciate the shirt itself: a heavyweight cotton/polyester blend which combines tough washability with the cool, soft comfort of cotton. Each Byte T-shirt is priced at only $12.50 ($11.50 each for 3 or more). Be sure to includeshirt size: C—(child 10-12), S(34-36), M—(38-40), L—(42-44), and XL—(46-48). Most orders shipped within a week.

#T4—Future Past

#T1—Computer Engineering

#T3—Inside IBM

#T5—Breakthrough

Send the following T-shirts(s) at $12.50 each, or $11.50 each for 3 or more. I have included $2 for shipping & handling ($5 overseas).

L

Shipping & handling (see above) □ Please send your COLOR brochure TOTAL

□ I have enclosed U.S. check or money order.

□ CO.D. (via UPS—stateside orders only)

□ VISA □ MasterCard □ American Express

Card#:

Expires:

-Signature:

Ship my shirt(s) to:

Name:

(Business):

Address:

City:

State:

mail this coupon to: |j

Robert Tinney j

Graphics i

1864 North Pamela Dr. I1

Baton Rouge, Louisiana I

70815 i

For VISA, MasterCard or ,j

American Express orders, '

or for more information i

Call 1-504-272-7266 ,

dSLl

_Zip:

_J

88SW-6 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

Limited Edition Classics

You've seen them on the cover of Byte — now enjoy these delightful images as stunning limited edition prints! Each print pictured here is published in an edition strictly limited to only 1000 signed and numbered prints, and each is accompanied by its own Certificate of Authenticity.

These gorgeous reproductions are printed on select 100% cotton fiber stock; this is a museum grade acidfree paper, highly resistant to yellowing and cracking. You will be assured of a print which will retain its color and beauty for generations.

$60

Striking 16"x20" Limited Edition Prints from the pages of Byte. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist, Robert Tinney.

Price and Shipping

The price of Byte Limited Editions, which depends on the number of unsold prints in each edition, is shown above each print pictured here. In addition, a 15% discount is available if you order two or more prints.

Your prints will be shipped flat, usually within a week of our receipt of the order. Shipping is via UPS Blue Label.

Guarantee

Ship your prints back to us within 30 days of your order, and you will be given a complete, no-questionsasked refund.

#c

$55

#D

$55

n

Yes! Send me the following Byte Limited Editions.

TITLE

Deduct 15% if ordering two or more prints.

Shipping: $4 ($20 overseas).

TOTAL B D Please send your COLOR brochure

AMOUNT

□ I have enclosed U.S. check or money order.

□ C.O.D. (via UPS—stateside orders only)

□ VISA □ MasterCard □ American Express

Card #:

Expires:

. Signature: _

Ship my Print(s) to:

Name:

(Business):.

Address:

City:

State:

mail this coupon to: |

Robert Tinney I

Graphics I

1864 North Pamela Dr. I

Baton Rouge, Louisiana I

70815

For VISA, MasterCard or I

American Express orders, .

or for more information I

Call 1-504-272-7266

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-Zip:

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 88SW-7

DATA ACQUISITION: Get system capability at a board-level price. The System 570 is a personal computer based Data Acquisition Workstation with the extensive signal capacity you need: 32 analog inputs (or 16 differential), 2 analog outputs, 16 digital inputs, 16 digital outputs, 16 power control lines. The price is only $1425, complete with our powerful Soft500 software, an extension of advanced BASIC that provides foreground/background architecture, array and memory management, disk access and storage, and over 45 additional commands.

AN expansion slot lets you extend your System 570's

.capabilities by selecting from an extensive library of optional input/output modules. And you can use the 570 with other data acquisition software such as DADiSP, ASYST™, and Labtech Notebook.

32 2

16

16

+16

For complete information, a demonstration, or applications assistance, call toll free:

1-800-552-1115

(In Ohio call 216-248-0400.)

$1425

KEITH LEY

88SW-8 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 513 on Reader Service Card

Short Takes

BYTE editors offer hands-on views of new products

NovyTSI-020MX

Radius Accelerator 25 Turbo Prolog 2.0 SOTA MotherCard 5.0 Microsoft Mach 20 Choice Words Tentime

Two 25-MHz Accelerator Boards for the MacSE

The computer industry is engaged in an interesting war: The Pace Race. Not long after IBM PC-compatible manufacturers had unleashed their 25-MHz 80386 machines upon the market, thirdparty Mac vendors countered with 25-MHz 68020 accelerator boards for the Mac SE. That single slot in the Mac SE has proven its worth, because this newest generation of accelerator boards boosts the SE's computing performance well past that of a Mac II.

I looked at the TSI-020MX by Novy Systems (marketed by TSI) and the Radius Accelerator 25 by Radius. Both boards use the same basic 16MHz accelerator design, but with 25-MHz components. The TSI-020MX is equipped with a 25-MHz 68020 CPU, a 68881 floating-point unit (FPU), and 1 megabyte of 32bit RAM that's expandable to 4 megabytes. The Radius Accelerator 25 board has a 25MHz 68020 CPU, an optional 68881 FPU, and a 32K-byte

THE FACTS

TSI-020MX

TSI

$5000

99 West 10th Ave.

Suite 333

Requirements:

Eugene, OR 97401

Mac SE running System

(800) 874-2288

4.3/Finder 6.0 or higher

Inquiry 855.

THE FACTS

Radius Accelerator 25

Radius, Inc.

$1695 without 68881

404 East Plumeria Dr

coprocessor; $2195 with

San Jose, CA 95134

68881

(408)434-1010

Inquiry 856.

Requirements:

Mac SE running System

4.3/Finder 6.0 or higher

RAM cache composed of 32bit static RAM. Both boards come with a disk of installation software.

Installation requires that you open the Mac SE's case, remove the motherboard, and plug the board into the slot. This operation shouldn't be attempted by a novice. That's because of the shock hazard from high-voltage circuits inside the Mac, or the possibility of damaging electronic components due to electrostatic discharge.

You also need to check the position of jumpers on both ac

celerator boards during installation. For the TSI-020MX, these jumpers set the board's memory size (1 or 4 megabytes) and number of wait states for a memory access (1 or 2 at 25 MHz). For the Radius board, one jumper is used to indicate the presence of an optional 68881, and another jumper sets the clock rate of the 68881 (16 or 25 MHz).

Support software for the TSI-020MX consists of three files: Novylnit, NovyStartup, and the MAC20 Control DA. Novylnit and NovyStartup install certain re

sources that determine the board's mode of operation. Control DA lets you adjust certain parameters (i.e., use the 68020 instruction cache, intercept Mac Write traps, route SANE traps to the 68881, copy and use the Mac ROMs in 32bit fast RAM, indicate whether or not to use the SE's native 16-bit memory, and install a RAM disk) while the SE is running or when you restart the machine. For the Radius Accelerator 25, a Radius SANE INIT patches the Apple SANE traps to use the 68881 (if present), and an Accelerator CDEV lets you toggle on or off a code cache (the 68020 instruction cache) and a data cache (the accelerator board's 32K-byte cache).

I put both boards into a Mac SE and ran some of the BYTE Small-C benchmarks. For an accurate comparison to the Mac SE's native CPU, the benchmarks used 68000 code. For the TSI-020MX, the times (in seconds) were Matrix, 12.3; Sieve, 23.8; and Sort, 24.8. For the Radius Accelerator 25 board: Matrix, 10.5; Sieve, 20.1; and Sort, 19.6. The timings for a conventional SE are Matrix, 67.1; Sieve, 170.2; and Sort, 154.2. Mac II timings are Matrix, 21.2; Sieve, 40.2; and Sort, 44.2.

The results indicate that a Mac SE equipped with one of these boards runs five to seven times faster than a conventional SE, and twice as fast as a Mac II. But keep in mind that these tests evaluated only CPU throughput. Applications that make extensive use of a hard disk drive or work with more memory than can fit in the cache won't perform as well. However, if you need the power of a Mac II but have a limited budget, these boards deserve a serious look.

—Tom Thompson continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 89

SHORT TAKES

Borland's New Prolog: Even Better

Turbo Prolog 2.0 is a significant step forward for this popular version of the language. It has the same high speed and nicely integrated environment of the previous versions, and it presents a number of new features, like an external database and a user interface that is more consistent with that of other Borland products.

For those who are not familiar with it, Prolog is an ideal language for developing applications that are highly recursive or that involve complicated IF. . .THEN control structures. Prolog can be used, for example, to build expert systems and sentence parsers, or to solve the traveling salesman problem. It can also be used for prosaic tasks like figuring your expense account.

In the past, Turbo Prolog has been faulted for not conforming to the standard Edinburgh dialect. In this new release, Borland addresses this problem in an interesting way: It provides an Edinburgh-style Prolog interpreter that is written in Turbo Prolog itself. Of course, like any interpreter, the Prolog Inference Engine, as it is called, is slow and does not claim to be completely compatible with the Edinburgh or Clocksin and Mellish dialects. But over time, users may be able to turn it into an interesting Prolog system in its own right.

Perhaps the most significant addition is the capability for external databases. In the older version, your database was limited by the size of your RAM. The new version lets you store information either in RAM, as in the past, or externally, on a disk file. For fast sorts and data retrieval, these databases can be indexed with aB+tree.

There are also a number of

D;SPR0L0GM10U TE. PRO

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following cities: "), nl,

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shortest route connecting any two of the following cities: Boston, Prouf* Hartford, Springfiel d,

Hew Haven, New Vork

Enter Starting City:

Routing Progran: Purpose: To find the

THE FACTS

Turbo Prolog 2.0 $149.95

Borland International 4585 Scotts Valley Dr. Scotts Valley, CA 95066 (800) 543-7543 Inquiry 852.

nice features. For example, Turbo Prolog predicates can now have more than one arity (i.e., the same predicate can mean different things depending on how many arguments it has). One-line comments can

Requirements:

IBM PC or equivalent

with 384K bytes of RAM.

A hard disk drive is

recommended.

Options:

Turbo Prolog Toolbox,

$99.95

be indicated by simply placing a % at the front of a line. When you compile a program, you can control how much memory it will take up, which suggests that we will soon see memory-resident Prolog ap

plications . And it is now possible for other languages to call Turbo Prolog routines. Of course, all these additions take up code space; the program has grown to the point where you pretty much have to have a hard disk drive.

There is almost no change in performance: The new version was about 1 percent slower in running my traveling salesman program than the previous version. But the executable file of the program was 2 percent smaller and 3 percent faster than that on the older version.

As for documentation, the new Turbo Prolog comes in a two-volume package similar to that of Turbo C. The new version has roughly four times the amount of documentation provided by the old version's single 200-page manual. Much of this is used to describe the new features added, but the extra space also lets the documentation writers go into more detail on elementary aspects of the language.

If you're interested in Prolog and you haven't tried Turbo, you're in for a treat. A warning, though: Once you get the hang of it, Turbo Prolog can be very addicting.

—Rich Malloy

Running OS/2 on an IBM PC

Yes, you can run OS/2 on an IBM PC, but it's expensive. I took a look at the SOTA MotherCard 5.0 and

the Microsoft Mach 20, 80286 accelerator cards that can run OS/2. But before looking at the products, let's consider what you need to run OS/2 on a PC.

First, you need an accelerator board that can run the 80286 instruction set (either an 80286 or 80386). You also need at least 2 megabytes of extended memory. It pays to have 3. megabytes, since many OS/2 programs require that much memory (Paradox OS/2, for example). Finally, you need a high-capacity 514

inch or 1.44-megabyte 3V2inch floppy disk drive to load OS/2 software.

Adding these features to your PC is a formidable investment. With SOTA's MotherCard 5.0, it will cost you around $2000. At first glance, Microsoft's Mach 20 seems cheaper, but if you want 3 megabytes of memory and a high-capacity drive, the Mach 20 system will cost as much as, if not more than, the MotherCard 5.0 setup. In addition to the hardware, you'll have to buy OS/2. If you're using the Mach 20, you'll have to upgrade to DOS 3.2 if you want to use high-capacity or 3'/2inch drives.

SOTA's MotherCard 5.0 comes in 10-MHz and 12MHz configurations with 1 megabyte of RAM ($895 and $995, respectively). An additional DaughterCard, which installs on the MotherCard, is available with 1 or 2 megabytes of RAM (the 10-MHz DaughterCard with 2 megabytes costs $895, and the 12MHz version costs $995). The MotherCard 5.0 is essentially an IBM PC AT on an expansion board. It has its own realtime clock and an 80287 socket, and it supports monochrome, CGA, and EGA. The DaughterCard uses 256K-bit single in-line memory modcontinued

90 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

© Eastman Kodak Company, 1988

New.

KODAK DATASHOW HR System

puts IBM PC images on the big screen.

Kodak introduced the revolutionary idea of an LCD to project PC images on a big screen with an overhead projector. Now the revolution continues with the next generation of Kodak's ultra twist LCD crystals. They project clearly superior images with a high-resolution 640 x 400 pixel display and exclusive 20:1 contrast ratio. System compatibility has also been extended to PCs with EGA as well as CCA, the colors automatically defined in true shades of gray You wont have to fiddle with fluctuating contrast, either. The new cooling system eliminates heat buildup causing this problem in other systems. An IR remote control is included along with software

for presentation management and remote control of application programs. This system can be used with IBM PCs and 100% compatibles. For product and dealer information, call 1 800 44KODAK (1800445-6325), Ext842U.

THE BEST MAGE FOR

YOUR PC

IS FROM KODAK

The new vision of Kodak

Circle 90 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 91

Circle 43 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 44)

SHORT TAKES

C_talk ™

Object-oriented Extensions For C

C-talk, A SERIOUS TOOL FOR SERIOUS SOFTWARE ENGINEERS:

□ Adds encapsulation, inheritance and dynamic <Sj messaging to your C compiler. ^

□ Smalltalk-like Browser for building objects. V? ' Q Semi-automatic Make for building applications.

□ Preprocessor for converting objects to standard C source code.

□ Foundation classes to help you get started.

Q Professional telephone support from our engineering staff.

Start building software components into your next application.

Join the leading edge today.

Order Now:

CNS, Inc.

Software Products Dept. 7090 Shady Oak Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Tel: (612)944-0170 Fax: (612)944-0923 30 day money back guarantee MasterCard, Visa

Shipping: $ 5 - U.S. $25-Intl.

CJalk is designed tor an IBM* PC (or compatible) with : Microsoft* C, Lattice C, Turbo C, or C86. A system with a hard drive and mouse is highly recommended.

IBM is a registered trademark of IBM Corp MICROSOFT is a registered trademark el MICROSOFT CORP CJalk is a trademark of CNS Inc

HVIU

MATHPAK87

High Performance 80x87 Software

MATHPAK 87 is a set of over 130 assembler coded numerical routines for use with 80x87 math coprocessors. These routines are highly optimized and run up to 10 times faster than equivalent high-level language routines. A detailed and easy-to-read manual (180 pages) gets you started using MATHPAK 87 in minutes. MATHPAK 87 routines are fast, convenient and reliable.

MATHPAK 87 Timings (IBMXT)

BxeeHtioa Times for 100,000 Operations

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Routine

MATHPAK87 includes: 65 vector/scalar routines (vector add, subtract,...); 24 complex vector/scalar routines; 11 matrix routines (add, subtract, multiply, transpose, etc.); LU dccomposition/backsolving routines for real and complex systems; Gaussian elimination; matrix inversion; tridiagonal equation solver routines; E1SPACK eigenvalue/vector routines; statistical routines; FFT routines (1-D, 2-D, complex, real, convolution); spectral analysis routines (windows: Parzen, Hamming,...); routines for numerical integration and solution of differential equations; and missing functions for Modula-2 and Pascal: tan, loglO, aloglO, power, sinh, cosh and tanh.

MATHPAK 87 routines are the fastest available! On an IBM XX a 1K complex FFT takes 1.85s (real 1.0s); dot product (length 10,000) takes 0.494s.

$99 US for Turbo Pascal 4.0 version. $119 US for MS Fortran, IBM Pro Fortran, Lahey F77L, MS C, Lattice C, Logitech Modula-2 or ITC Modula-2 versions. Please specify version. Add $5 shipping/handling.

Precision Plus Software, 1239 Sir David Drive, Oakville, Ontario, Canada L6J 6Y9. Telephone: (416) 829-1511, FAX: (416) 829-1742.

International Dealers: U.K.: Grey Matter Ltd., Tel: (0364) 53499; West Germany: SOS Software Service GmbH, Alter Posiwcg 101, 8900 Augsburg, Tel: 0S21/57 1081.

THE FACTS

SOTAMotherCard5.0: $995 for 12-MHz version; $895 for 10-MHz version

SOTA DaughterCard: $995 for 12-MHz version with 2 megabytes of RAM; $895 for 10-MHz version with 2 megabytes of RAM Floppy I/O Plus multimedia controller: $149

Requirements: IBM PC or compatible with 64K bytes of RAM and DOS 3.1

SOTA Technology, Inc. 657 North Pastoria Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 245-3366 Inquiry 853.

ules (SIMMs) and supports 1megabit SIMMs for expansion up to 8 megabytes.

My test unit was a 12-MHz version with the 2-megabyte DaughterCard. In addition, SOTA provided its Floppy I/O Plus controller and two 1.2megabyte 5 W-inch floppy disk drives, which you would have to purchase separately. The Floppy I/O Plus controller also supports 3'/2-inch floppy disk drives or a combination of drive types and runs under DOS 3.1 or higher.

The SOTA MotherCard 5.0 runs only IBM OS/2. At the time of this writing, it does not support the Microsoft SDK (Software Developer's Kit) version of OS/2. The MotherCard 5.0 uses a unique reconf igurable BIOS, which lets you install a "patch" to the BIOS to run OS/2. You must also install a special SOTA driver on the IBM OS/2 installation disk. Be forewarned that the 5 '4 -inch version of OS/2 is not easy to come by. Most dealers don't stock it, so you'll most likely have to special-order it. The alternative is to get a 1. 44megabyte 3'/2-inch floppy drive for your PC.

Installation of the SOTA MotherCard and the Floppy

I/O Plus controller is straightforward. You remove the 8088 processor from its socket, install it on the MotherCard, and plug the supplied cable into the 8088 socket. Next, remove the existing floppy disk drive controller and install the Floppy I/O Plus controller and the new disk drives, if necessary. After installation, you boot up in 80286 mode and run the company' s Setup and software installation programs to install the OS/2 patches. You can use your existing system board memory as a RAM disk or for disk caching, using SOTA's supplied Expanded Memory Specification (EMS) and disk-caching drivers.

I ran OS/2 on the MotherCard with no problems. I tried Paradox OS/2 and ran multiple tasks and the DOS-compatibility window. The 12MHz version of the MotherCard offered faster performance than our MicroServe 10-MHz AT clone. I ran BYTE's 80286 benchmarks, and they all ran faster than on the AT clone.

The SOTA MotherCard 5.0 is a well-engineered and elegant solution for running OS/2 on a PC. Although the MotherCard is very easy to install, one weakness of the package is SOTA's user manual, which doesn't clearly explain how to run the software installation. An important step is running the Setup program to determine the memory configuration and the types of floppy disk drives you're using. Unfortunately, this step is not mentioned in the user manual. But aside from the large expense, I would recommend installing the MotherCard 5.0 in a PC.

The Mach 20 setup for OS/2 consists of three components: the Mach 20 board, which is an 8-MHz half-length 80286 accelerator card; the Memory Plus option; and the Disk Plus floppy disk controller card. These three components connect together and require only a single slot. Note that these three components alone cost continued

92 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988 Circle 207 on Reader Service Card

Aztec C

Power to go the distance... Whatever that distance might be

From real time embedded applications to comprehensive commercial applications on Macintosh, IBM PC, Amiga, Atari, and others, Aztec C has earned a well-deserved reputation as an innovative, tough to beat, rock-solid C development system.

But don't just take our word for it—try it yourself. We know that the best way to understand what puts you ahead with Aztec C is to use it. That's why Aztec C

systems purchased directly from 1anx come with a 30-day, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee. Call for yours today.

We can also send you information that details the special features and options of Aztec C. Plus information on support software, extended technical support options, and all of the services and specialized support that you may need when you're pushing your software to the limits and ... beyond.

MS-DOS Hosted ROM Development Systems

Host + Target: $750 Additional Targets: $500

Targets:

• 6502 family

• 8080-8085-Z80-Z180-64180

• 8088-8086-80186-80286/8087-80287

• 68000-68010-68020/68881

Components:

• C compiler for host and target

• Assembler for host and target

• linker and librarian

• Unix utilities make, diff, grep

• Unix vi editor

• debugger

• download support

Features:

• Complete development system

• Fast development times

• Prototype and debug non-specific code under MS-DOS

• Compilers produce modifiable assembler output, support inline assembly, and will link with assembly modules

• Support for INTEL hex, S record, and other formats

• source for UNIX run time library

• processor dependent features

• source for startup

Aztec C Micro Systems

Aztec C is available for most microcomputers in three configurations: The Professional; The Developer; and The Commercial system. All systems are upgradable.

Aztec C68k/Am Amiga

source debugger-optional

Aztec C68k/Mac ... Macintosh

MPW and MAC II support

Aztec C86 MS-DOS

source debugger • CP/M libraries

The followng have special pricing and configurations. Call for details.

Aztec C68k/At Atari ST

Aztec C80 CP/M-80

Aztec C65 Apple II & II GS

Standard System $199

• C compiler

• Macro Assembler

• overlay linker with librarian

• debugger

• UNIX and other libraries

• utilities

Developer System $299

• all Standard System features

• UNIX utilities make, diff, grep

• UNIX vi editor

Commercial System $499

• all Developer features

• source for run time libraries

• one year of updates

C.O.D., VISA, MasterCard, American Express, wire (domestic and international), and terms are available. One and two day delivery available for all domestic and most international destinations.

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Aztec C is available on a thirty-day money back guarantee. Call now and find out why over 50,000 users give Aztec C one of the highest user-satisfaction ratings in the industry.

Call 1-800-221-0440

In NJ or outside the USA,

call 201-542-2121

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Circle 158 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 93

A Message

To Our Subscribers

FROM TIME TO TIME WE make the BYTE subscriber list available to other companies who wish to send our subscribers material about their products. We take great care to screen these companies, choosing only those who are reputable, and whose products, services, or information we feel would be of interest to you. Direct mail is an efficient medium for presenting the latest personal computer goods and services to our subscribers.

Many BYTE subscribers appreciate this controlled use of our mailing list, and look forward to finding information of interest to them in the mail. Used are our subscribers' names and addresses only (no other information we may have is ever given).

While we believe the distribution of this information is of benefit to our subscribers, we firmly respect the wishes of any subscriber who does not want to receive such promotional literature. Should you wish to restrict the use of your name, simply send your request to the following address.

BVTE Magazine

Attn: Subscriber Service

P.O. Box 7643 Teaneck, NJ 07666-9866 fm

SHORT TAKES

THE FACTS

Mach 20 $495

Requirements: IBM PC or compatible with 64K bytes of RAM and DOS 3.2 if you want to use high-capacity or Scinch drives

Options:

Memory Plus card with 512K bytes, $395; Disk Plus multimedia controller, $99

Microsoft Corp. 16011 Northeast 36th

Way P.O. Box 97017 Redmond, WA 98073 (206) 882-8080 Inquiry 854.

almost $1000—and that doesn't include the additional 2 megabytes of RAM and the high-capacity disk drive you '11 need. And with 256K-bit chips, you can install only 1.5 megabytes of RAM on the Memory Plus board. You'll need to find, buy, and use more expensive 1-megabit chips to install 3 megabytes of memory in your system.

Installing the Mach 20 is not a trivial matter. To start off, you have to plug the three pieces together, which is a simple operation. Then you have to go through a lengthy installation program, which explains how to set the myriad jumpers on the Mach 20. You may also have to modify the switch settings on the system board of your PC. The installation program writes a series of drivers to your boot disk. I made the mistake of trying to use a floppy disk as a boot disk. Problems arise if you later want to change your drives and have to modify the settings for the floppy disk controller. Therefore, it is best to install the drivers on the hard disk drive.

Nevertheless, I got the system running. However, the floppy disk drives behaved

very strangely under the supervision of the Disk Plus controller. They made groans and grinding noises I had never heard when they were connected to the original controller. In addition, drive A's light would go on immediately when I booted the computer and would stay on throughout the normal POST memory test. These quirks didn't hinder the operation of the Mach 20, but they certainly made me nervous.

I ran the BYTE 80286 benchmarks on the Mach 20, which has an 8-MHz clock speed, and it was about 25 percent slower than our 10-MHz MicroServe AT clone and about 40 percent slower than the SOTA MotherCard. While the system seemed to be working at this point, I was getting periodic boot errors (301 system board) and was becoming increasingly disturbed by the odd noises that the floppy disk drives continued to make.

The next step was to install OS/2. Microsoft provided a beta copy of its special Mach 20 OS/2 version. The package came with a menu-driven installation program, and you can use 360K-byte 514 -inch drives to install OS/2. However, OS/2 won't do you much good without a high-capacity drive, because no software is available in 360K-byte format. Unfortunately, I was unable to get OS/2 to run. I installed it on the hard disk drive, but then the hard disk drive wouldn't boot. In fact, the light on drive A stayed on continuously, and I had to turn the machine off.

It's hard to recommend the Mach 20 at this time. Even in spite of its quirks (and I'm sure Microsoft will get OS/2 running eventually), it's not a cost-effective way to run OS/2. You would be better off saving your money for an AT clone. The SOTA MotherCard 5.0 is also an expensive solution, but at least it works reliably and seems to be a solid product.

—NickBaran continued

94 BYTE" SEPTEMBER 1988

Digitizers 18"x24"thru9'x9'x9'

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All our digitizers come complete with RS232 output format, power supply, two-way communications, a stylus, optional one button and four button cursors, a five function menu, and are IBM-PC compatible. So no matter what your size requirements are, we've got you covered; (at low cost too!).

OEM versions available. Directly supported by AutoCAD, ProDesign II, Generic CADD, CADVANCE, CADKEY, Easy Digit, etc. Also, compatible with Lotus Measure.

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A Dictionary on a Hard Disk Drive

When it comes to writing, I believe in the 3-foot rule. That is, you ought to keep a dictionary no more than 3 feet away from the spot where you're working. That's where Proximity's Choice Words comes in. Choice Words is an 80,000-word, hard disk drive version of a Merriam-Webster dictionary. And we're not talking spelling checking here.

Choice Words is, in fact, the first electronic dictionary—complete with definitions—that works on an MSDOS computer without an optical disk or some other exotic storage device that costs enough to make many users decide to stick with a printed dictionary. Specifically, it takes up less than 2 megabytes of hard disk drive space. Because it's RAM-resident, it also needs about 100K bytes of RAM.

Best of all, it works within almost any word processor. Just place the cursor on a word, hit the hot key, and you've got the definition of that word. Just hit the hot key, and you can type in any word you wish. If Choice Words can't find a matching word in its dictionary, it displays a list of its best guesses of alternate spellings. I usually found the word I was looking for in the alternate spelling list—even when I tried to fool it.

Choice Words also includes a thesaurus. Although a number of good word processors already have a thesaurus, this one is a little different. Instead of just providing a list of syn

onyms, Choice Words first forces you to choose the appropriate definition for the word you want to replace, and then it gives you only the synonyms for that definition. This way, you don't mistakenly use a replacement word that connotes the wrong message. Or at least that's the theory.

But the theory didn't work so well with some words. For "continual" and "continuous, " for example, the thesaurus provides you with only one definition.

Both the dictionary and the thesaurus let you replace the word at the cursor position in your word processor with any word you select from the Choice Words display. You can also toggle to and from the thesaurus and the dictionary.

Installed on the 20-megabyte hard disk drive in my 10MHz IBM PC AT clone, Choice Words usually responded in about 2 seconds (when the spelling was correct) to about 5 seconds (when the spelling was wrong). Although that's probably faster than anyone can find a word in a printed dictionary, there is a trade-off: The definitions are roughly equivalent to an abbreviated "pocket" dictionary. Given that the program uses less than 2 megabytes of drive space, that trade-off is a fair one.

Aside from the thesaurus's occasional lack of definitions, I like Choice Words, and at a cost of only $99,1 recommend the program.

—Dennis Allen continued

THE FACTS

Choice Words

Requirements:

$99

IBM PC or compatible with

256K bytes of RAM, DOS

Proximity Software

2.0 or higher (a PC AT

3511 Northeast 22nd Ave.

requires DOS 3.0 or

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

higher), and either a hard

(800)543-3511

disk drive or a 1.2-megabyte

(305)566-3511

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Inquiry 851.

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Konan the Controller

Konan's new Tentime is an IBM PC AT-compatible "intelligent caching" disk drive controller with an impressive resume.

It boasts 128K bytes of onboard RAM with a 4-year lithium-battery backup. It needs the battery because the cache is not "write-through." That is, when your system issues a write command to the controller, the Tentime doesn't send the data immediately to disk. Instead, the Tentime puts the data in its cache, and when it must perform a write operation, it sorts the data prior to writing to the disk. In this way, head movement is reduced (e.g., if you issued writes to tracks 12, 90, 8, and 66, the Tentime would actually write them in this order: 8, 12, 66, 90). Since the battery is there, even if you shut the system off before the controller flushes its cache, your data is retained for the next time you power your system up.

Next, you get an optional on-board floppy disk drive controller, so you can use the Tentime to completely replace your AT's current hard/floppy disk drive controller. (The Tentime with a floppy disk controller can handle up to two ST-506/412 hard disk drives and two 3V2-inch or 5',4-inch floppy disk drives—360K bytes, 1.2 megabytes, or 1.44 megabytes.) I already had a hard/floppy disk controller card in the machine on which I tested the board, so I disabled the Tentime's floppy section and ran two hard disk drives on the system. I was more interested in the board's performance as a hard disk drive controller, anyway.

The manufacturer claims that this controller has an 80 percent to 95 percent hit rate on the cache. The controller's name says it all: You should expect the Tentime to operate 10 times faster than other controllers. Does it?

I ran the Tentime through a number of tests and got mixed

results. I used a 10-MHz AT clone with two hard disk drives. One, a Seagate ST225, hooked to the Tentime; the other, an ST-4038, connected to an AT-clone hard disk drive controller. The BYTE low-level benchmark FILEIO test (which creates, reads, and writes a series of arbitrarily complex files) and 1megabyte File Read and Write tests showed the Tentime turning in performances anywhere between 2 and 11 times that of the other controller (Read operations did much better). However, when I ran the Coretest on both drives, the drive in the Tentime simply left the other drive in the dust. The access times reported for the Tentime were down around 0.7 millisecond—between 12 and 30 times better than those shown for the other drive.

The price for the Tentime, however, is steep. It says something when you pay $595 for a controller board and you can get a 20-megabyte hard disk drive for half that much. (I've seen ads for a 20-megabyte hard disk drive and controller for $250.) I'd say this is definitely a product for the power user. If you need lots of megabytes and you need them fast, the Tentime probably deserves a slot in your AT.

—Rick Grehan

THE FACTS

Tentime

TNT-1050 (with floppy disk controller), $695; TNT-1000 (without floppy controller), $595

Requirements: IBM PC AT or compatible. No specific operating-system or memory requirements.

Konan Corp. 4720 South Ash Ave. Tempe, AZ 85282 (602) 345-1300 Inquiry 857.

98 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

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EXPERT ADVICE

COMPUTING AT CHAOS MANOR M Jerry Pournelle

The Edge of the Envelope

This month,

Jerry combines his

right stuff with

the right hardware and

the right software

Although these columns are a major activity at Chaos Manor, the real work here is writing novels, as for example Prince of Mercenaries, which went out the door to Jim Baen this afternoon. For that matter, there are two parts to writing the columns: the writing itself, which usually doesn't take long, and puttering around with new hardware and software so that there's something to write about, which can be quick or take forever, depending on what we're puttering with. There's a lot of stuff people want us to examine.

On that score: if you have programs you want me to look at, send them to BYTE with my name in the address. Include a cover letter that tells precisely what your program does, and why you do it better than anyone else. You'd be amazed at how much stuff we get that looks wonderful but no one can figure out what it's supposed to do. We also get a lot of what I call "yet another" programs: programs that seem to do the same things I'm already doing with something else. Sometimes the "yet another" programs turn out to be real improvements, and, of course, we're always interested in those; but often their advantages aren't at all obvious.

Given my hectic schedule, there's no way we can look at everything that comes in no matter how good it sounds; sometimes what I get to is just a matter of luck. Still, I do work at this, and a surprising amount of software does get run at least once. Realistically, I don't suppose we

can take a close look at more than about 10 percent of what comes in, but that's still quite a lot of software, and the activity consumes a lot of time.

In addition to all that, Mrs. Pournelle is writing two books while overseeing the development of her reading program. The Atari ST version of that has just finished beta testing in both public and private schools, with amazing results. All the participating kids learned to read, and the teachers are enthusiastic, since the program allows teaching assistants, volunteer parents, or even older students to act as instructors. One thing we found was that the "rewards"—pictures and music—built into the program are useful in getting the kids started; once they begin learning, the reading experience itself is enough to keep them going.

Anyway, the result of all these activities is that I always have at least three Main Machines here: the one I write on, the one Mrs. Pournelle writes on, and the experimental machine to be used for puttering around.

In fact, there are usually several more, since I like to write about stuff other than PCs. A Mac II has as prominent a place in the system as my main PC's, while an Atari Mega ST is only one step away, and there's an Amiga 2000 set up in the next room. Still, most of what we do is done on PCompatibles, if for no other reason than they're what most of the readers have, and they're far and away what most of the software I get is written for.

For the moment, the "conservative" main machine is the Zenith Z-386. At least, it was supposed to be. Alas, I got talked into using the Zenith as a testbed for Unix with the result that, of the 80 megabytes on Zanna Lee's hard disk, there's only about 30 megabytes available for DOS programs; and that's just not enough, given what I generally keep on my machines.

Of course, the notion was that I'd run DOS programs under Unix. That turned out to be a mistake. There may be a good

"DOS under Unix" system somewhere out there, but I guarantee you I don't have one, or if I do have it, the instructions on installation are beyond my ken. What I've got is a Unix that can—sometimes—run some DOS programs, provided that the DOS programs are very well behaved and I hold my mouth just right.

Of course, I can also run standard Unix programs, but why bother? All the Unix programs that do the things I want to do have been pretty small potatoes compared to what's available on DOS. Sure, Unix has unique features. If you have a real need for multiuser access to a very large database, Unix is fine. If you've simply got to have a bunch of users working off one central system, it's wonderful. There are things Unix can do that DOS wouldn't dream of. On the other hand, most Unix application programs are very vanilla in features (for example, almost no Unix program knows about color), they are overpriced, and hard to use. I've looked at a dozen or more Unix application programs, and for the kind of work I do, there aren't any that I'd prefer to what I have on DOS (and for that matter, I had better word processors and accounting programs on CP/M than the stuff Unix users put up with). Most PC users will not care to give up what they have on DOS for what they can get from Unix.

This whole situation puzzles me. I've had a dozen people try to explain why you can't simply fire up Unix and use it as the master operating system to run multiple DOS programs, and the usual answer is "You can, but nobody's done it." None of them can answer the next question.

Anyway, the result is that there wasn't enough space on the Zenith Z-386 to fit all the files from the Kaypro and still have room for everything else; so for the moment, the Zenith has become the experimental system, and the big 20-MHz

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 103

CHAOS MANOR

Cheetah 386 has been put next to my chair.

Moving the Files

The first thing we needed to do was transfer all the files from the Kaypro 386. Since I was sending them to the Cheetah, which has the Priam 330megabyte hard disk drive, the idea was that I'd duplicate the Kaypro's C drive onto the Cheetah's E, and the Kaypro's D drive onto the Cheetah's F. That way,

I wouldn't lose any files, and I would still have my files on the Cheetah's C drive.

I had several file-transfer programs. The obvious one was Traveling Software's DeskLink, which I knew would work reliably between the Cheetah 386 and the Zenith, because I'd used it before on both machines. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting DeskLink to work with the Kaypro 386, and when I called Traveling Software, I was told that I'd probably be better off using LapLink (which

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comes in the package with DeskLink anyway). If all you want to do is send files from one system to another (as opposed to running programs on one machine when they're resident on another), LapLink is faster and more convenient. Besides, they said, there's a new version of DeskLink coming out (it's now available), so I might as well wait for it.

I had a bit of trouble with LapLink, but it wasn't the program's fault. For some reason, the Kaypro 386's COM1 port didn't want to work faster than 56,000 bits per second. It's easy enough to set LapLink for the slower speed—I've yet to open the LapLink manual—and after that, things went fine. The Options command in LapLink will let you slow things to a real crawl (300 bps) if that's what it takes. Incidentally, I can remember in CP/M days when we thought 1200bps serial-port file transfers were fast.

LapLink is a perfectly symmetrical program; that is, you can do all your transfers from either computer console. No need to designate one a "master" and the other a "slave." LapLink also has an option to "transfer subdirectories." This seemed wonderful, since there were a lot of subdirectories on the Kaypro. Alas, when I used the option, I found that LapLink transfers the files all right, but it doesn't create new subdirectories; what you get is one enormous directory with everything stuffed into it. This wasn't precisely what I wanted.

Next thing, then, was to do LD > LPT1:, which as most of you know tells the Norton Utilities to list directories and send that directory list out the printer port. That gave me a paper list of all the directories and subdirectories. From there, it was an easy (if tedious) job to create the Kaypro's C directory structure on the Cheetah's E drive, then go back into LapLink and fire away again.

That worked fine. Later, I found that LapLink does know how to create subdirectories; I don't know what I did wrong before. If you go into options and set the Subdirectories toggle properly— it's obvious how to do that—and get it to stay on (apparently, I hadn't), then LapLink will in fact do the whole job. Incidentally, when the Subdirectories toggle is properly set, you'll see a big 5 down near where it gives you the COM port and data transfer rate. Once that's done, it really will create subdirectories, unless you do whatever it was I did wrong. Traveling Software says that while LapLink works fine in conjunction with most memory-resident software, some terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSRs)

continued

104 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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CHAOS MANOR

can interfere with subdirectory copying. If you have a glitch, check that.

Incidentally, LapLink isn't the only program that sometimes has TSR interference with subdirectories. DOS's XCopy can also get confused.

Alternatives

If it ain't broke don't fix it, but in the past few weeks I've received a lot of filetransfer programs, and this seemed like a good time to test them.

First I tried PC-Hooker. This is a nice little serial transfer program that works about the same as LapLink. It also has a feature that lets you create directories from within the program. There's another provision to let you see how much space is available on the target disk. There's a little text editor, and it can use the XMODEM protocols to send files out through a modem.

This is the kind of program that gives me problems: if I'd got it before I got LapLink, I'd probably have adopted it. Now I've no reason to. True, I like the Add Directory feature, but in fact LapLink loads and drops so fast that it's just about as convenient to go out and use

DOS when I need to do things like that.

Second, there's Fastwire II. This claims to be "The World's Fastest, Most Reliable Way to Exchange Information Back and Forth Between All IBM-Compatible Desktop, Laptop, and PS/2 Computers." It seemed worth a look.

Setting up Fastwire is simple. It comes with a four-headed serial cable so you can connect to either AT (9-pin) or XT (25-pin) serial ports; I wouldn't even look at a program and hardware that didn't. Fastwire also says you can use the parallel port.

My first objection to Fastwire is that, unlike LapLink and PC-Hooker, Fastwire isn't symmetrical. You run a master program on one machine, and a slave program on the other; and the only way to reverse which is which is to start over. You can't change on the fly.

Fastwire's documents claim it will automatically create subdirectories on the target machine. This sounds like a wonderful idea. When I tried Fastwire in subdirectory mode, it did, in fact, do the job; but it only created one subdirectory at a time, so I had to tell it to do it again for each one. It may be I wasn't doing

something right, because the documents clearly imply that it can make a complete backup copy from one machine to the other.

As to speed, Fastwire may be faster than LapLink; I didn't time the two programs. However, Fastwire isn't a lot faster than LapLink; not so much so that I'd give up LapLink to have it. In other words, this is another of those programs that's good enough, and had I got it first, I'd probably continue using it rather than change to something else; but it doesn't have quite enough going for it to get me to switch.

The nice thing is that there are a lot of "good enough" transfer programs. I can remember when there weren't any at all.

Incidentally, all these programs will transfer data using the parallel ports of the two machines; it's said to be marginally faster than serial. I haven't tried it, since serial ports have always worked fine for me.

Training the Cheetah

Once we had all the files over, the next step was to configure the Cheetah. I

continued

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CHAOS MANOR

wanted to use the Zenith Flat Technology Monitor (FTM), so Mrs. Pournelle could borrow the big 19-inch Electrohome monitor. When I installed the Zenith 448 video board in the Cheetah, though, the board wouldn't work. Apparently 20 MHz is too much for it.

I was in a hurry, so I put the Award EGA/VGA video board back in the Cheetah and set up the Electrohome; Mrs. Pournelle had to be satisfied with the Logitech Autosync monitor. That's no real hardship, of course; the Logitech is one of the best of the smaller EGA/VGA systems. The Zenith 448 board and FTM went back on the Zenith 16-MHz Z-386 where they'd always been. Later, I found that if I plug the Zenith FTM into the 15pin VGA outlet on the Award video board, it works fine. Now all I have to do is carry this 70-pound, 19-inch monitor back downstairs....

One thing I did find in fooling around with monitors: it's pretty easy to get them all "gaussed up." That is, if there are stray magnetic fields around, they can affect the monitor. The result looks almost as if someone had stained the monitor's glass front. There's a wild

color patch that stays in place when you scroll the display.

Most expensive monitors—such as my Electrohome—have a degaussing button; press it, and the display swims around a bit while the monitor's hardware gets rid of the unwanted magnetism that has invaded the screen. Unfortunately, neither the Zenith nor the Logitech monitors have degaussing buttons, and both of them caught bad cases of "the gausses" while we were moving things around. (If you have a bunch of computers running outside their cases, you can expect this.)

In the past, I've always been able to remedy this problem by turning the monitor off for a minute or so, but this time it didn't seem to work. The color patches just stayed there. They weren't that bad; you could still make out what was supposed to be on the monitor screen. Still, it was ugly, and I wanted something done. I have no doubt that with a bit more patience, the problems would have gone away by themselves, but I was running out of time.

The remedy was the bulk eraser. This is a standard item (we got ours at Radio Shack) used to erase magnetic tapes. It

also works fine on floppy disks, which is what it's mostly used for here. The trick to using one with a disk is to turn on the eraser, move it in a spiral pattern up close to the disk (leave the disk in its protective jacket), then with the eraser still on, spiral it away again. This gets all the little magnetic molecules into a random pattern. It seemed to me that if that would work on a magnetic disk, it ought to work on a monitor screen; and in fact it did fine, although it looks a little weird while you're doing it. I was a bit astonished at just how far away you could hold the eraser and still see the effects on the screen.

The next thing was to get the Maximum Storage WORM (write once, read many times) drive and the Amdek Laserdek 2000 CD-ROM reader working together. This turned out to be simple: when you get these two machines, they are both by default addressed to ports beginning at 300 hexadecimal. You have to change the address for one of them.

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continued

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CHAOS MANOR

drive is clearly described in the manual. I decided to address the WORM to 200 hexadecimal; I flipped the little DIP switches as the manual told me to, and put "200" in place of "300" in the Maxsys driver instructions in the CONFIG.SYS file. I used the default installation for the Laserdek 2000. The whole thing took about 5 minutes, and now I have both CD-ROM and WORM drives. Alas, while those will work together, by the time I've got a mouse and the CD

ROM and WORM memory-resident drivers and DOS extensions installed to use them, I'm down to 360K bytes of system RAM. Add SideKick, and it's even smaller.

I did some experimenting with Quarterdeck's Expanded Memory Manager (QEMM); this is a program for the 80386 that, among other things, lets you get at some of the unused memory that sits between 640K bytes and 1 megabyte. You can use the QEMM L0ADHI com

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mand to put the mouse software up there. Sometimes other stuff can be put there as well. If I sound vague, I intend to: it turns out that using that memory is a bit tricky. For example, if you install part of the Microsoft Bookshelf software up there and then use Procomm Plus, the communications program will lock up the machine so thoroughly that you can't even reset. Thus, I don't recommend QEMM L0ADHI for the squeamish. If you do use it, test thoroughly before entrusting anything critical to your system.

Procomm Plus

Crosstalk used to drive me nuts sometimes, but I did learn to use it, and it served me pretty well on machines from an early PC XT up through the Kaypro AT, Zenith Z-248, and Zenith 386; but when I transferred it to the 20-MHz Cheetah, it wouldn't work at all.

The problem isn't the computer or the modem. The modem is the USRobotics' Courier HST, and that works fine. It's Crosstalk itself, which just seems unable to keep up with the Cheetah's speed. I'd tell Crosstalk to dial, and it would act as if it had; but the modem never got the message. Crosstalk would then tell me there was "No Connection" and offer to try again. Retries got the same result.

That left me with a problem, since I really need communications.

"Try Procomm Plus," Alex told me. It seemed like a good idea; I'd heard about Procomm for a long time. The original is shareware; now there's a Procomm Plus that's for commercial sale. We had both, or at least I thought we did. It turned out that I had at one time copied my review copy of Procomm Plus onto my hard disk, but then the manual got lost in the general swim here. I'm sure it's no more than 8 feet away from me, but for the life of me I can't find it.

That turns out not to matter. Procomm Plus has context-sensitive Help screens that do about as well as the manuals can. It takes a bit of deciphering to figure out precisely what some of the instructions mean, but in fact it took only about a half hour to get the program all set up and running.

That's when we made several discoveries. I had always run Crosstalk at no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and that worked fine; but when we tried that with Procomm Plus, Tymnet had a fit. We could connect all right, but all we got was garbage. Eventually we changed to even parity, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit. I forget precisely what caused us to try that combination, but it works fine.

continued

110 B Y T E • SEPTEMBER 1988

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 111

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I have since discovered what's happening. Tymnet does in fact use even parity. If you don't, and thus look at all 8 bits, that can have the effect of converting much of what's sent to you to non-ASCII characters. Crosstalk has a filter system that takes care of the situation. So does Procomm Plus, but unlike Crosstalk, Procomm Plus doesn't automatically do it; you have to go work on a conversion table.

It turns out that it's easier simply to use E-7-1 for Tymnet communications. I was a bit worried that this would prevent me from downloading binary files, but that's not true: when you go into a filetransfer protocol such as Kermit (or XMODEM, which is what I use), the system automatically switches to 8-bit transfers.

We tested that by entering BIX listings and pulling out a small COM file; it works perfectly. I've since used Procomm Plus to upload my columns. Works like a charm. I'm fast becoming attached to it, and it looks as if the change is permanent.

Incidentally, Wayne Rash reports that he's been using Procomm Plus for months now and likes it a lot. It even works from overseas.

Procomm and Procomm Plus are fundamentally alike, except that Procomm Plus is niftier. The Plus version has shadowed windows and other pretty displays. It has a nice menu system. It's also supported, whereas the older Procomm is shareware.

The best feature about Plus is the context-sensitive help, which, as I said, is good enough that I've not really needed the manuals. There are also terminal emulations, and the setup is nicer. On the other hand, the old shareware version is good enough for a lot of people. Probably the thing to do is try the shareware—it's available on BIX and elsewhere—and if you like it, go ahead and buy the Plus.

Alex swears by it. He says, "If you use a lot of different machines, this is the right program because it's portable among just about all PCompatibles." I haven't used it as long as he has, but I've seen no reason to disagree. It certainly works when you're stretching the envelope.

Recommended.

Printer Optimizer II

A few months ago, you may remember, I had a problem with the power supply for my Applied Creative Technology Printer Optimizer. It wasn't a big problem, but the people at ACT read about it, and they

continued

112 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 141 on Reader Service Card

Order Status, Technicals Other Info. (602) 246-2222 FAX #(602) 246-7805 Call for programs not listed

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Circle 290 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 113

CHAOS MANOR

decided this would be a good time to update my Optimizer, which, after all, I've had for about 6 years now. (I've never had a problem with it, either, except for stepping on the power supply cord and breaking it.)

The Optimizer is a small computer with a lot of memory—up to a megabyte—that sits on top of the printer. It accepts inputs from any computer I have— at the moment, the Concurrent CP/M Golem, and the Cheetah, but I'm always stringing other cables over to it—and squirts the output into the HP LaserJet or the NEC Spinwriter. On the way, it can perform all kinds of transformations, such as substituting one control character for another, or initializing the LaserJet before sending it text. It can also put print jobs in a queue, and you can even interrupt the current job to send something else directly over to the printer.

The computer thinks the Optimizer is a very fast printer; now that it has a full megabyte, the Optimizer can accept a whole novel. Prince of Mercenaries was sent from computer to Optimizer in less than half an hour. Meanwhile, the Optimizer is pouring the text into the Laser

Jet. The upshot was that I had my computer back in service in half an hour, and the whole novel printed in less than an hour and a half.

The Optimizer is one of those gizmos that make life easier; you can't know how much you'll like it until you get one.

Highly recommended.

Multitasking

Once I had the Cheetah working with all his essentials—CD-ROM reader, Logitech mouse, modem and communications, WORM, 300-megabyte hard disk drive—it was time to set up my operating environment.

As I noted above, it's very easy to fill a machine with memory-resident software. The WORM and CD-ROM readers alone can darned near do it. Add SideKick and you're finished—and this in an 80386 with nearly 8 megabytes of memory! It just doesn't seem fair.

Of course, OS/2 is supposed to fix that problem, but we don't have it yet. Well, that's not quite true. We have OS/2, but since we don't have much software to run under it, it hardly matters. Incidentally, I do have Paradox for OS/2, and that

works fine. The problem is that I don't have anything else, so even though Paradox is an excellent relational database manager, I've little temptation to go to OS/2 yet.

What I do have is DESQview. That, it turns out, works very well with the 20MHz Cheetah except for one thing: the mark-and-transfer program doesn't always work. Sometimes when I try to move a few paragraphs from one DESQview window to another, I get horrible squeals from the computer, and only part of each line is copied. I haven't the foggiest notion why. Machine's too fast for the software, I suppose.

I set up everything with DESQview, and it works; I'm writing this now in Q&A Write running under DESQview with half a dozen open windows including SideKick, SideKick Plus, Ready!, and Norton Commander. While all those were open, I went to Procomm Plus and logged in on BIX. That worked, too.

DESQview on an 80386, when coupled with Quarterdeck's QEMM, is pretty good stuff. I suppose I ought to be satisfied with it, but of course I'm not.

continued

WE'VE BUILT A BETTER r, BROOKLYN BRIDGE ML- WITH VERSION 2.0!

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The Brooklyn Bridge Version 2.0 is more flexible than ever! We've always been the leading file transfer and access utility between IBM compatible microcomputers with any size floppy or hard disks. Now we give your customers a choice between our file manager for the novice user or DOS commands for the more experienced user.

Our new file manager lets you view both local and remote files at one time using a full-screen, dual-directory display with 1-2-3* style menus. Or, you can still transfer files and access peripherals using DOS commands at the command line, within an application, or within your current menu system.

One Printer Can Now Work For Two People!

In addition to our menu system, The Brooklyn Bridge lets you share printers and gives them access to other peripheral devices like tape back-up systems.

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Circle 291 on Reader Service Card

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Q. What are they doing with it?

A. Intelligent tutorials, smart manuals, procedure guides, rule books, computer aided instruction, sales and promotion, data analysis, non-linear documents, text analysis, diagnostics, software front-ends, expert systems, training and education, hypertext authoring, case studies, insurance claim determination, investment analysis, intelligent forms there seems to be no limit to the diversity of applications.

Q. What can I do with the demo system?

A. The KnowledgePro demonstration system comes with a 100 page manual and lots of examples to get you started. You can create and save small working knowledge bases. The only commands that you can't use are those for handling external files or chaining knowledge bases. We even credit your $30 toward the cost of the full system. Q. How much is the full development system?

A. KnowledgePro costs $495 and there are no run-time charges, so you don't have to pay more when you distribute your applications. The Database Toolkit (for access to dBASE and Lotus 123 files) costs $49 and the Graphics Toolkit (for access to PC Paintbrush pictures) costs $89. Our KnowledgeMaker induction system (for creating rules from data) costs $99. KnowledgePro runs on IBM PC, AT and PS/2 compatible machines with 640K memory.

TO ORDER Call 51 8-766-3000 (Amex, Visa, M/C accepted) or send $30 + $5 shipping & handling for the demo ($38 total foreign) or $495 + $8 shipping & handling for the full system ($553 total foreign) to Knowledge Garden, Inc., 473A Maiden Bridge Road, Nassau, NY 12123. In NY State please add 7% sales tax.

KnowledgePro®

By Bev & Bill Thompson The first Knowledge Processor.

published by

Knowledge

GARDEN*;

In

association

with

KnowledgePro is a registered trademark of Knowledge Garden, Inc., Lotus 1 23 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corp., dBASE is a trademark of Ashton Tate IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Inc., KnowledgeMaker is a trademark of Knowledge Garden Inc. Photo Tcherevkoff ©

Circle 143 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 115

CHAOS MANOR

The problem is window size. DESQview allows 80386 machines to make use of all that high memory by fooling DOS into thinking that each DESQview window is down there below the 640K-byte boundary; but the price is that you can't have a DESQview window much larger than 500K bytes. Actually it's worse: if I want to load all the device drivers for my Priam hard disk drive, Maximum Storage WORM, and Amdek Laserdek 2000, DESQview gets really choked up. As a practical matter, I can run the Priam all right, but if I want my other devices I have to dump DESQview and reboot.

That's hardly what I want, so I've been looking for alternatives.

The most obvious alternative is the VM/386. This is a system that allows you to run two virtual machines at the same time, each potentially as large as 640K bytes, and each with its own CONFIG.SYS file. In theory, I could attach the WORM and CD-ROM drives to one of those virtual machines, SideKick Plus in another, the CD-ROM reader (but no WORM) in yet another, and so forth. Not only would each virtual machine have 640K bytes of main memory, but I could

also assign more memory to act as enhanced expanded memory for programs that can make use of that.

In practice, I don't know: VM/386 won't work with any machine I have. The people at IGC swear this is sheer bad luck: VM/386 will work with a Zenith Z386, even with the Z-448 video card, but it won't work with the FTM monitor. It will work with the Cheetah at 20 MHz, but it won't work with the Award video board, and for that matter, if I use VM/386, I won't have but one logical drive on my Priam hard disk drive; VM/386 doesn't know how to find the others. It will work with the Kaypro 386, but not with the Orchid EGA/PGA video board. And so forth.

All I have to do is use a plain vanilla 80386 with a standard EGA board and monitor, and I can use VM/386; or so they tell me. I suppose I'll have to try that sometime. Meanwhile, I'm still looking for a good multitasking system that works with what I have.

Candy Cable

The Cheetah is in a "tower" configuration, meaning that it's designed to stand

on end on the floor with the floppy disk drives at the top. This works fine in that it keeps the machine out of the way, and the airflow is better than in the standard lay-down PC.

There are some drawbacks. First, it's a little harder to get the case open. In practice, you end up sitting on the floor when working on a tower. The second problem is cables. They're almost never long enough.

The mouse cable, for example, won't reach back behind the table, up over its top, and then forward far enough for me to use the mouse. Even with the most direct route there's not enough slack. The solution is an extension cable, a regular 9-pin male-to-female.

The modem cable, which is 9-pin to 25-pin, is usually long enough, but the video cable probably won't be; for that you need another 9-pin extension, maleto-female.

The real kicker is the Amdek Laserdek 2000 cable, 37-pin male-to-male. The one that comes with the system is far too short for a tower.

When I was setting up the system, I naively assumed that all I had to do was go

OOPS LITE. LESS FILLING GREAT TASTE

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Thousands more have chosen Smalltalk/V because it's the fastest, easiest way to get a great taste of oops. And that taste has led to satisfying results in everything from finance to medicine to

space.

These people found that the real value of For less

personal computing isn't just manipulating a word processor, a spreadsheet or a modern user interface. It is using their PC as a sculptor uses clay And Smalltalk/V with its unique design clarity, natural parallel between problem and solution, and forgiving nature gets you there with gusto.

Smalltalk/V is only $99.95 and comes with the best object oriented programming tutorial money can buy. And when you're ready for something even more potent, move up to new Industrial Strength oops, Smalltalk/V 286 for just $199.95. Both come with our 60 day money-back guarantee.

Check out Smalltalk/V at your dealer. If he doesn't have it, order toll free: 1-800-922-8255. Or write to: Digitalk, Inc., 9841 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. oops Lite. Everything you've ever wanted -^ __ -- >_.

in a great oops. Smalltalk/V

116 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 83 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 84)

CHAOS MANOR

to a local ComputerLand and get the cables I'd need. I blithely hopped into the Bronco and headed down the avenue where I'd seen, every day for a year, a ComputerLand sign at a mini-mall where there used to be a grocery store.

When I got there, I found they had a parking attendant collecting money to let you into the mini-mall. I muttered some curses and voiced the intention of never visiting that mall again—as indeed why would anyone when there are better shops with free parking nearby? Worse, though, when I got into the mall, I discovered that ComputerLand had been closed for weeks; they'd just never bothered to change the signs since no one seems to want to rent space in a mall that charges parking fees. (Talk about ways to discourage impulse buying!)

I went back home in a stew, and Mrs. Pournelle quite reasonably pointed out that I ought to have called first. This time I tried it: and found that in all of Los Angeles there was about one EGA video extension cable, one modem cable, and no 37-pin cables at all. Now what?

However, one ComputerLand told me that although they were out of cables, I

ought to try Candy Cable of San Diego.

It was good advice. I called and described what I needed, was given some advice about alternatives, and shortly after, I was through. They make up cables within 24 hours of the order; mine, including the unobtainable 37-pin, came by UPS two days after I phoned.

Mapping the Future

My new novel Prince of Mercenaries will be published with maps. I'd intended to draw those maps on the Atari ST, but there's been some odd delay in getting an Atari laser printer. I waited as long as I could, then drew them on the Mac II.

But that's nothing new. Everyone knows you can draw maps on a Mac II.

I used MacPaint. The first map came out quite well, especially considering that the printed version will be smaller (and thus higher-resolution) than what I printed on the LaserWriter.

I could have gotten higher quality, of course, by using MacDraw. MacDraw is harder to use, since what you're doing is manipulating symbols rather than just freehand drawing, but the result is a drawing that can be output to printers

with far better resolution than the LaserWriter's 300 dots per inch. There are several commercial outfits that will take your MacDraw files and print them for you at resolutions between 1200 and 2500 dpi.

Grammatik III

Mrs. Pournelle has been working hard on a nonfiction book. She says it's too early to say what it's about.

For most of her life she has been a teacher. For the last 15 years she was the teacher of last resort in the Los Angeles juvenile justice system: she got the kids that no one had been able to teach to read. They ranged in age from 12 to 17. Some were quite bright, too, although no one would ever suspect that of an illiterate.

During that time she didn't have to do much writing, and what little she did was short. Now she's doing a lot more: not only her book, but magazine articles on education technology. The problem is that it's hard for me to edit her work, and doubly hard for her to try it herself. Over the past year the writing has improved a lot, but it was slow progress all the same.

continued

SrtftK

Wm. .. „,R.stSell<!r.

CHAOS MANOR

No longer. She recently started using Grammatik II (and now we have a betatest copy of Grammatik III). The program comes with Ron Bauer's "World's Shortest Writing Course."

When I first tried Grammatik, I wasn't impressed. The program tended to natter at me about things I already knew. Some of the natterings were interesting, but it didn't seem worth the effort to run everything I wrote through the program. Of course I've been writing about a million words a year for the past 20 years, too; maybe it's not surprising that a program won't do me much good.

Mrs. Pournelle, on the other hand, loved it from the first moment. Here was a program that really went through and tore up her text—worse than I'd ever done—but did it impartially and impassively. No one would ever have to see all

those comments, or even know that the machine found so many mistakes.

She's been using Grammatik III for nearly a month, and I can already see great improvement in her writing. Her book always was interesting because of the subject matter; now it has a much improved style going for it. It's been enough to make a believer out of me.

The previous version of Grammatik wasn't all that easy to use, because you had to save an ASCII copy of your file, let Grammatik play with it, then read that back into the system to edit. Grammatik III works directly with files created by most word-processing programs.

I've decided to let Grammatik have a look at my text once in a while. It can't hurt to be reminded when I overuse passive voice.

Highly recommended.

Items Discussed

Cable Prices vary

Candy Cable

310 Via Vera Cruz, Suite 103 San Marcos, CA 92069 (619) 744-2291' Inquiry 936.

Fastwire II version 2.0

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Rupp Brothers

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(212) 517-7775 Inquiry 937.

Grammatik HI $99

Reference Software 330 Townsend St., Suite 123 San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 541-0222 Inquiry 938.

Norton Commander

version 1.0 $75

version 2.0 $89

Peter Norton Computing, Inc.

2210 Wilshire Blvd.

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(213) 453-2361 Inquiry 939.

.$59.95

PC-Hooker

Arnica

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Printer Optimizer $349

Applied Creative Technology 10529 Olympic Dr., Suite 101 Dallas, TX 75220 (214) 358-4800 Inquiry 941.

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Procomm Plus

Datastorm Technologies, Inc. P.O. Box 1471 Columbia, MO 65205 (314)474-8461 Inquiry 942.

Sprint $199.95

Borland International, Inc. 1700 Greenhills Rd. Scotts Valley, CA 95066 (408) 439-1060 Inquiry 943.

VM/386

IGC

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Norton Commander Revisited

I'm not very big on straight DOS shells, those things that are supposed to make DOS easier to use. Most of them are as hard to learn as DOS, and when you're done, you don't have anything, since the next computer you encounter isn't likely to have the utility you just learned.

On the other hand, DOS is limited and can be awkward to use. This is especially true when you're trying to get a job done and run out of disk space. (That can even happen to me with my 330-megabyte hard disk drive: I haven't filled the disk, of course, but I have overfilled the C drive partition.) When you are in a hurry, it can take forever to go through and locate expendable files to be sacrificed for more disk space.

I've generally used a shareware program called Sweep—you can get it off BIX—but the program interface is a bit sticky, and it has its limits, as I found when I had the massive job of reorganizing all the files on the Cheetah's hard disk drive. Then I remembered we had a new version of Norton Commander, and I put that up to see if it would help.

It did. Norton Commander has a lot of features, and nearly all of them are easy to learn. You can use it to cruise through disk directories—transferring and eliminating some files, looking at others, and generally getting things organized. Commander knows about hidden files and makes it easy to find and erase them if you want to. It also makes it simple to deal with read-only files. I was surprised at how quickly the work went.

Norton Commander is intended to be a sort of resident DOS shell, which you invoke on power-up and leave in place the whole time you're using your computer. I suppose you could do it that way. What I've done is set things up so that DESQview allocates 400K bytes to the Norton Commander window. That's enough memory to run nearly every DOS utility I need, including Golden Bow's Vopt (if you don't have Vopt, you ought to), and thus the Commander's window serves as an easy-to-use DOS shell. So far, I haven't had any problems with that at all, even on the fast Cheetah.

Norton Commander is one of those programs that no one really needs, but it is nice to have and it can save some time.

Sprint

I'm about out of space, and I haven't had a chance to talk about Sprint, which is Borland's new editor/word processor. Sprint is loosely based on Mark of the Unicorn's Final Word, which is in turn

continued

118 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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CHAOS MANOR

derived from Richard M. Stallman's EM ACS, but that's all of historical interest only. Sprint isn't like any of those.

Sprint's strong point is that you can reconfigure the commands to suit yourself. The command system is contained in a table. You enter the table and find a whole series of commands: commands you might want to be able to use. Some, like Delete Line, are already bound to a command (Control-Y in this case). Others, like Delete to End of Line, are

just floating free; you can invoke them, but only by using multiple menus until you get down to where they are. Suppose, now, that you want Control-Y to mean Delete to End of Line, and Control-U to Delete Entire Line. No problem: you merely enter Control-U and Control-Y in the proper places in the table. Once you're through making changes in the table, you can tell Sprint to print out a sheet listing all the commands it currently understands.

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There's a lot more to Sprint; in fact, it looks like it's got more features than the next two editors put together. Fair warning: my major experience with Sprint was at Philippe Kahn's home, and he's very enthusiastic about the program. He also uses it himself, and the entire Sprint manual—three volumes—was produced with Sprint. I was duly impressed.

When Philippe first mentioned Sprint, I told him I'd heard that it was slow. He laughed. We used LapLink to move Sprint from his Compaq to my Zenith Z183 laptop, after which Philippe built a file about a megabyte long and I played with jumping from, say, line 120 to line 12,435. The Z-183 is a good machine, but it's not particularly fast, even for an XT. I guarantee you, Sprint isn't slow.

More when I've had more time with it, but I predict it will be a huge success.

Winding Down

Now I'm really out of space. The book of the month is Tom Clancy's Cardinal of the Kremlin from Putnam. Like all of Tom's books, you won't put this down after you start it.

The computer book of the month is Richard Maran's HyperCard Quickstart from Que Books. If you have any interest at all in trying to make HyperCard programs for the Macintosh, this is the book to start with; it makes clear what the HyperCard manuals make obscure.

The program of the month is MemoryMate from Broderbund Software. All those good things my colleagues have said about this program are true. The only problem is that it's yet another memory-resident program, a new way to eat computer memory. I now have enough memory-resident programs to fill my computer five times. Maybe by next month I'll have figured out VM/386 and have five computers filled with memory-resident programs.

The game of the month is still Dungeon Master on the Atari ST. I've got the firestaff—now if I can just corner the evil dark lord.... ■

Jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psychology and is a science fiction writer who also earns a comfortable living writing about computers present and future. Jerry welcomes readers' comments and opinions. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Jerry Pournelle, do BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. Please put your address on the letter as well as on the envelope. Due to the high volume of letters, Jerry cannot guarantee a personal reply. You can also contact him on BIX as "jerryp. "

120 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 125 on Reader Service Card

An inside lookat the best 386 value around

The more you look into 386 compatibles, the more you realize that well thought-out design innovations (that really work) are few and far between.

That's why our engineers set out to design the GV-386. They realized they could unlock more of the chip's potential, if only they could speed up data retrieval, without affecting system reliability.

INNER POWER

Here's how they did it: a high-speed RAM cache circuit-a full 64K of superfast memory-that puts your most frequently accessed data right at your fingertips. If you're ever involved in processing complex databases, long spreadsheets, or detailed engineering drawings, you'll see the value of this innovation in a second...literally.

Best of all, the cache circuit actually makes the GV-386 more reliable than other high-speed machines, by sparing integrated circuits from harsh overloading.

Our BBS is on-line 24 hours. Call The Soft Stop at 918-252-9137.

Prices subject to change Circle 198 on Reader Service Card

GV-386

Specifications

□ Available with 16MHz

or 20MHz CPU

□ Zero Wait States

□ 64K Cache (keyboard

enabled)

□ IMBRAMon-board,

expandable to 4MB

□ Socketed for 80287 or

80387

□ I/O Bus runs at 8MHz for

hardware compatibility

□ Six 16-bit slots; Two 8-bit

slots

□ Price: 20MHz systems start

at $2,750; 16MHz systems

as low as $2,375

QUALITY THROUGHOUT

Of course, our most important criterion when designing our super compatible wasn't speed-it was quality. Take a look inside the GV-386 and you'll see it everywhere: from the highest quality components available to the intelligent use of special CMOS RAM to store system set-up information. On the outside, the fit and finish of the GV-386 would make Big Blue green. Even the user's manual has impressed users and reviewers alike. We'd like to tell you more about what went into the GV-386. Give us a call and we'll give you the whole story. We'll also tell you about our exclusive 30-Day Compatibility Guarantee, our full One-Year Warranty and our tollfree support service.

The GV-386 from PC Designs. With design innovations this advanced, at this price, it's an open and shut case.

PC

Designs

Call us now at 1-800-32-BIT PC

(800-322-48721

2500 N. Hemlock Circle. Broken Arrow. OK 74012 * 918-251-5550 (Fax: 918-251-7057)

19 Rector Street. Suite 2705. New York, NY 10006 •212-514-7280 (Fax: 212-797-3973)

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 121

COMPUTER DISCOUNT WAREHOUSE

SEC

NEC Multispeed $1348.64

NEC Multispeed EL 1499.76

NEC Multispeed HD w/20 Meg .. .2365.77

NEC Powermate 2, 40 Meg NEW

NEC Powermate 2, 66 Meg LOWER

NEC Powermate 386, 66 Meg NEC

NEC Powermate 386, 130 Meg .. PRICES

LASER TURBO

XT Turbo, 512K, 1 floppy, P/S/G, Enhanced keyboard,

EMS mem $699.10

XT Turbo, 1 floppy, 20 Meg .989.34 XT Turbo, 1 floppy, 40 Meg .1194.22 XT Turbo. 1 floppy, 70 Meg .1345.75

mm.

WHY PAY RETAIL?

Nobody SeUs for Less

TOSHIBA

3100 w/20 Meg ...$2998.50

1000 779.41

1200 2237.55

1200, 2 Floppy 1612.35

3200 SPECIAL BUY

5100 NEW MODEL

EXMllUtCf /*#

CALL FOR LOWEST CUSTOM QUOTES ^fl ^ !l51

SAMSUNG S-300 4/8 MHz, 51ZK, 6 Slots S/P/C, renographies board, DOS, Keyboard

S-300, 1 Floppy $749.50

S-300, 20 Meg 989.95

S-300, 40 Meg 1117.82

S-500 AT Compatible 8/10 MHz, 8 Slots, S/P/C, Monographics Board, DOS, Keyboard

S-500, 1.2M Floppy $1095.45

S-500, 20 Meg 1469.80

S-500, 40 Meg 1624.45

HARDWARE, SOFTWARE & PERIPHERALS AT DISCOUNT PRICES

COMPUTERS

ASC

MDL 70 $1335.20 MOL 170 52998.36

MOL 80 1639.70 MDL 300 3490.40

MDL 90 1936.15 MDL 340 3945.65

MBHr-:::.M$MDL39° 5589-40

IBM PS2

MDL 30, 2 dr ..$1272.20 MDL50Z,30Meg$2943.60 MDL 30, 20 Meg .1725.17 MDL 50Z, 60 Meg .NEW MDL 60, 40 Meg .3340.15 MDL 70, All Mdls. . .PS2s MDL 60, 70 Meg .3469.60 MDL 80, 40 Meg .4497.67 MDL 80, 111 Meg 599580 MDL 80. 70 Meg .5330.30

comma

.$1995.55 386, Model 300 $8995.20

.2495.20 Port. II. Mdl 2 . ..1896.10

.2798.20 Port. II, Mdl 4.. .2797.00

..5485.30 Port. III. Mdl 20 .3495.85

386. Model 130..6945.92 Port. Ill, Mdl 40.4095.35

(JAT&T

6300 WGS $1099.42

6312 WGS 1692.12

6386 WGS 3187.78

sTttSHW.

.. .ALL EPSON MODELS ...IN STOCK

286. Model 1.. 286. 40 Meg .. 286,70 Meg.. 386. Model 60..

PRINTERS

EPSON

EX800 CALL LX80Q.

ExafiB cdw™ ra500

F»e for LQ850.

FX850 BEST LQ1050,

FX1050 PRICE "J-2501

BHgglM by Kodak 150P/300 S319.17,47117

IBM

Pro Printer II. .$429.95 Quietwriter III. .$1295.62

NEC

P560XL $914.75 5200 $532.25

P220D 369.65 5300 696.47

3550 744.12 8850 1080.75

P960XL 1067.70 CALL FOR ACCESSORIES

OKPrtTA

ML 182S $279.76 ML 320 $346.63

ML 182P 232.50

H«

6 .1

m

ML 293 Plus...516.55 ML 294 737.10

ML 321 479.28

ML 390 475.96

i 282::::::.«

ML 393 Color .1057.60

T3100, 20 Meg $299

.$2237.55

T3200 .. .SPECIAL BUY T1200, 2 Floppy 1612.35

T1000 779.41 T5100.

' MODEL

PACKARD MU

PB88 (XT Turbo) $645.64

«^rSfflpy:.20.*B.::::::::::::iM

VT286, 12 MHz 1399.36

VT286 w/20 Meg 1573.50

VT286w/40Meg 1724.10

VT386 NEW MODEL

„W„YSE

10.50

MOL 2108 .. $1110.50 MDL 2214... .$1888.30 MDL 2112 1578.20 MDL 3216 2688.05

Tgmm I clal.i -^" I syslems

Supersport Model 2 ALL ZENITH

Supersport Model 20 MODELS

Supersport 286 Model 20 IN STOCK

Other Computers Avjjla^le Upon Request

I

mm

_j

FLOPPIES, DRIVES & TAPES

1/2 height floppy drive $99.00

MINISCRIBE 20 Meg 1/2 height w/cont. .329.14

SEAGATE 30 Meg 1/2 height w/RLL 309.72

SEAGATE 40 Meg 1/2 height 399.50

GENOA 60 Meg int. tape/™- ^pe . .734.60/895.10

GENOA 125 Meg int. tape 995.85

IOMEGA 20 + 20 External 51/4 1795.73

IRWIN 20 M/W M Internal Tape .. .399.10/539.20

MOUNTAIN 4440 int.,8"1- 378.80/557.75

PRIAM 40 Meg/J" Meg 669.55/777.95

PRIAM 130 Meg hard disk 1967.68

SEAGATE 30 Meg40 Meg 47g.80£58.98

SEAGATE 4096 80 Meg hard disk 645.10

HARDCARDS

PLUS DEVELOPMENT 20 Meg $569.55

PLUS DEVELOPMENT 40 Meg 749.80

WESTERN DIGITAL 30 Meg 416.30

MOST ORDERS SHIPPED WITHIN 48 HOURS.

PANASONIC

1080i $179.60 1091i S219.85

1092i 334.28 1592 433.44

1595 459.45 3131 274.32

3151 409.52 1524 579.10

©CITIZEN

120D S169.55 MSP55 $489.66

MSP50 385.64 Premiere 35 ... 477.17

TOSHIBA

P321SL $494.85 P351-2 Color .$1199.95

P^ISL^^.. 634.17 P351SX . .^JVnM

H-P User Jet Model 2 $1699.40

H^«f.r.p!s:.v;.;-.v:.\:::.v.IM.«

NEC LC860/LC890 1982.44/3295.60

PANASONIC Laser 1605.35

TOSHIBA PageLaser 2530.20

8087-2/8087-3 $159.33/122.50

80287-6/-8/-10 174.30/299.55Z339.25

80387-16/80387-20 497.68/777.44

& SCANNERS

iM I 1 III III I I II I —

SANTA CLARA Diskless Workstation ... .$640.40

SOFTWARE & STARTER KITS

WESTERN DIGITAL 3 Node LAN kit

w/Western Digital software $720.34

Entry-level 286 Starter Kit, 4 Users 489.90

Entry-level 286 Starter Kit, 8 Users SAVE

NOVELL 286 Software w/Keycard 1569.09

NOVELL 286 Software V. 2.11 1676.34

NOVELL SFT Netware Level I 2148.66

NOVELL SFT Netware Level II V2.1 2757.60

Nondedicated Netware Software 286

w/Keycard 1495.09

INTERFACE CARDS

ARCNET PC110 LANboard PS2 $539.40

ARCNET PC110 LANBoard 199.27

ARCNET PC210 LANBoard 249.50

ETHERNET Interface Connector 329.80

ETHERNET Plus Board (for 286) 709.74

G-NET Interface Card w/cable 299.52

WESTERN DIGITAL Ethernet Cards 269.10

ACCESSORIES

ARCNET Passive Hub $85.00

ARCNET Active Hub 475.98

Ethernet Terminators 37.50

Novell trained and authorized sales and support. Call CDW lor all new Software versions.

CALCOMP

1023 $3838.38 1043 S6535.15

1042 7539.95 1044 10,305.06

ROLAND DXY-885 .. $1149.79 DPX-2000. $3464.12 DXY-990 ... 1457.82 DPX-3300.. 4689.52

SUMMASKETCH

12x12 $376.30 12x18 $632.50

HEWLETT PACKARD HP7440A.... $968.30 HP7475A ....1417.44

HP7550 2926.56

HP7570 ..LOWEST PRICE HP SCANJET...$AVE

HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS

HI DMP-42

HI DMP-52/52MP

HI DMP-56A

HI DMP-61/62

■»«!«

SHARP FO-300S1220.10 TOSHIBA 3010.$1314.44

SHARP FO-420 .1399.95 GBC-1656 1459.80

SHARP FO-500 .1599.95 GBC-1236S 915.44

AST 5251-11 Plus $619.04

EVEREX 1200B/2400B 109.90/199.50

IRMA 3278/79 695.17

PACKARD BELL 2400 lnt/2400 Ext ..169.95/199.22

Hayes

HAYES 1200... $289.60 2400 $424.68

1200B 269.20 2400B 379.65

Mobotics

1200B $108.45 2400B $199.70

1200 External .129.10 9600 HST 665.20

VrihTbl

1200 Int $194.50 2400 Int $299.10

1200 Plus 228.88 2400 Ext 389.44

■ :r.^n:l'l:>AMHI|J.m--1l|:M=M

PERMA POWER 6 Outlet Surge Supp $29.40

TRIPPLITE

BC-450 $419.78 4 outlet $ 44.25

BC-1200 765.55 LC-1200 149.85

BC-2000 1179.80 LC-1800 179.85

DATASHIELD

500 Watt $560.05 1200 Watt .... $994.75

800 Watt 638.50 6 Outlet Surge .. .27.85

— II I EEHJB I —

A-B Switching Box (par. or serial) $39.95

BASF 5 Pack of 10 DS/DD w/case 49.00

KENSINGTON Masterpiece 99.99

KENSINGTON Masterpiece Plus 118.40

KEYTRONICS 5151 IBM or AT&T 149.95

KEYTRONICS 101 104.65

Printer Cable (IBM to Centronics) 6 ft 19.99

XT Power Supply 150 Watt 69.95

CDW™ color card $ 99.00

CDW" monographics card w/p 99.00

GENOA Spectrum (color monographic w/p)168.75

HERCULES color card w/p 146.16

HERCULES monographics plus w/p 179.84

TAXAN MONOGRAPHIC w/p 99.00

— .'.M.V.MihMllzl.'.H.'IW.hPM

AT&T Monochrome Monitor $189.40

AMDEK 310A/ 410A 119.99/149.99

AMDEK 1280 679.78

COMPAQ monochrome monitor 188.46

COMPAQ VGA Mono 193.10

IBM PS2 8503 199.95

NEC Multisync GS 194.52

NEC Monograph 1297.25

PGS MAX 12E 139.40

PACKARD BELL Green or Amber 86.95

TAXAN 123 Green/124 Amber .. .119.50/124.05

AMDEK color 600T / 722 $349.24 / 444.49

IBM PS2 8512 Color 438.40

IBM PS2 8513 Enhanced Color 498.20

SAMSUNG RGB Comp 248.60

PGS HX-12 Plus 417.15

TAXAN 650/720 469.90/299.80

MAGNAVOX 8762 259.05

VGA & EGA PRODUCTS

VGA & EGA MONITORS

COMPAQ VGA monitor $548.68

MAGNAVOX 943EGA 387.40

MITSUBISHI Diamond Scan 522.20

NEC Multisync ll/PLUS 609.76/888.10

NEC Multisync XL 19 inch 1974.46

PACKARD SELL VGA Monitor 389.95

PGS Ultrasync 515.33

SONY Multiscan 1303/1302 599.45/649.25

TAXAN 770 PLUS 499.40

ZENITH Z-1490 768.31

VGA DISPLAY CARDS

ATI VGA VIP $289.24

GENOA VGA 2B9.TO

PARADISE VGA 297.68

ORCHID VGA 278.14

VIDEO-7 VGA 299.15

EGA DISPLAY CARDS

ATI Wonder Card $199.95

GENOA Super EGA Hi-Res 800 x 600 .. 234.40

NEC MVA1024 960.50

NEC GEM 640x480 239.43

PARADISE Auto Switch EGA 480 169.65

VIDEO 7 Vega Deluxe 249.74

CAD MONITORS & CARDS

MITSUBISHI 6905, 19 inch $2295.96

MITSUBISHI 6922, 19 inch 1974.60

HITACHI 4119, 19 inch 2310.65

CONTROL SYSTEMS ARTIST 1016 1582.20

VERMONT Cobra 1977.75

METHEUS 1104 948.65

LOGITECH HIRez $99.95

LOGITECH C7/BUS 89.95/109.06

LOGITECH Looimouse C7 w/publisher ...124.85

MICROSOFT Mouse (Bus Version) 119.34

MICROSOFT Mouse Serial Version) 131.26

MOUSE SYSTEMS (Serial Version) 99.55

MOUSE SYSTEMS (Bus Version) 108.77

MOUSE SYSTEMS Omnimouse 59.70

HIGH VOLUME BIDS INVITED

730 Anthony Trail, Northbrook, IL 60062 FAX-A-BID (312) 291-1737

WHY

WORDPERFECT 5.0 5VW3W .

dBase III + 5W/3V*

LOTUS 1-2-3 5H/3V4

Paradox Version 2.0

Ventura Software Version 1.1 MICROSOFT Word V 4/Excell .

WAIT?

una

Iff you find a better price call us before you buy.

NOW!

CHAHTER MEMBER

305.00/327.00

424.00

499.00

.243.60/319.30

Crerjit Card Charges ne not submitted until time ol sriipment Shipping and nanonng aoallfina On i i hard <Ww orders and orders under S30OOO piease add S500 handing lee Nrjn-rjelective returns subject to restocking fee All prices relied 34S discount for cash ftf KM 10 business days for srupp.ng when paying Dy personal Chech Software chips and Other electronic component are not retumatte fll1 P'<cng subject to change TM - Registered ;s ol IBM and COMPAQ

CALL COMPUTER DISCOUNT WAREHOUSE7

Open terms available to approved credit

(800)233-4426 MWC

V ^t^ ^^ ^^ ■/ •i^e ^^ ^O^ W * ^^m ^^ MARKETING COUNCIL

In Illinois

312) 498-1426 (312

FAX

291-17371

ol the OreO. Mariceuig Asscoauor. IncMEMBER

e

E918

EXPERT ADVICE APPLICATIONS PLUS

Ezra Shapiro

o

awolfanda Killer Shark

After moving to Hollywood, our columnist pits Word against FullWrite Professional

A few months ago, I moved from San Francisco to the Greater Los Angeles Sprawl. Why? Well, I've always had a secret yearning to become a matinee idol, and I figured that if there was room in Hollywood for Howard the Duck and ALF—good-natured, odd-looking, tactless extraterrestrials to whom friends tell me I bear a striking resemblance—there was room for me.

The process of moving was a major nightmare; I'm still living in a landscape of unopened, mislabeled boxes. There were, of course, the usual computer headaches. Since I save the original cartons when I buy components (a practice I heartily recommend), packing was effortless and everything made the trip with no physical damage.

However, sometime during the process, the lithium battery in my Tandon IBM PC AT clone gave up the ghost. This is the little devil that keeps the parameter RAM alive; when it passed away, the Tandon forgot everything it had known about system configuration. To make things worse, the computer is equipped with some setup routines in ROM, one of which lets you select a hard disk drive option from among 32 choices. This meant that the machine knew there was some sort of fixed drive attached (I could hear it power up, and the little light flickered appropriately), but it didn't know enough to actually read the disk.

So I hauled out the Yellow Pages and began calling some computer stores that looked big enough to handle lithium bat

teries. I figured I was in for a rough time because the Tandon's battery was rated at 3.6 volts as opposed to the 6.8-V unit in IBM machines, but this turned out to be immaterial—nobody had any batteries of either sort.

Half a dozen places told me they didn't have anything like what I was describing. One technician dimly recalled some lithium batteries a long time ago, but he knew his store had stopped stocking them. Three outfits told me to call Radio Shack, which I did—to no avail. I called two computer supply firms, which sold paper, disks, cables, daisy wheels, and similar stuff; they had no batteries. Two more computer stores gave me the names of the largest electronics supply houses in the region, which carried batteries but not the one I needed. However, one of the electronics stores told me about a company called Battery Specialties in Long Beach. I called; they had the battery; victory was within my grasp.

The following afternoon, I drove out

to deepest Long Beach, near the border with Orange County, and picked up two batteries (to be safe). Round-trip mileage: 78 miles. Total elapsed time for the mission: Vh hours. This is a big city.

Got home, plugged one in, and the Tandon came to life. Neither it nor I knew the specs for the hard disk drive, though. I spent several hours trying to figure out which option to select by trial and error. I knew the disk was a 40megabyte job, but was it actually 40, 42, 44, or a fractional variation? How many heads did I have (on my hard disk drive, that is)? How many cylinders? No luck. The drive itself, of course, had no identifying label, and the documentation was written to cover all possibilities. Ouch.

The next morning, I called a friend with an identical machine and learned that I had a type 25 drive. I selected that option, and I was in business until I discovered that the drive had been wiped clean. I don't know how this happened,

continued

ILLUSTRATION: JAMES YANG © 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 123

APPLICATIONS PLUS

but I was able to reformat successfully and begin rebuilding my system. And to this day, I believe with all my heart that I will, someday, locate the packing box that contains my backup floppies.

Why am I telling you all this? Two reasons. First, I'd like to warn you to start building a collection of spare parts for your computer(s), and to make some notes on paper of little things like system configuration parameters. This can happen to you.

Second, I would like to express extreme annoyance to any representatives of the computer industry who read this column. I wasted three days on all this. The L.A. region is one of the nation's largest markets for computer equipment, and I came close to giving up and using mail order, which, in retrospect, should have been my first move.

The fact that none of the dealers I called could help me is appalling. Luckily, I'm the sort who doesn't mind poking around inside computers, but what if I weren't? I'm pretty sure I would have been forced to turn the Tandon over to a service shop, pay an outrageous hourly minimum, and lose the use of the machine for a week. That's just not acceptable. Until the industry as a whole figures out how to cope with situations like this, personal computers will continue to be seen by many users as a menace.

Head to Head

Let me start off this comparison of Word 3.01 (Microsoft, $395) and FullWrite Professional (Ashton-Tate, $395) by declaring flatly that I probably wouldn't use either package on a regular basis. That's not to say they're bad programs, but they're not suited for what I do.

I grind out text, which I usually transmit electronically, either via BIX or MCI Mail. Sometimes I write letters. Occasionally, I need a fancier layout, so I pump my text into PageMaker. When I want to generate an outline, I use More or the variant of Acta that uses the More command set. I rarely need headers or footers, and when I do, they're simple one-line affairs. I do not have to generate tables of contents, indexes, bibliographies, footnotes, or end notes. I'm perfectly happy to be writing this column using Microsoft Works (with the addition of WorksPlus Spell and WorksPlus Command from Lundeen & Associates).

If those programs didn't exist, I'd be content to use WriteNow, the excellent word processor from T/Maker, or MacWrite 5.0 from Claris, an improved descendant of the original Mac editor. I suspect my habits parallel those of many,

Items Discussed

FullWrite Professional $395

Ashton-Tate 20101 Hamilton Ave. Torrance, CA 90502 (213) 329-8000 Inquiry 934.

Word 3.01 $395

Microsoft

16011 Northeast 36th Way

P.O. Box 97017

Redmond, WA 98073

(206) 882-8080

(800) 426-9400

Inquiry 935.

many computer users, but be warned that I don't fit the mythical mold of the "power user." For my own work, I take the utilitarian route, and I reject the notion of insurance buying, that is, getting the largest number of features possible on the off chance that I'll need one of them someday. When the blue moon rises, thank you, I'll invest in new software.

Further, the hardware and operatingsystem people tell us that multitasking is just about with us at last on popular microcomputers like the Mac and the IBM PC. If that is true, it would suggest another reason to go for simplicity. Surely, the model of multitasking we'll have in the next few years will let us bolt simple, effective tools into our systems only as we need them. Why burden yourself with ungainly software monsters?

This may seem like a digression, but understanding your text-handling needs is critical to determining whether you should even bother with Word or FullWrite Professional. In many ways, both programs represent the same kitchensink philosophy; it's up to you to determine if you need a word processor with running water and a garbage disposal. Both packages push the concept of word processing into the area of heavy-duty desktop publishing; you've got to decide if you'd rather purchase two separate programs, or take the reverse route instead and go for a layout program that incorporates word processing, like Quark XPress or Ready-Set-Go!. Some concentrated soul-searching and a long session of needs analysis are in order here.

On to the analysis. I burned myself badly with a column about Word 3.0 in

January 1987.1 wrote an embarrassingly exuberant preview of the product, noting that I hoped the bugs I encountered in my beta-test edition would be squelched by the time the program was released for general consumption. When the product shipped with bugs intact, the only thing that saved me was that I had noted the unfinished nature of the software in the column. True, Microsoft fixed the flaws and sent its customers free updates, but the features that had impressed me became more and more cumbersome as I used the program. Sadder and much wiser, I retreated into Works, which has always been adequate and has never crashed on me.

As a result, I was edgy about evaluating FullWrite Professional. Rather than attempting to play with a prerelease version, I waited until Ashton-Tate shipped shrink-wrapped copies to its dealers. The first two copies I received, a month apart, had unreadable program disks. The support disks were fine, which led me to be suspicious of Ashton-Tate's quality control. And within the first week of testing, I had three ominous crashes (the cursor simply froze in place) for which I had no explanation.

Since then, I've been unable to duplicate the crashes, and I have not been able to pinpoint any specific problem areas. Maybe I have been witnessing an evil synergy between FullWrite Professional and my Radius accelerator card; that seems unlikely, but you never know.

The next warning sign was FullWrite Professional's appetite for memory. It is sold for 1-megabyte machines, but it really requires more. If you have a 1megabyte Mac Plus or SE, be prepared to strip your system file to a bare minimum, heaving desk accessories and fonts willynilly, if you want to have enough memory to make the program do its thing. For this reason alone, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with less than a 2-megabyte system, which cuts out a majority of Macintosh owners. Not good.

But let's assume you've got a loaded Mac with memory to spare, and that the crashes I've experienced are unique to my system and its idiosyncrasies. How do the two programs stack up?

FullWrite Professional has some decided advantages over Word. Editable display of multiple columns is much more convenient than the back-and-forth jumps to get into Word's page-preview mode; if you regularly produce short two- or three-column documents, FullWrite Professional is the winner. Selecting items to be flagged as index en

continued

124 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

INTRODUCTORY PRICE

$99.95

Regular price $149.95.

WALTER BRIGHT- Programmer

This is a revolutionary product which reflects the fact that Walter Bright is one of the world's best programmers.}) Andy Redfern, Personal Computer World

I find it amazing that Walter continues to find ways to improve his already excellent product. 7?

Scott Robert Lodd, Micro Cornucopia

C is great! C** is better"

Performance benchmarks

Benchmark

Zortech C

Zortech C+ +

Turbo C 1.5

QuickC 1.0

Sieve

20.49

20.54

23.62

22.72

Rsieve

20.49

20.54

23.62

22.03

Integer

1.32

1.38

6.31

6.49

Float

0.17

0.22

52.29

51.03 ^mt

•Float

32.73

37.74

52.39

51.63 ^

Pointer

17.91

17.96

17.13

16.87 V

Rpointer

17.79

17.91

17.14

16.64 mm

Loop

3.90

3.90

3.90

3.90 W

Optimize

0.49

0.60

8.46

8.79 \

Benchmarks were run on an 80286 based IBM compatible at 6Mhz with no 8087 'The float benchmark was re-run without optimization.

Zortech C++ is the first native-code C+ + compiler for MS-DOS compatible machines. This means you don't need to spend a lot of money onaC compiler. In fact, Zortech C++ comes with a C++ compiler, a C compiler, a linker, a librarian, a fully integrated editing environment, context sensitive help and the fastest graphics library you've ever seen!

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One final assurance. Because Microsoft COBOL 3.0 is now mainframe COBOL compatible, you'll enjoy a seamless flow of source code between mainframe and PC environments.

Feel free to also enjoy the highly technical information in the adjacent column. Then call usat800-541-1261formore infonnation and the dealer nearest you.

The mainframe wait is over withMicrosoftCOBOL3.0. Appearing soon on a PC near you.

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APPLICATIONS PLUS

tries, footnotes, end notes, and so on by clicking icons on an "icon bar" is much more reasonable than resorting to the arcane WordStar-like system of embedding control symbols that Word uses, although figuring out FullWrite Professional's icons takes some doing.

The addition of marginal notes (called "posted notes"—obviously a steal from 3M's trademarked Post-it Notes) is a plus when editing if you don't want to rip up the original; whether or not you call it "hypertext," it's handy. Likewise, editors will appreciate the visible "change bars" along the edge of your text that indicate revisions since the last version. And FullWrite Professional's system of dividing "documents" into "chapters" sucked into RAM is a nifty, easily understandable method of defining virtual memory techniques in word processing.

In day-to-day use, the two programs come up equal in spelling checking and glossary capability, although FullWrite Professional has a few more tricks than Word, including "variables," drop-in placeholders for text that is frequently redefined. The outliners are different, but neither of them approaches the ease of More, so I'd call it a dead heat. Ditto for file import/export, help screens, and many other features. Both come with excellent documentation.

FullWrite Professional will wrap text around an irregular graphic, but this is a novelty for anyone but the most passionate tinkerer. And you can't just slide a graphic as you can with Word; you have to create an independent sidebar in order to position it. FullWrite Professional is more precise, but Word is easier.

Style sheets can be defined and named with both programs, but Word lets you chain styles into a running format with a smoothness lacking in FullWrite Professional. Longer documents flow without conscious effort. More points for Word.

But to me, the most important area of distinction is that of "feel." Word takes great pains to mask its power; it's very easy to ignore those functions not germane to the task at hand. FullWrite Professional feels more like a big program; you always have the sense that there are menus and submenus and sub-submenus lurking beneath every operation. And FullWrite Professionals extensive use of sidebars, windows, and cryptic icons adds to the impression of complexity. Word can do fancy stuff, too, but it comes across as a wolf in sheep's clothing, while FullWrite Professional is a killer shark of a program.

Overall, I have to give the nod to Word as the better program for a larger number

of people, if only because of the memory required to run FullWrite Professional. I also like its feel. However, although FullWrite Professional at this stage in its development is alarmingly fragile and a memory hog, it's better designed for the person with tough word-processing needs. You pick which you prefer.

But returning to software philosophy for a moment, remember, these are both programs that seem best-suited to those who want to live their lives inside their word processors. Although the accompanying manuals make light of this, both take a lot of time to learn thoroughly. To tap the industrial-strength aspects, you'll have to plow through the documentation and devote hours to experimentation. I don't really like this approach. I find it much more comforting to have several programs, each good at specific functions, than one big program that claims total flexibility. The counterargument is that it's easier to have to learn only one environment. I leave it to you to declare which camp you're in.

You Saw It Here First

Back in April 1984, BYTE ran a special What's New section that parodied hightechnology product introductions, and I wrote a couple of items. The first heralded two new computer languages, ORTHFAY (which combined postfix notation and pig latin to produce code so elegant it was incomprehensible immediately after it was written) and LIMP (an artificial-intelligence language that forgot what it was doing and crashed if the word Eratosthenes was even mentioned in the room with it).

The other item was entitled "Looking for Mr. Dos." It detailed a nonexistent operating system from a company called Marginal Research, hence MR-DOS. All good clean silliness.

Now, Apple Computer has entered the picture by announcing that it's building a new operating system called "Multitasking Realtime DOS" or "MR-DOS." Sound familiar? You betcha.

At present, I'm wondering if I could sue Apple for "look and feel," or at least a bit of copyright infringement. After all, it seems the thing to do these days. ■

Ezra Shapiro is a consulting editor for BYTE. You can contact him on BIX as "ezra. " Because of the volume of mail he receives, Ezra, regretfully, cannot respond to each inquiry.

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

Circle 177 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 178)

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 127

Make your programs

millions of times

smarter

More and more, programmers and workstation builders are using DESQview 2.0 as a development tool. The reason is simple. They can create powerful, multitasking solutions today for the millions of DOS PCs in use today. Solutions comparable to those promised for tomorrow by OS/2.

The API Advantage

Programmers who take advantage of DESQview's API (Application Program Interface) get access to the powerful capabilities built into DESQview-multitasking, windowing, intertask comunications, mailboxes, shared programs, memory management, mousing, data transfer, menubuilding and context sensitive help.

Bells and Whistles

A program taking advantage of the DESQview 2.0 API can spawn subtasks for performing background operations or new processes for loading and running other programs concurrently. It can schedule processing after an interval or at a certain time. It can use DESQview's intertask communications to rapidly exchange data between programs, share common code and data; or interrupt at critical events. It can use DESQview's menuing and mousing capabilities to create menus. And there's lots more it can do.

Some of the applications under development right now using DESQview 2.0 API Tools: CAD, Medical systems, insurance, 3270 mainframe communications, network management, real estate, typesetting, point of sale, education, commodity trading, stock trading and online voting.

80386 Power

80386 programmers can take advantage of the 80386's protected mode for large programs, yet run on DOS and multitask in DESQview-side by side with other 80386 and DOS programs. The breakthroughs that make this possible: DOS Extenders from PharLap Software and AI Architects and DESQview support of these DOS extenders.

DESQview Developer Conference

So if you are a developer, looking to create programs with mainframe capabilities, but wanting to sell into the existing base of millions of DOS PCs, come to Quarterdeck's first DESQview API Developers Conference, August 16-18,1988 at the Marina Beach Hotel, in Marina del Rey California. For more information call or write us.

Come learn about the DESQview 2.0 API and 80386 DOS Extenders. Meet 80386 experts as well as those smart people who are creating DESQview 2.0 API workstations solutions.

And if you want to get a leg up before the conference, ask us about the DESQview API Tools for assembler or C programmers.

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EXPERT ADVICE

DOWN TO BUSINESS Wayne Rash Jr.

♦

Is More Always Better?

Too often we opt for the pricey solutions because they feel good, but they may not even solve the problem

Tt was enough to bring visions of yuppies talking in acronyms, just like in those controversial Wang -JL. commercials on radio and TV. The Wang salesman explained to me just how he had convinced his customer to abandon the idea of a small, microcomputer-based local-area network (LAN) and instead buy a Wang VS minicomputer. I knew that the customer had only minimal office automation requirements and was planning to do a lot of database work using a LAN with a Structured Query Language (SQL) server. The Wang salesman was quite proud of the way he had overcome the customer's objections to the sale.

In effect, the Wang VS would replace an IBM PC AT-compatible machine at over 10 times the cost. To complicate matters, there was no indication the Wang-based network would work with the SQL database server.

The customer convinced himself to go with the Wang VS partly out of emotional reasons. His DP managers were comfortable with the brand and knew little about microcomputer-based LANs. What's more, the customer knew that a LAN looked good on paper, but since he knew little about LANs, he wasn't in a position to reassure his managers.

The result, of course, was a familiar scenario. The customer really needed a network and he got one, with the Wang VS acting as the file server. But because the work required of the file server was minimal, the VS spent most of its time idling. At last check, the SQL database

ILLUSTRATION: DAVID ROSE © 1988

server still wouldn't work with that setup and the customer never got his database, even though the database was the primary reason he needed a network.

Finding Another Way

Although it's a pricey substitute for a PC AT, the Wang VS is a nice departmental system. I'm really not picking on Wang or on Wang's hardware. The problem is that many installations are made on the basis of comfort rather than functionality. Choices made the easy way happen for a variety of reasons, some of which are impossible to solve.

Still, most companies really would rather not pay for solutions that feel good but don't solve the problem. The difficulty is finding the alternative. While emotional decisions played a part in the selection of the Wang system, there were other factors involved.

The customer planned to eventually install several similar networks in areas where he now used Wang word process

ing on Wang Professional Computers. These computers connected to the current word-processing system with Wang's Local Interconnect Option (LIO) wiring. The DP managers didn't want to scrap the Wang computers or rewire their offices. Thus, the decision was more than just a question of comfort; to them, it made good technical sense.

Had more research been done, however, the customer would have discovered that there was another answer. For example, the network wiring is compatible with ARCnet hardware. If he had found a way to have the Wang computers use some industry-standard network software, he could have used most of his installation, as is, for a microcomputerbased LAN, at a fraction of the cost of buying one based on a Wang VS.

Magna to the Rescue

The Wang Professional Computer, as it turns out, will support Novell NetWare

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 129

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DOWN TO BUSINESS

just fine, if you add a small adapter card to the LIO network card in the machine. Wang's LIO is really ARCnet, so once you've installed this card, you can use your machine on a microcomputer-based network. Because most Wang Professional Computers come with IBM PCcompatibility options, they will run PC software.

The adapter card, from Magna Computer, is on the pricey side, but it's cheaper than buying a new computer and a network card, and you can use all that cable. Once you install Magna's adapter card, you can use the Wang Professional Computer on a Novell network just as if it were an IBM PC.

Once you eliminate the side issues, such as what to do with all your old workstations and old cable, then you get down to the real issues, such as the fact that many DP managers simply aren't used to the idea of microcomputers replacing minicomputer and mainframe systems. They'll waste a mainframe on microcomputer tasks, simply because they haven't seen a micro handle such an application before. There are a couple of ways you can overcome this problem.

The easiest way is to set up a prototype. It's pretty hard to argue with an operational system that is functioning well. In some cases, especially if the mainframe application was designed for a single user (and many were), you can simply move the source code over to the microcomputer and recompile it. Of course, you have to be prepared to handle nonstandard extensions, and you'll find some really old COBOL systems quite bizarre due to the many patches that have been made over the years.

When you can't recompile—and sometimes you can't—you can design the same functions (and the same feel) into the microcomputer version. The results can be quite impressive, because if you design the prototype right, you can improve response time, a situation that will impress the users.

If you can't do a prototype, you can often find equivalent software for the microcomputer. Sometimes you can find the same software, since there is some cross-fertilization between computer types. Often, because each user has a dedicated CPU, equivalent software for a microcomputer or a microcomputerbased LAN is better and faster than what was being used on the mainframe.

Sometimes More Is Better

Certainly using the Wang VS (or a VAX, or an IBM 9370, for that matter) as a file server is not always a bad idea. If you

Items Discussed

Lap-Link Mac $139.95

Traveling Software, Inc. 18702 North Creek Pkwy. Bothell, WA 98011 (206) 483-8088 Inquiry 965.

LIO adapter card $595

Magna Computer Co. 24 Keewaydin Dr. Salem, NH 03079 (603) 898-3555 Inquiry 966.

Z-1000 Price not yet announced

Zenith Data Systems 1000 Milwaukee Ave. Glenview, IL 60025 (312) 699-4848 Inquiry 967.

have a lot of users, and if you have the support staff to handle a minicomputer like the Wang, it might make sense.

A good example of this would be an office automation environment with a heavy word-processing load and the need to communicate with a couple of mainframes. Naturally, for success in an environment such as that, you need to select the right file servers and gateways. Microcomputer users may face a quandary in such a situation. As systems get bigger and harder to manage, the freedom and flexibility that come with the use of small computers begin to disappear because individual users can no longer manage them. Once again, the DP manager starts controlling the system.

You've probably seen the AT&T television ads about this trend. They feature two executives, one of whom is equipping his office with stand-alone microcomputers. He's being intimidated by another executive, who tells him in a very nasty scene, "Stop blowing your budget" on personal computers and hook all your users to a central system. This is one view of workgroup computing, although AT&T has the perverse idea that the intimidator is the forward thinker in the scene.

As is indicated by the growth of network installations, there are some good reasons to connect users. Sharing of

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 131

DOWN TO BUSINESS

scarce resources (such as laser printers) and communication with other users in the outside world are two of those reasons. The problem comes when department managers have to decide whether the users should control their own work, or the tasks should be handled centrally.

The Zenith Z-1000

One reason the workgroup issue often seems so fuzzy is that the line between microcomputers and minicomputers has

blurred and almost disappeared. Part of this is due to machines like Zenith's latest, the Z-1000.

The Z-1000 is aimed squarely at the workgroup market. It is a machine that starts at about $20,000, contains as many as five 80386 microprocessors, has a dual bus, runs Unix, and supports as many as 64 users. Zenith says it's a microcomputer.

Clearly, the Z-1000 is based on microcomputer technology. One of its two

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buses is a standard PC AT bus. You can plug standard PC cards into it. The other bus was designed at MIT by the same people who developed the NuBus used by some minicomputers and the Mac II. This bus is for the processors only, but it is similar to some proprietary minicomputer buses.

Whether you call it a mini, a micro, or something else, the Z-1000 is designed for user-supported workgroup computing. Zenith says it developed the machine for use in the average office. While it's too bulky to fit on a desk, it fits beside a desk very nicely. The machine supports users with terminals, or it works with a LAN as a node or as the file server.

Moving the Info

The concept of workgroup computing implies that information can be shared among the group's users. For example, if you have a spreadsheet and a text file, you should be able to send them to another user for inclusion in a document. The concept of personal computing, on the other hand, implies that you have the computer that's best suited for your specific job.

The problem is, there are certain jobs you can do better with an IBM compatible and others that you can handle better with a Mac. These machines are not compatible. How do you fit them both into a workgroup? With difficulty. At least, until recently, that was the case.

Now, there are ways. Apple has announced an Ethernet card for the Mac II; there's the AppleTalk board for the IBM (which will help some); there's TOPS (Transparent Operating System), a LAN operating system that connects Macs, IBMs, and Sun workstations; and there's Lap-Link.

Lap-Link? You thought that was for moving stuff from your laptop to your personal computer, right? Well, it is, but there's also a version that does file transfers between PCs and Macs. For more detailed information, see the text box "Exchanging Data" in the Macintosh Special Edition, August BYTE, page 62. I'll report on Mac-to-PC networks as I get a chance to look at them. ■

Wayne Rash Jr. is a member of the professional staff of American Management Systems, Inc. (Arlington, Virginia), where he consults with the federal government on microcomputers. You can reach him on BIX as "waynerash. "

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

132 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 216 on Reader Service Card

We've Invented the Future of Instrumentation Software ... Twice.

With Words With Pictures

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Integrated libraries for GPIB, RS-232, A/D-D/A-DIO plug-in cards, and modular instruments.

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SEPTEMBER 1988 • BYTE 133

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Our engineers call this "championship specs." More than 3 million loyal users call it rugged reliability. And it shows in the quality and performance of every printer and modem we make.

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OKIDATA is a registered trademark of Oki America, Inc. Marque deposee de Oki America, Inc.

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EXPERT ADVICE MACINATIONS ■ Don Crabb

4

Comebacks, Backups, and Updates

Some Macintosh software is born great, some is made great, and some is merely updated

If you're a savvy Macintosh user who has also fiddled with IBM PCs, you've probably come to respect the window/icon/mouse interface inherent in all Macintosh software. DESQview and Microsoft Windows notwithstanding, you simply can't navigate around the directories of a PC the way you can on a Mac.

Unfortunately, for a number of us, special applications are often available only on the PC. For example, the number of third-party applications that have been written using dBASE III Plus (and earlier variants) is staggering. Until recently, inveterate MacFolk like myself were locked out of that market.

About a year ago, Nantucket Software improved the situation by rescuing an obscure West German program called dMacIII from the waste bin of bad programs. The program could run dBASE III code on a Mac and read the dBASE database files that you had moved from a PC. But it didn't follow the Mac interface; its documentation had been badly translated from the original German; and its U.S. distributor was weak, to be charitable.

Nantucket bought the rights to dMacIII, cleaned it up, renamed it McMax, fixed the bad bugs, improved the documentation to mediocre, and put it on the market for $295. Its two virtues were its speed and dBASE compatibility. But unless you happened to be a dBASE guru, it was pretty tough to figure out how to program McMax to create new applications.

ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT KAUFMAN © 1988

Using FoxBASE+/Mac

Fox Software, the FoxBASE + people of PC and dBASE III Plus clone fame, have a much better idea, as I briefly reported last month: FoxBASE+/Mac. This program has all the dBASE compatibility of McMax and more, since it also handles report-definition and label-definition files, memory-variable files, and other file types created by dBASE III Plus.

I was a beta tester for FoxBASE+/ Mac, and I've worked with the release version (1.0) since the end of April. I'm not a FoxBASE cheerleader, but the company did a lot of things right with the product.

FoxBASE+/Mac is not a quick port of the PC version. It combines its dBASE compatibility with a strong list of features and a work environment with which Mac users will feel comfortable. FoxBASE + /Mac provides multiple window support on any Mac.

The program supports a picture data type (PICT), so you can cut and paste

graphics into your applications. It also supports multiple typefaces, type sizes, and type styles in any combination you desire, so there's no limit on the aesthetics of your application. On a Mac II, FoxBASE +/Mac gives you color, and it will print reports in color on an Imagewriter II or an HP PaintJet.

You can build input forms for your application using all the Mac I/O tools you're used to: radio buttons, check boxes, pop-up menus, pull-down menus, and editable text fields. FoxBASE+ / Mac also includes the standard dBASE I/O tools, such as input validation. Its method of setting up file relationships is similar to that of 4th Dimension and dBASE Mac. Novice database programmers will find it a cinch to use.

FoxBASE 4- /Mac lacks some of the features found in competing Macintosh relational databases, especially such a features giant as 4th Dimension. For example, FoxBASE +/Mac doesn't have

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 135

MACINATIONS

the built-in business graphics or fancy graphics forms editor of 4th Dimension, and it also lacks 4th Dimension's host language interface, so you can't write external functions or procedures in Pascal or C and use them with your FoxBASE application. Multiuser and run-time versions are also not yet available. The program also lacks a full-blown report generator, a la 4th Dimension. For a version 1.0 release, though, FoxBASE +/Mac is surprisingly complete and well done. It's also remarkably fast, as in, "You mean it's finished indexing all those records already?"

The one fly in the FoxBASE +/Mac ointment is the demo version. The application includes two serial number validation keys that you use to install it. One key installs the complete version, and the other key creates a crippled demo that holds only 120 records. Unfortunately, the demo is not up to the standards set by the real application, and it lacks many of its features. If I had tried only the demo, I would have returned it to my dealer for a refund: It bombed with a variety of spectacular memory errors on an 8

megabyte Mac II. It also simply hung when I tried some fancy record lookups.

HyperCard 1.2: CD-ROM Support, But Still No Exponential Notation

Apple's HyperCard 1.2 includes a slew of improvements over version 1.1. The most important are as follows:

• Support for read-only media, like the Apple CD SC CD-ROM drive

• Multiuser access to individual HyperCard stacks through an AppleShare file server

• Improved search and retrieval capabilities, with speed increases of 4 to 6 times that of version 1.1

• Hiding and showing card and background pictures using script commands

• Write protection for stacks

• New keyboard shortcuts that make script editing much easier

Despite all the improvements in version 1.2, Apple still needs to improve the programming (scripting) capabilities that HyperCard/HyperTalk provides. One important omission is the lack of ex

Items Discussed

Apple Macintosh

HyperCard 1.2

$49

System Tools 6.0

$49

Apple Computer, Inc.

Apple Computer, Inc.

20525 Mariani Ave.

20525 Mariani Ave.

Cupertino, CA 95014

Cupertino, CA 95014

(408) 996-1010

(408) 996-1010

Inquiry 959.

Inquiry 955.

McMax Summer

FoxBASE+/Mac 1.0

$395

$295

Fox Software, Inc.

Nantucket Corp.

118 West South Boundary

12555 West Jefferson Blvd.

Perrysburg, OH 43551

Suite 300

(419) 874-0162

Los Angeles, CA 90066

Inquiry 956.

(213) 390-7923 Inquiry 960.

4th Dimension 1.06

$695

ACIUS, Inc.

MindWritel.l

$195

20300 Stevens Creek Blvd.,

Suite 495

Access Technology, Inc.

Cupertino, CA 95014

200 G Heritage Harbor

(408) 252-4444

Monterey, CA 93940

Inquiry 957.

(800) 367-4334 Inquiry 961.

FullWrite Professional 1.0

$395

Ashton-Tate Corp.

QT-Mac40

$1395

20101 Hamilton Ave.

Tecmar, Inc.

Torrance, CA 90502

6225 Cochran Rd.

(213) 329-8000.

Solon, OH 44139

Inquiry 958.

(216) 349-0600 Inquiry 962.

ponential notation in HyperTalk scripts. Engineers and other developers simply must have exponential notation for their scripts.

HyperCard 1.2 was developed primarily to support Apple's CD-ROM drive (which can "play" both CD-ROM data disks and music CDs). I've tested that aspect of version 1.2 over the last week using a borrowed Apple CD-ROM drive and a CD-ROM Educational Connections disk I was given at an Apple show in March. This disk is a sampler of several large and impressive HyperCard stacks. HyperCard 1.2 worked flawlessly with them, as did the CD-ROM drive (about which I'll have more to say in a future column).

System Tools 6.0

Last month I reported on the beta version of System Tools 6.0.1 found it buggy and difficult to install and use. I'm happy to report that most of the bugs I found have been fixed in the released version, even though installation problems remain.

When I installed System 6.0 on an 8megabyte Mac II using the supplied install script, I immediately ran into difficulties. Things seemed to work fine when I switch-launched to the new Finder, but then the mouse froze.

When I rebooted the machine, all my INITs were successfully installed (or so I thought), but the machine froze again after the desktop was displayed. Rebooting again, the Mac didn't make it all the way through the start-up sequence, with the screen breaking up before the desktop was displayed. Additional rebooting resulted in the same screen breakup. After fiddling with this problem for 3 hours, using a separate start-up floppy disk, I finally traced the problem: I had some incompatible INITs in my system folder that just wouldn't work with System 6.0. The biggest offender was the SavesDeletes INIT from Central Point Software, which lets you recover files you've deleted by mistake. I also had trouble with SCSI Tools, MF Keys, and MenuClock 1.0 and 1.01.

To play it safe, I copied my fonts, INITs, CDEVs, and desk accessories (DAs) to other folders and deleted these and my updated System 6.0 from my hard disk system folder. I copied the virgin System 6.0 from the System Tools 6.0 package of four disks and then reinstalled all my system goodies, fonts, and DAs. After I had completed this extended process, everything worked fine. The moral of the story: If you've customized your system with lots of goodies, up

continued

136 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

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Printer Cable 6' Printer Cable 10' Parallel Adapter Serial Adapter Game Adapter 101 Keyboard PS/2 Keybd Exten PS/2 Monitor Exten Xldex DS/DD Disks Xldex 1.2M Disks IBM 3.5" 1M Disks IBM 3.5" 2M Disks

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SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 137

MACINATIONS

date to 6.0 by installing a clean copy of it, installing your INITs, CDEVs, fonts, and DAs afterward.

Tecmar QT-Mac40

If you're like me, you preach to your colleagues on the importance of backing up their hard disks every day. This gospel is hard to accept, considering the slow and/or expensive backup alternatives for the Mac. I've been using a GCC HyperTape DC-2000 tape drive for about a

year, and I've found it reliable when I use the MacUp backup program available from APDA. But it's slow. It takes as much as an hour to back up a single day's worth of work.

So when I got an opportunity to work with a new DC-2000 tape drive that was supposed to be the fastest on the market, I jumped at the chance. In a month's worth of abuse, the Tecmar QT-Mac40 proved its mettle and its speed. It connects to the Mac's SCSI port and has

worked reliably with the Mac Plus and Mac SE, as well as the Mac II. The QTMac40 transfers data at about 2.5 megabytes per minute. It backs up data faster than any DC-2000 drive I've tried, and I've tried them all.

You control the QT-Mac40 using the supplied backup/restore software, which is very good. Under MultiFinder, the Tecmar software lets you back up your data in the background while running any other foreground application. This is a handy feature that I haven't found with any other drive or backup software.

The Tecmar software supports fileby-file, incremental, and full-image backups, which pretty much covers the kinds of backups you might want to do. The Tecmar drive can mix file-by-file and image backups on the same tape— another feature many other drives lack.

In a month of testing, I haven't found anything to gripe about with the Tecmar QT-Mac40. It lists for $1395, although I've seen it discounted for as little as $999. At that price, I think I'll get twoone for my office Mac II and another for my home Mac II.

FullWrite Professional—Redux

Last month, I complained about the speed of FullWrite Professional on a 1megabyte Mac Plus. With that hardware, the program is almost unusable. But now I'm using it exclusively on an 8-megabyte Mac II. The result is editing nirvana. On the fast, memory-rich Mac II, FullWrite moves along nicely. And all those features are really useful. I don't know how I got along without FullWrite's note and sidebar capabilities before.

The outliner is not as easy to use as MindWrite 1.1's, but it's far superior to Microsoft Word 3.02's. Add to that its document information tally (counts for characters, words, and lines, and a readability index), and you've got a great tool for writers. And that doesn't even touch on its built-in desktop publishing and graphics features. If I were Microsoft, I'd be worried. For my money, FullWrite Professional is everything that Word promised but has never delivered. As long as you have lots of RAM, that is. ■

Don Crabb is the director of laboratories and a senior lecturer for the computer science department and the college at the University of Chicago. He is also a consulting editor for BYTE. He can be reached on BIX as "decrabb. "

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

138 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 251 on Reader Service Card

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 139

HIGH TECH, F

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© Nantucket Corporation, 1988. Nantucket is a registered trademark and Clipper is a trademark of Nantucket Corporation. dBASE is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate.

cated applications in less time. And by using our full-featured debugger, you'll be done even faster.

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142 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 187 on Reader Service Card

EXPERT ADVICE

OS/2 NOTEBOOK MarkMinasi

All Together Now

From LAN Manager to device monitors, OS/2's features let programs and peripherals live and work in harmony

Last month, I started looking at OS/2's new features. This month, I'll continue the discussion, but first I want to share some test results.

Recall that OS/2 offers virtual memory to applications. If an application requires more memory than the RAM available, OS/2 can use free disk space in place of RAM. I tested OS/2 1.0's virtual memory manager with the simple BASIC program shown in listing 1. This program allocates an integer array, fills it up, and then reports total execution time. Table 1 shows the test results for various array sizes. It shows the array size used (in number of elements and in K bytes), how long it took to allocate and fill the array, and then total time divided by bytes to yield a rough seconds-perbyte number.

Notice the large jump between 400 and 500 elements. Up to about 400, the array is kept entirely in memory, and the program requires about 0.02 second to process a byte. At 500 elements, virtual memory takes over. As the drive light was on continuously throughout the program's execution, it appears that each memory access becomes a disk access once virtual memory is activated.

Granted, virtual memory should be slower than RAM, but look at the difference: 0.02 second per byte versus roughly 13 seconds per byte. That's a factor of 650. At that speed, my 80386 is about 30 times slower than a Commodore 64.

Multitasking virtually (no pun intended) dies when this test program is

running. Pressing Ctrl-Esc to get to the Session Manager yields a Session Manager screen after 10 minutes' wait.

In case you are wondering what kind of underlying hardware I used to test this, I do much of my work on a PS/386, a 16MHz Compaq Deskpro clone made by Trillian Computer. It uses 4 megabytes of 32-bit static column RAM. The hard disk uses the standard Western Digital AT-type controller and a 26-millisecond Priam disk drive. I use the Compaq VGA board (which I highly recommend for speed and compatibility).

LAN Manager

A major difference between DOS and OS/2 is that OS/2 was designed with networking in mind. OS/2's LAN (localarea network) Manager is an add-on program that brings LAN capabilities to OS/2. LAN Manager brings many new features to Microsoft's networking software. In the process of writing LAN Manager, Microsoft also rewrote its DOSbased LAN software, MS-Networks.

LAN Manager and the accompanying rewrite of MS-Networks include many new Novell- and Banyan-type LAN operating-system features. Security locks are now user- and file-specific. The system can nag users to change their passwords periodically, as the LAN Manager keeps password age information. Attempts at unauthorized access can be logged.

OS/2 allows more comprehensive resource sharing. One OS/2 workstation can run a program entirely on another computer. The workstation just sees the output screens and supplies keystrokes. Other than that, the workstation essentially becomes a dumb terminal. This is intended so that programs like database servers can be constructed. Consider, for example, a SORT command under dBASE on a LAN. With dBASE known for its glacial sorting speed, and sorts being disk-intensive to begin with, add LAN overhead and the whole thing's out of the question. Remote execution would

let dBASE move itself to the server temporarily, just long enough to accomplish the sort.

Imagine other possibilities: One machine with expensive dedicated graphics hardware that computes screens for five CAD stations. Groupware that moves parts of a user's programs to and fro among workstations to provide load leveling. Or, for the nostalgic, one 80386 doing the processing for 15 users with 80286-based dumb terminals. (That sounds silly, but I've heard of a company trying to make OS/2 multiuser through this avenue. Some clients have even told me that IBM has told them, sub rosa, that a multiuser OS/2 is in the works.)

There are many other neat features, and I'll talk about them in a future column. In a few words, the OS/2 LAN Manager is a "fixed" version of MS-Networks, and a welcome one.

Program Harmony

Under OS/2, programs don't step all over each other. SideKick doesn't mess up a Windows screen. One program's manipulation of the keyboard Num Lock/Scroll Lock/Caps Lock status byte doesn't lead to "surprise" uppercase when the next program runs. This makes OS/2's job of multitasking easier.

The reason DOS isn't multitasking has nothing to do with the 80286 or 80386. The main reason that DOS isn't multitasking is that it isn't an operating system (gasp). It's a program loader, a launching pad that starts applications going and then says, "Wake me up when you're finished. " DOS is completely inactive when a program is running. The program is supposed to call DOS to do something like print a character or read a file, but many programs are designed to handle such system functions themselves and bypass DOS altogether.

DOS bypass is mainly due to DOS's slowness and incompleteness—for example, DOS doesn't support video graphics

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 143

Circle 288 on Reader Service Card

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commands. (Unfortunately, neither does OS/2, unless you use the Presentation Manager.) If every program communicated with peripherals via DOS, most programs would have to wake DOS fairly regularly. Every screen write, keyboard read, and disk access would activate it. DOS could then take that opportunity to switch programs, and voila: multitasking. Microsoft Windows accomplishes limited multitasking in this way.

Using system requests to control task switching won't work if one of the programs doesn't need to make system requests (i.e., doesn't do any I/O). Consider a spreadsheet recalculation or a word processor repagination. Such a CPU-intensive program could grab the system and hold it. Solving the CPUintensive problem is easy, though: Just add a hardware timer (already built into the IBM PC machines) to force an interrupt and allow the operating system to force a switch to another program.

Programs don't always use DOS system requests, however, so the job of switching DOS programs, each convinced that it owns the machine, is almost impossible. OS/2, built to run in the 80286 chip's protected mode, can enforce the rules. It can control I/O ports, memory areas, and access to system services. The silicon itself disallows any attempts to bypass the operating system. (Some readers may know that the 80386 chip contains a virtual 8086 mode that allows DOS multitasking. This is not exploited in OS/2 because OS/2 is designed for 80286 as well as 80386 machines.)

Once all programs are forced to interact with the system through OS/2, multitasking and more become possible. OS/2 creates separate virtual machines called screen groups. Each machine has an entire environment: current subdirectories, screen modes, and even keyboard status. One screen group can remember that the keyboard is in uppercase mode, while another remembers that it is not.

Legalizing TSRs

We all love TSRs (terminate-and-stayresident programs). They're handy. They extend PC capabilities. At the same time, we hate them because they gobble memory, they can't be easily removed from memory once loaded, and they don't get along well with other TSRs.

SideKick is a prime example of what we love and hate about TSRs. It insists on being the last TSR loaded. Every timer tick (18.2 times per second), SideKick checks to ensure that it is the last one loaded. If it finds another TSR after it, it tries to muscle it aside. This often means

144 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 40 on Reader Service Card

OS/2 NOTEBOOK

that the keyboard no longer responds and the system crashes. SideKick tries to deal with the memory problem by removing itself from memory on request, but it doesn't always work, especially if SideKick isn't the last TSR loaded or if you're not at the DOS prompt.

What does OS/2 offer? OS/2 has a means to make TSRs legitimate. It's called a device monitor. It's like a TSR, and it can act as a filter on a keyboard. Device monitors improve on TSRs, however, in that they can request that OS/2 ensure that they are essentially the last (or first) device monitor loaded. OS/2 rejects an attempt to load two device monitors that insist on being first or last.

Also, device monitors can be unloaded from memory. A nice example of device monitors appeared in Ray Duncan's "TSRs Past and Future: MS-DOS and OS/2" in BYTE's Inside the IBM PCs, Fall 1987.

A Platform for Peripherals

Recently, I bought a new printer, a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II. The excitement faded a bit when I realized that I would have to reinstall several dozen programs, informing them all of the new printer type. OS/2 reduces this pain. A certain measure of device independence is afforded by version 1.0. A greater amount is provided by the Presentation Manager under 1.1. (The main difference between 1.0 and 1.1 is the graphical Presentation Manager.)

Microsoft Windows gives a preview of this device independence. The Windows installation program asks what kind of printers will be used. Drivers for the printers that you specify load in the Windows subdirectory. Then, at any point in the future, you can select a new printer in a few seconds via the Control Panel. From that point on, any Windows applications will talk to the new printer; you need not inform each application of the new printer. In this way, Windows is device-independent. The Presentation Manager—which is essentially Windows for OS/2—offers the same kind of device independence.

Of course, OS/2, like all operating systems, seeks to let programs built on one machine (e.g., an IBM AT) run on another machine (e.g., a Zenith Z-386). OS/2 1.0, without the Presentation Manager, acts like DOS: Applications will require special installation programs.

Open System Interfaces

DOS has a number of useful programming features that Microsoft uses in its programs but won't own up to. This, un

Listing 1: This simple program allocates an integer array, fills it up, and then reports total execution time. See table lfor a comparison of results using different-size arrays running under OS/2.

rem examines virtual memory.

defint a-z

rem $DYNAMIC

input "array dimension";ad

c$=time$

dim a(ad,ad)

for i = 1 to ad

for j = 1 to ad a(i, j) = 100

next next

b$=time$ print "start:";c$;" end:";b$

Needs /ah compiler switch

Table 1: Results of the different-size arrays.

Array size (no. of elements)

program in

Array size (K bytes)

listing

I running under OS/2 and using

Execution time Time to process (seconds) each byte

100 200 300 400 500 600

20 80 180 320 500 720

0 1 4 7 5487 10467

0.00 0.01 0.02 0.02 10.97 14.54

derstandably, makes software vendors jittery, as Microsoft not only writes the platform that their wares run on but often writes the programs that are those vendors' main competition.

Microsoft claims that OS/2 puts an end to undocumented system interfaces. All the hooks that a system programmer would need (well, most of them) are available to developers with the Application Programmer Interface (API). Microsoft technical support claims that there are enough APIs to allow anyone to write his or her own Session Manager. Things that are difficult under DOS, like TSRs or interprogram communication (to name but a few), are directly supported with an OS/2 API call.

OS/2 will be a welcome step up for many DOS programmers, but it will require some getting used to. OS/2 programmers will have to think in an entirely new fashion when structuring code. For example, a word processor is composed of two programs—a text editor and a text formatter. An OS/2 word processor could be structured as a foreground program (the text editor) and a background program (the text formatter). A spreadsheet could be designed as a dataentry process running concurrently with a recalculating process.

OS/2 Tip of the Month

If you're going to use a mouse, you need two device drivers—one for the whole idea of pointing, another for the specific mouse. If you're going to use the Presentation Manager, you need yet another mouse driver for it.

The drivers must be installed in a particular order, or they won't work—first the pointer, then the specific mouse driver, then the Presentation Manager driver. For example, with a serial mouse (the M0USEA02 driver):

device=pointdd. sys device=mousea02.sys device=pmdd. sys

If you have a serial port, add its driver after all the above ports. Its driver name is C0M01.SYS for non-PS/2 machines and

C0M02.SYSforPS/2s. ■

Mark Minasi is a managing partner at Moulton, Minasi & Company, a Columbia, Maryland, firm specializing in technical seminars. He can be reached on BlXas "editors. "

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 145

£

I I

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146 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

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Circle 248 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 249)

EXPERT ADVICE C0M1: Brock N. Meeks

Computer

Conferencing

Homecoming

Although still in its infancy, computer conferencing is locked into a niche market

Information is the life blood of videotex, a catch-all technology that the Videotex Industry Association defines as "easy-to-use interactive electronic services." Admittedly, that covers a lot of ground: from audiotex, which is prerecorded information delivered across the telephone line, to computer conferencing, where information is stored and shared among a geographically distributed group of people. Historically, computer conferencing is a descendant of electronic messaging networks—like the government's Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPAnet), which began simply as a huge electronic mail (E-mail) network. The first true computer conferencing system came about as a result of President Nixon's wage/price freeze controls in 1970. Known as EMISARI, it was a computer conferencing system designed to handle the time-sensitive information needed by government officials trying to manage the revolutionary executive order. EMISARI's success proved to be both a blessing and a curse: a time-saving blessing for harried government officials, and a curse for computer conferencing systems, which forever after were set up as applications to solve highly specialized needs, instead of becoming general-purpose tools.

Today, 18 years later, computer conferencing is still in its infancy. In advertising jargon, the technology is locked into a "niche market."

My Niche or Yours?

The number of people using computer conferencing systems has grown steadily

over the past 5 years, according to the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) study I mentioned in last month's column. Despite this growth, however, the report's author, Tom Mandel, a senior technology analyst at SRI, says "Interest in and use of (public) computer conferencing has been restricted to a relatively small fraction of the consumer population."

That small fraction actually consists of only 12 percent to 15 percent of all home PC owners. Why? Primarily because of conferencing's niche status. Like special-interest magazines—Car & Driver, Soldier of Fortune, Fangora, and so on—computer conferencing caters to highly focused groups.

The need for specialized information is what keeps niche magazines in business. If one magazine could satisfy an entire community of interest, then we wouldn't need publications like Golf Digest; everyone would be happy with Sports Illustrated.

So, just as there is no one magazine that covers all the needs of the sporting community, likewise, there is no single computer conferencing system that satisfies the entire computer industry.

Even large on-line services, such as BIX, are only convenient clearinghouses for hundreds of electronic niche markets. On BIX, each conference is a kind of special-interest group, a narrowly defined niche.

Given the competition for our information dollar, not to mention our time, there doesn't seem to be much of a chance that computer conferencing will break out of its niche status any time soon. Even with the introduction of highly touted all-in-one information systems, like Prodigy and U.S. Videotel, computer conferencing systems will continue to be a niche market well into the 1990's.

SRI's Mandel sees computer conferencing growth into the next decade coming from two distinct areas:

• The spread of computer literacy. Be

cause the use of technologies like E-mail across local- and wide-area networks is becoming more and more a part of corporate America's daily routine, people will be less resistant to computer conferencing technology. Just as the typewriter migrated from office to home, so too will electronic messaging technologies. From E-mail, it's a short step to computer conferencing.

• Simpler systems. Fierce competition will push developers to design massmarket-appeal videotex systems. This will be accomplished, in part, through low-cost access and turnkey software. Most services offer free trial subscriptions. Such a strategy figures to attract lots of new users because of the negligible monetary involvement. The only risk is that of a little time.

The niche market, however, is only partially responsible for the sluggish acceptance of computer conferencing. Another factor is the technology's potential: There's too much of it.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Federal Judge Harold Greene, who presided over the breakup of the Bell Telephone monopoly and continues to guide the level of participation by the "baby Bells" into videotex services, wrote in a March court opinion: "If consumer-oriented videotex services were made available on a large scale, the economic and social welfare of the American people could be substantially advanced. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this potential."

While computer conferencing's potential is certainly tempting, those seduced by it have grossly oversold its potential. For example, take the following comment found on the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), a conferencing system based in Sausalito, California:

"There are several hundred ways [computer conferencing can be used as a]

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 147

C0M1:

new political technology. We can use it to end war, starvation, homelessness, confiscatory taxation, and so on.

"With the technology that you are using even as we speak, we the people can make this primordial dream a reality ... and use this technology for good instead of evil. All of you now reading these words have been granted with the power to spread this good use of technology all around the world."

This type of rhetoric is typical of the "techno-hedonist," a term coined by Peter Grunwald, a Washington, DC-based communications consultant for organizations seeking to incorporate new technologies, such as computer conferencing, into their day-to-day routines. Grunwald defines a techno-hedonist as "a person who thinks a technology, like computer conferencing, can solve all the world's problems and walk the dog—all in the same day. A techno-hedonist makes unreasonable claims about the potential of the technology. And when the technology fails to live up to the hype, it sours anyone involved—for good—on the future use of the technology."

Grunwald points out that claims about the potential of computer conferencing, like the ones made in the above comment from the WELL, are unfortunate because "there's a good amount of truth in there, but it gets lost in the hyperbole of a techno-hedonist's evangelistic rantings." (I should note that when the above comment was first entered, it was met with incredulity and reproach by the majority of WELL users.)

The "good amount of truth" that Grunwald refers to as a potential for computer conferencing hardly encompasses ending world hunger or the homeless problem. However, it is capable of creating what he calls "legitimate communities of interest." Such communities

encompass both the private sector (e.g., corporations and organizations) and the public sector (e.g., CompuServe and BIX).

"It's up to each community of interest to define how computer conferencing fits into their daily routine," says Grunwald. "Computer conferencing doesn't solve problems. However, it can help facilitate the process used to reach a solution. A hammer can't build a house, but used in combination with all the other appropriate tools, it works just fine."

Although computer conferencing won't solve the homeless problem, it's quite possible to gather several leading sociologists into a single computer conference where they could discuss the issues, such as homelessness, without the pressures of academia that are usually associated with their discipline. This is the kind of application that Grunwald sees as a correct use of the medium. He outlines four major advantages of computer conferencing:

• Auto-documentation. When a comment is entered into an electronic discussion, an automatic record exists, unlike comments tossed around a boardroom. This virtually eliminates the "but I thought you said" syndrome.

• Time savings. Conferences can be carried on with participants across the hall or across the world. Participants contribute within the confines of their personal schedules.

Grunwald points out that computer conferencing isn't intended to replace face-to-face discussions; rather, it eliminates many of the intermediary meetings that take place to simply disseminate information.

• Multiple tasks. In a computer conference, you can handle several different dialogues at one sitting and respond to each

in like manner. This is impossible when talking in person.

• Better communication. People who might never speak up in a heated face-toface discussion can sit back and, with the freedom of time, contribute just as much to the discussion as a more gregarious personality.

Balancing these advantages are negatives, such as the following:

• Lack of nonverbal communication. A nod of the head, stiff body posture, and fingers tapping on the table are all clues we send out during a discussion, and they are missing from on-line conferences. Given the absence of these clues, it's much harder to read the intent (and acceptance) of the message.

• Lack of verbal clues. Sighs, a rising voice, shouting, and voice inflection are all difficult to convey on-line.

• Humor. An offhand joke, casually tossed across the ether, often suffers something in the translation from the spoken word to ASCII. Humor must be carefully distributed and often annotated with some equivalent of the phrase "Just kidding."

• Flame now/apologize later. An on-line syndrome known as "flaming" occurs when users think they can yell on-line without incurring the immediate negative feedback from a group of people. This usually leads to an on-line apology later. It's a cyclical syndrome, and one that never goes away.

The Human Factor

The common thread woven through both the advantages and disadvantages of computer conferencing is the human factor. The critical link, and perhaps the most fragile, is you, the personality be

continued

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Substantial savings with our half-price bonus plan. For every regular purchase you do make, you'll receive bonus certificates good for half-price discounts. A shipping/handling charge is added to each shipment.

3 Compact discs or records or cassettes for just $1!

Begin your membership now by choosing any 3 albums shown here for just $1 plus shipping and handling. Send no money now. We want you to judge for yourself before you decide to buy. If not delighted, return your 3 albums at the end of 10 days without obligation.

Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 (New World) Chicago Symphony/Solti. London DIGITAL 115168

Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night's Dream Neville Marriner, cond. Philips DIGITAL 115546

Ravel, Daphnis et Chloe (Complete) Montreal Symphony/Dutoit. London DIGITAL 115520

Mozart, Requiem Leipzig Radio Choir; Dresden State Orchestra/ Schreier. Philips DIGITAL 115039

Pavarotti: Volare Title song, Serenata, 14 more. With Henry Mancini. London DIGITAL 125102

Handel, Water Music Eng. Concert/ Pinnock. Archiv DIGITAL 115306

Rossini, Overtures Barber Of Seville, Tancredi, 6 more. Orpheus Chamber Orch. DGD/G/TAL 115527

Horowitz Plays Mozart Concerto No. 23 & Sonata No. 13. Giulini conducts. DG DIGITAL 115436

Eine kleine Nachtmusik Plus Pachelbel Canon, more. Marriner conducts. Philips DIGITAL 115530

The Canadian Brass: High, Bright, Light & Clear Baroque gems. RCA DIGITAL 144529

Bach, Goldberg Variations Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord. "Definitive."— Stereo Review Archiv 105318

Rachmaninov, Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4 Vladimir Ashkenazy. London DIGITAL 125074

Hoist, The Planets Montreal Sym./ Dutoit. London DIGITAL 115448

Handel, Messiah (Highlights)

Musica Sacra/Westenburg. Hallelujah Chorus, more. RCA DIGITAL 153586

SAVE

50

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INSTANT HALF-PRICE BONUS PLAN

You'll receive bonus certificates for each album you order. Use them to get additional albums at half price!

P.O. Box 91406 • Indianapolis, IN 46291

□ YES! Please accept my membership in The International Preview Society and send me, for 10 days' FREE examination, the 3 albums I have indicated below. I may return them after 10 days and owe nothing, or keep them and pay only $1 plus shipping & handling. I understand that I'm not obligated to buy anything...ever!

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NOTE: Members who select compact discs will be serviced by the Compact Disc Club. Full membership details will follow with the same 10-day, no-obligation, no-minimum purchase privilege.

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SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 149

Circle 19 on Reader Service Card

C0M1:

Arabian American Oil Company

The Arabian American Oil Company continues the high standards of an industry leader. We are seeking highly qualified professionals to join us in Saudi Arabia.

If you're an upstream computer analyst in any of the following areas, and possess a related BS degree along with 5 + years' experience, you should consider us.

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING COMPUTER TRAINING PETROLEUM ENGINEERING SYSTEMS

EXPLORATION APPLICATION SYSTEMS COMPUTER END USER COMPUTER OPERATIONS COMPUTER HARDWARE

With the Arabian American Oil Company, you will discover large-scale technology that will challenge you professionally. For confidential consideration, please send your resume to: ASC, Employment, Dept. 06E-020-8, P.O. Box 4530, Houston, Texas 77210-4530.

THE STANDARDS IN FORTRAN

LAHEY PERSONAL FORTRAN 77 (Version 2.0) $95

Full 77 Standard, Debugger, Fast Compilation, Math Emulation

F77L FORTRAN LANGUAGE SYSTEM (Version 3.0) $477

For porting or developing, this is the critics' choice.

■'Editor's Choice" PC Magazine

". . .the most robust compiler tested." M/cro/Systems

". . .the most efficient and productive FORTRAN

development tool for the DOS environment" BYTE

F77L-EM/16-BIT (Version 1.1) $695

Break through the DOS 640K barrier. Programs up to 15MB on 80286s.

F77L-EM/32-BIT (Version 1.0) $895

The most powerful PC Fortran Compiler for downloading or writing large programs. Designed for maximum performance on 80386s.

PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

Profiler, ULI Mathematical Functions Library, Overlay Linker, Toolkit, Spindrift Libraries, Memory Boards, 80386 HummingBoard, DOS OS Extenders.

IF YOU DEMAND THE VERY BEST, THEN YOU SHOULD BE USING LAHEY. CALL US TO DISCUSS YOUR PC FORTRAN NEEDS.

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hind the message. It is a factor too often overlooked.

The act of putting your thoughts online, in a semipermanent environment, might seem disconcerting. Indeed, a state senator I interviewed once told me that, although he sees great potential in computer conferencing, he would never use it himself. Why? "My every word and thought would be a matter of printed public record," he said, "and I'm not sure I'm willing to take that much risk."

To help along the human factor, Walter Orr Roberts, the founder of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and an unselfish pioneer in helping to establish computer conferencing links with the Soviet Union's scientific community, has developed several protocols for participants in his computer conferences. Among the most important of these are the following:

• Encourage people to practice using the system. The old adage "Practice makes perfect" is certainly applicable in the computer conferencing world.

• Develop a buddy system. This gives newcomers someone to go to when they have questions or need some moral support.

• Overcome the fear of typing. Typing speed is of little importance, yet lack of typing skills keeps people from contributing.

• Eliminate grammatical and typographical issues. Spelling and sentence structure are of only secondary concern; ideas and participation from all involved are the important factors.

Next Up

Next month I'll look at Prodigy, one of the new videotex systems that have spared no expense to address the critical human factor. Such systems are out to appeal to the common denominator of success: you, the user.

From celebrity endorsements to free subscriptions, these systems are serious about bringing videotex (including computer conferencing) into your household. And perhaps, more important, the households of your neighbors. After 18 years, I think it's a homecoming long overdue. ■

Brock N. Meeks is a San Diego-based freelance writer who specializes in high technology. You can reach him on BIX as "brock. "

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

150 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 144 on Reader Service Card

F III

NOW YOU CAN CONNECT FOUR USERS TO ONE LASER PRINTER,

With the Mannesman Tally"'MT910 Laser Printer and its Multiuser Interface option, you can connect four users for just $1050 each.

Each of you will have your own I/O port, programmable for your own protocol and emulation. Laser-crisp text and graphics at 300 dpi. All the specs you see in the center. And with an optional 5-bin sorter, even your own output bin.

Circle 156 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 157)

THIS ONE.

■ Speed: 10 pages-per-minute

■ Dual paper cassettes standard, 250 sheets each.

■ Dual output bins standard, 250 sheets each.

■ Memory: 500K; 400K available to print graphics or download additional fonts.

■ Manual feed handles single sheets, envelopes, transparencies, and labels.

■ Emulations: Diablo1 630, Epson' FX, IBM1 Proprinter,'' HP" LaserJet Plus," and Qume" Sprint II.

■ Workload: 10,000 pages-per-month.

■ Standard_fonts: I ] Courier 10. D Prestige Elite 12 I ] Letter Gothic 16.6 D bold, italic, condensed,and expanded.

■ Options: [ 14-user I/O [ 1 extensive library of optional fonts in cartridge or downloadable formats □ 1.5 Mg RAM upgrade □ 5-bin sorter.

So call the number below for more information or to connect with your nearest dealer.

And he'll connect you with the only out-of-the-box laser printer on the market today that gives you so much for just $1050 per user.

A Mannesmann Tally.

MANNESMANN TALUY

1-800-843-1347* 148

In Washington state, call: 206-251-5524 Ext. 148

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OrTooThin.

As portable PCs go, ours may look a bit on the skinny side. But they're by no means undernourished.

After all, each 286 and 386 powered Toshiba portable has an easy-to-read gas plasma screen. Each is IBM-compatible. And each gives you a wide range of features you'd expect only from a desktop PC.

The T3100/20, for example, weighs a scant 15 pounds, yet has an abundance of power. It comes with an 80286 microprocessor and 640KB of RAM that's extendable to 2.6MB. Plus, there's a built-in 20MB hard disk.

Our T3200 has the advantages of a 12MHz 80286 microprocessor, an EGA display system, a 40MB hard disk and 1MB of RAM expandable to 4MB. Also, its two IBM-compatible internal expansion slots let you connect your PC to mainframes, LANs and more. But what's even more impressive is how we managed to fit all this into a slim, 19-pound package.

Then there's ourT5100. As amazing as it seems, we managed to squeeze a 16MHz 80386 microprocessor into a slim package that weighs less than 15 pounds. To that we added an EGA display system and a 29

msec 40MB hard disk. As your thirst for power grows, its 2MB RAM can be upgraded to 4MB. And for a limited time, your T5100 purchase entitles you to buy the powerful Paradox 386® database software for only $299 (nearly $600 off the retail price).

For more information on Toshiba computers and printers, call 1-800-457-7777. And rest assured that whichever Toshiba PC you choose, you'll be getting the kind of power once reserved for cumbersome desktop computers.

All of which proves you can maintain a position of great power without having to throw a lot of weight around.

Toshiba PCs are backed by the Exceptional Care program (no-cost enrollment required). See your dealer for details. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Paradox is a registered trademark of Borland Corp.

Circle 281 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 282)

In Touch with Tomorrow

TOSHIBA

Ioshiba America Inc.. Information Systems Division

SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 153

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Rich Malloy and Tom Thompson

IBM and Tandy:

IBM's Model 70-A21 supplies 25-MHz performance in a Model 50 housing. Tandy's 5000 MC provides IBM Micro Channel-compatible slots. Both offer a unique design for future growth.

If you have any doubt that 32-bit microprocessors have answered a real need in desktop microcomputing power, take a look at the trend: The first 80386-based microcomputers, introduced in 1986, ran at a clock speed of 16 MHz. Nearly a year later, such systems were operating at 20 MHz, and caching hardware, used to maximize the throughput of these faster processors, became common. This year, various computer manufacturers raised the ante for top-of-the-line performance to 25 MHz (see "25-MHz Computing Buzzsaws" by Rick Grehan, August).

But unless your budget has grown along with your processing needs, you've got a problem. If you already own a 16MHz 80386-based system, you must sell it before you can hope to afford a higherperformance 20- or 25-MHz system. Worse yet, if your processing needs have grown so rapidly that they require a faster system already, where will they and the computer industry be in a year? Will you have to sell the faster system you're trying to obtain now for next year's model?

IBM and Tandy offer a unique solution to the problem of ballooning processing needs that outstrip the power of today's systems. In a remarkable coincidence of

154 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

design, both companies' latest systemsIBM's PS/2 Model 70-A21 and Tandy's 5000 MC—feature a removable "processor card." Simply put, the computer's CPU components are mounted on a plugin board. Although neither company would talk about future plans, both admitted that the intent of this design is to enhance the performance of these systems at a later date by swapping the processor card.

The Tandy 5000 MC provides another significant feature: It's the first microcomputer that offers a bus whose signals and timing are 100 percent compatible with IBM's PS/2 Micro Channel bus.

IBM's PS/2 Model 70-A21

When IBM announced its line of PS/2 systems last year, it was obvious that the series had at least one gaping hole: In the progression from a desktop 80286-based Model 50 to a floor-bound 80386-based Model 80, there was something missing: a desktop 80386-based system. This June, IBM lived up to everyone's expectations and plugged the hole with the PS/2 Model 70.

On the outside, the Model 70 looks exactly like its desktop cousin, the Model 50, with the same small footprint and

Same Channel, Same Plan

for Growth

light weight. Inside the machine, the resemblance to the Model 50 ends. The Model 70 uses an 80386 CPU (versus the 80286 for the Model 50) and a larger hard disk drive (your choice of a 60megabyte drive with a 27-millisecond access time or a 120-megabyte drive with a 23-ms access time, versus the Model 50's 20-megabyte drive). The Model 70 has three Micro Channel slots: two 32-bit slots and one 16-bit slot. The Model 50 has four 16-bit slots, one of which is occupied by a hard disk controller card. The Model 70 gets away with three slots since the disk controller is integrated with the disk drive. This version of the

Model 70 comes with 1 megabyte of RAM that's expandable to 6 megabytes onboard, and, using Micro Channel memory boards, you can add RAM to a maximum of 16 megabytes. At the June announcement, you could get the PS/2 Model 70 with either 16-MHz components (the Model 70-E61, with a type-1 system board) or 20-MHz components (the Model 70-121, with a type-2 system board).

In September, the high-end version of the Model 70 became available: The Model 70-A21 features 25-MHz components (an 80386 CPU and an optional 80387 numeric data processor [NDP]) and a 64K-byte RAM cache based on the

Intel 82385 cache controller chip. The 120-megabyte hard disk drive is standard. The system board comes with 2 megabytes of on-board 80-nanosecond RAM and is expandable to 8 megabytes. Micro Channel memory cards still allow you to expand RAM to the 16-megabyte maximum. The most significant difference between the Model 70-A21 and the other Model 70 machines is its type-3 system board, which has an additional connector for on-board RAM (providing the 8 megabytes of on-board RAM versus the 6 megabytes of the other Model 70 systems) and the processor card.

With all this going for it, the Model 70-A21 ought to be the fastest of the PS/2 line of machines and possibly one of the fastest on the market. To verify this, we obtained an early preproduction unit of the Model 70-A21 and set it up for a complete round of tests in our BYTE Lab. It came equipped with 16 megabytes of RAM, an 80387 math coprocessor, and PC-DOS 3.30 installed on the hard disk.

Sure enough, with the exception of the color of the power switch (it's now white instead of red) and the marking on the nameplate, you would think the machine was a Model 50. As with the Model 50, you can easily remove the Model 70A21's cover by loosening two easy-toaccess thumbscrews at the rear of the machine. A quick glance through the support bracket (which holds the disk drives) reveals the 32-bit nature of the beast: an 80386 CPU.

IBM has done considerable chip integration, distilling most of the components that make up a Model 80 system board to fit a Model 50 system board and adding a caching system at the same time. Nevertheless, it seems to have been a tight fit: Several chips have been placed on tiny daughterboards that rise up vertically from the system board.

The PS/2 system design makes it easy to disassemble the computer to replace or get a good look at a particular compo

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 155

IBM AND TANDY

nent. It took only moments to unplug the disk drives, pop up seven snaps, and remove the support bracket to expose the system board and processor card (see photo 1). Located near the processor card are four memory modules that closely resemble single in-line memory modules (SIMMs). Each memory module clips into a socket on the system board and is packed with chips on both sides. For the Model 70-A21, each mod

ule contains 2 megabytes of 80-ns paritychecked RAM. The preproduction system came stuffed with the maximum 8 megabytes, but it will ship with just one module, or 2 megabytes, of RAM. You can buy additional 2-megabyte memory modules for $1495, a reasonable price considering today's memory market. The additional 8 megabytes of RAM on the preproduction unit were provided by a 32-bit Micro Channel memory card.

Photo 1: The inside of the IBM Model 70-A21. At the front, mounted on four white brackets, is the removable processor card. The 80386 CPU, 80387NDP (if present), 82385 cache controller chip, and 64K bytes of cache RAM are located on this card. Immediately to the left of the processor card is 8 megabytes of SIMM-mounted system-board RAM.

Table 1: The performance of a preproduction IBM Model 70-A21 compared with other 25-MHz 80386-based microcomputers. While not as fast as the Everex system, the Model 70-A21 was faster than the Compaq Deskpro 386/25 in certain tests.

CPU

IBM PC AT

Everex

Compaq

IBM

Step

Deskpro

Model 70-A21

386/25

386/25

Matrix String Move

Byte-wide Word-wide: Odd-bnd. Even-bnd. Sieve Sort

11.69

80.41

80.41 40.26 73.65 84.39

2.44

16.02

20.01

8.02

15.25

11.44

2.47

25.01

25.65 12.51 15.25 11.45

2.49

18.92

23.69

9.47

15.24

11.48

Note: Version 1.1 Small-C benchmarks used. All times are in seconds.

Four clips hold the processor card, which contains the 80386, an 80387 socket, an 82385 cache controller, and 64K bytes of 30-ns cache RAM. The 82385 implements a write-through cache (i.e., as the processor writes to RAM, the cache controller writes to both its cache and system memory to keep the two identical), and IBM used some special hardware to double the cache size from 32K to 64K bytes.

To remove the processor card, you simply unfasten the clips and gently unplug the card from its socket on the system board. One nice thing about this arrangement is that it makes the elevated 80387 socket easier to reach. You open the Model 70's hood, remove a disk drive from the support bracket, and plug the 80387 into its socket. IBM says that a 25MHz math processor should be available by the time the Model 70-A21 ships. But be prepared for the hefty price: $2395.

When we turned the system on, it was quite impressive to watch the memorycheck display ripple through all 16 megabytes of memory. Naturally, under DOS 3.30, the system saw only 640K bytes of RAM, and the hard disk was divided into four 32-megabyte partitions. We didn't run any software compatibility tests; after all, this is the machine that sets the standard by which all software and hardware compatibility is measured. We did open the hood and try an assortment of Micro Channel cards in the slots: a VenTel 24/2 2400-bit-per-second modem card, a USRobotics Courier 2400/PS 2400-bps modem card, and an IBM highresolution 8514/A display card. When the system was turned on, the Programmable Option Select (POS) software on the reference floppy disk drive detected the new cards in the slots and went through its configuration sequence to integrate the cards into the system. This process went smoothly, and the cards worked reliably, as expected.

Handy tip: Copy the .ADF option files from the floppy disk supplied with a expansion card to your reference floppy disk before adding it to the system. This way, you'll only have to go through the configuration sequence once. Otherwise, you can only configure the cards that have option files on the reference floppy, reboot, copy the option files from each card's floppy to the reference floppy, reboot, and finally configure the remaining cards into the system. While POS is supposed to eliminate fiddling with jumpers to set a card's address space or interrupts, it can in some circumstances make getting the system started a major headache.

156 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

IBM AND TANDY

Of course, the most important feature of the Model 70's class is its performance. We ran version 1.1 of the BYTE Small-C benchmarks on the Model 70A21 to measure this capability. Since we were working with a preproduction model, we used only the CPU benchmarks. The results shown in table 1 indicate that the Model 70-A21 is indeed the fastest of the IBM line. Compared to the rest of the market, the Model 70-A21 wasn't the fastest 25-MHz system, and, in some instances, it was slower than certain 20-MHz systems, including those from Advanced Logic Research, Compaq, and Dell.

Tandy's 5000 MC

Like a brash Texas oilman at a New York society ball, Tandy chairman John Roach surprised everyone last year by announcing that Tandy could easily overcome any technical or legal obstacles to cloning IBM's new Micro Channel architecture (MCA). This year, with the introduction of its high-end performer, the Tandy 5000 MC, the company put its money on the line.

Why duplicate the IBM Micro Channel? Tandy gave the same reasons IBM did when it first introduced the bus: It has a higher bandwidth and can support multiple processors. Of course, most of the Micro Channel's potential has yet to be realized, but that should change as multitasking operating systems such as OS/2 begin to dominate the market. At any rate, Tandy is betting—like IBM— that at some point having this bus architecture in its machines will prove to be worthwhile.

Even on its specifications alone, the new Tandy system is quite a tempting machine. The system features a 20-MHz 80386 processor with a 32K-byte cache, a 1.44-megabyte 3 V2 -inch floppy disk drive, VGA-compatible graphics, and five IBM MCA-compatible slots. It is, of course, the first IBM MCA-compatible system to become available on the market, and it is also the least expensive system of its type at a base price of $4999. And for a brief time—until the IBM Model 70-A21 became available—it was also the fastest IBM MCA-compatible system on the market.

The Tandy 5000 MC comes in an enclosure that's slightly larger than an IBM PS/2 Model 50. But, unlike the Model 50, it has room for four user-accessible storage devices, including two halfheight 554-inch-style devices. This allows you to add a 5 '4-inch floppy disk drive and tape cartridge unit, as well as

3'/2-inch floppy and hard disk drives. You switch on the computer's power by pressing a green button on the front panel of the machine. A small hardware reset button, located on the left side of the front panel, makes recovery from particularly nasty system crashes (the type that won't respond to the Ctrl-Alt-Del key combination) painless. Why this handy feature has never appeared on many other systems is a mystery to us.

Of course, the most interesting part of the 5000 MC lies within the system cover. You'll need a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the three screws that fasten the cover to the backplane; we miss the handy thumbscrews on the IBM PS/2 systems. Inside, you'll find a wide variety of slots (photo 2): a "CPU slot" for the processor card, five IBM Micro Channel-compatible slots (two 32-bit

continued

Photo 2: The inside of the Tandy 5000 MC. Upper left: a Tandy system memory board. The board holds 2 or 8 megabytes of RAM, depending on the density of the RAM SIMMs mounted on the board. Center: The processor card, with 80386 CPU, 82385 cache controller chip, math coprocessor socket, and 32K bytes of cache RAM. Right: the 5000 MC chassis and system board: (a) the "CPU slot "for the processor card; (b) 32-bit IBM MCA-compatible slots; (c) 16-bit IBM MCA-compatible slots; and (d) 32-bit system memory slots.

Table 2: The performance of a preproduction Tandy 5000 MC compared with other 20-MHz 80386-based microcomputers. The 5000 MC was the fastest 20-MHz system we 've looked at.

CPU

IBM PC AT

IBM PS/2 Model 80-111

Compaq

Deskpro

386/20

Tandy 5000 MC

Matrix

11.69

4.75

3.06

3.04

String Move

Byte-wide

80.41

39.51

26.11

23.65

Word-wide:

Odd-bnd.

80.41

39.09

31.01

29.62

Even-bnd.

40.26

19.66

13.07

11.85

Sieve

73.65

29.11

23.18

19.10

Sort

84.39

33.11

26.89

14.36

Note: Version 1.1 Small-C benchmarks used. All times are in seconds.

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 157

Tandy's 1000 Learns to Speak and Listen

i i ~K K eet George Jetson " Thus

1V1 spake the newest Tandy systems. Or rather, thus sang the systems. A few weeks ago, Tandy introduced two new versions of its popular Tandy 1000 line. In addition to a number of other features, the new systems feature analog/digital circuitry that allows them to digitize and replay sounds and music. As in the above case of the theme song from the TV show "The Jetsons," it can even play back music digitized on other hardware—on a Macintosh, for example.

Both systems are replacements for previous low-end systems from Tandy. The new Tandy 1000 SL replaces the 2year-old 1000 SX, and the new 1000 TL replaces the Tandy 1000 TX. The sound capability is clearly the most notable feature that the new systems share, but there are a number of other interesting features as well.

Like Tandy's entry-level 1000 HX, the new systems have a ROM drive that includes DOS. But while the HX has only 128K bytes of ROM, the new SL and TL each have 512K bytes. The ROM is used to store a number of things, including DOS 3.3, a new ver

sion of Tandy's DeskMate integrated software, and even a spelling dictionary. The advantage of having DOS on a ROM chip is that you can immediately boot up the system without worrying about finding a system disk and the time it takes to load the system from the disk.

Both systems also have better video interfaces. Like the Leading Edge Model D, the Tandy systems now support Hercules-style graphics when connected to a low-cost monochrome monitor. And if you attach a CGA color monitor, the systems will display a resolution of 640 by 200 pixels by 16 colors.

A number of lesser details include an AT-compatible 101-key keyboard. On the back panel, Tandy has finally included a serial port as standard equipment. Inside, each system has five PCstyle expansion slots, but each slot follows in the Tandy 1000 tradition of being only 10 inches long.

As for software, Tandy has included with the system a new version of DeskMate. This version has a number of new capabilities and is more compatible with DeskMate application software developed by outside companies. In fact, for

Two new low-end Tandy systems, the Tandy 1000 TL (left) and the 1000 SL (right). Both feature new sound capabilities. The TL is displaying a new application included with Tandy's DeskMate software, called Sound. The software lets you record, edit, and play back any captured audio sound. The SL is displaying a graphics application included with DeskMate.

low-cost systems, the DeskMate operating environment will almost undoubtedly be a very popular alternative to Microsoft Windows in the low-cost 8088/8086 market.

There are some differences between the systems. The $899 SL features an 8MHz 8086 and a 360K-byte 5 % -inch floppy disk drive, and it has only 384K bytes of memory, expandable to 640K bytes. In contrast, the $1299 TL features an 8-MHz 80286, a 720K-byte 3 xh-inch floppy disk drive, a real-time clock, and 640K bytes of memory, expandable to 768K bytes.

But clearly the most interesting feature of the new systems is their sound capability. Both the SL and TL have an 8-bit A/D converter (ADC) as well as an 8-bit D/A convenor (DAC). The converters are capable of sampling at rates of 5, 500, 11,000, and 22,000 samples per second, and they have direct memory access capabilities for transferring sound data quickly back and forth to disk. For sound input, both systems have a microphone jack. For output, there is an earphone jack with a volume control, as well as the system's standard loudspeaker.

To access these sound capabilities, Tandy has enhanced its DeskMate software with two additional applications. A program called Sound allows you to record a 30-second sound, display its waveform, play it back, and edit it. On the preproduction unit that Tandy showed us, the played-back sounds had the fidelity of sounds produced on a Macintosh. The second program, Music, lets you play music using voices sampled or created with the Sound program. One example we heard was a version of the omnipresent Pachelbel's "Canon."

The new ADC and DAC circuitry appears to be one more step toward providing the popular features of non-IBM systems in a low-cost IBM-compatible environment. Tandy had already provided a Mac-style graphical user interface via its DeskMate software. Now it supplies sound capabilities similar to that of the Mac and the Amiga. It is probably no coincidence that this new feature has some of the same sampling rates as those used by the DAC on the Macintosh. For developers who are interested in these possibilities, Tandy will soon be providing a toolkit.

To be sure, the new sound capabilities will probably find little use in the average office, but they appear to be a perfect low-cost perk for home systems.

158 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

IBM AND TANDY

slots and three 16-bit slots, one with the video bus connector), and two 32-bit memory slots for Tandy memory cards.

The most significant feature of the 5000 MC is that all its CPU-related parts have been moved to a separate card. This card incorporates a 20-MHz 80386, an 82385 cache controller chip, a math coprocessor socket, the 32K-byte 35-ns cache memory, and a 40-MHz system oscillator. The math coprocessor socket accepts either an 80387 NDP or a singlechip version of the Weitek WTL 1167. This card plugs into the CPU slot on the system board. The setup is remarkably similar to that used on the IBM Model 70-A21, and, as is the case with the IBM system, it immediately suggests that this processor card can be replaced with a faster one. Tandy said that by adding a faster 80386, oscillator, cache memory, and system memory, the company had easily run the system at 25 MHz.

The 5000 MC comes standard with 2 megabytes of 100-ns parity-checked RAM. All system memory resides on a memory card that mounts in one of two proprietary memory slots. This memory card can accommodate either 2 or 8 megabytes of RAM, depending on whether you use 256K-byte or 1-megabyte SIMMs. The RAM on these cards is accessed in paged mode. The memory card is almost identical to the one used in the Tandy 4000; only one minor change was made in the card so it can be used in the new Tandy 3000 NL 80286-based system (see the text box above). If you need more memory, you can add a second such card, providing a total RAM capacity of either 4 or 16 megabytes.

A hard disk drive does not come standard with the Tandy 5000 MC, as it does with IBM's Model 70. However, Tandy gives you a wide choice of hard disk sizes and controller options to pick from for your system. You can get hard disk drives ranging from 40 megabytes to 110 megabytes using an ST-506 controller, 80 to 344 megabytes using a small-computersystem-interface controller, and 120 to 140 megabytes with an enhanced-smalldevice-interface controller. The hard disk controller card occupies one of the IBM MCA-compatible slots.

One of the things that most interested us was the 5000 MC's IBM MCA compatibility. We used the same IBM MCA cards that we used in the PS/2 Model 70A21: the Ven-Tel 24/2 2400-bps modem card, an IBM high-resolution 8514/A display card, and a USRobotics Courier 2400/PS 2400-bps modem card. Because of its five slots, we were able to easily pack all three cards into the system. The

Meanwhile, in the Same Case ... The Tandy 3000

Whatever your feelings on the new Tandy 5000 MC, Tandy seems to favor the size and shape of its housing. In fact, the company revamped its midline 80286-based 3000 HL into the new 3000 NL, which uses standard PC ATcompatible expansion slots but now has the same case as the Tandy 5000 MC.

The new 3000 NL uses the same keyboard as the 5000 MC: a new 101-key keyboard with the industry-standard layout. The keyboard has both tactile and audible feedback, but it is not quite as loud as the standard IBM keyboards.

The 3000 NL also uses the same memory board as the 5000 MC.

But there the similiarities to the 5000 MC end. The new 3000 NL has a 10MHz 80286 CPU and seven PC ATstyle slots (three 8-bit slots and four 16bit slots). And at $1699 for a system with a single 1.44-megabyte 3'/2-inch floppy disk drive, it is considerably less expensive. Indeed, the new 3000 NL could steal some customers away from Tandy's original PC AT clone, the 3000. At 12 MHz, the old 3000 is a little faster, but it costs $300 more.

POS software functioned properly, identifying the new cards and configuring them into the system automatically. We were also able to use this software to manually configure the Ven-Tel modem card to serial port 1, and the USRobotics modem card to serial port 3.

Because we were unable to reach a phone line, we couldn't thoroughly check out the operation of the modem cards. Nevertheless, each card responded to Hayes AT commands as entered by a terminal program, indicating that the computer and software were communicating with the MCA cards on the bus. Connecting an IBM 8514 monitor to the high-resolution 8514/A display card, we got a steady and clear color display. These tests are not exhaustive, but they show that the 5000 MC bus and the IBM MCA bus are compatible.

We also looked at the performance of the 5000 MC. Once again, we used version 1.1 of the BYTE Small-C benchmarks. Since we were looking at a preproduction unit, we present only the CPU measurements in table 2. It's obvious that the Tandy 5000 MC is easily one of the fastest 20-MHz 80386-based systems: It outperformed both IBM's 20MHz Model 80 and Compaq's Deskpro 386/20. We can't help but wonder how the 5000 MC would compare to the Model 70-A21 if Tandy placed a 25MHz processor card in this system.

Two Computers

with Replaceable CPUs

IBM's new Model 70-A21 appears to be powerful, slick, and well designed. But at $11,295, you'd expect nothing less. We especially like its small size, even though this limited the number of expansion slots in the system. If you add a highresolution video board, a network card,

and a modem card to the Model 70-A21, you've used up all your slots. We also think the system is high-priced; you can get two 16-MHz Model 70s (which go for $5995) for the price of one 25-MHz Model 70. However, the higher price may be justified if you eventually wind up swapping out the processor card for a higher-performance processor.

The 5000 MC has two things going for it when compared to the Model 70-A21: It has IBM MCA-compatible slots (and two extra at that) and a removable processor card. While the 5000 MC runs at only 20 MHz, it has excellent performance for its class, and there's always the possibility of swapping that processor card. The other thing going for it is price. A Tandy 5000 MC, equipped with an 80-megabyte hard disk drive with an ST-506 controller, costs $6999.

Both IBM and Tandy have shown innovation in tackling the problem of how to supply the spiraling demand for more computing power without having the system become virtually obsolete in a year. It's interesting that both companies came up with the same solution: Make the CPU components and memory just more plug-in peripherals. The fastest CPU components and RAM are seldom cheap, but these components should cost considerably less than replacing the entire machine.

We'll have to wait and see if this opendesign strategy pays off. Tandy should be commended for its efforts in duplicating the IBM MCA. Again, we'll just have to wait and see if the MCA itself pays off— for Tandy as well as for IBM. ■

Rich Malloy, a BYTE associate managing editor, can be reached as "rmalloy" on BIX. Tom Thompson, a BYTE senior technical editor at large, can be reached as "tthompson" on BIX.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 159

The Dell System 220.

Once again the critics

stole the words right

out of our mouth*

"The Dell System 220 runs most PC Labs system benchmark tests at speeds that would makeyou think

you're running a 386"

-PC MAGAZINE

"...the Dell machine is renewed evidence that the

price of 286-based desktop equipment continues to

drop rapidly, making such machines very attractive for

daily work underMS DOSeven as they hold out the

promise of running OS/2 in the future"

-WILL FASTIE, PC WEEK

"... includes a year's on-site support... in the price of the

computer. This is the sweetest support deal offered by any

computer vendor in the industry"

-ERIC KNORR, PC WORLD

"The hot item from a technical point of view is the System220. This machine runs a 286processor at 20 MHz,

which is its major claim to fame"

-WILL FASTIE, PC WEEK

"...the System 220}hasmore going foritthanjustspeed"

-PC WORLD 160 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

The reviews are beginning to pour in.

And they read like a wish list for every power user looking to exceed the ordinary limitations of a 286 computer

The computer everyone is praising in such glowing terms is the Dell System 220.

The first 286 computer with a clock speed of 20 MHz.

It's totally MS-DOS® and MS@OS/2 compatible. Yet it sells for much less than you may pay for a 386t computer.

Because you buy it direct from us.

Eliminating the mark-ups and margins of computer stores.

We design and build every Dell computer right here in Austin, Texas.

We put each and every one through a comprehensive burn-in and a battery of diagnostic tests before we ship it.

And after we ship, we give you the best technical support you'll find anywhere in the computer industry

Our technicians are on the phone from 7AM to 7PM every business day.

Almost any question you may have about a Dell system can be answered over the phone.

And, in the rare case, that your question can't be answered by an on-line technician, we'll send a Honeywell Bull technician by the next business day.

A full year of on-site Honeywell Bull service is included within the purchase price of your Dell system.

Your Dell computer also comes with a thirty-day money back guarantee.

And we back every one of our computers with a one year limited warranty on materials or workmanship.

For more information about Dell computers, read the reviews in the trade press, turn the page, review our product offerings, and call us at (800) 426-5150.

You'll like what we have to say

TO ORDER, CALL

800426-5150

IN THE US. AND CANADA

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 161

The Dell

Computer

Store*

Welcome to our store.

We believe you'll find this an extremely pleasant shopping experience.

Our sales staff is on hand to serve you from 7AM to 7PM {CSV) from Monday thru Friday.

Just call (800) 426-5150 and we'll give you the technical assistance and information you need to make sure you're buying the system that's right for your needs.

Then you have the option of either a direct purchase or your company can take advantage of our Leasing Plan.

Once you've made your choice, our Total Satisfaction Guarantee gives you thirty days from the day you receive your system, to decide if you are absolutely, totally satisfied with the product.

If you're not, simply return the system and you'll receive a full refund. No questions asked.

Your Dell computer is supported by a team of technical experts that can be reached every business day, from 7AM to 7PM (CST), simply by calling (800) 624-9896.

In most cases, any question you may have about your Dell system can be answered by one of our technicians on the telephone.

Our technicians are also supported by Honeywell Bull service engineers who can be sent to your office by the next business day, should on-site service be required.

This optional service contract is available in over 95% of the United States, with over 1,000 engineers in 198 service locations.

We also offer a One Year Limited Warranty* which warrants each system we manufacture to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for one full year.

Feel free to call or write for the complete terms of our Honeywell Bull Service Contract, Guarantee and Warranty. Dell Computer Corporation, 9505 Arboretum Blvd., Austin, Texas 78759-7299.

THE NEW

20 MHz 386f

SYSTEM

3KX

The top of the line. It's our highest performance computer available, faster than the EBMf PS/2f Model 80 and the Compaqf 386/20. It runs at 20 MHz with the latest 32bit architecture. Since it also has Intel's Advanced 82385 Cache Memory Controller, and high performance disk drives, the System 310 is ideal for intensive database management, complex spreadsheet development, CAD/CAM, desktop publishing or performance as a network file server.

Standard Features:

■ Intelf 80386 microprocessor running at 20 MHz.

■ 1 MB of RAM expandable to 16 MB without using an expansion slot.

■ Advanced Intel 82385 Memory Controller with 32 KB of high speed static RAM.

■ Socket for 20 MHz 80387 coprocessor.

■ 5.25" 1.2 MB or 3.5" 1.44 MB diskette drive.

■ Dual diskette and hard disk drive controller.

■ Enhanced 101-key keyboard. * 1 parallel and 2 serial ports.

■ 200-watt power supply.

■ 8 expansion slots (6 available).

Options:

■ 1 MB RAM upgrade kit.

■ 20 MHz Intel 80387 and Weitekt math coprocessor.

■ 2 MB or 8 MB memory expansion boards,

"Leasefor as low as $148/Month.

THE NEW

20 MHz 286

SYSTEM

220.

As fast as most 386 computers, at less than half the price—more power for the money than any other system. An 80286 system that runs at 20 MHz, with less than one wait state. Completely compatible for both MS-DOS6' and MS55 OS/2 applications (it runs faster than IBM PS/2 Model 80), and with a remarkably small footprint, the System 220 is the ideal executive workstation.

Standard Features:

■ 80286 microprocessor running at 26 MHz.

■ 1 MB of RAM expandable to 16 MB (8 MB on system board).

■ Page mode interleaved memory.

■ Integrated diskette and VGA video controller on system board.

■ One 3.5" 1.44 MB diskette drive.

■ Integrated high performance hard disk interface on system board.

■ Enhanced 101-key keyboard.

■ 1 parallel and 2 serial ports.

■ LIM 4.0 support for memory over 1 MB.

■ Real-time clock.

■ Three full-sized AT? compatible expansion slots.

■ Socket for 80287 coprocessor.

Options:

■ External 5.25" 1.2 MB diskette drive.

■ 3.5" 1.44 MB diskette drive.

■ Intel 80287 coprocessor.

■ 1 MB RAM upgrade kit. ''Leasefor as low as $85/Month.

System 310

With Monitor & Adapter

Hard Disk Drives

VGA Mono

VGA Color Plus

40 MB 28 ms

$4,099

$4,399

90 MB 18 ms ESDI

$4,899

$5,199

150 MB18 ms ESDI

$5,399

$5,699

322 MB18 ms ESDI

$7,399

$7,699

System 220

With Monitor

VGA Mono

VGA Color

VGA Color Plus

One

Diskette Drive

$2,299

$2,499

$2,599

40 MB

29 ms

Hard Disk

$2,999

$3,199

$3,299

100 MB

29 ms

Hard Disk

$3,799

$3,999

$4,099

162 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

THE 12.5 MHz SYSTEM

200.

A great value in a full-featured AT compatible. An 80286 computer running at 12.5 MHz, this computer is completely MS-DOS and MS OS/2 compatible. The System 200 offers high speed drive options, industry standard compatible BIOS and on-site service. As Executive Computing said of this computer's predecessor, "If faster processing speed and low cost are two key issues affecting your purchase decision, this machine might be the ideal choice for your office"

Standard Features:

■ Intel 80286 microprocessor running at 12.5 MHz.

■ 640 KB of RAM expandable to 16 MB (4.6 MB on system board).

■5.25" 1.2 MB or 3.5" 1.44 MB diskette drive.

■ Dual diskette and hard disk drive controller.

■ Enhanced 101-key keyboard.

■ 1 parallel and 2 serial ports.

■ 200 watt power supply.

■ Real-time clock.

■ 6 expansion slots. (4 available with hard disk drive controller and video adaptor installed).

■ Socket for 8 MHz 80287 coprocessor.

Options:

■ 512 KB RAM upgrade kit.

■ 8 MHz Intel 80287 coprocessor.

"Leasefor as low as $99/Month.

System 200

With Monitor & Adapter

Hard

Disk Drive

VGA Mono

VGA Color Plus

40 MB 28 ms

$2,699

$2,999

90 MB 18 ms ESDI

$3,499

$3,799

150 MB18 ms ESDI

$3,999

$4,299

322 MB18 ms ESDI

$5,999

$6,299

A Full Line Of Computers With A Full Line Of Configurations*

At Dell, we understand that different users have different needs. So we tailor each system to the users individual requirements.

We offer monitors, graphics boards, tape backups, dot matrix and laser printers, hard disk and

every business application including: accounting, communications, desktop publishing, graphics, word processing, integrated applications and user training.

So when your Dell System arrives, you can do productive

diskette drives, expanded memory work the minute you unpack

boards, serial mice and more. the box.

We also offer third party soft- We can build you the system

ware applications for virtually you've been looking for.

COMMON TO THE SYSTEM 310, SYSTEM 220 AND SYSTEM 200:

The Dell System Analyzer. MS-DOS and OS/2 compatible. Security lock with locking chassis. 12 month on-site service contract (Available on complete systems).

PRINTERS/SOFTWARE. We offer a full line of printers and popular software. All printers come with our 30-day money-back guarantee.

LASER PRINTERS.

LASER SYSTEM 150; $5,995. 15 pages per minute, text and full-page graphics. Dual 250 sheet-input trays.

LASER SYSTEM 80; $3,295. 8 pages per minute, text and full-page graphics.

LASER SYSTEM 60; $2,195. 6 pages per minute, text and full-page graphics.

DOT MATRIX PPJNTERS.

PRINTER SYSTEM 800;

$699.95.

Highest resolution text and

graphics from a 24-wire dot

matrix printer.

Draft quality at 200 cps.

Correspondence quality

at 132 cps.

Letter quality at 66 cps.

Standard parallel and serial

interfaces.

Wide carriage.

PRINTER SYSTEM 600;

$499.95.

9-wire dot matrix.

Draft quality at 240 cps.

Near-letter quality at 60 cps.

Standard parallel interface.

Wide carriage.

PRINTER SYSTEM 300;

$199.95.

9-wire dot matrix.

Draft quality at 144 cps.

Near-letter quality at 36 cps.

Four standard fonts.

Paper parking.

Standard parallel interface.

SOFTWARE. Operating System Software.

Dell Enhanced MS-DOS 3.3 with disk cache and other utilities; $119.95

Dell Enhanced MS OS/2 Standard Edition 1.0 $324.95.

COMPUTER

CORPORATION

TO ORDER, CALL

800426-5150

LN THE US. AND CANADA

All prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. Please inquire for current details. Dell cannot be responsible for errors in typography or photography. In Canada, leasing is not currently available and configurations and prices may vary. Microsoft," MS" and MS-DOS'- are owned by Microsoft Corp. tSignifies registered or unregistered trademarks owned by entities other than Dell Computer Corporation. *Payments based on a 36-month open-end lease. Piease inquire for further details. **During the one year warranty period we will repair or replace any defective products properly returned to our factory © 1988 DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION.

Circle 79 on Reader Service Card

ADCODEN0.11E18

Product Focus

PostScript Printers

^

rObtOti ipi

I I

inters

BYTE looks at the latest PostScript printers, tops in quality and versatility

Steve Apiki and Stan Diehl

A few years ago, the phrases "made in Japan" and "computer-printed" suffered from the same low-quality image. Today, both phrases stand for a consistent quality that's hard to find anywhere else. The turnaround for computer printouts can be traced to a few important developments.

First, Canon and Hewlett-Packard provided personal computers with the high-quality output of laser printing. Later, Adobe supplied PostScript, which let users take greater advantage of their laser printers. From a beachhead of only one printer just 3 years ago, the PostScript-compatible laser printer has moved into a position as the standard against which other output devices are measured.

The BYTE Lab looked at 10 of the best PostScript printers. These printers are an ideal match for today's sophisticated, graphics-intensive software—especially desktop publishing and CAD packages— and the acute need for professional hardcopy output. We also tested four enhancement boards that bring PostScript compatibility to the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II (including a glimpse of the first PostScript clone).

The Making of a Standard

As is true with most computer innovations, the design philosophy of Post

Script is a simple one. The language describes all aspects of the printed pagetext, graphics, and sampled images—in the same way. PostScript graphics operators manipulate text as graphical shapes, therefore ensuring smooth integration of text and graphics on the page.

PostScript's imaging model, the heart of any page-description language (PDL), ensures versatility and total integration. PostScript does not view a page as a conglomeration of separate entities; it handles the page as a single unit. PostScript paints the page by filling in specified areas in color, black and white, or shades of gray.

The wide variety of possible graphics poses special problems for a PDL. PostScript defines operators according to the immediate application by dynamically combining graphics primitives as special needs arise. PostScript's control structure gives it great flexibility in combining graphics operators, thanks to the richness of the programming language.

Scalable fonts exemplify PostScript's versatility. Earlier PDLs called upon a set of physical fonts stored in memory. A PDL from this period could use only the typefaces and point sizes that were available to it. PostScript fonts, on the other hand, are mere geometric descriptions of a typeface's outline. Because the fonts are graphical descriptions rather than a rigid set of typefaces, they can be scaled to any size or rotated to any orientation while retaining their design integrity.

Ironically, the very features that make PostScript such an attractive PDL also conspire against it. The richness of the language makes for a complicated structure. Few programmers would tackle a PostScript program from scratch, and even editing the code can be confusing and tedious. Fortunately, an application program, like a desktop publishing system or a drawing program, usually generates the page description. Though this minimizes the problem of cumbersome code, it also inevitably limits the lan

guage's power: Most applications stay within a set of basic commands, leaving many sophisticated features dormant.

The language structure also contributes to the most onerous PostScript problem: It is slow, painfully slow. PostScript code describes every aspect of the page with printable ASCII characters. The processor must interpret each piece of information—one piece at a time. Since PostScript works with high-level graphics primitives, a bottleneck occurs when converting high-level commands to actual printed graphics.

PostScript's most laudable feature, scalable fonts, also accounts for slow speed. It takes much more time to scale an outline font and generate the corresponding bit map than it would to simply load a typeface from font storage.

The Brains Behind the Beauty

Microcomputer users are about as familiar with bottlenecks as glassblowers are. We're used to twiddling our thumbs waiting for files to be read from disks or for a few pages of text to make their way out of a dot-matrix printer. With PostScript printers, however, the bottleneck comes not from some clunky mechanical subsystem, but from the speed of instruction processing itself. Forget that your print engine is rated at 8 pages per minute (ppm); send a complex graphics document through the PostScript printer controller, and you'll be lucky if you get throughput of 8 minutes per page.

In a typical controller, the CPU is the only piece of intelligent hardware on the board. The CPU parses the commands and generates a bit-mapped page image of whatever was sent. If this includes graphics, all graphics manipulations (e.g., fills and rotations) must be conducted through the software that resides on the controller's EPROMs. A bitmapped image requires the CPU to process the page pixel by pixel, and at 300 dots per inch—90,000 pixels per square

continued

164 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

Varityper VT600

K^siji i i y i^i i /"\CJ[tzJ

Apple LaserWriter 11 NT

Apple LaserWriter IINTX

Dataproducts LZR 2665

Dataproducts LZR1260

General Computer Business Laser Printer

IBM 4216 Personal Pageprinter

PC Publisher Kit

ITT Qume ScripTen

QMS Color Script 100

Laser Connection/QMS JetScript

Laser Connection/QMS PS 800II

QMS PS 810

Texas Instruments OmniLaser 2115

Varityper VT600

QMS PS 810

Pictured at right are four printers selected as best in quality or price.

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 165

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

Table 1: The Varityper VT600 finished well in front in text quality, with the Apple LaserWriter IINTX coming in a surprising first in graphics quality. (Time measurements are in seconds; quality is rated on a scale ofl [worst] to 5 [best].)

IBM PC AT

Apple Macintosh

Graphics

Text

Printer

Large

Small

PostScript

Large

Small

PostScript

Warm-up

text

text

graphics

text

text

graphics

quality

quality

time

file

file

file

file

file

file

score

score

Apple LaserWriter IINT

N/A

N/A

N/A

484

131

203

3.000

3.238

78

Apple LaserWriter IINTX

N/A

N/A

N/A

328

80

87

3.722

3.476

78

Dataproducts LZR 1260

230

57

92

318

77

54

3.389

2.905

69

Dataproducts LZR 2665

412

45

187

397

58

183

3.167

3.190

144

GCC Business Laser Printer

343

102

153

473

108

153

1.106

1.067

89

IBM 4216 Personal Pageprinter

368

82

149

N/A

N/A

N/A

2.833

2.714

32

QMS JetScript (with LaserJet)

258

65

121

N/A

N/A

N/A

3.111

3.238

141

PC Publisher Kit (with LaserJet)

965

71

124

N/A

N/A

N/A

3.167

3.619

25

QMS Color Script 100

1582

362

297

1561

323

108

3.467

3.000

148

QMS PS 800 II

307

64

105

310

144

140

3.056

3.095

66

QMS PS 810

304

85

101

372

95

139

3.667

3.619

66

ITT Qume ScripTen

228

90

168

523

143

112

2.889

3.095

72

TIOmniLaser2115

334

54

109

439

93

108

3.389

3.429

111

Varityper VT600

268

73

152

336

142

156

3.667

4.200

251

Table 2: A comparison of features shows similarities in interfaces and capabilities, and large differences in price, downloadable fonts, and storage.

Printer

CPU/Speed RAM ROM PostScript Hard Interfaces Resident Emulation (MHz) (meg.) version disk drive fonts

Apple LaserWriter IINT Apple LaserWriter IINTX Dataproducts LZR 1260

68000/11.5 68020/16.7 68020/16.7 68000/10 68000/12.5

2

2-12

4

1M 1M 1M

47.0 47.0 47.0 46.2 49.2

No

Port

No

Option

Port

a, s, d a, s, d a, s, p a, s, p a, s, p

35 35 35 13 39

No

No

HP Plus, D630,

Dataproducts LZR 2665

3

512K

D630,

GCC Business Laser Printer

2-3

1M

No

IBM 4216 Personal Pageprinter

68000/10

2.5

No

47.0

No

AT, PS/2 card

13

IBM 4202

QMS JetScript

68000/16

3

No

47.2

No

PC, PS/2 card

35

No

PC Publisher Kit

68000/10

2

No

N/A

No

PC card

22

D630, IBM, NEC,

HP, Qume,

Epson

QMS Color Script 100 QMS PS 800 II

68020/16.7 68000/16

8 2-3

1M

1M

49.4

47.0A

20M

No

a, s, p a, s, p

35 35

No

D630,

HP Plus, HPGL

QMS PS 810

68000/16

2-3

1M

47.0A

No

a, s, p

35

D630, HP Plus, HPGL

ITT Qume ScripTen TIOmniLaser2115

68000/12 68000/10

3 3

1M 576K

47.0 47.0

No No

a, s, p a, s, p

35

13

HP Plus

D630,

HP Plus, HPGL,

TI855

Varityper VT600

68020/16

6

628K

48.0.4

20M

a, s, p

13

No

For interfaces, a is AppleTalk, s is serial, p is Centronix parallel, and d is ADB.

' Adapter cards were tested on a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II, rated at B ppm.

z Size and weight include both engine and controller unit. 3 Price for minimum operating configuration.

166 BYTE" SEPTEMBER 1988

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

inch—that's a hefty amount of information. Compare this to screen graphics, which can limit the speed of an application, where screen resolution is a mere 74 dpi on the Macintosh.

Unfortunately, the slowdown is unavoidable using current technology and architecture. The manufacturers of all these controllers have put real processing horsepower into their systems. All but four of these controllers feature a 68000 CPU: The Apple LaserWriter IINTX, the Dataproducts LZR 1260, the QMS Color Script 100, and the Varityper VT600 are built around a 68020. One would expect these four systems, with the advantage of a 32-bit data bus, to come out on top in our print timings. The IINTX and the LZR 1260 demonstrated excellent throughput on our PostScript graphics benchmark, the best single measure of controller speed. For the complete benchmark results, see table 1.

The VT600 and the Color Script 100 can be considered specialty PostScript printers, and they cannot be fairly compared with the rest of the field in terms of raw printing speed. The VT600, with its 600-dpi resolution (see figure 1), must

process 4 times as much information as the 300-dpi printer in generating its bit map. The Color Script 100, which turned in a very good time on the graphics test, has a four-color thermal print engine that is much slower than the typical Canon engine and slows every page sent through it (see figure 2).

The most telling demonstration of the difference a processor can make is seen when comparing the two Apple personality boards, which use the same printer and whose primary difference is in the CPU. The IINT, which has an 11.5MHz 68000, is less than half as fast as the 16.7-MHz 68020-based IINTX on the critical graphics test.

Most manufacturers have chosen to live with the performance decrease in exchange for the considerable cost savings afforded by the 68000. If the ultimate in speed is not one of your requirements, you can choose from a wealth of quality PostScript printers built around the less powerful CPU. Within this group, Texas Instruments' OmniLaser 2115, the QMS JetScript controller card, and the two QMS 800 series printers have the best processing speeds. QMS arms every one

of its controllers with a 16-MHz 68000, rather than the typical 12-MHz version, and the performance difference is obvious.

Next to the CPU, the most important features of a controller are the interfaces it supports and how well it supports them. With the notable exception of the IBM 4216 Personal Pageprinter, all the printers we reviewed can communicate through an RS-232C serial port or on an AppleTalk network; all but the Apple printers support Centronix parallel. The Personal Pageprinter and the LaserJet add-on cards (JetScript and PC Publisher Kit) have their own connections between the printer and the adapter and require an IBM PC AT slot. A Personal Pageprinter controller for Micro Channel-based machines is available. A list of the interfaces that each printer supports, as well as other features, is found in table 2.

Interfaces extend beyond the physical cable connection, and they play an important role in both compatibility and performance. While our Macintosh and DOS benchmark results are not directly comparable, they do point up significant

continued

Engine

Life (pages)

Duty

cycle

(pg./mo.)

PPM

DPI

Size

Weight

Software

Documentation pages

Suggested price

Canon LBP-SX

300k

Not rated

8

300

8.5x20x18

45

No

152

$4599

Canon LBP-SX

300k

Not rated

8

300

8.5x20x18

45

No

152

$6599

Toshiba A-739

600k

10k

12

300

18.1 x 19.8x19.52

1072

No

280

$7995

Toshiba A-740

3M

80k

26

300

16.1 x 23.4x26.7

176

No

44

$18,700

Ricoh 1060

180k

3k

6

300

16.1 x 16.5x9

38

Mac fonts Mac drivers

172

$4199

Undisclosed

Not rated

4k

6

300

17.7x16.5x8.4

38

Adapter w/ fonts

250

$49993

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

300

N/A

N/A

Adapter w/ fonts

83

$2495

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A'

300

N/A

N/A

Adapter

w/ fonts,

DDL software

221

$1995

Mitsubishi G650

Not rated

4k

1

300

13.8x20.9x22.22

1142

No

206

$24,995

Canon CX-D

300k

10k

8

300

18.7 x 18.1 x19.5

99

PostScript utilities

130 + 2 PS Manuals

$6495

Canon LBP-SX

300k

5k

8

600

18x9.1 x25

44

No

206

$5495

Hitachi

300k

5k

10

300

20 x 17.25 x 15

90

No

179

$5695

Ricoh 4150

1.5M

25k

15

300

21.5x28.5x17.5

88

No

349

$7995

Undisclosed

360k

3k

10

600

18.5x23x21.1

161

No

146

$15,995

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 167

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

arts arts ull pull p

DrinteDiinte

Figure 1: Finer characters are in the sample at left, from the 600-dpi Varityper VT600. The sample at right, from a QMS PS 810, shows 300-dpi resolution.

differences in how the interfaces and controllers work together. The ITT Qume ScripTen, for example, printed our graphics file from the Macintosh significantly faster than it printed basically the same file from the IBM PC AT. This

is in sharp contrast to the performance of the QMS printers, which did much better on the DOS side. Better AppleTalk compatibility from ITT Qume accounts for this difference.

General Computer's Business Laser

Printer follows Apple's lead in making the AppleTalk connection of the DIN-8 variety, rather than the DB-9 favored by all the other AppleTalk printers. The other printers use the DB-9 connection as an additional RS-422 serial port when they are not in AppleTalk mode. These differing connectors can present a problem—though trivial—when connecting different printers to the network.

We chose the parallel interface when testing throughput from the IBM PC AT because we thought it was the least complicated way to connect a DOS machine to a printer. One printer that we ran into some trouble with using this approach was the QMS Color Script 100, which refused to receive instructions through the parallel port. QMS acknowledged the problem and suggested that we use a 30foot parallel cable to correct it. Since only a 12-foot cable was available, we were forced to use the RS-232C port to get around the buggy parallel interface.

Though PostScript was developed for serial communications and Interactive PostScript depends on it, using a communications program to talk to a printer from an IBM PC AT is a trying experi

freedom of Press.

Over the last few years, Adobe Systems has brought forth some very revolutionary ideas.

Such as the Adobe PostScript'"' page description language. Adobe1" Type Library. Adobe Illustrator 88." The Display PostScript" system.

Software that gives you the freedom to create professional-quality reports, news

letters, business graphics and more. Using virtually any kind of computer. IBM® PC. Macintosh? Mini or mainframe.

That's why choosing printers with PostScript software is your declaration of vendor independence. It's the only standard adopted by virtually every major company in the computer industry.

So any computers you have will work with any printers you buy equipped with PostScript software.

And that means even more choices when it's time to print. You can use laser and color printers. At a variety of resolutions. Or even professional typesetters.

The Adobe Type Library also gives you

Adobe, Adobe Illustrator and PostScript are registered trademarks

and the Adobo logo. Adobe Illustrator BB. Display PostScript and lite PostScript logo are trademarks ol Addbe Systems Incorporated. IBM is the registered trademark ol International Business Machines.

168 BYTE" SEPTEMBER 1988

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

ence. Even after the initial headache of matching the protocols, stripping linefeeds, and making sure the software was not expanding any tabs or sending any extraneous control characters, we continued to run into problems where the only solution was to turn the printer on and off. If you have a choice in interfacing from an IBM PC AT, choose the parallel port.

Memories and Storage

PostScript printers owe their ability to create quality, high-resolution output to more than just sheer processing power. Effective use of memory and mass storage capability is vital to the performance of the system. Every controller has at least 2 megabytes of RAM, most have some ROM, and some even have a hard disk drive or that capability. What sets a controller apart is the way it uses available memory to conduct the functions required by PostScript.

Most of the printers use ROM exclusively for retaining resident fonts. Obviously, the greater ROM storage a controller has, the more fonts it can keep readily available. The Texas Instruments Omni

Laser 2115 stores most of its font information in ROM cartridges, and it has only a small amount of on-board ROM.

The IBM 4216 Personal Pageprinter and the LaserJet add-on cards opt for no ROM at all; their "resident" typefaces are stored on the system's hard disk drive and are downloaded to controller RAM when the system is initialized. This configuration lets you change your resident font set through software, so whichever typefaces you use most frequently are automatically downloaded. While this gives added versatility, especially to those who commonly use unusual fonts, it does add a significant delay to the initialization process.

Nonresident fonts can be downloaded to RAM from either the controlling microcomputer or a hard disk drive. Only Varityper's VT600 and QMS's Color Script 100 controller come with hard disk drives installed, but Apple's IINTX and General Computer's Business Laser Printer have small-computer-systeminterface (SCSI) ports for making optional hard disk drive connections.

Two types of font information are kept in controller memory: the fonts them

selves, and a PostScript standardized font cache. The font cache consists of characters that have already been processed and for which a bit-map outline has already been generated. Needless to say, fonts fetched from the font cache are utilized much more rapidly than those that must be taken from regular font memory and completely processed. It's in storing the font cache that a large amount of fast RAM can really make its presence felt.

Controller RAM stores downloaded fonts, the PostScript page description, the page bit map, and whatever header files an application may require. The controller uses any additional space for the font cache. The Color Script 100 comes standard with 8 megabytes of RAM to lead the field, but the IINTX's standard 2 megabytes can be upgraded to 12 megabytes. The VT600 comes with 6 megabytes installed, and the LZR 1260 comes with 4 megabytes; all the other controllers come with 2 or 3 megabytes standard.

Once again, the VT600 and the Color Script 100 are in a class by themselves.

continued

Freedom of Choice

Linotype Company Linotronic" 100, 300. 500

Digital Equipment Corp. PrintSetver40'," ScriptPrinter"

Texas Instruments OmniLaser" 2108. 2115

Qume Corporation ScriptTEN"

Texas Instruments OmniLaser" 2106

AST

Turbo Laser'/PS

IBM 4216-020 Personal Pageprinter"

Apple Computer Inc. LaserWriter*' IINT, IINTX

NEC Information Systems SilentWriter" LC-890

UiMiiiiW

The Laser Connection PS Jet/PS Jot* "

General Computer Business LaserPrinter Plus"

Apollo Computer Inc. Domain/Laser 26"

Dataproducts Corp. LZR"2665

Quadram Quadlaser" PS

choices—literally hundreds of typefaces that let you communicate any idea more effectively.

Adobe Illustrator 88 software gives you freedom, too.

It lets you easily create anything from simple line drawings to complex masterpieces. Even if you can't draw a straight line.

And our new Display PostScript software

is a powerful system that brings the power of Adobe's PostScript software to any PC or workstation display.

So before you invest in any laser printer, make sure it's equipped with PostScript software from Adobe.

For more information, call 80029-ADOBE.

Because Adobe's PostScript software is your only guarantee of true freedom of expression.

CORPORATED

pf ^H Look lor this symbol on computers, printers and other Qtt^H products that support PostScript software Irom Adobe postscriit Systems. It's your guarantee of quality and connectivity.

Macintosh ,s the registered trademark ol Apple Computers. Inc. ©198S Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved This ad was produced using the Adobe Type Library and PosiScnpt printers and typesetters. The illustrations were created with Adobe Illustrator^ sottware.

Circle 308 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 169

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

How the Tests Were Done

We tested the printers on the two factors that users care most about: speed and print quality. For speed, we give objective numbers; for print quality, we provide numbers that are subjective but not arbitrary.

We printed three files, each designed to emulate a typical user file, in our speed test. First, we printed a 125Kbyte, 16-page file that contained seven fonts, to emulate a large (and somewhat poorly designed) report. Next, we printed a 25K-byte, 6-page file that used only three fonts but also incorporated some small graphical elements. This file was typical of a small newsletter or flier. Finally, we printed a 34Kbyte, single-page file of graphics and highly manipulated text. This page made extensive use of PostScript's facilities for text manipulation (e.g., rotation, scaling, and distortion), line rendering, and shading.

On the IBM PC AT, we created a separate PostScipt file for each test, and we used the DOS PRINT command to send the file to the printer. Each printer except the QMS Color Script 100 was con

nected to the AT via the parallel port.

On the Macintosh SE, we connected to the printer through AppleTalk and printed each file from its creating application. The file sizes for the Macintosh tests were 118K bytes, 2IK bytes, and 20K bytes, respectively, for the large text, small text, and graphics tests. We used Mac Write 5.0 for the text files and Adobe Illustrator 1.0 for the graphics file. Since the two computers required different means for sending the files to the printers, you should not try to draw conclusions concerning the IBM PC AT versus the Macintosh as platforms for driving a printer.

For the print quality tests, we took one page of mixed-font text and a graphics page from each printer, taped them to a wall, and had 20 members of our editorial and art departments rate them on quality of text and graphics, using a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The result in table 1 is the mean of the scores.

One test we did not run was for noise level. We took readings on all printers and found that none added significantly to the noise level of the testing room.

Both of them have more than the standard amount of RAM, and both have a hard disk drive. The hard disk drive, in addition to storing downloaded fonts, is used as additional nonvolatile caching space. Less frequently used fonts in the cache are sent to disk as the RAM cache becomes full, enabling the cache to grow to 10 megabytes. Of course, retrieving fonts from the disk cache takes far longer than getting them from the RAM cache, but it is still faster than regenerating an entire character set.

All the printers except the VT600 provide Times, Helvetica, and Courier fonts among their standard resident fonts. See table 2 for the number of resident fonts each printer provides.

Doing the Dirty Work

Although PostScript gets the headlines, the print engine does all the dirty work. In fact, the engine, more so than the PDL, determines the overall quality of type. The engine affects the main attributes by which a printer is measured: resolution, print quality, durability, and—to some extent—speed.

We often credit PostScript for sparking the laser-printer revolution. In fact, it was Canon who, by unveiling the LBP

CX print engine in 1983, enabled lowcost laser printers to enter the market. When Hewlett-Packard introduced the Canon-based LaserJet in 1984, laser printers became a viable alternative for the office.

The print engine performs the printer's electromechanical functions. In a laser printer, the print engine contains the laser itself, which generates an electrical charge on a photosensitive drum. The charged area corresponds to desired markings on the page. Depending on the type of engine, the laser exposes either the black area of the image (write-black) or the white area of the image (writewhite). The rotating drum attracts the toner to the charged areas and transfers it to a piece of paper. A final burst of heat melts the toner, thus fixing it to the page.

This process can affect print quality. Write-black engines produce darker blacks; write-white engines handle finer text. The resolution offered by the engine will, of course, affect print quality the most. Only the Varityper VT600 deviates from the 300-dpi standard, offering a fourfold increase in density at 600 dpi.

Because of the PostScript bottleneck, a manufacturer's rated engine speed

means very little. The printer will spit out sheets only as fast as PostScript can compose them. The Dataproducts LZR 2665 advertises a print speed of 26 ppm, but our benchmarks show little speed enhancement over engines with slower ratings. Only if you're churning out multiple copies of the same text file will the engine realize its advertised print speed.

If you intend to use your printer as a shared resource, consider the rated engine life. The original Canon CX has a rated engine life of only 100,000 pages. The Canon SX—the engine driving the newer Apple LaserWriters, the QMS PS 810, and others—claims an engine life of 300,000 pages. The Texas Instruments OmniLaser 2115, equipped with a Ricoh 4150 engine, boasts a life cycle of IV2 million pages. The most durable engines, like the Toshiba A-740 or the Agfa engine, will pump out over 3 million copies before giving out. None of the printers reviewed use the Agfa engine.

The print engine will have a significant effect on the printer's price. The LZR 2665 carries a hefty price tag, mainly because of its top-of-the-line Toshiba A-740 engine. Printers stocked with the Ricoh 1060 engine fall in a lower price range.

Putting It All Together

The 14 printers and boards we reviewed were more than the sums of their controller, memory, and print-engine capabilities. They all are quiet and will fit nicely into an office environment, but each has special features and idiosyncrasies that you should consider when deciding on a PostScript printer. For a description of how we evaluated each printer, see the text box "How the Tests Were Done."

Apple LaserWriter IINT: Apple's replacement for its original LaserWriter PostScript board is a good controller designed for an excellent printer. Although it turned in a mediocre performance on most of our throughput benchmarks, the times were very good for the engineintensive 36-page text test.

The IINT, which sells for $4599, has a 68000 controller and limited memory, but it is easy to install and use and produces high-quality output.

Apple LaserWriter IINTX: This is a confession: Ever since we got this printer for evaluation back in February, we've used it for creating nearly all our hard copy in the lab. The print quality is excellent, and the printer is fast, versatile, and trouble-free.

Its combination of a 68020 controller and expandable memory gives it the un

continued

170 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

The secret to my success.

When I first showed up with printouts from my Jet-Setter II laser printer, people just said, "Looks great!" or "Where did you have this typeset?" or "Did the art department do these charts?"

Everyone assumed I couldn't afford a laser printer. But now I think they're starting to get suspicious. Upwardly mobile. The Jet-Setter II is compatible with the H-P LaserJet II® series printers, and has optional emu

lation cartridges available for Epson® and Diablo® So it works with just about every computer and every popular software package you can name. And with a large library of fonts, and options like a memory expansion package for the full page graphics you need in desktop publishing, it will be hard to obsolete. Don't tell anyone. I'll admit it. The C. Itoh Jet-Setter II is the secret to my success. But when the word gets around that

you can get laser quality output without a big cash outlay, everybody's gonna want one. So keep it to yourself, okay?

For more information or

the C. Itoh reseller nearest you, call

(800) 227-0315 or (714) 757-4492

We build more in. So you get more out.

CJTOH

C. Itoh Electronics, Inc.

2505 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92714.

Circle 65 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 66)

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 171

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

The Un-PostScript Alternative

Given PostScript's processing speed, you'd do best to schedule complex print jobs around coffee breaks and staff meetings. But there are alternatives. The CAPcard controller from LaserMaster prints so fast that we started wondering if our benchmarks were sufficient.

LaserMaster refers to its product as the Un-PostScript solution. In contrast to PostScript, which converts a bit-map graphic into ASCII, the CAPcard uses a dedicated graphics coprocessor to directly execute function calls.

Our first test used a complex PageMaker document with multiple fonts and integrated graphics. The CAPcard, installed in a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II, printed the file from a standard IBM PC AT in 11 minutes and 13 seconds. For comparison, we chose the QMS JetScript card for obvious reasons: It installs in the same printer; it employs true Adobe PostScript; and its performance compares favorably with the other PostScript printers. Its performance could not match the CAPcard's, though. The complex PageMaker docu

ment took the JetScript almost an hour to print.

So we tried something else. We pulled an AutoCAD drawing into PageMaker and printed that. CAPcard spit it out in 2 minutes and 13 seconds. The PostScript method took 32 minutes and 19 seconds. LaserMaster claims its proprietary graphics chip processes vectors at the rate of 10,000 per second. The AutoCAD benchmark bears this out.

The CAPcard beats the JetScript in price, too. With 1.5 megabytes of RAM standard, LaserMaster's controller sells for $1395; enhanced versions—with more RAM, scalable typefaces, and drivers—are also available.

In fairness, the CAPcard software was hard to install; LaserMaster says a quick install kit, now available, will take care of the problem. Also, JetScript ran pure text files faster. But you don't buy a desktop publishing system and a laser printer to print just text. You want fancy logos, startling graphics, and total integration. Both products deliver the goods; it's just that CAPcard delivers them much, much faster.

matched graphics speed it demonstrated in our benchmarks. The print engine is the same classic LaserWriter that did well by the IINT. If there is a drawback to this system, it's the price tag: At $6599, the IINTX is at the top end of the 300-dpi printers, but in this case you get a lot for the money you spend. [Editor's note: For a comprehensive review of the IINT and the IINTX, see "Remaking a Classic" by Curtis Franklin Jr. in the May BYTE.]

Dataproducts LZR 2665: The LZR 2665 is a hard printer to categorize. Though its $18,700 price tag places it in a class with the Varityper VT600, it prints at only 300 dpi. As if to make up for that deficiency, the print engine posts an outstanding set of specs: a throughput speed of 26 ppm, a duty cycle of 80,000 pages per month, and a life expectancy of 3 million pages. The printer will also output ledger-size paper.

With all those impressive credentials, why doesn't this printer perform better? Perhaps it's the 10-MHz 68000. For what you pay, you deserve the 68020. Or maybe it's the limited storage, or some other design flaw. In any case, the LZR 2665 is simply not worth that much money. Its sluggish performance on

throughput tests negates the impressive engine speed. It's not hard to use, but it is difficult to set up. And, to top it all off, the print quality is poor.

Simply put, you can get a better printer for much less money than the LZR 2665, but if you happen to have $18,700 burning a hole in your pocket, go for the VT600 and 600 dpi.

Dataproducts LZR 1260: The LZR 1260 combines a powerful controller with an excellent print engine to provide speed that blows by Apple's IINTX. In contrast to the earlier LZR 2665, the manufacturer focused on the controller rather than on the engine, resulting in a superior machine well worth $7995. Though compact in comparison to the LZR 2665, the LZR 1260's print engine is sturdier than average, with a rated duty cycle of 10,000 pages per month.

The controller, built around a 68020 and connected to a print engine rated at 12 ppm, delivers impressive speed. One important flaw in its otherwise excellent benchmark performance—and the only thing that keeps this from being our favorite printer—is its relatively poor print quality. It also showed an unusual tendency for the status lights to remain active well after the last page had left the

printer. This "busy" indication, though disquieting, did not seem to interfere with subsequent printing.

A liquid-crystal-display readout and a membrane keypad on the front panel let you select both the interface and the PostScript mode (batch or interactive) without resorting to the manual. You can also select a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Plus emulation mode if you need to print a document outside PostScript.

General Computer Corp. (GCC) Business Laser Printer: If you're willing to sacrifice some performance—but no versatility—for economy, this may be the printer for you. It features a 68000-based controller with 2 megabytes of RAM; a 6-ppm print engine; AppleTalk, RS232C serial, and Centronix interfaces; and a SCSI port for connection to an external hard disk drive. All this will run you only $4199 for the complete system, or you can upgrade the GCC Personal Laser Printer for $2299.

The printer is aimed squarely at the Macintosh market, and a large part of its clearly written documentation is dedicated to operating from a Macintosh. Its default interface mode is AppleTalk, and connection to the parallel port requires flipping a DIP switch on the back of the printer. Printer-driver and font software are included for the Macintosh, but there are no equivalent fonts for the IBM PC.

Speed performance was poor, but the output was fine, and the Business Laser Printer compared favorably to several more costly printers on our print quality test. As a matter of fact, this is the least expensive laser printer we reviewed, and you can definitely do worse in finding a solid, reliable printer.

IBM 4216 Personal Pageprinter: IBM markets the 4216 as part of its SolutionPac Personal Publishing System. The printer itself is offered with the controller card and software in a minimum operating configuration that sells for $4999.

The printer shares its design with the General Computer printer. The toner and OPC (organic photoconductor) cartridges both load in the same way, and everything but the interface is similar in both machines. For the interface, the printer must be connected to an adapter card mounted in an IBM PC AT or PS/2 slot.

System software lets you load fonts from your system's hard disk drive to controller RAM, and it includes a print utility and PageMaker and Windows drivers. Hard disk drive-resident fonts can be altered.

continued

172 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

LOWEST PRICE EVER

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PRINTER SHARING.

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Now, there is an alternative to printer sharing devices costing $500 or more: The Auto-T Plus with Softspool.

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Circle 126 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 173

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

Figure 2: This drawing, done with Aldus FreeHand, is typical of output from the QMS Color Script 100. To date, this is the only PostScript-compatible color printer.

The printer produced output of poor quality, and its speed performance was mediocre when connected to the IBM PC AT. The SolutionPac (including a PS/2 Model 80) may be a good turnkey system, but as a stand-alone printer, the 4216 is woefully average.

PC Publisher Kit: The first of the PostScript clones has finally arrived. Imagen's UltraScript language emulates the Adobe standard, bringing PostScript compatibility to the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II. In addition to PostScript, the PC Publisher Kit can print DDL, PCL, and Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL) files. The kit features the 68000 processor with 2 megabytes of memory and 22 typefaces.

The $1995 PC Publisher Kit sells for $500 less than JetScript, a true PostScript controller. Lower prices should be a major selling point of the coming clones, since they will be immune from Adobe royalties. The kit comes with two boards, one for the IBM PC AT and one for the printer. Installation of both software and hardware is quick and painless. If you need help, the two manuals should prove adequate.

Much has been made of Adobe's proprietary font-scaling algorithm. We were anxious to see how well PC Publisher Kit would handle our large text file, a benchmark designed to wring out the font cache and test font-scaling capability.

Imagen uses its own algorithm to scale fonts. Also, though it does not license Adobe fonts, it does license from original foundries. Adobe's font-scaling claims do gain some credence here, as PC Publisher Kit ran the large text benchmark significantly slower than the JetScript controller. Unfortunately, the kit stores fonts on the host's hard disk drive, so slow disk access time will affect throughput.

For the most part, though, Imagen has created a sufficient clone. PC Publisher Kit posted adequate times on the other benchmarks, it was able to print all the PostScript test files, and it displayed print quality comparable to JetScript's. If you have long documents with multiple font changes, you can't ignore the kit's speed deficiency; but if you're on a tight budget, you can get PC Publisher Kit for 25 percent less than JetScript. Yet another trade-off.

The emergence of clones must be a mixed blessing for Adobe. Competitive prices will cut into its monopolized market. On the other hand, a sudden plethora of imitators is the surest sign that PostScript has attained the status of an industry standard.

ITT Qume ScripTen: This printer deserves high marks for exterior design. It is pleasing to the eye. The output, on the other hand, fails to meet that same aesthetic. The write-white Hitachi engine

puts out some deep blacks, but it does not print high-quality text. It scored near the bottom on our print quality tests and average on throughput. The engine has a rated speed of 10 ppm, a duty cycle of 5000 pages per month, and a life expectancy of 300,000 pages.

The ScripTen employs the 68000 processor and holds 1 megabyte of ROM and 3 megabytes of RAM. The $5695 printer is extremely easy to set up and just as easy to use. Indicator lights are accessible and self-explanatory. Documentation includes a guide to operations and a PostScript supplement. The supplement covers basic PostScript commands—the ones you are most likely to use—and explains how to issue these commands from interactive mode. The ScripTen scored high on our IBM PC AT benchmarks, especially on the large text throughput. However, it did not handle the AppleTalk small and large text tests very well. In any case, given the poor print quality, those benchmarks don't mean much.

QMS Color Script 100: If you think 300-dpi graphics look good in black and white, wait till you see them in color. The Color Script 100 lets you take that step by being the first color PostScript printer. The results are spectacular.

QMS has put together a high-powered print controller featuring a 68020 CPU, 8 megabytes of memory, a 20-megabyte hard disk drive, and a four-color thermal print engine to create the Color Script 100, a high-performance printer capable of some truly beautiful graphics. The system lists at an eye-popping $24,995, and at over 3 times the price of most 300dpi printers, it's reserved for customers who need high-resolution color.

The print engine is slow, especially when processing large files like our large text benchmark file. Printing in color takes far longer, as the printer needs to make four passes on the page: one each for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The high-speed controller enabled the printer to perform admirably on our single-page graphics benchmark.

High speed is not, of course, what sells this printer. It's the pages it outputs—with high-quality text or graphics in both black and white and color—that really grab you. The system can also make an excellent proof printer, as it can do color separations for three or four colors.

There are, unfortunately, two serious limitations to the otherwise excellent Color Script 100: the lack of a reliable parallel interface, as discussed earlier,

continued

174 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

ILLUSTRATION: BERT MONROY © 1988

- ■ ..

QNX": Bend it, shape it, any way you want it.

ARCHITECTURE If the micro world were not so varied, QNX would not be so successful. After all, it is the operating system which enhances or limits the potential capabilities of applications. QNX owes its success (over 60,000 systems sold since 1982) to the tremendous power and flexibility provided by its modular architecture.

Based on message-passing, QNX is radically more innovative than UNIX or OS/2. Written by a small team of dedicated designers, it provides a fully integrated multi-user, multi-tasking, networked operating system in a lean 148K. By comparison, both OS/2 and UNIX, written by many hands, are huge and cumbersome. Both are examples of a monolithic operating system design fashionable over 20 years ago.

MULTI-USER OS/2 is multi-tasking but NOT multi-user. For OS/2, this inherent deficiency is a serious handicap for ter

minal and remote access. QNX is both multi-tasking AND multi-user, allowing up to 32 terminals and modems to connect to any computer.

INTEGRATED NETWORKING Neither UNIX nor OS/2 can provide integrated networking. With truly distributed processing and resource sharing, QNX makes all resources (processors, disks, printers and modems anywhere on the network) available to any user. Systems may be single computers, or, by simply adding micros without changes to user software, they can grow to large transparent multiprocessor environments. QNX is the mainframe you build micro by micro.

PC's, AT's and PS/2's OS/2 and UNIX severely restrict hardware that can be used: you must replace all your PC's with AT's. In contrast, QNX runs superbly on PC's and literally soars on AT's and PS/2's. You can

run your unmodified QNX applications on any mix of machines, either standalone or in a QNX local area network, in real mode on PC's or in protected mode on AT's. Only QNX lets you run multi-user/multitasking with networking on all classes of machines.

REAL TIME QNX real-time performance leaves both OS/2 and UNIX wallowing at the gate. In fact, QNX is in use at thousands of real-time sites, right now.

DOS SUPPORT QNX allows you to run PC-DOS applications as single-user tasks, for both PC's and AT's in real or protected mode. With OS/2,128K of the DOS memory is consumed to enable this facility. Within QNX protected mode,' a full 640K can be used for PC-DOS. ANY WAY YOU WANT IT QNX has the power and flexibility you need. Call for details and a demo disk.

THE ONLY MULTI-USER, MULTI-TASKING, NETWORKING, REAL-TIME OPERATING SYSTEM FOR THE IBM PC, AT, PS/2,

THE HP VECTRA, AND COMPATIBLES.

Multi-User

10 (32) serial terminals per PC (AT).

C Compiler

Multi-Taskinc

64 (150) tasks per PC (AT).

Flexibility

Networking

2.5 Megabit token passing. 255 PC's and/or AT's per network. 10,000 tasks per network. Thousands of users per network.

Real Time

3,200 task switches/sec (AT).

PC-DOS

Message

Fast intertask communication

Cost

Passing

between tasks on any machine.

Standard Kernighan and Ritchie.

Single PC, networked PC's, single PC with terminals, networked PC's with terminals. No central servers. Full sharing of disks, devices and CPU's.

PC-DOS runs as a QNX task.

From US $450.

Runtime pricing available.

Quantum Software Systems Ltd.

For further information or a free demonstration diskette, please telephone (613) 591-0931.

Kanata South Business Park • 175 Terrence Matthews Crescent • Kanata, Ontario, Canada • K2M1W8 Circle 227 on Reader Service Card

QNX is a registered trademark ol Quantum Software Systems Ltd,

UNIX is a registered trademark of AT ST Bell Labs, IBM, PC. AT/XT and PS/2, PC-DOS and OS/2 are trademarks ot international Business Machines. HP and Vectra are registered trademarks ot Hewlett-Packard Company,

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

and a limited imageable area. In order to keep the margins required for tight tolerance on color alignment, the thermal print engine accesses only an 8.11- by 8.91-inch region on a standard 8.5- by 11-inch page. This is significantly less than the average 8.1- by 10.5-inch imageable region afforded by most of the laser printers, and it can actually lead to some clipping. You can avoid the problem by simply designing pages with this limitation in mind.

Laser Connection/QMS JetScript: The JetScript controller provides PostScript compatibility to the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II. Two cards, a manual, four floppy disks, and a parallel cable come in the package. You must first install the software. This copies the PostScript code onto the host computer's hard disk drive. The prompts are clear and easy to follow, and the directions cover everything, including jumper settings on the board.

Hardware installation is just as easy: Slide one card into the IBM PC AT, pop the other into the rear slot of the LaserJet, plug in the cable, and boot up. An AUTOEXEC file will load PostScript code onto the controller board's RAM. Unlike the PostScript printers, the code is not ROM-resident. Though this configuration causes some inefficiencies, it also means you won't have to swap ROM chips with each upgrade.

JetScript's ASAP (Advanced System Architecture for PostScript) technology, extended font cache, and 16-MHz 68000 MPU combine for exceptionally fast throughput. JetScript cranked out the large text file in only 4 minutes and 18 seconds. The $2495 controller supports the 35 standard Adobe typefaces. Installing the card will not void the printer warranty.

If you have a LaserJet Series II and need PostScript compatibility, JetScript offers a ready solution. In fact, the smooth operation and impressive speed of this controller almost justify purchasing the LaserJet just to put the JetScript card in it.

Laser Connection/QMS PS 800 II: QMS has a reputation for producing quality printers at a reasonable price, and the printers in the PS 800 series are no exception. Though marketed by The Laser Connection, this printer is QMS through and through. The PS 800 II, with an attractive price of $6495, is a 300-dpi printer with a fast 68000 controller, 2 megabytes of RAM, and an engine rated at 8 ppm. The combination affords good overall performance in both text and graphics printing.

Text and graphics quality rank the PS 800II in the middle of the field. Highest performance was achieved in the printing of our graphics-intensive benchmark, where the controller's speed could really shine.

Top this printing performance off with provisions for the three common interface connections, a 10,000-page-permonth duty cycle, a double print tray combination, and emulation support for the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Plus,

POSTSCRIPT

Adobe's new logo

sets apart

true PostScript products

from clones.

HPGL, and the Diablo 630, and you have a full-featured printer capable of handling network print jobs with style.

QMS PS 810: The PS 810 is a compact, comparatively light-duty version of the PS 800 II, with the same controller configuration driving an electrophotographic recording engine. Though the engine is rated for the same 8-ppm speed, the system is much smaller than the PS 800II, which uses the raster-scan print method. The printer weighs in at 44 pounds, approximately half the bulk of its larger cousin, but it also has only half the recommended duty cycle at 5000 pages per month. It costs $5495.

Print quality was excellent for this machine, consistently on top in our quality benchmarks. Beyond this, the PS 810 and PS 800 II are remarkably similar, sharing the same interfaces and emulations. The PS 810 does not have the dual input trays of the more network-oriented PS 800 II, but the two machines' only critical design difference is in print capacity. If you're looking for a printer to handle less than a whole office's output, you might do well to consider the lighter and even less expensive PS 810.

Texas Instruments OmniLaser 2115: The Ricoh 4150 engine gives the OmniLaser 2115 some impressive specs. With a 25,000-page-per-month duty cycle and a life expectancy of 1V4 million pages, the 2115 looks great on paper. If only its

output looked better on paper. The writewhite engine produces deep blacks, but the text lacks crispness. Still, the 2115 scored average on our print quality tests and above average on throughput.

The $7995 unit has a compact structure, with all switches, trays, and cartridges readily accessible. It is easy to set up and use. Two manuals provide all the information you'll need in a clear, wellorganized format. Chances are good, though, that you won't have to refer to them often.

If you're looking for a printer to add to a network, you can't ignore this one. It has all the features you look for in a shared resource: durable duty cycle, long life expectancy, exceptional speed, and ease of use.

Varityper VT600: If you're ready to plunk down a good-size chunk of capital and graduate from the ranks of the 300dpi laser-printer owners, you're ready for a Varityper VT600. At $15,995, the VT600 is definitely not for the casual user, nor even for the serious individual user. This is a machine meant for organizations with a real need for very highquality printing but not yet ready to go into the publishing business full-time with the purchase of a Linotype.

The VT600 is the first PostScript printer to achieve 600-dpi resolution. The 600-dpi print engine is fast—rated at 10 ppm—and able to give the printer good throughput ratings when printing large files. Processing power is vital when dealing with the vast amounts of information manipulated at this resolution. The controller is built around a 68020 CPU and 6 megabytes of RAM, 4 megabytes of which are necessary for the page buffer alone. A 20-megabyte hard disk drive provides additional storage space.

The system comes with surprisingly few fonts installed, but you can purchase almost any imaginable font from Varityper's library of 53 typeface families. Text printed with these installed fonts is distinctively good. The printer topped our text quality test.

Graphics, especially those with gradations from dark to light, are beautiful at 600 dpi. Black areas are black, and edges are clearly defined. The VT600 was not, however, the most highly rated graphics printer according to our test, which favored the 300-dpi Apple IINTX.

The Pick of the Lasers

In selecting the best of these printers, our single most important criterion was print quality, an elusive and often subjective

continued

176 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

RUSH POSTAGE-WUD 0 CARD FOR YOUR FREE

fl /VTA Lfl !■' Every NRI course features practical, "^* B ^*"i W%* ■ hands-on training with state-of

the-art equipment you keep. Only NRI gives you the training and the equipment for career advancement, parttime earnings, or even a business of your own.

(Please Print)

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City State Zip

Accredited by the National Home Study Council •) 7Q-098

CHECK Please send my free catalog ONE on NRI training in:

□ Computer Electronics

□ TV/Video/Audio Servicing D Robotics

□ Electronic Music Technology

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□ Bookkeeping and Accounting

□ Building Construction/Remodeling

□ Automotive Servicing

□ Small Engine Repair

□ Electrician

□ Air Conditioning/Heating/Refrigsration

□ Locksmithing

□ Travel Careers

□ Telephone Servicing D Paralegal

For career courses approved under G.I. Bill, □ check for details.

BUSINESS REPLY MAIL

FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 10008 WASHINGTON, D.C.

POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE

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NO POSTAGE

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Now from NRI comes the first course of its kind... anywhere!

Learn to use, program, and service today's digital electronic music equipment as you V: -..___ build your own computer-controlled

music center

Now NRI puts you at the heart of the most exciting application of digital technology to date! With NRI's new at-home training in Electronic Music Technology, you get hands-on experience with the equipment that's revolutionizing the music industry—Atari ST Series computer with built-in MIDI ports, Casio CZ101 digital synthesizer with advanced MIDI capabilities, and ingenious MIDI software that links computer keyboard to synthesizer keyboard—all yours to train with and keep.

This year, over $1.5 billion worth of digital electronic music instruments—keyboards, guitars, drum machines, and related equipment—will be sold in the U.S. alone. Who's buying this new-tech equipment? Not just progressive musicians and professional recording technicians, but also thousands of people who have never touched a musical instrument before. And there's good reason why.

Something called MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) has suddenly transformed musical instruments into the ultimate computer peripherals ... and opened up a whole new world of opportunity for the person who knows how to use, program, and service this extraordinary new digital equipment.

Now NRI's breakthrough Electronic Music Technology course puts you at the forefront of this booming new technology with exclusive hands-on training built around a MIDI-equipped computer, MIDI synthesizer, and MIDI software you keep.

Dynamic New Technology Opens Up New Career Opportunities for You

The opportunities are unlimited for the person who's trained to take advantage of today's electronic music phenomenon. Now you can prepare for a high-paying career as .a studio technician,

sound engineer, recording engineer, or road technician... even start your own new-age business providing one-stop sales and service for musicians, technicians, and general consumers alike. Or simply unleash your own musical creativity with the breakthrough training and equipment only NRI gives you.

Only NRI Gives You an Atari ST Computer, Casio Synthesizer, and Innovative MIDI Software You Train With and Keep

The Atari ST Series computer included in your course becomes the heart of your own computercontrolled music center. With its tremendous power, superior graphics capabilities, and built-in MIDI interface, the 16/32-bit Atari ST has almost overnight become the computer of choice for today's most knowledgeable electronic musicians.

The Casio CZ101 digital synthesizer, also included in your training, is the perfect complement to your Atari ST. The polyphonic, multirimbral CZ101which stores up to 32 voices internally—"communicates" with your ST computer through MIDI, bringing life to virtually any sound you can imagine.

Plus, you get ingeniously designed MIDI software that opens up amazing new creative and technical possibilities... you ^— ^— — — —— ^— — — actually build your own 4-input !i MS9W School of Electronics

to take advantage of today's opportunities in electronic music technology.

With your experienced NRI instructor always available to help, you master the basics of electronic theory step by step, gaining the full understanding of electronics that's now so essential for technicians and musicians alike. You move on to analyze sound generation techniques, digital logic, microprocessor fundamentals, and sampling and recording techniques ... ultimately getting first-hand experience with today's explosive new technology as you explore MIDI, waveshaping, patching, sequencing, mixing, special effects, and much more.

Plus, even if you've never been involved with music before, NRI gives you enough basic training in music theory and musical notation to appreciate the creative potential and far-reaching applications of today's electronic music equipment.

Send Today for Your FREE Catalog

For all the details about NRI's innovative new training, send the coupon today. You'll receive a complete catalog describing NRI's Electronic Music Technology course plus NRI courses in other hightech, in-demand electronics fields.

If the coupon is missing, write to NRI School of Electronics, McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, 3939 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC 20016.

audio mixer/amplifier.. .andyou test the electronic circuits at the core of today's new-tech equipment I with the hand-held digital multimeter included in your course.

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No matter what your background, NRI gives you the skills you need

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3939 Wisconsin Avenue

Washington, DC 20016

Sf CHECK ONE FREE CATALOG ONLY

□ Electronic Music Technology □ Computers and Microprocessors

□ TV/Video/Audio Servicing □ Basic Electronics

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| NRI is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the National Home Study Council #170-098 I

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 177

SPECIAL

GENERIC CADD 3.0

Includes:

• Auto Dimensioning

■ Dol Plot

• Drafting ENH 1

■ Drafting ENH 2

*89 MS-DOS

PRODUCTS NOT|

LISTED...GALL

> SAVE UP ■**. —

CAD... etc.

MAC & PC

TRY US... or we BOTH lose MONEY

PRINTERS • LASERS • SCANNERS

»ST Turtolasir/PS 3iuej.. .J2790 B-P Laser Jel Series II ...11728 Citizen Ml JBL 850

Macintosh

Hard Or.vfl Exl

CMS 20 Meg SE ...

S495

CMS 60 Meg SE ...

CMS 80 Meg MACII.. .

MacTablet 12x12

w/cursar & pen ...

1295

NEC .

. Call

Olconix 150 (303

CHIPS 64k. 256k. 6087,80287/387

LC890 13140

Panasonic 1Q80i-M2 $155

109H-M2 1193

10921 $289

Others Call

Persons! Laser (Macl 11346

JMR15 MIS

Toshib) 321 SL Call

341 SL Cill

351 SX

. Call

MONITORS • TERMINALS • PANELS

. Call

Amdefc 1280 w/card Hitachi

Mitsubishi

Diamond Scan $477

Others

HECMullisync .

Plus 4 XL i

RaslerOps 1648s SI!

1948s 12949

Sintsung Cat]

Sigma Detlgnz

LaserView 15/19" Call

Call Sony Mulliscan 1303 .... UBS

565 Wyie 700 Call

Zenith 1490 Flatacrten 15B5

SOFTWARE

AuloCad Call

AutoSketch 159

BoeinrjGrapli 3D 1195

Canvas [Mac) $93

Carbon Copy Plus 1103

CPA-lor Lotus 123 1199

Clipper $355

Copy II PC 118

Corefast 186

dBase 111 Plus $355

DesignCAD 1143

DesqView 169

Dralix 1 Plus 1149

Oralix 3D Mod/Options ... Call

OS Back-Up Plus 133

Excel Mac/PC 1176/1281

FaslBack 175

FaslBack Plus 185

Fox Base Plus 1179

GEM Draw Plus S159

Generic Cadd 30 155

Generic & Oot Plol 3.0 171

Generic Edilor Choice ... 1119

Generic Options Call

Harvard Graphics 1255

Harvard Tot Proj Mgr ... 1317

Lighting HD Speedup 189

Loins 123 2 01 1283

LoiusHAL 188

Lucid 3d (new ver| 1103

. 1199

MathCad2 0.

MS-Dos 3.3 SBb

Norton Util 4.0 J45

PageMaker 1429

Paradox 2.0 1398

PathMmder 155

PC-Fullback S49

Peachiree

Accounting II 1145

PFS: Firsi Choice 179

PFS. Firsi Publisher 152

PFS: Prolessional File ... 1129 PFS. Prolessionai Plan ... J51 PFS: Prolessional Write.. 1102

O&A 1177

Q&A Write 1115

Quatlro 1132

R:Base lor DOS 1409

ShipMale"

(UPS Manifest! 1199

SideKick Plus Call

SuperSpool (Mac) Bfi

Tops (IBM at Mac) 1101

Turbo Basic 157

Turbo C 157

Venluia Publishing 11... 1455

VersaCad/Libraries Call

Windows Call

WordPerfect 4.2 1198

X-Tree Pro 158

DIGITIZERS & PLOTTERS

Calcomp 1043-GT .

1023-GT

Digitizers .... Enter Sweclp600

Others Call

Houston Instruments

DMP 41/42 ...

DMP51MP

DMP51/52MP

DMP 52

QMP56A

DMP 61

DMP 62

MP Options...

HILachl

11-11 Tablet J3M

15-15 Pro Tablel Call

HP Plotters Call

inline Call

JDLB50 Call

CALL KurtalS 12-12 K9B

15 12-17 1499

Too Summigrjphlcs

12-12 Plus 1344

58-12 Professional ... 1569 MacTablet 12-12,4 Butt. Pen 1299

. Call . Call

To

COMPUTERS

AST Premium 286

& 386 Call

NEC Muttispeed Call

MuitispeedEL n Call

Multispeed HD Call

Toshiba Laptops Call

Accessories Call

BOARDS &

ArcNel Boards Call

AST Boards Call

ATI EGA Wonder 1169

VIP VGA 1249

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ElhtrNil Boards Call

Genoa SuperEGA 1179

VGA6O0-800 $269

VGA 760-1024 J389

Grapple? C/Mac/GS 171

Hercules Graphics Plus ....1169 Intel AboveBcard

2B6/512K 1359

AboveBoard

PS-286/SI2K 1388

All Others Clll

Novell Network 286 Call

Intel coprocessors

8087-2 f 8 MHz) S132

80?87-8 [< 10 MHz) ..$205 8WBM0(->i0MHz(....SZ39

80387-16 $397

80387-20 (20 MHz) .. $588

NETWORKS

Paradise AutoSwitch

EGA 480 1145

VGA Plus 1229

VGA Pro 1349

ProGrappler 171

HaiferOps

Color0raw24 1319

ColorBoard 104 12484

ColorBoard 108 11162

Sigma Designs VGA 1199

Tops Flashcard 1143

verllcom Call

Video 7 Vega

Detuxew/VGA 1177

Vega VGA H59

Western Olgilal ElherNen- Call

DRIVES • MODEMS • FAX

Hayes Call

Mitsubishi 40/70 Mb 1/2M AT 23-28ms Drive 1499

Optical Drives Clll

Panasonic FAX Board $849

Seaqit-: ST225

20w/Card 1260

ST238 30w/Card 1285

SmartModem 12006 &

SW int $59

2400B&SW 1145

Toshiba 3.5" XT/AT

720k Drive 195

360k Drive 5.25

XT/AT 175

US Robotics

Courier 2400 1299

MOUSE

LOQllsch C7 Logimousc &

Serial or Bus J65 Publisher 1104

Hi-Res Bus (83 Microsoft Mouse B5

togimouse 8us & PC Mouse Clll

Paint J83

HELPERS

togicil Cooooetlon 256K J379

512k Mil

SPEED MAIL

MHI Warehouse, Inc.

Post Office Box 39616 Phoenix, AZ 85069-9616

1-800-621-3999 New Orders

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Customer Service Hrs 10-3 PT M-F

Ordering Hours 7-5 PT M-F 8-2 SAT

Pre-awHowed PO's art welcome M«S raLHd casti discount ano aid cubieci 10 Changs wuncul noiid PrccucK.nmnaiibii.t). .arraniics. J claims a;.; .;■;:■:."::;'i',',!n.;rj!.iL:i....:iL.riy .mi 'dums are suDioc! to restock re (h Pcianal/Co cracks acta, sruaprng W orders nni, add 67\ tax

m

PRODUCT FOCUS POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS

Company Information

Apple Computer, Inc.

Imagen Corp.

Texas Instruments,

20525 Mariani Ave.

2650 San TomasExpy.

Inc.

Cupertino, CA 95014

Santa Clara, CA 95052

P.O. Box 181153

(408) 996-1010

(408) 986-9400

Austin, TX 78718

Inquiry 883.

Inquiry 887.

(800) 527-3500 Inquiry 891.

Dataproducts Corp.

ITT Qume

6200 Canoga Ave.

500 Yosemite Dr.

The Laser

Woodland Hills, CA 91365

Milpitas, CA 95035

Connection

(818) 887-8000

(408) 942-4165

P.O. Box 850296

Inquiry 884.

Inquiry 888.

Mobile, AL 36685 (205) 633-7223

General Computer Co.

LaserMaster Corp.

Inquiry 892.

580 Winter St.

7156 Shady Oak Rd.

Waltham, MA 02154

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Varityper

(617) 890-0880

(612) 944-6069

11 Mt. Pleasant Ave.

Inquiry 885.

Inquiry 889.

East Hanover, NJ 07936 (201) 887-8000

IBM Corp.

QMS, Inc.

Inquiry 893.

155 Chestnut Ridge Rd.

One Magnum Pass

Montvale, NJ 07645

Mobile, AL 36618

(201) 930-5022

(205) 633-4300

Inquiry 886.

Inquiry 890.

performance rating. After all, PostScript is not built for speed or economy, but for the look of the printed page.

Varityper's VT600 is the best overall printer we reviewed. Its 600-dpi print engine produces excellent graphics and text, and its powerful controller delivers the output rapidly. The system is fully featured, and, coupled with the optional fonts, it is indeed a "typesetter" as Varityper calls it, not just another laser printer.

Comparing a 600-dpi printer to those with 300-dpi resolution and then choosing the one with the best print quality may seem a little unfair. Our print quality benchmarks point out an important fact, however: Resolution is in the eye of the beholder. If your main objective is output that simply looks good and you don't need the additional resolution for camera-ready proofs, you may want to consider a high-quality 300-dpi printer.

Take Apple's IINTX, which actually beat the VT600 in our graphics benchmark. Though the higher rating is only slightly better, it does demonstrate that the IINTX is in the VT600's league. Its throughput performance was outstanding, its text rating was nearly as high as its graphics rating, and this was on a system that did not have all the options installed. The IINTX, a growing standard by which others are compared, is still tops in the high-quality 300-dpi field.

<— Circle 184 on Reader Service Card

With top-of-the-line PostScript printers selling for more than most American cars, saving money by sacrificing a little printing speed is a popular alternative. If you're looking for a high-class printer for around $6000, take a look at the QMS PS 810, our pick in the price versus performance category.

The PS 810 combines excellent print quality with good speed and enough features to keep all but the most demanding user completely satisfied. Its one weak area is the print engine's relatively low duty-cycle rating, but the rating is comparable to other printers built for smaller user groups.

As a final alternative, you may choose to upgrade your current printer investment using a PostScript controller card. The two controller cards we reviewed are both relatively inexpensive and both produce output of adequate quality. Of the two, we recommend the JetScript. Although it costs $500 more than PC Publisher Kit, its performance is worth it. But though either board makes sense as an add-on board, you should consider a dedicated PostScript printer if you are starting from scratch. ■

Steve Apiki and Stan Diehl are testing editors for the BYTE Lab. They can be reached at One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, or on BIX as "apiki" and "sdiehl. "

In 1988, $3.5 billion in microcomputer software will be sold worldwide. During that same time, another

$3.0 billion in sales will be lost to free distribution — better known as software piracy. And right now, Rainbow Technologies' Software Sentinel™ is protecting close to $1.0 billion in software for developers who never wanted to be part of the free software distribution network in the first place. { j The Software Sentinel hardware key is "execution control" software protection. It ships with the software and simply plugs into the PCs parallel port BHMWBPB to t>e one hundred percent invisible to both user and j I T ^the software. Users can make as many copies as fjniy§^ they want. Make working submasters. Use a hard disk. Virtually anything that can be done with J£- ^5 unprotected software. Except start freely distributing IS - that software to other users, (j The

Rainbow fam- 11 T ily of Software Sentinel products. Se

lected by the Hr- « very big to the not-so-big developers of MS-DOS, OS/2 and Xenix software in worldwide markets. To the cool tune of close to a billion dollars. So far.

RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES

18011-A Mitchell South, Irvine, CA 92714 • (714) 261-0228 • TELEX: 386078 • FAX: (714) 261-0260

Copyright ©1988 Rainbow Technologies, Inc. Software Sentinel and SentinelPro are trademarks of Rainbow Technologies, Inc.

Circle 232 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 233)

SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 179

\ v : Y\ >- f\ fr

a

7)

Secure.

si'kur,' a. [L. securus]: The ability to keep your confidential data and your whole personal computing environment away from prying eyes and meddling associates.

Securing your personal computer files has, until now, been a complicated and mostly unreliable matter. Not any more.

The Tandon Personal Data Pac is the world's first truly removable, self-contained Winchester hard disk drive that pops in and out of its receptacle with the stroke of a key. You just lock the Personal Data Pac with your entire computing environment in your desk or your safe.

And when your business keeps you on the move, the Tandon Personal Data Pac lets you take your office with you. It fits easily in your briefcase or your garment bag. If the airlines lose it, don't fret. Backing up a

full Personal Data Pac onto another takes only a few minutes. So you can take one and keep a copy secure in your safe.

The Personal Data Pac protects your data well. It's a hearty little traveller that can take a lot of abuse. It can cope with the rough and tumble world of the postal system, as well as take an occasional knock off your

Circle 271 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 272)

desk. Your precious programs and data remain cradled inside. Safe, secure, and ready to use.

The Tandon Personal Data Pac shatters the storage limitations of your personal computer. When your first high-capacity Data Pac is full, pop in a fresh one and you're ready to go on. Infinitely. If you need to share your PC, software and data, the Tandon Personal Data Pac offers the safest, cheapest and most reliable "network" ^m^^ pos

sible for transferring highcapacity files quickly and easily. And, you can make any computer your personal dedicated workstation, simply inserting your own Data

Let your Tandon Dealer you how the Personal Data Pac can make living with your PC more economical and productive. See him today, or call us at 1-800-556-1234, Ext. 171 (in California 1-800-441-2345, Ext. 171). Security for a small price.

<%*

We're redefining

personal computing.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 181

The Hot Performers

ME 386-20 Tower

ME 386-20

20 MHz 80386-20 processor I I Microsoft OS/2 and DOS compatible • 1 MB 32-bit RAM running at "0" wait state (upgradable to 8 MB) Socket for 80387/80287 math co-processor High performance NCL floppy/hard disk controller i 1.2 MB floppy disk drive l CMOS clock/calendar with battery back-up □ Enhanced keyboard

,$2350

ME 386-18

18 MHz 80386 processor Microsoft OS/2 and DOS compatible 512K 32-bit memory on board □ Two 32-bit expansion slots Socket for 80387 math coprocessor High-performance NCL floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB floppy disk drive CMOS clock/calendar : I Enhanced AT keyboard

$1799

ME Roadrunner

12 MHz 80286 processor Socket for 80287 math co-processor 640K memory (1 MB option) New Super-Twist LCD with Backlit and Reverse; 640 x 200 dots (640 x 400 option); 80 char, x 25 lines

Monochrome/Color graphics card for external monitor 6 expansion slots

Floppy/hard disk controller Serial/parallel/clock-calendar 1.2 MB floppy disk drive 20 MB hard disk (30, 40, or 60 MB optional) 12-function AT style keyboard 110/220V auto-switchable

20 pounds $1799

* SPECIAL *

ME V20 64K luog^blLto^OK) SeOKjflttpJ^ dislTarive Monochrome

gratsjraosrard Monochrome monitor Keyboard Complete system... $499.00

Roadrunner Plus (386)

Intel 80387 processor 6/16 MHz clock speed 1 MB of memory Socket for math co-processor Floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB high capacity floppy disk drive 42 MB fast access hard disk (60 MB optional) Serial/parallel ports Color/mono display card for external monitor New Super-Twist LCD with Backlit and Reverse; 640 x 400 dots; 80 characters x 25 lines 6 expansion slots 12-function keyboard 110/220V auto-switchable 20 pounds

ME 286-12

8/12 MHz 80286 processor 512K memory (upgradable to 1 MB on board)

"0" wait state option (s.i. 15.3) Microsoft OS/2 and DOS compatible 8 I/O expansion slots High-performance NCL floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB floppy disk drive CMOS clock/calendar

Enhanced keyboard $QQQ

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Circle 173 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 174)

System Review

Two

for the Road

Sleek and powerful 80386-based portables: the Toshiba T5100 and the GRiDCase 1530

Mark L. Van Name

GRiDCase 1530 (left) and Toshiba T5100 (right).

hen IBM PC-compatible portable computers first appeared, you needed arms like a gorilla to carry them. You were limited to an 8088 CPU, 640K bytes of RAM, 320K-byte floppy disk drives, and a small monochrome screen, if you were lucky. Portable computers have come a long way since then.

Toshiba and GRiD are now offering two of the first 80386-based true portables. GRiD's GRiDCase 1530 runs off battery power, and the Toshiba T5100 requires 115 volts AC. Other than that difference, the two systems I reviewed are very similar. Both are sleek units weighing 15 pounds or less that, when closed, are about a foot wide, a little over a foot deep, and a couple of inches high. You open both of them from the front, where the screen swings up to reveal the keyboard.

Both computers use the 80386 CPU, but the T5100's runs at 16 MHz, while the GRiDCase 1530 uses a slower 12.5MHz speed to help conserve power. Both have 2 megabytes of memory, a 40-megabyte internal hard disk drive, a jack for an external keyboard, one DB-9 serial port, one DB-25 parallel port, and one RGB connector for an external monitor. Each also has a gas-plasma display, but the T5100's is EGA-compatible, while the GRiDCase 1530 offers only CGA graphics, with an optional expansion cartridge that supports an external VGA monitor. The T5100 also includes an internal 1.44-megabyte 3!/2-inch floppy disk drive, while the GRiDCase 1530 came with its optional 1.44-megabyte 3 !/2-inch external floppy disk drive. Both systems run versions of MS-DOS.

The GRiDCase 1530 includes an external peripheral port to which you can connect devices such as the external floppy disk drive. To connect an external drive to the T5100, you use the parallel port and a switch on the front left side of the system. The switch lets you make that port act as the connection to drive A or drive B, or as a normal parallel port.

The T51001 reviewed, which included MS-DOS, is the standard T5100 unit. It has a retail price of $7499.

The GRiDCase 1530 also came with an optional internal 2400-bit-per-second Hayes-compatible modem, a 20-watthour internal battery, and both a 35-W and a 70-W battery charger/AC power supply.

The standard model of the GRiDCase 1530, with a list price of $4695, initially appears much cheaper than the T5100. However, the standard GRiDCase 1530 has only 1 megabyte of RAM, two internal 3'/2-inch floppy disk drives, and a 10-inch diagonal backlit liquid crystal display (LCD); it runs only on AC power, and it has no hard disk drive. It also does not include any software. To make it comparable to the T5100, you

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 183

REVIEW TWO FOR THE ROAD

Company

GRiD Systems Corp. 47211 Lakeview Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 (415)656-4700

Components

Processor: 16-MHz 80386 running at 12.5 MHz, with compatibility speed of 6 MHz; socket for 16-MHz 80387 coprocessor running at 12.5 MHz Memory: 2 megabytes of 32-bit 120-ns DRAM on motherboard, expandable to 8 megabytes; 128K bytes of BIOS ROM Mass storage: 1,44-megabyte external 3V2-inch floppy disk drive; 40-megabyte internal hard disk drive Display: Gas-plasma; orange letters on a black background; CGA-compatible; seven shades of orange Keyboard: 72-key IBM PC keyboard layout; 10 function keys I/O interfaces: One DB-9 RS-232C serial port; one DB-25 parallel port; DB-9 RGB monitor port; external peripheral DB-25 port; DIN external keyboard connector; two256K-byte ROM sockets

Size

111/2 x 15 x 21/3 inches; 131/t pounds

Software

None

Options

10-inch diagonal 640- by 400-pixel

plasma display: $995 2-megabyte memory upgrade: $595 16-MHz 80387 coprocessor: $1195 20-megabyte hard disk drive and 1.44

megabyte 31/2-inch floppy disk drive:

$1175 40-megabyte hard disk drive: $1675 External 1,44-megabyte 31/2-inch floppy

disk drive: $350 External 360K-byte 5Vt-inch floppy disk

drive: $395 MS-DOS 3.21 (on disk): $150 MS-DOS 3.21 (in ROM): $200 Rechargeable battery pack: $70 Battery charger: $90 AC power pack: $195 Internal 1200-bps Hayes-compatible

modem: $395 Internal 2400-bps Hayes-compatible

modem: $595 Expansion chassis and expansion bus

interface cartridge: $1295 VGA cartridge: $695

Documentation

GRiDCase 1500 Series Owners Guide

Price

Model 1530: $4695 System as reviewed: $9375

Inquiry 896.

Company

Toshiba America, Inc. Information Systems Division 9740 Irvine Blvd. Irvine, CA 92718 (714)583-3000

Components

Processor: 16-MHz 80386, with compatibility speed of 8 MHz; socket for 16-MHz 80387 coprocessor Memory: 2 megabytes of 32-bit 80-ns DRAM on motherboard, expandable on a memory card to 4 megabytes; 128K bytes of BIOS ROM

Mass storage: 1.44-megabyte 31/2-inch floppy disk drive; 40-megabyte internal hard disk drive

Display: Gas-plasma; bright orange letters on a darker orange background; EGA-compatible; four shades of orange Keyboard: 82-key IBM PC keyboard layout (101 -key compatible); 10 function keys; indicator lights for Caps, Num, and Scroll Lock; cursor and page control keys; numeric keypad available by using a special function key I/O interfaces: One DB-9 RS-232C serial port; one DB-25 parallel/floppy disk drive port; DB-9 RGB monitor port; DIN external keyboard connector; expansion slot designed for proprietary Toshiba cards

Size

121/5 x 14% x 3V2 inches; 15 pounds

Software

Toshiba's MS-DOS 3.30 (includes TEST3, a diagnostic and setup program, and XCHAD, a program for controlling the mapping of colors to the T5100's four gray shades); Microsoft Windows/386

Options

2-megabyte memory-expansion card:

$1299 External 360K-byte 51/4-inch floppy disk

drive: $499 Internal 1200-bps Hayes-compatible

modem: $399 Carrying case: $99 PC Floppy Link: $199 Expansion chassis: $999 Expansion chassis interface card: $199 GWBASIC 3.0: $75

Documentation

The First Time; T5100 Reference Manual; T5100 Portable Companion; MSDOS 3.30 Operating System; MS-DOS 3.30 Operating System Quick Reference

Price

Standard T5100 system (as reviewed): $7499

Inquiry 895.

have to add an additional megabyte of RAM, a 40-megabyte hard disk drive (in place of one floppy disk drive), an external floppy disk drive, a gas-plasma display, and MS-DOS. These options bring the GRiDCase 1530's price up to $8780—or $1281 more than a comparable T5100.

Working on the Road

While an AC power supply is standard equipment on both units, the GRiDCase 1530 can also run on a rechargeable internal 20-watt-hour nickel-cadmium battery. The battery is fairly large (5'4 by 234 by 1 Vi inches) and fits into a slot in the rear left of the machine. It goes in easily, and you are supposed to be able to pop it out by pushing on a tab underneath it. However, I could get it out only by hitting the tab with a blunt instrument.

The GRiDCase 1530's manual includes a section and table that discuss battery life. The table lists each major possible system component (such as the LCD or plasma screen or the optional 80387 coprocessor) and the amount of power it draws. The internal battery pack is supposed to supply 20 watt-hours of power, and from that figure and the table, you can calculate how long the battery should last on your system.

I tested the system several times with a fully charged battery, and it lasted an average of about 31 minutes. The system was admittedly fairly power-hungry because of its hard disk drive and plasma display. Any system that uses an 80386, however, almost certainly needs a hard disk drive, and the plasma display is much easier on the eyes than the LCD screen. GRiD also has an optional 54watt-hour external battery pack that can more than double your time in the field.

The GRiDCase 1530 has a red batterylow light that warns you, well in advance, that the machine is about to run out of power. Further, if you install a special GRiD device driver, the computer will beep at you approximately every 30 seconds, starting about 10 minutes before the failure.

Looking and Typing

Aside from the type of power it requires, perhaps the most important other aspects of any portable computer concern how it feels in use. Screen and keyboard quality are crucial.

The T5100 has a 9'4-inch diagonal gas-plasma monitor that displays bright orange characters on a darker orange background. There are contrast and brightness knobs on the swivel arm that

continued

184 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

Toshiba T5100 GRiDCasel 530

APPLICATION-LEVEL PERFORMANCE

SPREADSHEET Lotus 1-2-3 2.01

Block copy Recalc

Load Monte Carlo Recalc Monte Carlo Load rlarge3 Recalc rlarge3 Recalc Goal-seek Microsoft Excel 2.0 Fill right Undo fill Recalc Load rlarge3 Recalc rlarge3

Toshiba

:04 :01 :19 :04 :05 :01 :04

:06 2:11 :02 :29 :01

GRID

05 02 20 08 05 01 07

07 23

02 35 02

Regen StPauls

Hide/redraw STATA 1.5

Graphics

ANOVA MathCAD 2.0

IFS 800 pts.

FFT/IFFT1024 pis.

:07 13:37

:27 :15

:17 :17

:11 20:54

:42 :26

:28 :29

D Index:

COMPILERS Microsoft C 5.0

XLisp compile Turbo Pascal

Pascal S compile

3.05 Toshiba

5:51 :08

2.03 GRID

7:35 :08

D Index:

2.47

1.91

O Index:

1.51

1.36

All times are in minutes:seconds. Indexes show relative performance; for all indexes, an 8-MHz IBM PC AT=1.

LOW-LEVEL PERFORMANCE'

Slne(x)

Error ex

Error

4.36 8.67

2.00E-09 2.00E-09

4.15 8.64

1.77E-02 1.77E-02

Read

7.16 12.58

D Index:

I Index:

4.06 3.12

1.90

1.25

Li Index: 4.53 2.09

N/A=Not supported by graphics adapter.

1 All times are in seconds. All figures were generated using the 80B8/8086 version (1.1) of Small-C (16-bit integers). Figures for 80386 machines do not use 80386-specific instructions.

2 The floating-point benchmarks use 8087-compatible instructions only.

3 The errors for the floating-point benchmarks indicate the difference between expected and actual values, correct to 10 digits or rounded to 2 digits.

4 Times reported by the Hard Seek and DOS Seek are for multiple seek operations (number of seeks performed currently set to 100).

5 Read and write times for the File I/O benchmarks are in seconds per 64K byte.

6 For the Livermore Loops and Dhrystone tests only, higher numbers mean faster performance.

CONVENTIONAL BENCHMARKS

Toshiba

LINPACK 236.88 Livermore Loops6

(M FLOPS) 0.11 Dhrystone (MS C 5.0)

(Dhry/sec) 4118.00 2944.00

GRID

448.30

0.06

Toshiba T5100

11.7

WORD PROCESSING

Toshiba

GRID

DATABASE

Toshiba

GRID

XyWrlte III +3.52

Med./Lrg.

Med./Lrg.

dBASEIII+ 1.1

Load (large)

:14

:19

Copy

:46

1:24

Word count

:03/:24

:04/:32

Index

:12

:21

Search/replace

:06/:35

:09/:34

List

1:23

1:52

End of document

:02/:19

:02/:21

Append

1:21

2:21

Block moves

:11/:11

:15/:15

Delete

:01

:02

Spelling check

:10/1:14

:14/1:40

Pack

1:02

1:41

Microsoft Word 4.0

Count

:10

:18

Forward delete

:15

:22

Sort

:51

1:31

Aldus PageMaker 1.0a

Load document

:04

D Index:

2.23

1.29

Change/Bold

:30

Align right

:23

SCIENTIFIC/ENGINEEF

Cut 10 pages

:21

Toshiba

GRID

Place graphic

:06

AutoCAD 2.52

Print to file

2:27

Load SoftWest Regen SoftWest

1:02 :54

1:21 1:02

D Index:

2.39

1.75

Load StPauls

:12

:17

11.7

GRiDCase

1530O.O

Compaq 386/20 18.0

8.3

IBM PS/2 Model 80 11

IBM PC AT 5

□

Word Processing

□

Spreadsheet

□

Database

□

Scientific/ Engineering

□

Compilers

"Cumulative applications index. Graphs are based on indexes at left and show relative performance.

Toshiba T5100

CPU Toshiba

GRID

DISK I/O Toshiba

GRID

VIDEO

Toshiba

GRID

Matrix 4.67

6.35

Hard Seek*

Text

String Move

Outer track

3.34

3.32

ModeO

5.00

12.49

Byte-wide 40.83

52.87

Inner track

3.31

3.32

Model

5.00

12.47

Word-wide:

Half platter

8.77

8.30

Mode 2

4.78

13.05

Odd-bnd. 40.57

52.69

Full platter

11.06

11.50

Mode 3

4.80

13.04

Even-bnd. 20.43

27.66

Average

6.62

6.61

Mode 7

N/A

N/A

Sieve 28.78

38.34

DOS Seek

Graphics

Sort 22.36

44.12

1-sector 32-sector

9.50 22.93

9.82 33.17

CGA: Mode 4

2.89

D Index: 2.39

1.68

File I/O'

Mode 5

2.22

2.91

Seek

0.16

0.30

Mode 6

2.31

3.02

FLOATING POINT"

Read

0.02

0.02

EGA:

Toshiba

GRID

Write

0.02

0.02

Mode 13

4.21

N/A

Math 9.54

23.54

1-megabyte

Mode 14

4.55

N/A

Error3 O.OOE+00

O.OOE+00

Write

6.77

11.62

Mode 16

4.56

N/A

GRiDCase 1530

Compaq 386/20

IBM PS/2 Model 80

IBM PC AT

CPU

□

FPU

□

Disk I/O

□

Video

For a full description of all the benchmarks, see "Introducing the New BYTE Benchmarks," June BYTE.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 185

REVIEW TWO FOR THE ROAD

supports the screen.

The monitor is EGA-compatible. The T5100 maps each of the 16 possible EGA colors to one of its four gray shades, or levels of intensity (off, %, %, and full). Toshiba and Paradise did the EGA BIOS jointly, while the EGA chip is Paradise's PEGA-2. If you install a special device driver, the T5100 will copy the EGA ROM BIOS into the faster system RAM.

You can sometimes get into trouble with the default color-to-gray-scale mappings. For example, the calculator in Borland's SideKick displays numbers that are by default the same shade as the background. Fortunately, Toshiba provides a nice utility, XCHAD (Enhanced Change Display), that addresses this problem. If you load XCHAD as a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program, you only have to enter Alt-SysReq, and it will clean up the screen so that you can see everything on it. It does so by reading the screen and then mapping the colors to gray scales that provide the greatest amount of contrast between adjacent pixels of different colors.

The screen in the GRiDCase 1530 is a 10-inch-diagonal CGA-compatible gas

plasma display. It displays orange letters on a black background. There is a sliding brightness control on the bottom right of the screen, but I could never see any difference in the screen regardless of the control's position. A Yamaha video chip provides the CGA emulation.

Like the T5100, the GRiDCase 1530 maps colors to gray scales. It offers seven levels of intensity: W, Y3, Vi, %, 3A, full intensity, and off. Some of these levels are very close, however; only three or four are easily visible. The 1530 comes with six predefined color mappings. A GRiD spokesperson said that these mappings were enough to support nearly all MS-DOS applications. You can cycle through them with a key sequence or choose one with one of GRiD's extensions to the MS-DOS MODE command.

Both the T5100 and the GRiDCase 1530 let you connect an external monitor (EGA for the T5100 and CGA for the 1530). Both let you alternate between the internal and external displays by using a special key sequence. However, neither system lets you display the same image on both screens simultaneously.

The GRiDCase 1530's black back

ground is much more soothing to the eyes than the bright orange background of the T5100's display. However, the finer standard font on the T5100 and its EGA capabilities make it more pleasant for prolonged text work.

Just as these machines have similar displays, so, too, do they follow similar approaches in their keyboard layouts. Both keyboards are small and are attached, integral parts of the system. Both have fewer than the 101 keys of the IBM Enhanced keyboards. They get around this deficiency by using a special function key, Fn, in multikey sequences to simulate "missing" keys, such as those normally on the numeric keypad. Both also provide a DIN jack to which you can connect any external AT-compatible keyboard.

The T5100's keyboard has a pleasant feel, with strong tactile feedback and an audible keyclick. There are Caps, Num, and Scroll Lock indicators on the screen swivel arm. The 82 keys are arranged much like an IBM PC's, but with the 10 function keys across the top. The left side of the keyboard follows that same stan

continued

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Wherever your business takes you, take along the WorldPort 2400™ Portable Modem. Leaving the office doesn't have to mean leaving behind the world of high-speed, 2400 bps communications. Worldwide, in virtually every situation, including hotel rooms and phone booths, your ability to communicate clearly and efficiently remains intact.

Representing the cutting edge of modem technology, the WorldPort line of portable modems combine a broad range of features that bring you the best value in modems today. Features

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In fact, the WorldPort modems are the ultimate for both portable and desktop applications. And the WorldPort 2400 comes with Carbon Copy PLUS™ communications software, for even greater value.

If you want a modem that works where you do, put the WorldPort Series to work for you. In

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WorldPort 2400 is a trademark of Touchbase Systems, Inc. Carbon Copy PLUS is a trademark ol Meridian Technology, Inc.

186 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 283 on Reader Service Card

V1M0TRAX DATA BACKUP

WE JUST INTRODUCED IT.

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Every human in the hemisphere who owns a standard VCR has half of what's needed to back up data. The rest of what you need is neatly contained on the new Videotrax® controller board by Alpha Micro.

Slip the half-size Videotrax board into the expansion slot of any PC. Meaning any IBM*' PC, XT, AT, Compaq® 386 or true compatible.

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Connect the computer to a VCR with standard connector cables. And, as of that moment, you are under the protection of a highly sophisticated, stringently reliable, data backup system. In fact, exhaustive testing and the long term experience of over 20,000 Alpha Micro users have proven Videotrax technology to be more reliable than any other backup option available. More dependable, even, than

the hard disk you're covering for. QUICK STUDY Videotrax has been designed to extremely demanding standards. So that it won't put a lot of demands on you. Anyone who can run a VCR knows most of the drill.The rest is covered by our menu-driven software. By clear, concise documentation. And by a range of backup modes that keeps it simple:

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Circle 14 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: IS)

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Corporate Headquarters: -1501 Sunflower, P.O. Bar15059. Sanla Ana, CA 92799. ©Alpha Microsystems 1988. All rights reserved. IBMis aregistered trademark aj InternationalBusiness Machines. Videotra.eisaregistered trademark of'Alpha Microsystem. Compaq is a registered trademark of Comixiq Computer Corp. RadioShark Computer Center isa registered trademarkojTandy Corporation.

Available ill R3CIIO JII3GK Computer Centers /Plus Computer Centers and other fine computer dealers worldwide.

Circle 151 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 152)

"Give me one

reason

REVIEW TWO FOR THE ROAD

"How about 43r

Modula-2 saves more time and money than any other programming environment.

1. High-level language

2. Readable, maintainable code

3. Ideal for team programming

4. Supports multi-tasking

5. Emerging international standard

6. Pascal or C programmers learn it in hours

7. Language for modern engineering

8. Consistency checks across modules

9. User control over exported/imported objects

10. Traps most programming errors

11. Fewer bugs in final code

12. Easy low-level access

The LOGITECH Modula-2

programming environment

goes far beyond the language.

13. Faster project throughput

14. Corporations rely on it

15. Adds a rich set of tools to the language

16. Best debuggers for any language

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20. Compiles twice as fast as MS-C

21. Code as fast as the best C compilers

22. Mature and reliable

23. Extended library

24. Standard object format

25. C libraries can be used

26. Supports EGA 43-line mode

27. Automatic MAKE

28. Flexible overlays ^

29. Price/performance leader

dard, but on the right it diverges. There it has special arrow, Home, PageUp, PageDown, End, Insert, and Delete keys. You get the numeric keypad numbers, +, -, and decimal point, as well as Fll and F12, by using Fn and another key. To make it easy for you to find these other characters, alternate key functions appear in blue on the front of the keys. By using the Fn key, you can get this keyboard to generate all the key sequences of the IBM Enhanced keyboard.

The keyboard on the GRiDCase 1530 has only 72 keys—10 fewer than the T5100's—but it follows the same approach to provide other keys, such as those on the numeric keypad. Its action feels mushy at first, but the keys spring back quickly. It also has a much softer keyclick than the T5100. There are no indicator lights, not even for Caps or Num Lock—a tiny omission that I found annoying.

It also has the 10 function keys across the top, but it unfortunately also has Backspace up there, well beyond its usual position. There are four arrow keys on the right side, but you can get the other numeric keypad keys only by using the Fn key. Alternate key functions appear in different colors on the keys. There are also a few printable characters, including square brackets, curly brackets, and the tilde character, that you get only by using the Fn key. Programmers (especially C programmers) may find this bothersome.

Performance and Compatibility

As you can see in the performance charts, the T5100 is about the same speed as the 16-MHz IBM PS/2 Model 80. This performance puts it right in the middle of the zippy 16-MHz 80386 pack but still leaves it behind the 20-MHz and 25-MHz speedsters.

The GRiDCase 1530 is roughly 30 percent slower than the T5100. Most of this difference must come from its 28 percent slower 12.5-MHz clock. The 1530 actually uses a 16-MHz chip, but it runs with a slower clock to save power.

There are a few performance anomalies worth noting. While both units use the same basic hard disk drive, the T5100 actually beats the GRiDCase 1530 on the File I/O Seek test. The T5100 has its typical 30 percent edge on the 1-megabyte file Write and Read tests, and takes the Disk I/O tests overall.

The T5100 also has an unusually large edge on both the floating-point tests and tests involving applications that do a lot of floating-point math (e.g., the Engineering/Scientific application tests).

Both machines have a socket for an 803 87; the T5100' s runs at 16 MHz, and the GRiDCase 1530's runs at 12.5 MHz.

One reason these systems don't break out of the 16-MHz pack is that they do nothing special to help speed memory access. For example, neither system uses a hardware cache. The T5100 uses 80nanosecond dynamic RAM (DRAM), which leaves it with one wait state. The GRiDCase 1530 also has one wait state, although its slower clock speed lets it get away with 120-ns DRAM chips.

On the compatibility front, there is some obvious hardware bad news and lots of mostly good software news.

The hardware bad news is that neither of these systems can handle even one standard IBM PC expansion card. Both let you expand system memory by adding memory within the main unit—with single in-line packages (SIPs) in the 1530, and with a memory-expansion card in the T5100.

You can expand the T5100 in two other basic ways. There is one expansion slot in the right rear of the machine. It is a proprietary slot that works only with cards designed for the T5100 and, usually, the T3100, T1200, and Tl 100 Plus. (A card will work in all these units as long as it does not play with memory addressing in any unusual ways.) You typically would use this slot to hold an internal modem. However, you can also use it for the other major expansion option: a card that lets you attach Toshiba's external expansion chassis, which can handle full-length cards.

The GRiDCase 1530 also offers an optional interface card and expansion chassis for full-length cards, but it does not have an explicit expansion slot. Instead, you use a GRiD-proprietary expansion cartridge that fits into the battery slot. You can also buy other expansion cartridges from GRiD, including one that supports VGA graphics on external VGA-compatible monitors. The 1530 offers one other odd expansion option: It has sockets on the main face of the unit, above the keyboard and before the screen, for two ROM chips. GRiD offers its MS-DOS, as well as several other software packages, on such ROM chips.

These machines run nearly all PCcompatible software. I ran them both through a test suite that included a copyprotected Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.0; DESQview 2.0 and its accompanying Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager 386 version 1.0; Kermit 2.30; Norton Utilities 3.0; Microsoft's Windows/ 386 2.03, Word 4.0, and PC Paintbrush 2.0; WordStar 3.3 and 4.0; Q&A 1.1;

REVIEW TWO FOR THE ROAD

Digitalk's Smalltalk/V 1.2; and Borland's Quattro 1.0, Turbo C 1.5, Turbo Basic 1.1, Turbo Pascal 4.0, Reflex 1.14, SideKick 1.56A, and SuperKey 1.16A.

The T5100 has one software compatibility problem: It will not run Windows/ 386. When I tried, I got the message: Error: Unsupported DOS version. A Toshiba technical-support person said that Toshiba is aware of this problem and that it should go away when Toshiba releases MS-DOS 3.3 for the T5100.

The 1530 also seemed to have a compatibility problem, but there was a way around it. The Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager 386 version 1.0 would not work, and instead reported: No room for Page Frame. Cannot load because there is not enough memory. GRiD's own expanded memory manager (GRiD386) worked like a champ, however. A GRiD support person led me to try putting the page frame at memory locations COOOx and DOOOx hexadecimal, both of which worked. He said that the error was due to my old version of the Quarterdeck software, and that it would not occur with a newer version.

If necessary, both machines can operate at a slower compatibility speed. The T5100 offers 8-MHz operation; the 1530 can run at 6 MHz. However, they each ran Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.0 without making me slow them to their compatibility speeds.

Digging Inside

Getting inside most personal computers is a fairly simple matter; not so with these tightly packed portables. I don't recommend that you take one of these apart unless you are willing to move very slowly and carefully.

The bottom of the T5100 curves slightly, so when its rear tilt stand is up, the keyboard sits flat. To accommodate this bend, the motherboard, which runs along the bottom of the machine, is in two pieces: There's a small piece under the keyboard, and a larger one under the rest of the machine.

The section under the keyboard is attached to the main section by several wide ribbon cables and is easily accessible. It contains the ROM chips, the keyboard controller, the memory, and some support chips. It also contains an expansion connection for the memory-expansion board, which goes to its right. This board can increase the system memory to 4 megabytes of 32-bit memory. You can make the T5100 copy the ROM BIOS (from Award and Toshiba) into the faster RAM by choosing the fast ROM option

in the T5100's Setup program.

The T5100's memory chips are 1megabit chips mounted on single in-line memory modules. The SIMMs are soldered, not socketed. There is also a small daughtercard, seated above the main part of the motherboard, that holds the EGA chips, 256K bytes of EGA memory, and some other support chips.

The main piece of the motherboard contains the 80387 socket, the 80386, and a number of Toshiba chips; many of the chips are surface-mounted. Not counting the memory chips, the three motherboard components contain a total of only about 70 chips. The boards are clearly manufactured by Toshiba and use many Toshiba parts.

The GRiDCase 1530 has a flat bottom, so it has a single main motherboard. It also has a daughtercard above part of the motherboard. GRiD manufactures both boards. The daughtercard contains the Yamaha CGA chip and the sockets for the two ROM-expansion chips that you can install.

The main motherboard contains 109 chips, not counting DRAM chips, but very few are surface-mounted. Its 2 megabytes of DRAM are mounted in eight 256K-byte SIPs. You can replace some or all of these SIPs with 1-megabyte versions to get either 4 or 8 megabytes of RAM. The motherboard contains the 80386, the 80387 socket, the ROM BIOS chips, and four large Faraday chips, among many other chips. The four Faraday chips do much of the standard AT work, while most of the others provide the discrete logic that handles the 80386 and its 32-bit memory bus. The 1530's ROM BIOS is Phoenix's 80386 ROM BIOS version 3.06, dated 3/17/88.

Both machines use the same Conner 40-megabyte hard disk drive. This drive has a formatted capacity of 40.8 megabytes and an average access time of 29 milliseconds.

Toshiba made a modification to its setup and MS-DOS that lets you avoid the usual 32-megabyte partition limit and have a single 40-megabyte partition. The T5100 uses 1024-byte sectors to support this larger partition.

The floppy disk drives of the two machines are standard 1.44-megabyte 3Viinch models. The T5100 uses a Toshiba drive; the GRiDCase 1530's external drive is from Epson.

The Rest of the Package

The T5100 comes with Toshiba's MSDOS 3.30, and you can buy GWBASIC 3.0 as an option. Toshiba's MS-DOS in

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REVIEW TWO FOR THE ROAD

eludes setup options that let you allocate memory above 640K bytes to expanded and/or extended memory. A Toshiba spokesperson said that the company would be offering Unix and OS/2 in the future. With the T5100, Toshiba is also bundling Lotus's Metro, a desktop manager with 12 accessories and a macro generator.

The T5100 also comes with a boxed set of five manuals. This set includes an MS-DOS 3.30 reference manual, an MS

DOS quick reference guide, a manual for new users, a T5100 reference manual, and a thin "Portable Companion" manual that summarizes most of the information in the T5100 reference manual. The reference manual is particularly useful, with thorough explanations of nearly all the system's features.

The standard GRiDCase 1530 does not include any software. You can buy GRiD's MS-DOS 3.21; its MS-DOS extensions include many new MODE options

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that let you control hardware options, a GRiDScan program that gives system configuration information, and the GRiD386 expanded memory manager.

A GRiD spokesperson said that the 1530 will run both the Santa Cruz Operation's (SCO) Xenix System V and Interactive Systems' 386/ix Unix; GRiD sells only the SCO Xenix, however. The spokesperson said that GRiD was experimenting with OS/2 and would offer it when enough customers requested it.

The GRiDCase 1530 comes with an owner's guide and short reference manuals for each of the hardware options. You also get an MS-DOS manual if you buy that option. The owner's guide is short but useful, with a fairly thorough discussion of the system's options, including much useful information on its battery usage and power requirements.

The telephone-support people at both companies were among the best with whom I've had the pleasure to talk. They were able to answer nearly all my questions, including very technical ones, quickly and correctly. Those few that they could not answer, they researched and answered later. There does not seem to be any limit on the telephone support that either company offers, and you can reach both support services through tollfree numbers.

The T5100 comes with Toshiba's oneyear "Exceptional Care" limited warranty. You can buy an additional two years of support, but it is expensive: $979 for the basic unit alone, and more for each option.

The GRiDCase 1530 includes a 90day limited warranty.

Juggling Options

Given the short life of my GRiDCase 1530's battery, battery operation seems to be for occasional use only. If you need that capability and can do without EGA graphics, it is a good machine. It also provides a cheaper entry-level model than the T5100.

The T5100 has a higher price for an entry-level machine, but if you want a faster CPU and EGA graphics at a less expensive price (for comparably equipped machines), and if you do not have the need to run from a battery, go with the T5100.

Both machines are signs of the times and of things to come: ever more power in ever-smaller, sleeker packages. ■

Mark L. Van Name is a freelance writer and computer consultant living in Durham, North Carolina. He can be reached on BIX as "editors. "

190 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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Daisywheel Printer...$198

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as

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System Review

An 80386 with a Twist

i r i J ta&amSmSmt l._l T 1 l raT^Tml

.;...- ■:

/jSanEABB-iiM MJiMiii ng t-iQ«,L \ W\

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Competitive pricing and an intelligent bus distinguish the AST Premium/386 from its peers

Jeff Holtzman

; n an increasingly crowded field of | 20-MHz 80386-based AT compat

Iibles, AST Research's Premium/386 is a unique entry. Like IBM's PS/2 series, it includes several peripheral controllers on the motherboard. But what separates the Premium/386 from the rest of the 80386 pack is its intelligent bus design, which lets devices on the motherboard other than the CPU take control of the bus to gain fast access to system memory and peripherals. And unlike the PS/2's Micro Channel architecture (MCA) bus, the Premium/386's bus is fully compatible with IBM PC XT and AT buses.

The Premium/386 comes in five configurations. The basic unit is the Model

300 ($5195), which includes a 20-MHz 80386, sockets for both an 8-MHz 80287 and a 20-MHz 80387, 1 megabyte of 32bit 80-nanosecond static-column RAM, one parallel and two serial ports, and seven expansion slots. One expansion slot is dedicated to AST's proprietary 32bit memory card; two are standard 8-bit (XT-style) slots; one is a standard 16-bit (AT-style) slot; and three are SmartSlots. The latter closely resemble a standard AT expansion slot, except that the lower connector carries several new signals that allow a "master" device on a specially built card to take control of the bus from the CPU (see the text box "AST's SmartSlot Architecture" on page 196).

The base unit also comes with a battery-backed clock/calendar, a 101-key enhanced-style keyboard, and a floppy disk drive controller that controls a maximum of four devices in all 514-inch and 3'/2-inch formats. The Premium/386 can accommodate three externally accessible half-height drives; another unexposed bay accepts either one full-height or two half-height devices.

Unlike many high-performance 80386-based microcomputers, the Premium/386 has no hardware cache, nor does it support the Weitek 1167 math coprocessor. The base system does not come with a graphics card, a monitor, or a hard disk drive.

Standard software includes MS-DOS 3.30, GWBASIC 3.22, a ROM- and RAM-based setup program, and utility software (an expanded/extended memory manager, RAM disk, disk cache, and print spooler). AST's version of OS/2 1.0 is available for an extra $325.

I reviewed the Model 390, which includes an additional megabyte of memory and a 90-megabyte 18-millisecond enhanced-small-device-interface (ESDI) hard disk drive. The hard disk drive automatically parks the read/write heads in the last cylinder when powered down. The review system came with a 20-MHz

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 "BYTE 195

REVIEW AN 80386 WITH A TWIST

AST's SmartSlot Architecture

The SmartSlot architecture is the most unusual and innovative feature of AST's Premium/386. Considering the simplicity of the SmartSlot concept, it's surprising that no one thought of it before. And because the SmartSlot is an extension of the classic AT bus, it runs at 8 MHz with one wait state and is fully downward-compatible with existing expansion cards.

SmartSlot provides a way for an intelligent peripheral (e.g., a disk controller, video adapter, or network or microto-mainframe interface) to take control of the bus from the microprocessor. Thus, the peripheral can access system memory or other peripherals directly, without help from the CPU. This not only frees the CPU for other tasks, it also speeds memory transfers, depending on the application and the peripheral you're using, because not every byte of data you transfer goes through the CPU. For example, to draw a circle in a graphics program, a CPU working by itself must load 1 to 4 bytes of memory (depending on bus width), manipulate it, and restore it to memory. This process is repeated for all memory locations involved. However, with an intelligent graphics coprocessor running in a SmartSlot, the CPU gives the command and then goes on to something else. Meanwhile, the coprocessor loads the affected region from video memory in one quick burst, draws the circle, and

then restores the region in one chunk just as quickly.

The Premium/386 has three SmartSlots, each of which looks like a standard 16-bit expansion slot that has been stretched to accommodate four new pins on each side of the slot. Of these eight pins, five are currently used; three are reserved for future use.

Two of the five signals are status signals generated by a SmartSlot-mounted peripheral device (called a Master). One (MASTER8) identifies the master as capable of 8-bit transfers only; the other (MASTER16) identifies the master as capable of either 8- or 16-bit transfers.

The remaining three signals synchronize use of the bus. When a master wants the bus, it asserts a bus request (BUSREQ). If the bus is available, the arbitration logic asserts a bus grant (BUSGNT), and then the master device asserts a bus busy (BUSBSY). The master can then maintain control of the bus until BUSGNT is released, at which point it must finish its current activity and then release BUSBSY.

Things are actually a little more complicated than this, however, because to maintain compatibility with the AT bus, the refresh circuitry must uphold dynamic RAM (DRAM) refresh timing. The arbitration logic senses when a refresh cycle must occur; if a master device has control of the bus, the arbitra

tion logic takes the bus, allows refresh to occur, and then gives the bus back to that master. The same process occurs when a direct memory access transfer takes place.

The arbitration logic sees to it that two masters do not try to gain bus control simultaneously. It also has a provision for locking the bus (for up to 150 microseconds) while executing critical sections of code—servicing a hardware interrupt, for example.

Another complication is that, in a process that AST calls bus hogging, the master does not need to relinquish the bus if it takes responsibility for providing DRAM refresh. In such a situation, the master could perform sustained, uninterrupted data transfers indefinitely.

The result is a bus that, unlike the PS/2's MCA, is completely compatible with the classic IBM bus but also has advanced capabilities like the MCA.

As unique as the SmartSlot architecture is, however, it's unclear whether other manufacturers (or even AST itself) will develop hardware that takes advantage of the SmartSlot's advanced features. AST claims to have developed an advanced ESDI disk controller that can take advantage of the SmartSlot architecture, but the company doesn't plan to release the product until late this year.

Currently, AST has no plans to develop additional SmartSlot cards.

80387, an AST 3G Plus II EGA card, and an AST EGA monitor. The price for this system, excluding the 80387 (which AST doesn't sell), is $9585.

AST's 32-bit memory card can hold a maximum of 13 megabytes of memory; you add 256K-byte and 1-megabyte single in-line memory modules (SIMMs) in 1-megabyte ($1095) or 4-megabyte ($7995) increments.

Architectural Details

The Premium/386's architecture is interesting both for what it has and for what it doesn't have. AST didn't build a hardware cache into the machine. Since the 32-bit expansion slot is fed directly by signals from the microprocessor, AST could add a cache-based memory system. Currently, it implements memory as a static-column (or page-mode) system. This architecture divides memory into relatively small, equal-size chunks of

memory called pages. In the Premium/386, the page size is 2K bytes.

The CPU accesses a specific memory location through the memory-decoding circuitry, which presents row and column addresses to RAM and then reads or writes the desired information. To access another location on the same page, the memory-decoding circuitry needs only to change the row address. Access in the same page occurs with zero wait states. However, accessing memory on a different page incurs two wait states, because the memory-decoding circuitry must specify both row and column addresses, and because it must prepare (precharge) the static-column RAM for access.

Static-column RAM can increase performance because programs tend to execute sections of code repetitively in relatively small areas of memory. However, because more than 2K bytes of RAM often separates code and data segments

of Intel microprocessors, sustained operation within a 2K-byte chunk of RAM (i.e., at zero wait states) seldom occurs. AST engineers report an average of 0.6 to 0.7 wait states when running typical applications.

The Premium/386 allocates memory in a unique fashion. Of the first megabyte of RAM, it decodes 640K bytes to appear at the usual addresses (0000:0000 hexadecimal through 9000:FFFFh). It maps the remaining 384K bytes, which AST calls Reserved Memory, to the top of the 16-megabyte address space (OOFAOOOOh), but it may remap 128K bytes of it to the top 128K bytes of the first megabyte (E000:0000h through F000:FFFFh). You can use that 128K bytes, called Shadow RAM, to hold a write-protected copy of the BIOS, which will then run about twice as fast as it does directly from the pair of 8-bit ROMs.

continued

196 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

L

AST Premium/386

APPLICATION-LEVEL PERFORMANCE

AST Premium/386 I7iW

WORD PROCESSING

d./Large

DATABASE dBASEIII+1.1

Xy Write 111+ 3.52 Me

Compaq 386/20 18.0

Load (large)

:13

Copy

:52

Word count

03/:20 05/: 20

Index List

:07 1:06

Search/replace

IBM PS/2 Model 80 11

End of document

02/: 12

Append

1:37

Block moves

11/:11 08/1:00

Delete Pack

:02 1:25

Spelling check :

IBM PC AT 5

Microsoft Word 4.0

Count

:03

Forward delete

:13

Sort

:51

Aldus PageMaker 1.0a

Load document

06

□ Index:

2.42

Change/Bold

23

Align right

16

SCIENTIFIC/ENGINEERING

Cut 10 pages

15

AutoCAD 2.52

14.!)

Place graphic

04

Load SoftWest

:41

Print to file

1

39

Regen SoftWest

:33 :09

D Index:

2.86

Regen StPauls Hide/redraw

:05

11:13

SPREADSHEET

STATA1.5

Lotus 1-2-3 2.01

Graphics

:22

Block copy Recalc

03 01

ANOVA MathCAD 2.0

:12

...

Word i—j

Processing L_i

Load Monte Carlo

11

IFS800pts.

:15

Recalc Monte Carlo

05

FFT/IFFT1024pts.

:15

Spreadsheet LI

Load rlarge3

03

__

Recalc rlarge3

01

D Index:

3.98

Recalc Goal-seek Microsoft Excel 2.0

03

COMPILERS

Database L_J

Fill right

04

Microsoft C 5.0

Scientific/ |—i Engineering L_l

Undo fill Recalc

1

53 02

XLisp compile Turbo Pascal

3:34

Load rlarge3 Recalc rlarge3

30 m

Pascal S compile

:04

Compilers LJ

- □ Index:

O Index:

2.90

'Cumulative applications index. Graphs are

based on indexes at left and show relative

All times are in minutes:seconds. Indexe

3S

row relative performance; for all indexes, an 8-MHz IBM PC AT= 1. |

jerformance.

LOW-LEVEL PERFORMANCE'

AST Premium/386

CPU Matrix String Move

Byte-wide Word-wide: Odd-bnd. Even-bnd. Sieve Sort

3.97

42.57

32.10 21.29 23.56 27.63

B Index:

2.51

FLOATING POINT*

Math

8.52

Errors

0.00E-+O0

Sine(x)

3.64

Error

2.00E-09

ex

3.56

Error

1.77E-02

DISK I/O Hard Seek*

Outer track

Inner track

Half platter

Full platter

Average DOS Seek

1 -sector 32-sector File I/O'

Seek

Read

Write 1-megabyte

Write

Read

VIDEO

Text

3.29

ModeO

3.33

Model

6.65

Mode 2

10.00

Mode 3

5.82

Mode?

Graphics

7.53

CGA:

18.37

Mode 4

Mode 5

0.11

Mode 6

0.48

EGA:

0.76

Mode 13

Mode 14

3.09

Mode 16

2.93

5.58 5.58 5.44 5.47 5.52

1.92 1.90 2.02

3.77 4.06 4.12

Compaq 386/20

□ Index:

□ Index:

2.41

1.90

□ Index:

5.26

1 All times are in seconds. All figures were generated using the 8088/8086 version (1.1) of Small-C (16-bit integers). Figures for 80386 machines do not use 80386-specific instructions.

2 The floating-point benchmarks use 8087-compatible instructions only.

3 The errors for the floating-point benchmarks indicate the difference between expected and actual values, correct to 10 digits or rounded to 2 digits.

* Times reported by the Hard Seek and DOS Seek are for multiple seek operations (number of seeks performed currently set to 100).

5 Read and write times for the File I/O benchmarks are in seconds per 64K byte.

6 For the Livermore Loops and Dhrystone tests only, higher numbers mean faster performance.

CONVENTIONAL BENCHMARKS

LINPACK 193.01

Livermore Loops6

(MFLOPS) 0.15

Dhrystone (MS C 5.0)

(Dhry/sec) 4945.00

IBM PS/2 Model 80

IBM PC AT

CPU LJ

FPU LJ

Disk I/O LJ

Video LJ

For a full description of all the benchmarks, see "Introducing the New BYTE Benchmarks," June BYTE.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 197

REVIEW AN 80386 WITH A TWIST

AST Premium/386

Company

AST Research, Inc. 2121 Alton Ave. Irvine, CA 92714 (714)863-1333

Components

Processor: 20-MHz Intel 80386; sockets for 20-MHz 80387 and 8-MHz 80287

Memory: 2 megabytes of 80-ns staticcolumn DRAM, expandable to 15 megabytes with 13-megabyte expansion card

Mass storage: 1,2-megabyte 51A-inch floppy disk drive; 90-megabyte 18-ms ESDI hard disk drive Display: Optional EGA monitor and 3G Plus II EGA card

Keyboard: 101-key enhanced keyboard I/O interfaces: Two RS-232C serial ports (25-pin); one parallel port (25-pin); one 32-bit memory-expansion slot; two 8-bit and one 16-bit expansion slots; three 16-bit AT-compatible SmartSlots

Size

19V4 x 6V4 x 16Va inches; 40 pounds

Software

MS-DOS 3.30, GWBASIC 3.22, ROMand RAM:based setup, diagnostics, RAM disk, disk cache, print spooler, expanded/extended memory manager

Options

OS/2 1.0: $325

1 megabyte of SI MM memory: $1095

4 megabytes of SIMM memory: $7995

3G Plus II EGA card: $395

VGA card: $445

VGA Plus card: $599

Monochrome monitor: $195

EGA or VGA monitor: $695

1,2-megabyte floppy disk drive: $235

360K-byte floppy disk drive: $215

1,4-megabyte floppy disk drive: $695

40-megabyte tape backup: $695

Documentation

AST Premium/386 User's Manual; AST Premium Utility Software User's Manual; AST Operating System 3.30

Price

Model 300: $5195

Model 340 (with 40-megabyte hard disk

drive): $6295 Model 390 (with 90-megabyte hard disk

drive): $8495 Model 3150E (with 150-megabyte hard

disk drive): $9795 Model 3320 (with 320-megabyte hard

disk drive): $10,795 System as reviewed: $9585

Inquiry 894.

With an AST EGA card, you can load the FASTEGA.SYS driver via your CONFIG.SYS file; this copies the EGA BIOS to Shadow RAM. Typing a 32K-byte ASCII file to the screen took about 38 seconds without using FASTEGA.SYS, but only about 11 seconds with it installed. Unfortunately, FASTEGA.SYS won't let you copy third-party EGA (or VGA) BlOSes to Shadow RAM.

Of the remaining 256K bytes of reserved memory, you can use 64K bytes (or 60K bytes in a 1-megabyte system) to load AST's expanded memory manager, ASTEMM.SYS, leaving 192K bytes (196K bytes in a 1-megabyte system) for use as Expanded Memory Specification (EMS) 4.0 memory. Like similar drivers from other vendors, ASTEMM.SYS also uses the 80386 processor's hardware memorypaging capability to emulate EMS 4.0 using standard 32-bit and 16-bit extended memory. 386MAX also knows how to add the Premium/3 86's reserved memory to its pool of EMS memory.

My only complaint with this allocation scheme is that 64K bytes of the 128K bytes of Shadow RAM (the segment beginning at E000:0000h) is wasted if you don't run an AST video adapter. That segment is unavailable to other adapters (e.g., a network card) or programs that might otherwise be able to use it. 386MAX, for example, could have used it for program loading. You can regain the use of the segment by disabling Shadow RAM, but then you lose the speed advantage of running the BIOS from RAM.

Up and Running

Getting the machine running is simple, thanks to AST's well-written and wellillustrated directions. To run the ROMbased setup program, you press and hold any key during the boot process. When the machine displays an error message, you press Ctrl-Alt-Esc to enter the setup program. AST also supplies a RAMbased version of the setup program.

The setup information occupies two screens. If you've ever used an AT clone with a BIOS written by Award Software, AST's setup program will be familiar to you. With auto-slowdown enabled and the system operating at its fastest speed, processing slows to the XT-compatible speed (4.77 MHz) whenever the system accesses the floppy disk.

During operation, you can change speed at any time by pressing Ctrl-AltUp to increase speed or Ctrl-Alt-Down to decrease speed. You can also execute SPEED.EXE to switch among high (20MHz), medium (8-MHz), low (4.77MHz), or default speed, or to enable and

disable auto-slowdown. With all these speeds, though, the actual clock speed doesn't change.

Booting is fast because the system performs only a limited memory check. You can run more extensive diagnostics with a supplied set of routines that check various subsystems (e.g., memory, keyboard, disk, and video) and that also include a low-level disk-format routine.

Benchmark Standings

The Premium/386 offers performance that lies between that of the 16-MHz IBM PS/2 Model 80 and that of the 20-MHz Compaq Deskpro 386/20. In the lowlevel memory-access tests, the Premium/ 386 performed the Sieve and Sort benchmarks nearly as fast the Compaq, but in the String Move and Matrix operations, it dipped to the level of the Model 80. Here the Premium/3 86's static-column architecture had a negative effect.

On the floating-point benchmarks, the Premium/386 fell between the Model 80 and the Deskpro in all three tests. It was a consistent 26 percent faster than the Model 80, and it ranged from 10 percent to 20 percent slower than the Deskpro 386/20.

The Disk I/O tests show that the performance of AST's Control Data hard disk drive with Western Digital's controller is nearly identical to that of the Compaq's drive. The two exceptions are the DOS Seek 1-sector test, where the Premium/386 was some 30 percent faster, and the 1-megabyte Write test, where the Premium/386 performed about 20 percent faster than the Compaq.

The Premium/3 86's performance in the Video benchmarks was disappointing. The Compaq was consistently faster in both text and graphics tests. The Model 80 performed better than the Premium/386 in the text benchmarks, and the Premium/386 barely edged out the IBM in graphics modes.

The applications benchmarks generally correspond to the low-level benchmark results. In most tasks, the Premium/386 lagged behind the Compaq and was 10 percent to 50 percent faster than the Model 80. Overall, a user running disk-intensive applications wouldn't notice much difference between the Premium/386 and the Compaq. Applications relying more heavily on computation and graphics output would find the Compaq somewhat faster.

What Runs

The Premium/386 had no trouble running the following software: DESQview

continued

198 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Affordable CADD. And it's only the beginning.

The CADD stands for Computer Aided Design and Drafting. With a suggested retail price of just $99.95, Generic CADD Level 1 makes the power of real CADD affordable. And it's just part of a family of Generic CADD products that will make you more productive than ever before.

Standard Mac interface for ease of use.

Now you can produce accurate drawings with real world scale on the Mac Plus, Mac SE, or Mac II. You can edit multiple drawings in separate windows and cut and paste between them. CADD Level 1 is also multifinder compatible.

Symbol Libraries boost productivity.

From office furniture to specialized electronics symbols, our Symbol Libraries save you the time of redrawing repetitive elements every time you need them.

Add the power of real CADD to your Mac.

Move your Macintosh drawings into the real world. Call us at 1-800-228-3601 for your free CADDalog or the name of your Generic dealer. And find out why we say the only thing generic about us is the price.

8 1988 Generic Software, Inc. Generic CADD Level I is not copy protected and comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. Registered users get free technical support from Generic.

Level 1 and Generic CADD are trademarks of Generic Software, Inc. Macintosh is a trademark of the Apple Computer Corp.

1911 North Creek Parkway South, Bolhell, WA 98011

Circle 106 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 107)

Generic

Circle 128 on Reader Service Card

Integrand's new Chassis/System is not another IBM mechanical and electrical clone. An entirely fresh packaging design approach has been taken using modular construction. At present, over 40 optional stock modules allow you to customize our standard chassis to nearly any requirement. Integrand offers high quality, advanced design hardware along with applications and technical support all at prices competitive with imports. Why settle for less?

REVIEW AN 80386 WITH A TWIST

Rack & Desk Models

Accepts PC, XT, AT Motherboards and Passive Backplanes

Doesn 't Look Like IBM

Rugged, Modular Construction

Excellent Air Flow & Cooling

Optional Card Cage Fan

Designed to meet FCC

204 Watt Supply, UL Recognized 145W &85W also available Reasonably Priced

RESEARCH CORP.

Call or write for descriptive brochure and prices:

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209/651-1203

TELEX 5106012830 (INTEGRAND UD)

EZLINK 62926572

We accept BankAmericard/VISA and MasterCard

[BM, PC. XT. AT trademarks of International Business Machines. Drives anil computer boards not included.

2.01 (with QEMM), 386MAX, Windows/386, Windows 2.0, AST's version of OS/2, Concurrent DOS 386, WordStar 4.0, a beta release of WordStar 5.0, Turbo Pascal 4.0, T-DebugPLUS 4.0, Procomm 2.4.2, Microsoft BASIC 6.0, Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01, VP-Planner

1.0, Professional CED 1.01a, Brooklyn Bridge 1.30, DeskLink 1.06/2.16, AutoCAD 9.0, AutoSketch enhanced version

1.01, Excel 2.0, and PageMaker 1.0. AST's optional OS/2 software lets you

boot either DOS or OS/2 from the hard disk. In addition, AST's OS/2 leaves your hard disk better organized than does IBM's. It stores only a dozen or so files in the root directory, versus three or four dozen with IBM's version. The rest it stores in the 0S2 directory and in other subdirectories below it.

As for hardware, I had no problems installing and using a Microsoft Serial Mouse, a Quadram JT Fax board, a BocaRAM/AT extended memory board, or a Paradise AutoSwitch monochrome EGA card. However, I did have problems installing Orchid's Designer VGA and Paradise's VGA Plus boards on my review machine. With either card installed, the machine became extremely unstable, sometimes refusing to boot and at other times crashing unexpectedly, especially when I changed speeds using the keyboard commands. Also, the Orchid board simply wouldn't fit into the machine unless I removed the mounting bracket.

AST said it had not tested the Orchid board, but it claimed that the Paradise board was compatible. The company sent a second machine, and this time the boards worked flawlessly. Both machines were using BIOS version 1.2.

Supporting Details

The Premium/386 has a 220-watt power supply and carries an FCC Class B certification, which means it's approved for home use. The motherboard, measuring about 10 by 13 inches, is divided into three areas. At the rear left are seven expansion slots. At the rear right are the peripheral interfaces (serial and parallel ports and the disk controller). The front half of the board holds most of the system logic, including the CPU, math coprocessor, BIOS EPROMs, keyboard controller, and I/O decoding. Instead of mounting memory on the motherboard, however, AST put it on a 32-bit card. The overall workmanship of the motherboard is excellent; there are only three jumper wires on the back of the board.

The Premium/386's keyboard is the same unit that ships with the Premium/

286. Its mushy feel is disappointing, given the overall quality of the system.

Finally, my EGA monitor had a tiltand-swivel stand, but I couldn't tilt the monitor forward from the upright position. Counterbalancing that fault, however, are the front-mounted power switch and brightness and contrast controls.

Technical support is available for the price of a phone call. The technician I talked to was knowledgeable about simple setup and operational questions but weak in knowledge about wait states, reserved memory, and similar topics. A local dealer fared somewhat better, however.

The machine carries a 12-month parts and labor warranty (after shipping from an authorized AST reseller, or 14 months from AST, whichever comes first).

The Cost Effect

If performance is paramount and money is no object, there are faster machines (Compaq's Deskpro 386/20 and ALR's FlexCache 20386, for example). However, you can buy a Premium/386 Model 390 with VGA adapter and monitor for $9585, whereas a comparably equipped Compaq costs about $11,400. In other words, the Premium/386 costs 85 percent of the Compaq price, but it provides more than 85 percent of the performance overall.

Also, the performance of AST's new 16-bit VGA card (released too late for this review) may equal or exceed the video performance of the Compaq and other machines, for just a few hundred dollars over the Premium/386's current price.

On the other hand, the motherboard has no on-board video adapter, regular memory, or cache memory. But because graphics standards are evolving so rapidly, the lack of a built-in video adapter is an advantage—you can upgrade that portion of the system as your needs require.

AST's SmartSlot architecture is a potential advantage for the Premium/386, if vendors design products that take advantage of its features. AST has published SmartSlot's specifications and has instituted a liberal licensing policy. But even if SmartSlot doesn't take off, the Premium/386 still provides good performance for a good price. ■

Jeff Holtzman owns Publishing Concepts, a firm that specializes in evaluation, verification, and documentation of high-technology products. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and can be reached on BIX as "editors. "

200 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

TimeWand® - Organizing Information

.

J,s< \

V#-'

ak w>^^Jitek

..."

Scan File

Document Control Report

File Room #5

September 4, 1987

Code

Description Employee

Date

006169

Jones Account Pennie Bates

8/31/87

006164

Dawson Account Pauline Towers

8/31/87

006165

Smith Reference Pauline Towers

8/31/87

006166

Charlie Account Pauline Towers

8/31/67

0061S7

Baker File Matthew Webster

9/01/87

006173

1987 Research Budget Matthew Webster

9/01/87

006176

Trowbridge Report Matthew Webster

9/01/87

006179

Advertising Plan Barb Misch

9/02/87

006169

Laboratory Results Barb Misch

9/02/87

006195

Meeting Notes Barb Misch

9/02/87

006182

Garth Correspondence Pennie Bates

9/02/87

006183

July Computer Sales Pennie Bates

9/02/87

006164

Commerce Study Pennie Bates

9/02/87

006185

Teller Audit Matthew Webster

9/03/87

006186 006187 006188

1/03/87 |/03/87

Develop Data Reports

Applications for the TimeWand - Document Control

Ever wonder who has that important file on the Jones account? There is no record of who took it from the file room and no one remembers who had it last. You spend your valuable time and patience tracking it down, but when you finally locate the file, it may be too late for timely use.

Make it easy on yourself by tracking documents with the TimeWand. By simply scanning the bar code on the Jones file and your employee ID number (or department name), the TimeWand records who has the file and the time it was taken.

No manual data entry or deciphering of your co-worker's handwritten notes is required. All TimeWand entries are made by scanning bar codes! It's fast, easy, and, most importantly, organized.

TimeWand. It helps you keep up with the Joneses.

TimeWand (2K version) - $198

Single Recharger and Cable - $149

TimeWand Manager Software (Macintosh) - $489

TimeWand Communication Software (IBM) - $299

The TimeWand is simple to operate, yet provides the data necessary to create detailed reports. Generate reports by incorporating data collected with the TimeWand into your data base. The reports allow you to quickly find who has those important files, check a file's current activity, identify which items are 'slow movers', or show the amount of traffic the file room handles each day.

Circle 289 on Reader Service Card

I!

idex

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Videx and TimeWand are registered trademarks of Videx, Inc.

CLEO is your SNA, BSC and Coax Gateway

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CLEO

CLEO and 3780Plus are registered trademarks of CLEO Software. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

Hardware Review

Fax Board Faire

Facsimile boards offer high-speed text and graphics file transfers from the desktop

Brock N. Meeks

Datacopy's Microfax (top) boasts a Hayescompatible modem and support for AutoCAD files; Quadram's JT Fax 4800 (bottom) offers basic fax capabilities for under $400.

he latest high-tech catchphrase is the trendy-sounding "image communications." This entails sending bit-mapped text and graphics information across a city, or across continents, simply by inserting a document into a facsimile machine and pressing a button. In 30 seconds or less, an exact duplicate crawls out of the remote machine. It's a heady process, and it's easier to comprehend than the telephone. Now implementations of this technology on microcomputers are gaining popularity.

If the last fax machine you were acquainted with was that hulking monster in the corner of the mail room, look again. The newest fax machines are smaller, cheaper, and easier to use than some multibutton telephones. Microcomputer fax cards share much of the same simplicity while offering better

image quality and the ability to store image files to disk. Regular RJ-11 connectors tie them into your telephone line, giving you the option of voice or fax transmission.

What, Me Fax?

The appeal of fax technology isn't so much due to its trendy high-tech status as to its down-to-earth practicality. Fax can marry graphics images with pages of text and send those documents from Toledo to Tibet in a matter of seconds—something that anyone who has tap-danced on a tight deadline or winced at the price of sending documents by overnight courier can appreciate. And since fax is virtually instantaneous, it can salvage a deadline for the price of a phone call.

Fax cards fit into a standard slot in your microcomputer and support the 9600-bit-per-second CCITT Group III fax standard. (See the text box "How Fax Works" on page 204.) The cards also include software for converting ASCII text and graphics files to bit-mapped fax image files. Once you've converted a file, you can store it, fax it to another machine, or print it out.

Fax cards aren't intended to replace the traditional fax machine, but to turn the desktop into a communications center with full graphics capabilities. Still, fax cards do have some distinct advantages over their stand-alone cousins.

One advantage is better image quality. A traditional fax machine is convenient; you simply insert a document, dial the remote machine, and press a button. But what stand-alone fax gives you in convenience, you give up in quality. Chunky, jagged fonts printed on flimsy thermaltransfer paper are the trademark of stand-alone fax machines. These look bad, in part, because they're third-generation copies. The document usually starts out as a file, which you then print. Next, you feed the document into the fax machine, which scans it and sends it to

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 203

REVIEW FAX BOARD FAIRE

How Fax Works

Although current fax technology zips along at 9600 bps, the road to these high-speed image transfers was a long one.

The ability to transmit bit-mapped images isn't new; the technology to transmit signals over a wire and onto paper has been around since Alexander Bain patented such a device in 1842, and newspapers have used the wire services to transmit photographs for decades. So what took so long? In a word: standards. There were none.

Fax machines became popular only after the mid-1960s, when the CCITT (International Telephone and Telegraph Consultative Committee) hammered out the world's first set of fax transmission standards, called Group I. Since then, the CCITT has developed three other sets of standards (Groups II through IV). Each successive standard has provided fax technology with a quantum leap both in image quality and transmission speed.

The Group I and Group II standards are based on analog technology. Early Group I fax machines operated much like a 300-bps modem and took 6 minutes to send a single page. Group II machines, introduced in the mid-1970s, improved resolution and cut transmission time to 3 minutes per page. These are the fax machines most people probably remember dealing with in the mailroom. They were unwieldy and were prone to jamming and telephone line noise. A fair number of Group II machines are still around.

The big break in fax technology came in 1980 when the CCITT approved the 9600-bps Group III standard; most fax machines and fax cards today conform to it. Group III broke away from the analog world by implementing digital image scanning and data compression methods.

Many Group HI products use the Rockwell V.29 chip set, which uses the CCITT V.29 half-duplex 9600-bps file transmission standard and the Modified Huffman compression scheme. Fax machines use this scheme to compress much of the white space in a document. The fax image file is compressed en route to the remote machine; on arrival, it is decompressed (decoded) for storing to disk or printing.

The top-end resolution for Group III fax machines is 200 dpi. A typical

transmitted page in normal resolution (actually 203 dpi horizontal by 98 lines per inch) takes from 15 to 20 seconds on a "clean" phone line. However, many documents, especially those with lots of graphics, are transmitted in fine mode, which increases the vertical resolution to 196 lines per inch and doubles the transmission time. If your fax card happens to have gray-scaling capability (the ability to read and transmit subtle shades of gray), the transmission time can be even longer. But the results can make it worth the wait. What you give up in economy and speed, you make up for in quality.

Fax transmissions don't use any error-checking protocols. While this optimizes throughput, it makes fax transmissions susceptible to "data hits," which result in tiny holes in an image. However, data hits aren't as critical for images as they are for other types of data, such as program code.

Another nice feature of Group III fax transmissions is that they have automatic fallback protocols. If a Group III machine is transmitting to a Group II machine, for example, it automatically falls back to the slower Group II transfer rate. In addition, if it can't establish a connection at 9600 bps due to poor line quality, it will try to connect at 7200 bps, and then at 4800 bps.

The Group IV standard, approved last January, is a bit ahead of its time. To use a Group IV-compatible fax, you must have a leased telephone line or connect to an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), which has yet to become widely available. Group IVcompatible machines, at about $10,000, are high-priced, but you do get a dramatic increase in performance: 30 pages per minute at 400 dpi. Federal Express based its ill-fated Zap Mail service on Group IV fax.

While the fax industry looks to the day when ISDN becomes a reality, at least one promising advance awaits implementation in the Group III arena. Last September, Rockwell announced a compact, CMOS low-power, full-duplex V.32 9600-bps modem board, called the R9696DP. Essentially a modem on a chip, this board promises to change the complexion of the fax card market by allowing such cards to support full-duplex fax or modem transmissions at 9600 bps.

the remote fax, which prints it again. This process of converting and printing the document file lowers image quality significantly.

By contrast, documents created on a personal computer and sent from a fax card require no intermediate conversions, so they produce first-generation documents. If you happen to be sending an image file to another fax card, it's possible to store the image to disk or output it to a laser printer. Anyone familiar with the less-than-stellar thermal-print quality of a fax document is in for a pleasant surprise: Laser-printed fax documents are crisp, and line drawings are clean and precise (see figure 1).

Fax Card Features

Like modems, fax cards have two RJ-11 jacks; one connects to the telephone line, and the other attaches to the telephone. The first input lets the fax dial and send and receive documents, often working in background or unattended mode. Although your telephone shares a line with the fax card, telephone use isn't hampered. In fact, most fax cards let you initiate a voice call, send a fax during the call by pressing a function key, and then resume your conversation.

Software is the key to differentiating between fax cards. Some of the products reviewed here are "bare bones" units that offer conversion of ASCII files to bit-mapped fax image files, but not much else. Others are packed with an array of bells and whistles. If your fax needs don't go beyond transmitting text documents and an occasional graph or two, then a fax card without all the fancy features should serve you well. However, if you're looking for a full-function card, you'll want to check into some of the more advanced features.

Two key features included with most fax cards are unattended (automatic) polling, and broadcasting. With automatic polling, you configure your fax to call a designated group of other fax numbers at a specified time to see if they have anything to deliver. To broadcast a document, you specify a list of telephone numbers you want a document faxed to at a specific time; transmission then occurs automatically. Some fax cards limit the number of locations you can put into a list; others let you string together multiple lists to broadcast to a virtually unlimited number of machines. Broadcast capability makes it easy to schedule transmissions in the early morning hours, when telephone rates are lowest. And when your fax card isn't sending those documents, it can receive fax

204 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

REVIEW FAX BOARD FAIRE

transmissions or poll other machines.

Another consideration is whether you can view files on-screen before printing or faxing them. Most fax cards support this capability. Seeing how a file will look before faxing it helps ensure that the receiver will get the correct image. Another handy feature is background-mode operation, which lets you work on a spreadsheet or word-processing file while sending a fax.

You may want a fax card that accepts optical scanner input. Some cards include special optical-character-recognition (OCR) software for this purpose. Others may also include a port to connect the scanner directly to the fax card. A related feature is the ability to accept and transmit gray-scale images—a crucial feature for transmitting multicolor drawings or photographs. Fax cards with gray-scale capability pick up and transmit subtle shades.

Not all fax cards are compatible with every graphics format. Be sure that the conversion software supports TIFF (Tag Image File Format) if you're using PageMaker, .PCX files for PC Paintbrush, .PLT files for AutoCAD, and so on.

Most cards keep some kind of "activity log" that stores information about the fax transfer process. This lets you monitor fax transmissions and determine if any transmission failures have occurred. Some cards also include a modem, making maximum use of the computer's slot. Finally, you should make sure that the fax card supports your printer.

Trials and Tribulations

I tested 10 fax cards on an IBM XT compatible with a 20-megabyte hard disk drive, a Hercules graphics card, and 640K bytes of RAM. All tests were run at 8 MHz. See the table on page 206 for a listing of the products and their features.

Before reviewing the results, a few caveats are in order. First, converting files from ASCII to fax with a system running any slower than 8 MHz is unbearably slow. Second, converted fax images gobble disk space, so leave plenty of room on your hard disk. A typical page of text requires about 60K bytes of storage as a fax image file; a detailed, multi-gray-scale picture can eat up as much as 500,000K bytes.

Also, if you're a fan of RAM-resident programs, break your habit, at least when you're using fax software to convert files to fax images. More than once, after I waited minutes for a fax image conversion to finish, the entire system locked up because I didn't have enough RAM overhead.

Isometric intersection Isometric intersection

Figure 1: The image at left is an AutoCAD file that was printed on a LaserJet II and transmitted between standard fax machines. The image at right is the same file, sent between PC fax cards and output to the same printer.

I also experienced problems when exiting from some fax card programs. Not all software packages would issue error reports; some locked my machine up and I had to reboot. Here again, you have to watch what programs you have in RAM. It's a trial-and-error process, unfortunately, as none of the manuals give specifics on which RAM-resident programs may cause problems.

That said, here are the highlights of my experience with 10 fax cards.

Fax-Mail 96

Brooktrout Technology's Fax-Mail card comes in three versions: the $599 9600bps fax card reviewed here, a 2400-bps model ($399), and a 4800-bps model ($499). For the difference in price, I can't imagine why anyone would opt for the slow speed of the 2400-bps fax card.

The Fax-Mail 96 includes the ability to merge text files with letterhead. Getting the letterhead encoded as a bitmapped fax image file requires a scanner, however. You could input a printed copy of the letterhead from a stand-alone fax machine, but the image quality would leave much to be desired.

Brooktrout's Chop feature separates a received fax image into different files. For example, you can cut both the letterhead and the signature from an original fax so you can merge them into other fax documents. You can also use PC Paintbrush to clean up the letterhead or other images.

Other features include Supershow, which lets you scale down a multipage fax image so you can view multiple pages on your screen, and a printer capture option that can create a fax image file from word-processing files sent to the printer

port in Epson FX-80 format. The latter converts text and attributes (such as boldfacing and italics) to fax image files. Fax-Mail also supports several wordprocessor file formats, including Microsoft Word and WordPerfect.

Conversion software transforms ASCII and PC Paintbrush files to fax image files, and it also can convert fax image files back to PC Paintbrush.

JT Fax 4800

If any fax card marches to the beat of a different drummer, Quadram's JT Fax is it. Although this is the least expensive of the cards reviewed, it offers several heavyweight features that make it ideal for small business or personal use.

One standout feature of this card is the way it converts files to fax images. With most fax cards, you must run all files through a conversion process before transmitting them. The large size of fax image files quickly depletes hard disk real estate, however. In contrast, the JT Fax does file conversion on the fly. It determines what type of file it's going to send, and after making a connection with a remote machine, it converts the file as it's transmitted.

This approach has one small drawback: It limits the board's speed to 4800 bps. The slower speed shouldn't be a problem for the occasional fax user, however, and the board's low price and the fact that your disk drive isn't cluttered with several 50K-byte-plus files is adequate compensation.

The JT Fax accepts input from an external scanner and lets you send documents to another fax or to your printer as they're scanned, without first storing

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 205

REVIEW FAX BOARD FAIRE

Product and company

Price

Speed (bps)

RAM required (bytes)

Board size

Hayescompatible modem

Scanner port

Fax-Mail 96

Brooktrout Technology, Inc.

$599

9600

512K

Full

No

Yes

JT Fax 4800

Quadram Corp.

$395

4800

256K

Halt

No

No

The Complete Fax

The Complete PC

$499

4800

512K

3/4

No

No

MFAX96P

Microtek Lab, Inc.

$995

9600 9600

9600

256K 640K

640K

Full Full

Full

No

Optional

1200-bps

($129)

No

Yes

Facsimile Pac

Dest Corp.

$995

Yes

pc-Fax

EIT, Inc.

$1095

No

GammaFax

GammaLink

$995

9600

256K

3/4

Optional

1200-bps

($200)

Yes

Microfax

Datacopy Corp.

Faxcard/Fax Partner

SpectraFAX Corp./Panasonic Industrial Co.

$1195 $999

9600

9600 9600

384K

640K 640K

Full

3/4 2/3

1200-bps

No

No

No No

SmartFax

American Data Technology, Inc.

$949

Yes

them to disk. The unit does not operate in background mode, however.

Another feature is support for grayscale images, and there is another utility that automatically merges text with an image file containing your letterhead and signature. Again, the process occurs on the fly.

The Complete Fax

The Complete Fax is a low-cost, multifeatured fax card from The Complete PC that operates at 4800 bps. The Complete PC doesn't make grandiose claims; it simply promises solid fax transmission capabilities. It delivers.

You can create fax documents from PC Paintbrush, Windows Paint, and Dr. HALO formatted files, and you can store these converted documents in either standard or fine mode. (Fine mode is 203 by 196 dots per inch, which eats disk space at four times the rate of the stan

dard 203- by 98-dpi mode.) The file conversion process is one of the quickest I tested.

The Complete Fax's Facsimile Directory function lets you overlay any fax image with another. This merging function gives you crude, but effective, graphics manipulation capability. However, it's easier to just convert the files to .PCX or another graphics format, massage them with a paint program, and turn them back into fax files again. If your word processor includes an Epson MX printer driver, you can also send text files with all attributes.

An option, The Complete Hand Scanner ($249), works in tandem with The Complete Fax. The scanner is a glitzy, mouse-type device that scans images up to 2Vi inches wide by 10 inches long. You can store the images in any file format compatible with The Complete Fax. The scanner is great for scanning logos, line

art, and letterheads. It also includes custom software, called Soft Stationery, that lets you create any kind of letterhead you can scan into your computer.

Another card, the CFAX/9600 ($599), was introduced too late to include in this review. This 9600-bps fax card features a scanner interface port, an optional 2400bps modem, a mail-merge function, and Epson FX print-capture capability.

MFAX96P

The MFAX96P fax card is an appendage of Microtek Lab's scanner line. Six months ago this board was a bad deal. Today, it's an adequate implementation of fax technology.

Version 1.11 of MFAX's software left much to be desired, including the glaring omission of an ability to view a fax image file on your monitor before transmitting it. The beta copy of version 2.0 that I reviewed has solved that problem.

206 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

REVIEW FAX BOARD FAIRE

Background mode

Polling

Maximum broadcast

Printers supported

Software features

Standard files converted

Send/receive

Yes

Unlimited

Epson, IBM, HP LaserJet, others

Text/graphics editor

ASCII, PC Paintbrush, formatted Epson FX-80

word-processing files

No

No

Unlimited

Epson, IBM, Toshiba, HP LaserJet, others

Automatic file conversion, help

ASCII, PC Paintbrush

Send/receive

Yes

25

Epson FX, Toshiba, IBM

Help, cover-page

ASCII, Dr. HALO, PC

Graphics, NEC, HP

generation, graphics

Paintbrush, Microsoft

LaserJet, others

editor

Windows Paint, Epson MX-formatted word

processing files

Send/receive

Yes

Unlimited

Epson FX, LQ; Canon, HP laser; others

None

ASCII, TIFF

Send/receive, print

No

Unlimited

Epson FX, IBM

Mail-merge fax, image

ASCII, Dr. HALO, PC

Graphics, Toshiba,

file encryption

Paintbrush

IBM Matrix, HP

:::

LaserJet, others

No

Yes

Unlimited

Epson, HP LaserJet, others

Help, text and image merging

ASCII, PC Paint

Send/receive

Yes

Unlimited

Epson, IBM, Fujitsu,

Help, windows, LAN

ASCII, AutoCAD, Dr.

NEC, Toshiba; Canon,

support

HALO, PC Paintbrush,

HP laser; others

TIFF, Hewlett-Packard HPGL plotter files

Send/receive

Yes

160

Epson FX, Toshiba, IBM

Help, text editor,

ASCII, PC Paintbrush,

Graphics, NEC, HP

direct printing of

TIFF

LaserJet, others

incoming fax, automatic file conversion

Send/receive

Yes

100

Epson, NEC, Toshiba, Panasonic, HP

Graphics editor

ASCII, PC Paintbrush, many word-processing

LaserJet, others

files

Receive

No

999

Epson FX, LQ; IBM

Help, graphics editor,

ASCII, TIFF, Dr. HALO,

Graphics; Canon, HP

area-code lookup,

PC Paintbrush,

laser; others

blank page creation

WordStar

High points of the new software include the ability to print documents at either 204 by 196 dpi or 300 by 300 dpi. This lets you expand a fax image to 300 dpi when printing to a laser printer, which is handy if you've received a fax that's formatted on a desktop publishing program.

You can also send a text file without running it through the conversion program. This solves the MFAX's earlier problem of having to break multipage documents into separate files before converting them. When you choose an ASCII file for faxing, the software automatically converts it to a fax image, as long as the file has a .TXT extension.

The program's built-in editor lets you create memos without exiting to your word processor. This is handy when you need to fax quick notes, but for extensive text processing, you'll still want to use your word processor.

The Easy Send feature lets you send hard-copy documents through a scanner to the MFAX card and on to another fax machine with the press of a key. This feature is so simple that even the most paranoid technophobe can handle sending a fax from the computer. Also, the MFAX96P has a built-in scanner port, so you can add a scanner without giving up an extra slot in your computer.

I have two gripes about this unit. First, the board requires you to set more hardware switches than does any other fax card, and the process isn't well documented. Other fax cards operate on a "plug and go" principle; I don't know why Microtek chose to make the user do all the work.

Also, while the MFAX supports TIFF files, there is no facility to convert files from any paint programs; you have to either scan pictures into the system or forget about sending graphics. EyeStar

Plus software, included with Microtek scanners, converts PC Paintbrush and Windows Paint files to fax image files, but for this you have to purchase a scanner, which ranges from $995 to $3995.

Facsimile Pac

Dest's Facsimile Pac has two noteworthy options. The first is a 1200-bps Hayescompatible modem ($ 129). The second is a plug-in chip ($195) on the fax card that provides full Department of Defense Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption capability.

The DES chip is a serious-minded (and handy) capability, although the documentation, which reads like backyard mystery theater, takes itself perhaps too seriously. One passage reads: "Use this option to send and receive confidential documents in secret code" (italics added).

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 207

REVIEW FAX BOARD FAIRE

For security at both ends, the DES chip establishes a public key (key A) between the two machines. This is common to the encrypted message. However, a second, private key (key B) is known only to the receiver. If both keys don't match, the message remains scrambled.

Like the MFAX, the Facsimile Pac card includes a scanner port, saving a card slot if you decide to add a scanner.

Facsimile Pac supports file conversion, printing, and sending and receiving files in background mode. The software operates as a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program that you can invoke within other applications to send files. It also lets you set up a rather sophisticated telemarketing blitz using fax machines: By inserting "tags" into your text, you can create a mail-merge application that sends mass mailings via fax.

Dest has provided a fax card with an impressive array of features. If you need the security of DES encryption (when transmitting confidential contracts, for example), you should think seriously about the Facsimile Pac. You certainly don't lose any capability; in fact, the card is of intelligent design, and the software is more than adequate. For those who want sophisticated scanner support and multiple fax options, this is the product.

pc-Fax

EIT's pc-Fax provides the usual host of features, including polling, laser-printer support, and a funky background mode for receiving image files.

Contrary to what the name implies, "background" mode is only in the background until called on to receive a fax. When pc-Fax picks up a carrier tone, it automatically halts everything—your computer locks up and becomes hostage to the fax transfer. Although this acts as an "insurance policy" for the reliability of the fax transfer, it's annoying to have your work flow suddenly and unexpectedly grind to a halt for a incoming fax. EIT says it is working on true background-mode capability.

The card also has a built-in binary transfer capability that runs on the IBM PC AT and compatibles at the blazing rate of 9600 bps, as long as each end runs a pc-Fax board. With vanilla PCs, the transfer rate slows to 4800 bps. (Other fax cards with binary transfer capability performed similarly.) The software uses pull-down menus and provides mouse support.

The pc-FAX's OCR capability recognizes four fonts and converts them to ASCII format. In addition, you can "teach" the software to recognize other

fonts. The pc-Fax card is perhaps the most versatile of the bunch at turning hard copy into a machine-readable format.

GammaFax

GammaLink was one of the earliest players in the fax card market, and that experience shows in the number of features its GammaFax card offers. The latest version of the software (4.0D) is a vast improvement over an earlier version I received, which didn't function properly when sending a fax during a voice-initiated call.

Features include the ability to write batch files to, for example, send a text file from one microcomputer to another microcomputer's GammaFax card via a local-area network. Also, a cut-andpaste function lets you cut out sections of a fax image, such as a logo or a signature, and put them into separate files.

Like the pc-Fax board, GammaFax can also perform binary file transfers between PCs or ATs and compatibles using GammaFax boards at 4800 and 9600 bps, respectively. You can also purchase a version of the GammaFax card that includes a 1200-bps Hayes-compatible modem for an extra $200.

GammaFax's software converts ASCII, Dr. HALO, PC Paintbrush, AutoCAD, TIFF, and Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL) plotter files. If you haven't converted your file before it's queued to send, the software will automatically convert it to a fax image.

GammaLink technical support helped solve a problem I had with converting from ASCII to fax image files—this was the previously mentioned RAM overhead problem caused by TSR programs. Finally, the documentation is well written and includes numerous tips sections, set apart from the main text by italics.

Microfax

Datacopy's Microfax is the standard against which to measure other PC fax cards. Microfax's documentation is straightforward, and Datacopy seems to have a clear idea of the proper role of a fax card.

After crawling through thousands of pages of documentation for other cards that was either poorly printed or "typeset" on the first available letter-quality printer, the documentation supplied with Microfax was a sight for sore eyes. Ample use of white space and crisp typefaces gave me the impression that the company cared about its product. That impression wasn't misleading.

Easy-to-use menu screens and simple file-conversion procedures make the Microfax's software stand out. The Microfax can convert TIFF and PC Paintbrush files, and AutoCAD converts files to the Microfax's proprietary .IMG image format. The unit also includes a 1200-bps Hayes-compatible modem that worked flawlessly. If you're sending a file to a remote PC with a Microfax card, you can also take advantage of the card's 9600-bps binary file-transfer capability.

Datacopy is known for its scanners, so it's no surprise that Microfax is compatible with a host of units. Microfax stores scanned files to disk as an image file before letting you send them to another fax machine. Optional OCR software ($695) converts between fax images and a variety of word-processing formats. The scanner software recognizes 19 fonts, and you can program it to recognize others.

Faxcard/Fax Partner

Ease of use and attention to detail are the hallmarks of SpectraFAX's Faxcard. Panasonic also licenses this board as the Fax Partner, which is identical in every respect to the Faxcard. SpectraFAX has gone out of its way to make things easy, including building the fax card around the 8081 microprocessor and stuffing the 3/4-length board with 256K bytes of RAM, which isn't cheap these days.

The 8081 gives the fax card a certain independence not found in other products. This is handy if you plan to send and receive fax documents in background mode. Most fax cards will slow the application you're currently working on when the fax card goes into action. But because the 8081 processes the fax transmission, even a system running at 4.77 MHz isn't affected.

This card gets a special nod for the way it converts files. You don't have to agonize through the tedious conversion process. Instead, sending a file entails nothing more than selecting it with a highlight bar. The software then takes care of all conversion before transmitting it to the remote fax.

The Faxcard/Fax Partner automatically converts images it receives to a proprietary .PCX-type format. You can only manipulate the graphics format files through a built-in graphics editor, however. This feature relieves you from fumbling with several file formats, but it limits you to working with PC Paintbrush files. As extensive as the graphics editor is (the 320-plus-page manual contains 134 pages of instruction on how to

continued

208 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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7.5 good reasons to try ASYSTANTGPIB.

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ASYSTANT 6PIB Software hands you control of your IEEE-488 instruments.

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For the IBM PC, XT, AT, or 100% compatible computers and the IBM PS/2

GPIB interface boards supported include:

PC/XT/AT:

■ Scientific Solutions IEEE-488LM

■ Qua Tech MXI-100

■ BBS GPIB

■ Ziateeh ZT 1444

■ Advantek PCL-748

■ National Instruments GPIB-PC, GPIB-PCII, GPIB-PCIIA, and GPIB-PCIII

■ Capital Equipment PC<>4! Models 300 and 310, 4x488

■ MetraByte IE-488

■ IBM IEEE488-GPIB

■ Hewlett Packard 27209A

■ IOtech GP488A

PS/2:

■ IOtech Personal488/2

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Please give us a call for additional boards supported.

For technical details call 1-800-348-0033.

Circle 20 on Reader Service Card

SOf-TWARE TECHNOLOGIES. INC.

100 Corporate Woods Rochester, NY 14623 1-800-348-0033 (or 716-272-0070)

°1988 Asysl Software "technologies, Inc.

ASYSTANT is a trademark of Asyst Software : Ttechnoiogies, Inc. Otlier brand and product

names arc trademarks or registered trademarks :of their respective holders.

REVIEW FAX BOARD FAIRE

Company

Information

American Data Technology, Inc.

44 West Bellevue Dr., Suite 6 Pasadena, CA 91105 (818)578-1339 Inquiry 923.

GammaLink

2452 Embarcadero Way Palo Alto, CA 94303 (415) 856-7421 Inquiry 929.

Brooktrout Technology, Inc.

110 Cedar St.

Wellesley Hills, MA 02181 (617) 235-3026 Inquiry 924.

Microtek Lab, Inc.

16901 Southwestern Ave. Gardena, CA 90247 (213) 321-2121 Inquiry 930.

The Complete PC

521 Cottonwood Dr. Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 434-0145 Inquiry 925.

Panasonic Industrial Co.

Two Panasonic Way Secaucus, NJ 07094 (201) 348-7000 Inquiry 931.

Datacopy Corp.

1215 Terra Bella Ave. Mountain View, CA 94043 (415) 965-7900 Inquiry 926.

Quadram Corp.

One Quad Way Norcross, GA 30093 (404) 923-6666 Inquiry 932.

Dest Corp.

1201 Cadillac Court Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 946-7100 Inquiry 927.

SpectraFAX Corp.

209 South Airport Rd. Naples, FL 33942 (813)643-5060 Inquiry 933.

EIT, Inc.

25 Just Rd. Fairfield, NJ 07006 (201) 227-1447 Inquiry 928.

use it), it's only adequate, at best, for most advanced graphics needs. The fax card seems more useful for transferring text documents.

Transmitting any kind of ASCII file with this card is easy. However, you can broadcast to a maximum of only 10 machines per list, although you can string together up to 10 lists to broadcast to up to 100 machines per session. The software converts files from a variety of word-processing formats, including WordStar, Microsoft Word, and WordPerfect.

SmartFax

SmartFax from American Data Technology comes in a slick, fire-engine-red box. The documentation manuals are also slick, fire-engine-red. Unfortunately, that's as slick as it gets. Once you've slogged your way through a tedious setup procedure, you're ready to decipher a manual "typeset" on some

one's letter-quality printer.

A special software module handles file conversion. The manual makes a point of telling you that you don't need to convert files beforehand, thus wasting disk space, because SmartFax can handle such a feat when the transmission sequence begins. But just a few paragraphs later, the manual warns against transmitting documents on the fly. The reason: If you're converting a big document, it could take a long, long time—and chew up disk space in lOOK-byte chunks, to boot.

SmartFax supports Dr. HALO, TIFF, PC Paintbrush, and WordStar files. It also includes a small graphics editor that is woefully lacking. It can rotate an image and cut and paste, but not much else. Yet the manual spends an inordinate number of pages teaching how to use it.

When you get ready to transmit a document, you can choose to display the world's time zones on your screen with

the hours (+ and -) as they relate to Greenwich mean time. In addition, SmartFax includes a built-in database of worldwide area codes.

A new version of the SmartFax software, and a new board, the SmartFax Plus, were introduced too late for this review. The software is now RAM-resident and offers an FX-80 print-capture ability. The new card includes an onboard 8188 with 512K bytes of RAM and a 1200-bps modem option.

Fax Me the Envelope, Please

Getting the most out of microcomputerbased fax requires a supporting cast of hardware, such as an image scanner and a laser printer. Scanners are probably the most prevalent option, but they still are considered expensive extras. In addition, they may take up a precious slot in your computer, and their supporting software eats disk space. And if you don't already have one, you might not be prepared to buy a laser printer just so your fax card can generate high-quality printouts. What you save by buying a fax card (for around $1000, compared to $2000 to $3000 for stand-alone machines), you can end up spending many times over on supporting hardware. On the other hand, the convenience of being able to send a fax directly from your computer and the ability to use fax to transmit graphics image files between machines are distinct advantages.

The bottom line on fax cards, and on fax technology in general, is that they give you easy access to a fairly complex technology. A stand-alone fax machine is essentially a telephone into which you can insert a piece of paper. With a fax card, you can eliminate the paper at both ends.

Which fax card is the best? That depends on your application. The JT Fax 4800 has all the features most people need for the least amount of money. For a full-featured fax card, Datacopy's Microfax is the best bet. This card handles a variety of file formats, includes an onboard modem, and is compatible with Datacopy scanners. Although other fax cards offer similar features, Microfax's implementation makes things easier for the user. The documentation is good, file conversion is uncomplicated, and the software's menus are easy to use. ■

Brock N. Meeks is a San Diego-based freelance writer specializing in high technology. He also writes BYTE's monthly column on microcomputer communications. He can be reached on BIX as "brock. "

210 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 70 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 71) —■

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Microsoft Corporation. MAP-MASTER is a trademark of Ashton-Tate. Graph-in-the-Box is a trademark of New England Software, Inc. 212 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 259 on Reader Service Card

Software Review

o

Ada Comes to the Mac

Does the Mac make a reasonable Ada development system?

Namir Clement Shammas

The Meridian AdaVantage compiler has come to the Apple Macintosh world from the same company that implemented Ada compilers for the IBM PC and the Zilog System 8000 computers. The Mac version reviewed here, which sells for $1195, is an Ada compiler that works under the Mac Programmer's Workshop (MPW) shell and its C compiler (see "MPW C for the Mac" by Mike Wilson on page 156 of the February BYTE).

This is because the Ada compiler first translates Ada source code into MPW C source code, then invokes the MPW C compiler transparently.

Like its Ada compilers for the PCDOS and MS-DOS computers and Unix systems, Meridian's Mac 2.2 has been officially validated. Meridian offers additional libraries and other utilities (e.g., a math library package and a debugger) to complement the basic compiler package. (The debugger was not available for this review.)

Crank It Up

The Meridian AdaVantage compiler is easy to install. I first installed the MPW shell, which is included with the package, and the MPW C compiler (not included) on my hard disk drive. Although this was my first time using the MPW shell, installation was smooth. Next, I installed the Meridian Ada compiler, using the manual's clear instructions. While the manual does discuss installation trouble

shooting, I didn't have to worry about that section; the compiler ran on the first try. Also, the setup command adds a menu for operating the computer.

The Ada compiler supports integer and floating-point data types. A short integer occupies 2 bytes, while an integer requires 4 bytes of memory. A floatingpoint type needs 8 bytes, compared to 4 and 2 bytes required by the long and short fixed-point types, respectively. Fixed-point types have a great appeal for programmers working in "no round-off situations.

The version I reviewed (2.2) does not support the MC68881 12-byte representation of floating-point numbers. The manual mentions that the compiler implements the two fixed-point types using integers with imaginary decimals. Regarding advanced data types, Meridian's compiler supports discriminant records (i.e., they are declared with arguments that allow client routines to define the record's actual size) and arrays. (Discriminant arrays have bounds that are defined as arguments, so the array size is not determined until you actually declare a variable of the array type.)

While AdaVantage supports the complete text_io package (i.e., the predefined library unit containing routines for text I/O), Meridian includes three simpler I/O libraries: iio, f io, and ada_io. The iio package is an instantiation of text_io.integer_io using the following simple Ada statements:

with text_io; use text_io; package iio is new text_io.integer_io( integer);

Similarly, the f io package is an instantiation of the text_io.float_io for the float-data type. The ada_io package is a library that contains simple console I/O routines for characters, strings, integers, and float-type data. While iio, f io, and ada_io are not part of the standard

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 213

REVIEW ADA COMES TO THE MAC

AdaVantage 2.2

Type

Language compiler for the Apple Macintosh

Company

Meridian Software Systems, Inc. 23141 Verdugo Dr., Suite 105 Laguna Hills, CA 92653 (714)380-9800

Format

Two 31/2-inch double-sided doubledensity (800K-byte) floppy disks

Language

MPWC

Hardware Needed

Mac with at least 1 megabyte of memory and a hard disk drive with 1.6 megabytes of free space

Software Needed

Mac Programmer's Workshop C 2.0 or higher, System 4.1, and Finder 5.5 or higher

Documentation

227-page three-ring manual

Price

$1195

Inquiry 906.

packages, their inclusion offers uniformity among your programs when you inevitably create these libraries.

Files

AdaVantage can access files either as arrays of bytes (using direct_io) or as byte streams (using either sequential_io or text_io). You can have up to 30 files opened at one time. However, your available memory can place limitations on the actual number of open files. You use the Mac Hierarchical File System naming convention for referencing both filenames and directories (i.e., folder names). Obviously, this can create compatibility problems when porting Ada source code from one operating system to another; you may need to edit string constants that represent filenames in programs. Under the MPW shell, your programs can use piping and I/O redirection. For example, the MPW command Ada_lister | sort pipes the output of a program lister (written in Ada) into a sort application. The MPW shell predefines several special devices, such as the console, a null output device, the standard output stream, the standard input

stream, and the diagnostic output stream. »

Inside

The AdaVantage compiler supports generics implemented as macros. The tradeoff is between the speed gain and the increase in size of the instantiated generic code. Meridian recommends that, in order to conserve memory, you not excessively use instantiation of generic code. To use the generic feature, place the generic code body and its specification in the same compilation file.

AdaVantage permits your Ada source code to interface with assembly and C language. Using the pragma (i.e., compiler directive) interface, you specify the language, the name of the foreign language subprogram, and its optional linkname. For example, you may write a routine in MPW C that implements a oneline editor and call it oneLineEdit. The code sequence would appear in the general form shown below:

/* MPW C */

void oneLineEdit(s)

char* s

— AdaVantage package editLine is

procedureoneLineEdit(s : string);

pragma interface(c, oneLineEdit) end editLine;

with editLine;

procedureget_line(s : string)

is begin

editLine.oneLineEdit(s); end get_line;

The reviewed Ada implementation supports a somewhat limited form of tasking. AdaVantage does not use true preemptive time-slicing to perform task switching. Instead, the processor switches from one task to another at activation points, entry calls, completions, and wait states. So you have to be careful when coding long-lived looping routines that do not include processor-switching constructs previously mentioned; such routines can block other tasks from being scheduled. The manual suggests you insert into indefinite loops a delay 0.0, which will reschedule the current task.

The priority pragma assigns the task's priority at compile time. While no

default task priorities are defined by the Ada standard, the AdaVantage compiler assigns the lowest priority as the default value. Each task is assigned its own 2Kbyte stack space, a value that you can alter in the source code.

Invoking Ada

The Meridian Ada compiler is invoked to compile source code files. These can be stand-alone programs, package specification, package body, or separate subunits. Each type of compiled file requires a distinct file extension name separated from the main filename by a dot. Meridian provides a number of versatile compiler switches that determine both major and minor compiling steps. Among these switches is one that simply compiles your Ada source code into MPW C. Using another switch, you can supplement the output C code with the original Ada code inserted as comments. Other compiler switches suppress the additional checking that is usually required during software development. These include switches for suppressing numeric checking and overall checking. Numeric checking monitors division-byzero and numeric overflow, while overall checking includes numeric checking as well as checking for violations of array boundaries, string lengths, and so on. Suppressing numeric checking or all types of checking reduces the size of the executable code and increases the program's execution speed.

Another category of compiler switches relates to the support of debugging. The -fD switch prepares a compiled file for use with the Meridian AdaVantage Debugger, available as a separate product. The -g switch enables you to use the MacsBug machine-level debugger (this option is actually passed on to the MPW C compiler and causes the compiler to insert each procedure's name into the generated object code).

Meridian has integrated an optimizer with its compiler. Using compiler and linker switches, you can optimize for speed or for code size. If you optimize for code size, the compiler trims the unused portion of code imported from libraries from the resultant program. You can gain additional speed if you turn off checking and, in case you are using a Mac II with its standard MC68020 processor, you can instruct the AdaVantage compiler to emit 68020 instructions.

Meridian provides adaff, a special version of the Ada compiler that is more suited for working with error-riddled source code. You can use the adaff com

continued

214 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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Print samples were created using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Aldus PageMaker.

Circle 117 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 215

REVIEW ADA COMES TO THE MAC

Table 1: Benchmark results for optimized and unoptimized runs.

(All

times are in min:sec.)

Test

File Size (K bytes)

Compile+link time

Run time

Source

Unoptimized

Optimized

Unoptimized

Optimized

Unoptimized

Optimized

Sieve

1

22

21

3:39

3:43

0:34

0:08

Sort

3

26

24

4:13

4:12

2:36

0:18

Float

1

30

28

4:17

4:14

1:08

1:08

Invert Matrix

2

31

29

4:28

4:23

0:39

0:27

Recursion

2

23

21

4:04

4:12

0:44

0:11

Disk Write

1

28

27

3:32

3:30

0:19

0:19

Disk Read

1

27

26

3:26

3:28

0:13

0:13

piler to pipe compilation error messages through the ff utility, where the messages are converted to executable editor commands. You can then use these commands to locate and edit the offending source-code lines in the proper file.

The BAMP (Build Ada Main Program) command invokes the MPW linker and creates programs that you can launch from the Mac Finder or the MPW shell. The default action of BAMP is to create an MPW tool, a program that runs only under the MPW shell. You can fine-tune BAMP with options that let you override the default 32K-byte segment size, perform global and local optimization, select an alternate run-time library, and request the output of a link map (i.e., symbol names and where they are).

The intricate relationship between the various libraries and compiled units dictates the use of library database files. These files permit the compiler to maintain the integrity and version consistency of the compiled code. The Meridian package contains a number of utilities that create, maintain, modify, and remove library databases. When a file is compiled, the information related to that file is added to the library database.

The AdaVantage pull-down menu uses the Mac user interface for invoking the AdaVantage compiler, BAMP, other library management commands, and a HyperCard-based on-line help. The user interface provided through the pull-down menu is attractive. The screen contains option buttons, command switches, an internally generated command-line window, and a help window.

The option buttons enable you to select the operational switches, program names, library names, and so forth. Using the mouse, you click at the command switch boxes to turn the commands on or off. If you click the mouse and hold the button down, the help window displays a short description for that switch. As you select options, program files, and

libraries, the command-line window is automatically updated to reflect the current choices. You can execute the command easily by clicking on a special button. The HyperCard help stack contains an on-line reference for components of the compiler and their commands.

Stack It Up

I ran the various Ada compilers through a suite of benchmarks. The programs I developed for the compiler test are based on popular operations, such as sorting and matrix inversion. The first three benchmarks I used were the Sieve test; integerarray Sort test, in which an ordered array of 1000 integers is created and reverse sorted using the Shell-Metzner method; and the Floating-Point operations test, which uses the standard BYTE benchmark that performs the four basic operations 5000 times.

I used the Matrix Inversion test to measure the speed of floating-point operations by employing matrix inversion. The program creates a square matrix with 20 rows and 20 columns, and assigns 2's to diagonal elements and l's elsewhere. The program then inverts the matrix and measures the execution time.

The last three tests I used were the Recursion, the Disk Read, and the Disk Write tests. With the recursion test, I used a recursive version of the popular Quicksort algorithm. This is similar to the nonrecursive Sort test, except that recursion is heavily employed. The Disk Read and Disk Write tests are standard BYTE benchmarks that measure times for reading and writing a file to a newly formatted double-sided double-density 3'/2-inch floppy disk in the Mac's internal drive.

I ran the benchmarks on an unmodified Mac Plus with a 20-megabyte DataFrame hard disk; I launched them from the MPW shell. [Editor's note: The source code listing for the benchmark programs is available in a variety of for

mats. Seepage 3 for further details.]

Table 1 shows the benchmark results. I ran the benchmarks twice: with and without optimization. The compilation and linking times for all the benchmark programs are rather slow. This is because the Ada compiler translates Ada source code first to MPW C and then to executable code.

In the optimized runs, I also turned off all types of checking (i.e., I used the -q and -f s switches). Dramatic run-time improvements occurred with the Sieve, Integer Sort, Matrix Inversion, and Recursion tests. There was no noticeable change in the run time of the other tests.

Any Advantage?

The Meridian AdaVantage is the first commercial Ada compiler for the Mac. While the execution-code speed ranges from good to satisfactory, the compilation and linking cycle is on the slow side. The price tag suggests that AdaVantage is aimed at professional Mac programmers, rather than those who occasionally program in Ada. I find the general priceperformance ratio works slightly against the implementation examined, especially when you have to add the cost to purchase MPW C. The stiff competition for the AdaVantage for the Mac comes from validated Ada compilers for the IBM PC, including a fine implementation by Meridian itself that sells for less than $1000. I believe that serious Ada programmers should go with the IBM PC implementations and obtain a better buy for the dollar. However, the company says it will release a new version for the Mac early in 1989 that will produce native code without MPW C. That could tip the scales in favor of the Mac version. ■

Namir Clement Shammas is a columnist for several computer magazines and a freelance writer living in Glen Allen, Virginia. He can be reached on BIX as "nshammas. "

216 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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Circle 118 on Reader Service Card

4*5

EWLETT PACKARD

SEPTEMBER 1988 "BYTE 217

Mainframe Power for your PC!

If you need or are accustomed to the throughput of a 32-bit mini, including any of DEC'S VAX series, MicroWay has great news for you. The combination of our N DP compilers and our mW1167 numeric coprocessor gives your 386 PC, VAX speed! Jf you don't own a 386 PC, we provide a number of economical PC and AT upgrade paths.

Many of our NDP Fortran-386 users are reporting turn around times that are two to six times faster than their VAX. The exact times are a function of the VAX processor being used, the speed of the 386, the numberof users being served by the VAX, and the coprocessor being used with the 386. There are currently over 400 developers using our NDP tools to port 32-bit applications. To help the 386/1167 engineering standard emerge, MicroWay is co-marketing several mainframe applications that have been ported by our customers. In addition, this ad in

Dr. Robert Atwell, a leading defense scientist,

calculates that NDP Fortran-386 is currently

saving him $12,000 per month in rentals of

VAX hardware and software while doubling

his productivity!

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and is probably the largest application to ever

run on an Intel processor.

Dr. Jerry Ginsberg of Georgia Tech reports

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NDP Fortran-386 on an mW1167 equipped

386/20 than they do on my MicroVAX II."

traduces the first of many utilities that will ease the porting of your favorite in-house programs. These include tools like NDP-Plot, which provides CalCorrp compatible screen and printer graphics, and NDP Windows.

MicroWay has mW1167 boards in stock that run on the Compaq 386/20, IBM PS2/80, Tandy 4000, AT&T 6386, Acer 386/20, Everex Step 386/16(20), HP. Vectra RS/16(20) and others. We now have a new board for the Compaq 386/20 which combines an 1167 with VGA support that is register compatible with IBM — the "SlotSaver". It features an extended 800x600 high res mode that is ideal for 386 workstations.

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218 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 181 on Reader Service Card

Software Review

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Software for

Hardware-Style

Debugging

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Soft-ICE runs CodeView and 8086based programs on 80386 systems

Namir Clement Shammas

Programs that improperly access code or data haunt their creators. OS/2 promises relief, but MS-DOS programmers continue to suffer. There is an intermediate solution: Soft-ICE, from Nu-Mega Technologies, a debugger that adds break-onmemory-access and break-on-interrupt features to existing debuggers, such as DEBUG, SYMDEB, and CodeView. Soft-ICE can provide these capabilitiesnormally associated with hardwarebased debuggers—only if your debugger and target program restrict themselves to the 8086 (i.e., the real address mode) instruction set, and if you run Soft-ICE, your debugger, and your target program on an 80386 machine. Given this configuration, Soft-ICE runs your 8086-based program and debugger on a virtual DOS machine that it creates on the 80386.

You can instruct Soft-ICE to watch for events that your debugger can't see, like a hardware interrupt or a write to a region within your program's code segment.

When it traps such an event, it deposits a breakpoint instruction (INT3 for DEBUG or SYMDEB, NMI for CodeView) in the code, thereby activating your debugger so you can use it to investigate. Soft-ICE can also go where other debuggers can't: into device-driver code that loads when DOS boots. Here Soft-ICE works as a stand-alone debugger.

Most 80386-based microcomputers work with Soft-ICE, including the IBM PS/2 Model 80, 80386 AT compatibles, and AT-style machines with 80386 coprocessors. The program is compatible with monochrome, CGA, EGA, VGA, and Hercules graphics adapters. I tested it on an IBM PC AT equipped with an 80386 card, and I used it along with DEBUG, CodeView, and T-DebugPlus 4.0, the Turbo Pascal debugger from TurboPower Software.

Nu-Mega recommends that you use Soft-ICE in conjunction with extended memory. In the absence of extended memory, the program loads as high as possible within 640K bytes, then adjusts the high-memory mark so as to hide itself from DOS programs. Because the program alters the amount of memory DOS can see, you should load it before you load any terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program. When extended memory is present, Soft-ICE loads at the top of it, so you must arrange to name its extended-memory driver in CONFIG.SYS before you name any other installable device drivers. One minor annoyance is that you can't load programs, drivers, or utilities (other than Soft-ICE itself) that use 80286 or 80386 protected-mode instructions, since the program supports only real-address-mode software. I had to create a special boot disk to avoid loading device drivers that use 80386 protected modes.

Soft-ICE loads from the DOS command line and takes arguments to override its defaults. For example, you can replace its default hot key, Ctrl-D,

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 219

REVIEW SOFTWARE DEBUGGING

Soft-ICE

Type

Debugger

Company

Nu-Mega Technologies P.O. Box 7607 Nashua, NH 03060 (603) 888-2386

Format

One 51/4-inch double-sided, double-density floppy disk; 31/2-inch floppy disk available on request

Language

Assembly

Hardware Needed

80386 PS/2 and compatibles; 80386 AT compatibles; 80386SX; monochrome, CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules graphics adapters; extended memory recommended

Software Needed

MS-DOS/PC-DOS 2.0 or higher

Documentation

130-page reference manual, reference card

Price

$386

Inquiry 907.

with Alt-D or SysReq. You can also unload Soft-ICE from the DOS command line.

The program presents itself in a popup window that you can move or resize. Screen controls include FLASH, a command that restores the target program's output while Soft-ICE traces or steps its execution, and RS (restore program screen), which displays your program's output until you press a key. If you have a second monitor attached to your system, you can use Alt-SCR to redirect SoftICE's output to it.

The window contains a command line; the colon serves as a prompt. A command-line editor provides the usual services (e.g., move cursor left and right, move to the beginning and end of a line, and delete a character), and it can recall command lines. As you type the names of Soft-ICE commands, an EMACS-style completion facility displays choices that match what you've typed. You can use the HELP command to see all the commands, along with short descriptions.

Dueling Debuggers

When you use Soft-ICE with another debugger, first you should set up the protocol that it uses to communicate with your debugger. The ACTION command specifies where control goes when a Soft-ICE breakpoint triggers. ACTION'S default is HERE, which means that control passes to Soft-ICE itself; you use this configuration when Soft-ICE operates as a standalone. If you haven't overridden this default, you issue the command ACTION INT3 (DEBUG or SYMDEB) or ACTION NMI (CodeView) to arrange for one of these debuggers to take control.

DEBUG and CodeView both worked well with Soft-ICE. I found Soft-ICE's window-oriented interface more convenient than DEBUG's; while debugging a screen-oriented program, I was able to view its output and separately monitor its progress in the Soft-ICE window. Since Soft-ICE provides all the DEBUG commands (and then some), there's only one reason not to bypass DEBUG entirely— you need to use it to load your target program. Nu-Mega says it plans to endow a future version of Soft-ICE with the ability to load a target program directly.

For CodeView users, Soft-ICE offers two major benefits: enhanced breakpoint capability and protection from DOS or ROM BIOS reentrancy. With ACTION set to NMI, I was able to specify a memoryrange breakpoint in Soft-ICE and gain control in CodeView when it triggered. For debugging in situations where you have access to source code, you'll probably prefer CodeView, with its ability to work with source code and symbolic information, to Soft-ICE. But the combination of the two debuggers lets you specify more powerful breakpoints than you can with CodeView alone.

The reentrancy issue requires some explanation. Soft-ICE doesn't use DOS or ROM BIOS, but other debuggers (notably CodeView) do. If you're using Soft-ICE to break on interrupts serviced by DOS or ROM BIOS code and then want to transfer control to your debugger, there may be a conflict: DOS and ROM BIOS routines aren't fully reentrant. Soft-ICE therefore provides a Warn facility; when enabled, it returns control to Soft-ICE first. You can then choose to let your debugger take control, but NuMega recommends that, in this situation, you should use Soft-ICE unless you know that your debugger uses no DOS or ROM BIOS calls. With Warn enabled, I used CodeView to step through a program that contained BIOS calls; control did revert to Soft-ICE when the program entered BIOS code.

Neither ACTION INT3 nor ACTION NMI will work with T-DebugPlus 4.0, because this debugger uses a different trapping mechanism. You can, however, place an INT3 in Pascal source (i.e., Intr(3, Registers);), use Soft-ICE's I3HERE command to capture control, then debug a Turbo Pascal program with Soft-ICE alone. When the INT3 instruction triggers a break, the Soft-ICE window pops up and displays the CPU registers and the next executable machine instruction.

Breakpoints

Soft-ICE provides a rich set of breakpoint functions. The BPM (breakpointon-memory) command tags a byte-, word-, or double-word-size region of memory beginning at an address you specify. One type of modifier specifies the mode of access that triggers the breakpoint: R (read), W (write), RW (read/write), or X (execute). Another type of modifier, applicable only to read and write breakpoints, makes the breakpoint contingent on the value residing in the specified region: EQ (break when equal) and NE (break when not equal). A third type of modifier, C (count), renders the breakpoint dormant until the Cth access of the region.

The BPR (breakpoint-on-range) command works like BPM but lets you specify an arbitrarily large region of memory. BPR's access-mode qualifiers are restricted to R, W, and RW; you can still break on execution by using R, but you can't differentiate between read and execute modes. BPI0 (breakpoint-on-I/O) works with I/O ports. CSIP makes all existing breakpoints contingent on the instruction pointer, which you specify to be within or, with the NOT modifier, outside a range.

Finally, BPINT (breakpoint-on-interrupt) tags hardware or software interrupts. To use it, you need to specify the interrupt's number in hexadecimal format. The modifiers AL, AH, and AX enable you to further qualify the breakpoint. For example, the command BPINT 21 AH=4C selects the terminate-program function from among the many services that interrupt 2lh provides.

You can enable and disable breakpoints, and you can edit the description of a breakpoint and use it as a template for the description of a new breakpoint. Soft-ICE supports 16 concurrent breakpoints. Of these, 4 can be of type BPM, and 10 can be of any other type. You can use BPAND (breakpoint-AND) to construct a complex breakpoint that triggers

continued

220 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

CrossCode'C

for the

68000

Microprocessor Family

..CliV

mitff"'

Embedded systems designers have already used CrossCode C in over 172 different applications.

Introducing CrossCode C for the 68000 Microprocessor Family

Finally, a 68000 C Compiler that's tailor-made for ROMable applications

CrossCode C is designed specifically to help you write ROMable code for all members of the Motorola 68000 family.

A ROMable C Compiler?

To get truly ROMable code, you have to start with a truly ROMable compiler. Here are three CrossCode C features that you won't find in any ordinary C compiler:

• Compiler output code is split into five independent memory sections that you can assign into ROM or RAM as you please.

• You can optimize the code for your application because_yo« control the sizes of data types. For example, you can optimize for speed by using two byte ints, or get maximum versatility by using four byte ints.

• You can easily write assembly language routines that call C functions and viceversa, because the compiler uses simple, well documented parameter passing conventions.

How About Low Level Control? CrossCode C comes with an assembler that has all the features that assembly language programmers require. In fact, you could write

your whole application with it:

• The assembler features an advanced macro language, conditional assembly, "include" files, and an unlimited size symbol table.

• Detailed cross references show you where you've defined and referenced your symbols.

• After a link, you can actually convert your "relocatable" assembler listings into "absolute" listings that contain absolute addresses and fully linked object code.

Can It Handle The Link? The CrossCode C linker is designed to handle truly huge loads. There are no limits on the number of symbols in your load or on the size of your output file. And you can always count on full 32 bit target addressability, because the linker operates comfortably in the highest ranges of the 68020's address space.

How Does It Get To ROM? CrossCode C comes with a downloader that puts you in touch with all EPROM programmers and emulators. It can convert your load into Motorola S-Records, Intel Hex, Tek Hex, Extended Tek Hex, and Data I/O ASCII Hex. You can also produce a binary

image and convert that image into any format you might want. In all formats, bytes can be split into EPROMs for an 8. 16, or 32 bit data bus.

Why Wait?

Once you start using CrossCode C, you may

just wonder how you ever got the job done before! Its available under MS-DOS for just SI595, and it runs on all IBM PCs and compatibles (640K memory and hard disk are required). Also available under UNIX & XENIX.

CALL TODAY for more information:

1-800-448-7733

Inside Illinois or outside the United States, please dial

PHONE: 1-312-971-8170 FAX: 1-312-971-8513

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS, INC.

3110 WOODCREEK DRIVE

DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS 60515 USA

CrossCode'" isa trademark ofSOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS, INC. MS-DOS* ,s a registered trademark of Microsoft, UNIX" isa registered trademark of AT&T. XENIX'*' is a registered trademark of Microsoft.

Circle 253 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 221

HOW DO YOU GET A JOB WITHOUT EXPERIENCE? AND HOW DO YOU GET EXPERIENCE WITHOUTAJOB?

Most young people have one answer to this problem. They avoid it until they're out of college. But they could be getting solid work experience while they're still in college. With your company's help. And ours.

We're Co-op Education. A nationwide program that helps college students get real jobs for real pay, while they're getting an education.

But we can't do it without you. Those real jobs have to come from real companies. Like yours.

For more information on how you can participate in this valuable program, write Co-op Education, Box 775E, Boston, MA 02115.

Not only will you be giving students a chance to earn money and pick up the most valuable kind of knowledge, you'll be giving yourselves a chance to pick up the most valuable kind of employee.

Co-op Education.

You earn a future when you earn a degree.

Couk' A Public Service of This Publication ©1987 National Commission for Cooperative Education 222 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

REVIEW SOFTWARE DEBUGGING

only when the conditions of all its component breakpoints are satisfied.

The BREAK facility provides a breakpoint of last resort. When it's enabled (at a slight cost to performance), you can always activate Soft-ICE by means of its hot key, even when the virtualized DOS system's interrupts are disabled and, from the DOS perspective, the system is completely hung.

Stand-Alone Debugging

Soft-ICE's toolkit is well stocked. Of course, when you use Soft-ICE with another debugger, you don't need these tools. Soft-ICE helps you catch events that you couldn't otherwise have caught, then transfers you to your own debugger. But for projects outside the scope of standard debuggers, like debugging loadable device drivers or DOS or ROM BIOS code, Soft-ICE has everything you need. The standard debugger commands—to display and change registers, display and edit memory, unassemble instructions, read from or write to I/O ports, trace, step, and go—resemble their counterparts in DEBUG or CodeView.

Commands unique to Soft-ICE—notably MAP and BOOT—support the tasks for which you deploy Soft-ICE as a standalone. MAP displays a memory map of the system, noting the names, locations, and sizes of device drivers, RAM-resident programs, DOS, the debugged program, and any other programs already loaded into memory. BOOT uses interrupt 19h of the ROM BIOS; this restarts DOS but retains Soft-ICE. To debug an installable device driver, you use MAP to locate the driver, then dump its header and decode its entry point, set an execution breakpoint on the entry point, and use BOOT to restart DOS. The breakpoint triggers, and you can use Soft-ICE to debug the driver.

Developers of 8086-based software who use or have access to 80386 machines should find this product very attractive. It implements a debugging environment otherwise available only with hardware-based debuggers that cost at least three times as much. Soft-ICE alone is a powerful tool for debugging device drivers and interrupt service routines. It merges smoothly with other debuggers, such as DEBUG and CodeView, and can extend their breakpoint capabilities as well as protect against reentrancy. ■

Namir Clement Shammas is a columnist for several computer magazines and a freelance writer living in Glen Allen,

Virginia. He can be reached on BIX as

"nshammas. "

Get your work done before

The future of personal computing is clear. More powerful PCs. Easier to use PCs. With graphics and character-based programs working side by side. Talking to each other. Multitasking. Windowing. Menuing. Mousing. Getting your work done easier and faster.

Have it all now.

DESQview™ is the operating environment that gives DOS the capabilities of OS/2.™ And it lets you, with your trusty 8088,8086,80286, or 80386 PC, leap to the productivity of the next generation. For not much money And without throwing out your favorite software.

Add DESQview to your PC and it quickly finds your programs and lists them on menus. So you can just point to the program, using keyboard or mouse, to start it up. DESQview knows where that program lives. And what command loads it.

For those who have trouble remembering DOS commands, it adds menus to DOS. It even lets you sort your files and mark specific files to be copied, backed-up, or deleted— all without having to leave the program you're in.

Best of all, DESQview accomplishes all this with a substantial speed advantage over any .alternative environment.

Multitask beyond 640K.

When you want to use several programs together, you don't have to leave your current program. Just open the next program. View your programs in windows or

r

For programmers, DESQviev/s API, with its strengths in intertask communications and multitasking, brings a quick and easy way to adapt to the future. With the API's mailboxes and shared programs, programmers are able to design programs running on DOS with capabilities like thoseofOS/2

full screen. Open more programs than you have memory for. And multitask them. In ~~ (ASK. Or if you own a special EMS 4.0 or EEMS memory board, or a 386 PC, DESQview lets you break through the DOS 640K barrier for multitasking. If you have other non-EMS memory expansion products like AST's Advantage or the IBM® Memory Expansion Option, we have a

solution for you, too. The ALL CHARGE CARD™ 'unifies' all your memory to provide up to 16 megabytes of continuous workspace. DESQview lets you use this memory to enhance your productivity. You can start 1-2-3 calculating and tell Paradox to print mailing

labels while you're writing a report in Word Perfect, or laying out a newsletter in Ventura Publisher, or designing a building in AutoCAD.

DESQview even lets you transfer text, numbers, and fields of information between programs.

Fulfill the 386 promise.

For 80836 PC users, DESQview becomes a 386 control program when used in conjunction with Quarterdeck's Expanded Memory Manager (QEMM)-386-giving faster multitasking as well as virtual windowing support.

And when you use DESQview on an IBM PS/2™ Model 50 or 60 with QEMM-50/60 and the IBM Memory Expansion Option, DESQview gives you multitasking beyond 640K. Experts are voting for DESQview. And over a million users, too. If all of this sounds like promises you've been hearing for future systems, then you can understand why over a million users have chosen DESQview. And why PC Magazine gave DESQview its Editor's Choice Award for "The Best Alternative to OS/2," why readers of InfoVJorld twice voted DESQview "Product of the Year" why by popular vote at Comdex Fall for two years in a row, DESQview was voted "Best PC Environment" in PC Tech Journal's Systems Builder Contest.

...il'POR'S CHOICE

NOT 24,1987

PRODUCT O F T H E YEAR

DESQview lets you have it all now.

DESQVIEW SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: IBM Personal Computer and 100% compatibles (with 8086, 8088,80286, or 80386 processor) with monochrome or color display;IBM Personal System/2- Memory: 640K recommended; for DESQview itself 0-145K" Expanded Memory / (Clonal): expanded memory boards compatible with the Intel AboveBoard; enhanced expanded memory boards compatible with the AST RAMpage; EMS 4.0 expanded memory boards* Disk; two diskette drives or one diskette drive and a hard disk.Graphics Card (Optional): Hercules, IBM Color/Graphics (CGA). IBM Enhanced Graphics (EGA), IBM Personal System/2 Advanced Graphics (VGA)- Mouse (Optional): Mouse Systems, Microsoft and compatibles' Modem for Auto-Dialer (Optional): Hayes or compatible' Operating System PC-DOS 20-33; MS-DOS 2M2" Software: Most PC-DOS and MS-DOS application programs; programs specific to Microsoft Windows 1.03203, GEM 1.1-3.0, IBM TopView 1.1 • Media: DESQview 20 is available on either 5-1/4" or 3-1 IT floppy diskette.

i YES!

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'Name

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Qty Product

Format

Price Each Totals

DESQview 2.0

QEMM-386

QEMM-50/60

□ 5-1/4 Q3-1/2

□ 5-1/4 Q3-1/2

□ 5-1/4 □ 3-1/2

ALL CHARGECARD (Special for DESQview owners)

$129.95

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Grand Total

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Circle 229 on Reader Service Card

i August 31, BBS Windows, TopView.

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 223

FLEXSCAN 9070S, PC Hi-Res That Looks Like a Million.

The FLEXSCAN 9070 Multiple Scan monitor is of course compatible with other multi-scans, but includes improvements that will give you the professional edge which is the mark of a good investment. You can extend your multi-scan range from 20kHz to 50kHz in practical terms. This means that, at the 48-50 kHz range, you can make use of PC CAD/CAE capabilities at a resolution of up to 1024 dots X 768 lines. The FLEXSCAN 9070 takes advantage of non-interlace high resolution signal as high as 1024 X 768 to provide you with a flicker free display at much brightness. You can also use the 9070 with IBM PS/2 or VGA compatible boards at a high resolution mode like 800X600 and 1024X768 (non-interlace).

The FLEXSCAN 9070 provides a 16-inch screen, large enough for CAD/CAE and 3-D projections, yet small enough to fit comfortably into your home work space.

1024 dots X 768 lines Graphics (Non-interlace) AutoCAD

Also, for your convenience, all controls and switches, including the alternate video input, are located within easy reach on the front panel. The FLEXSCAN 9070 is compatible with a wide range of IBM, Apple, and other products, allow you to use all of today's popular programs—at a resolution that looks like a million.

FLEXSCAN

MODEL

9070S

• IBM VGA(PS/2), 8514/A, PGC, EGA compatible and CAD/CAE use.

• Apple Mac. II and SuperMac Spectrum compatible

• Max. 1280 dots X 800 lines high resolution

• 1024 dots X 768 lines display on Non-interlace signal delivers flicker-free high-res graphics

• 20kHz to 50kHz horizontal scan automatic adjustment. 50Hz to 80Hz vertical scan automatic adjustment

• 16 inch, 0.31mm dot pitch and newly developed XF (Extended Field) Gun to obtain both brightness and sharp focus.

• Front mounted controls including the input signal select switch between 2 video input.

• Selecting white or Amber displays colored application in shades of gray or amber

• Tilt-Swivel stand standard

NANAO

NANAO USA CORPORATION

23510 TELO AVE,SUITE 5 TORRANCE, CA 90505 PHONE (213) 325-5202 FAX (213) 530-1679

224 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

APPLE. Macintosh Q arc registered trademarks Ol Apple Computers IflC ARTIST. ARTIST I Plus, artist io. ARTIST 10'16 i PC. XT, AT and PS/2 are registered trademarks ol International Business Machines Corporation SuperMnc is a trademark c SuperVGA and SuperVGA HiRes are trademarks ol Genoa Syslem Corporation Orchid Designer VGA, Orchid Designer VGAOrchid Technology. Paradise VGA Professional Card, Paradise VGA Plus Card and Autoswitch EGA are trademarks ol Pnrad registered trademark ol Paradise Systems. Inc VEGA Deluie and VEGA VGA are trademarks ol Video-seven Inc. Mettieus i Imagioph is o trademark ol Imagraph Corporation AutoCAD is a registered trademark ol Autodesk tec GEM is a registered 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation SigmaVGA and SigmaEGA are trademarks ol Sigma des CORPORATION NANAO is a registered trademark ol NANAO CORPORATION

e trademarks ol Control Systems Inc IBM, IBM SuperMac Technology SopotfiQA HiRes. . TurboEGA and TurboVGA are Irademarks of e Systems. Inc Paradise Systems is a a registered trarii:-m;irt ol MHInur, Corporation i ol Digilal Research Inc. Lolus and : FLEXSCAN is a trademark ol NANAO

Circle 185 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 186)

Application Review

o

Total Word

Does it offer the total solution for wordprocessing and desktop publishing?

Lamont Wood

f you're a closet typographer or graphics designer, you want an infinite number of desktop publishing features. But if you're like most people, you just want your printouts to look good—without having to learn the difference between a point and a pica, and without having to take a sabbatical to get your font files, software, and printer configured the way you want.

Total Word 1.012 ($495) from Lifetree Software—the company behind the Volkswriter dynasty of MS-DOS word processors—is for that latter group. It works on the IBM PC and compatibles with 480K bytes of RAM and a CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules graphics adapter. The program also requires a hard disk drive, where it occupies about 2.7 megabytes of space (including LaserJet fonts).

Total Word offers you enough functionality to produce handsome documents with all the trademarks of desktop publishing, but it still manages to keep things simple. It includes differing typefaces and sizes with or without proportional spacing, boxes, columns, graphics, and special characters for engineering and scientific formulas, and it takes a stab at WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Basically, it's a word processor with limited desktop publishing features for those who are more interested in content than appearance but who still want presentable printouts in a world

where typewriter emulation is no longer good enough.

The program achieves its simplicity by, essentially, limiting and prescribing what you can do in terms of graphics layout. But its limitations probably still exceed the ambitions of many users.

Indeed, Total Word is still a word processor. As you type, your text appears on an alphanumeric screen with fixed spacing. It gives you full editing features, plus a dictionary and a thesaurus. In fact, it has all the features you'd expect from a word processor.

Beyond that, things get interesting. You can capture and include graphics images in your word-processing files; you can type math, engineering, and chemical equations straight from the keyboard; and you can change fonts easily.

Almost Desktop Publishing

Call up Total Word and start typing, and there is little to differentiate it from the scores of other MS-DOS word processors—except for the intriguing label in the status line at the bottom of the screen: "Type: Built-in Font Courier 10 Pitch Medium 12 pt Roman." This refers to the default font in a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Plus (I tested it with a Quadram QuadLaser emulating a LaserJet Plus).

As you might expect from a program that carefully labels the font it's using, it also knows other fonts. Pressing Alt-Y brings up the Typestyle menu with a list of other possible fonts (for the LaserJet): standard, bold, italic, small headline, large headline, and small text. These turn out to be rather disingenuous labels for softfonts (i.e., downloadable typefaces for a laser printer) included with Total Word; they are, respectively, Times Roman 12-point medium, bold, and italic; 10-point medium; 16-point medium bold; and 24-point medium bold. (A point is %2 inch.)

Switching to one of these typefaces

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 225

REVIEW TOTAL WORD

Total Word 1.012

Type

Word processor with desktop publishing features

Company

Lifetree Software, Inc. 411 Pacific St. Monterey, CA 93940 (408)373-4718 (800) 543-3873

Format

Nine 51A-inch floppy disks or five 31/2-inch floppy disks

Language

Pascal, C, and assembly

Hardware Needed

IBM PC or compatible with 480K bytes of RAM, a hard disk drive, and CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules graphics adapter

Software Needed

DOS 2.1 or higher

Documentation

480-page Total Word Manual 48-page Printer Technical Information 16-page Total Word Quick Reference

Price

$495

Inquiry 897.

produces no immediate change on the screen—except that the right margin shifts and there's a new label for the type name. However, once you start typing, it's a new experience. The format line on the bottom of the screen, which has a marker showing the position of the cursor, no longer seems to match the actual cursor position.

Unlike many word processors that offer some sort of proportional spacing, Total Word has a preview-page mode that toggles the screen to graphics mode (if available) and shows the page as it will look when printed.

The preview screen has two modes: full page and half page. In full-page mode, you can see the image of a full page, but the text is illegible except for the headlines. The half-page mode has a high-enough resolution for you to make out the text immediately, although I did not find it comfortably legible.

Mixing different sizes on a line, which often spells trouble in other word processors, didn't bother Total Word. It still

managed to figure the spacings as it went along, and the printed margins tracked nicely. What you see with the preview screen matches the printout exactly. However, vertical spacing is based on whatever typeface the line begins with, so tossing a headline typeface into the middle of a line of 12-point type can cause problems.

Total Word controls appearances with precision because it supplies the fonts and oversees the installation of any new Hewlett-Packard or PostScript fonts you purchase from a third party, such as Bitstream (although, realistically, the supplied fonts probably cover the average user's requirements). You can name the font whatever you wish when you install a new one, and it is added to Total Word's list of fonts. The confusing details of width tables and software installation are handled for you.

But with simplicity also comes limitations. Total Word supports hundreds of printers, but only because those printers emulate one of the several printer definitions that Total Word recognizes: PostScript, Hewlett-Packard LaserJet, Epson, IBM Proprinter, NEC Pinwriter, Okidata Laserline, Toshiba, and the Xerox Diablo 630. The software is familiar with the various cartridges available for each.

Scientific Word Processing

The softfonts supplied with Total Word include more than 300 special characters, from the integral sign to the null set to the Hebrew aleph. These special characters are useful in transcribing scientific and engineering formulas.

You call up these formulas by pressing Alt-K. The program then gives you a list of possible keyboards (1 through 10); you invoke one by pressing Alt plus the number of the one you want. A diagram of the key assignment of the keyboard you choose is displayed while you are in the Alt-K mode.

The first keyboard has the standard QWERTY layout, and the second adds bullets, blocks, and business symbols, like the trademark sign and the British pound. The eight remaining keyboards offer the following additional features in their respective order: international characters (i.e., letters with umlauts and accents, and foreign punctuation); math logic and set symbols, such as union, congruent, and such that; square root, delta, sigma, and other special math operators; the Greek alphabet; a collection of arrows; various lines and brackets for box drawings; the standard IBM extended graphics; and various angled

slashes used in organic chemistry.

To actually see these symbols as they are supposed to look, you need EGA, VGA, or MCGA circuitry, or a Hercules RAMfont card. Otherwise, you see some other standard characters, unrelated to the ones you want to use, that are either boldfaced, blinking, or both.

If you can put up with those blinking oddments on the screen, you don't really need the correct graphics boards. Total Word comes with printed keyboard charts that let you pick your symbols even without being able to recognize them on the screen.

But keep in mind that, to Total Word, the symbols are just that—symbols. It has no sense that the formulas are as meaningful as words. The integrals and root signs, for instance, do not grow to cover the formula, as some scientific word processors can do. In other words, you're just doing typewriter drawings. Still, it's a lot more functional than most generalpurpose word processors.

Total Word will do arithmetic, however, and it adds up rows and columns (and even blocks) of numbers. Unlike some word processors with this capacity, Total Word can even multiply and divide as well as add and subtract.

Graphic Imports

Many of the leading word processors lack any graphics capabilities, but depend on the user to create a print file with some graphics package. The user can then insert a command in the word-processing document to have the file printed on the page at that point, perhaps with some instructions for how it will be placed between the margins.

Total Word elaborates on this theme. The package includes a utility called Snapshot that you have to invoke from DOS. It sits in the background until, one moment when you're using some graphics program, you press Ctrl-Alt-Q. Snapshot then takes over and lets you crop the image on the screen and save it to a file. Control then reverts back to the graphics program.

Later, back in Total Word, you can call up the graphics menu with Ctrl-G, give it the name of the file, and answer some questions about the type of formatting you want, such as the size (100 percent means it will stretch from margin to margin), whether you want a border around it, and how dark you want it. Total Word then inserts a print-file command in your document to invoke graphics printing; you don't have to fool with the syntax at all.

continued

226 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Never Lose Your Work Again!

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Create Custom Tutorials And Demos It's easy to train and sell with Cocoon. Play back one keystroke at a time. Or use fastforward to skip ahead. Create Keyboard Macros Versatile Cocoon translates keystrokes into macros that you can transport to your application program for use later.

Debug Programs Software developers can resimulate the problem or bug — again

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Cocoon's Recover Mode Brings Back Every Key Stroke.

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and again — while reading the program map through the debugging utility to locate the difficulty.

Truly A Must Have Utility Daybreak first introduced this remarkable function in the Silk® spreadsheet. PC Magazine put our recovery capabilities high on their "1-2-3 WISH LIST." "At most, this feature is a lifesaver; ... it can save the day (and maybe a job).—J. Blake Lambert, ComputerAge, August, 1987 Well, we say this is the second most important piece of software you can buy, right after DOS.

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copies of Cocoon @ $49,95

Add $5 per copy if you want 3-5" diskette Add shipping & handling (55.00 each for U S. & Canada. $20.00 each all other countries I

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Cocoon ami Silk are irademarksof D^rakfchmtogte, Inc. IBM and PE-II are reKister«t iratlenmrfe nf lmematianul Business Machines Corpnra.iun. I.ulus. ]-2-,1 ;lnl| an„,,l,0nv :1re roistered trademarks of Lotus Development Comon.Uo,. Microsoft ml MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. WordPerfect is a registered trademark ofWordPerfm Corporation, WordStar MM and WordStar Professional are registered trademarks ofMicrol'ro International Corporation Enable is a registered trademark of the Software Group, Ability Plus is a registered trademark of Migenl Software Inc. Codcsmillt is a registered trademark of Visual Age. P-fix is

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Circle 72 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 73)

REVIEW TOTAL WORD

Table 1: Total Word did poorly in BYTE's reformat and search-and-replace tests compared to Word 4.0.

Keystroke Search & Reformat Convert Convert Print in Scroll

count replace 4Kfile ASCII to WP* WP to ASCII columns test

Load Save WPfile WPfile

Total Word 1.012 322 364 94

Microsoft Word 4.0 158 24 <1

M

170 160

42 35

16 3

"Text format used by word processor.

Note: Results are in seconds, except for keystroke count, which is the total number of keystrokes necessary to edit a standard document.

All you see in word-processing mode is that one-line command, but you can go into page-preview mode (although you have to use the full-page option) to see that miniature rendition of the page with the graphic on it.

When printed, the graphic is a faithful representation of the screen you captured, except for whatever minor distortions crept in when it was resized. However, it is also faithful to the original resolution of the screen from which it was captured, and that resolution can be markedly inferior to your laser printer's resolution.

Total Word also includes several other printer commands, mostly inherited from Volkswriter. These commands, which you embed in the text by preceding them with two periods, are intended for mail-merge projects, chain printing (i.e., one document invoking another), sophisticated printer control, and the generation of an index or table of contents.

Full-Featured Word Processing

Aside from desktop publishing-like features, Total Word remains a word processor with strong roots in Volkswriter, including peculiarities you may not like.

Like Volkswriter, Total Word does not reformat as you go along. If you are inserting text in the middle of a paragraph, it adds blank lines for you to type the new text in, making it look like a mess until you stop and press a cursor-control key or the F8 (reformat) key. This is a rather antiquated approach, and the only apparent advantage is that it will be familiar to Volkswriter users.

The cursor-control keys can also fluster you. While the arrow keys work as expected, both the Home and End keys mean the same thing (i.e., "go all the way") when used with an arrow key. For instance, Home-left arrow means "go to the start of the line." Most word processors simply use Home for this purpose. And since after inserting some text, you first want to move elsewhere with the cursor-control keys, you, of course, press one, but this causes the text to reformat, and you end up going to the wrong place.

Surprising Performance

Total Word is the first word processor I've encountered in a long time that cannot keep up with my typing, especially when I used a proportional typeface (although it also happened in Courier mode); the moment it word-wraps to start a new line, it falls behind and starts to issue warning beeps. After the beeps, it picks up only about half of what I typed.

I used a 4.77-MHz 8088 machine, but I discovered that the problem lessened on a PC AT-class machine (which was at least three times faster). Still, it was a disappointment not to be able to type two lines on a run without trouble.

In fact, Total Word presented a mix of comfortable speed and frustrating sluggishness. File loads and saves were tolerable, print speed and cursor movement were average, reformatting was tedious (because the program scrolls through the text and shows what's being reformatted), and the search-and-replace feature was embarrassingly slow—more than 15 times slower than Microsoft Word (see table 1) and more than 45 times slower than WordPerfect. The keystroke-count benchmark gave poor results, even among mouseless programs.

Speed aside, Total Word has impressive functions, most of them quite easy to use. You can add footnotes, for instance, just by pressing Alt-F. It takes care of placing the reference number in the text and the footnote at the bottom of the page (or on the last page—you get to choose). All you have to do is type Alt-F, then type the footnote text, and go on. A slight annoyance is that the spelling dictionary does not access the footnote text.

Redlining is also available, in which inserted text is shown with a special demarcation, and deleted text is not deleted but given yet another demarcation. Total Word also includes a command that lets you jump through the file from one change to another, and a global command to make all the redline insertions and deletions official.

There's also a feature that lets you define an abbreviation. Once Total Word

notices that you have typed a defined abbreviation, it backspaces over it and then types the full text. This feature would be more impressive if it were faster, since I had to stop and wait for the replacement text to type itself, which rather defeated the whole idea.

You can print text in multiple columns, but in text mode you see only one column on the screen. You have to go to page-preview mode to see how the multiple-column page will really look.

The spelling dictionary has 170,000 words—about 50 percent more than average—and it can recognize words that were accidentally repeated, or abbreviations that need a period. There is also a word-count feature. The built-in thesaurus has 30,000 root words.

You can also store document formats in style sheets, create macros, insert commands that will not print, print in background mode (with DOS 3.0 or higher), create and fill out data-entry forms, generate form letters, sort lists, and exit to DOS to run DOS commands.

All in all, Total Word would seem to demonstrate the state of the market rather than the state of the art in word processors. It has every feature you would expect from an old warrior in the checklist word-processing wars—the ongoing competition to cram in every feature that any competitor ever found marketable. Now that desktop publishing has come along, some of its features must also be embraced by serious contenders, and in Total Word, they certainly are.

How few or how many desktop publishing features the market will bear (i.e., how many typographic complications users really want) has yet to be determined. But Total Word is in the forefront of those trying to find out.

Editor's note: At press time, Life tree began shipping version 1.1, which it claims is faster than version 1.012. ■

Lamont Wood is a freelance writer in the computer and electronics fields and lives in San Antonio, Texas. He can be reached on BIX as "editors. "

228 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Get A Better Spreadsheet Than Lotus For Only

$69.95

EDITOR'S CHOICE

"Silk's improved graplrics, fine use of Junction keys, interactive help, global search and replace, and easy-to-rearrange worksheet are reason enough to buy... At some point, you have to think about moving onward and upward (from Lotus). Silk gives you reason enough'.'—PC MAGAZINE

While it's not a clone, Silk has a Lotus-like user interface and easy file transfer (to/from Lotus) for a smooth transition to exciting new capabilities...

• Twice as fast as Lotus® with 8087/80287 coprocessor installed

• Keystroke logging prevents the loss of your worksheet sessions

• Fast, productive forms processing — just fill in the blanks

• Allocation models — cut the pie any way you want

• Easy-to-rearrange worksheets

• Goal seeking, i.e. what price to charge to make X% profit?

• Two foreign exchange formats

r

Javelin*-type time series model in your conventional spreadsheet

Live help

HELP Messages

83/12/87 B3:B9 PH

1986 Grass Margin Analysis

Data\Ii«e Jan/86

nuse Control Direction feus to Scroll

The aessage line .escribes the nature of the problem in the cell at uhich the cell pointer s currently located; when you none the cell pointer, the nessage will he updated to reflect the current pointer position.

— Data does not pass validation criteria

)LES $8,312.34 $11,816.89

Bl $7,369.34 $741.38 The entry at the current cell pointer

=======z== ========== position does not pass the validation

OSSJMRGIN $943.88 'mtWJetmM formula that uas defined in the scheM

I definition form for this data field. Validation criteria for this field is: GROSSJttRGIN>B AND GROSS HAHGIN<8.45 "SALES

C12: (GROSSJAHGINVFeV86,$2> tUll] SALES-doST

English language formulas

End of HELP Hessage ***

3 Uarnings 2 Errors

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

User-defined validation criteria

Spreadsheet validation

AndThat'sJustThe Start Of Silk's Exciting Features..

With all this - and more — going for Silk, Jim Gultinan of Cordata concludes "On a scale of 1 to 10 with Lotus being a 10, Silk is a 12." Soft Sector sums it up by saying "Silk is one of the most complete spreadsheet packages on the market today'

Yes, here's your spreadsheet wish list come true. At a price you dreamed of!

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Expir. Date

Signature

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Do not enclose cash. Offer valid through September 30, I9.S8. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery

DAYBREAK

TECHNOLOGIES. INC. ^

Charge to vour credit card and call toll-free: 1-800-443-0100, ext. 361N Toll-free number is for credit card orders only For product information, call Customer Service at (213)542-5888.

Svstem Requirements: IBM* PC or compatible with PC-DOS® or MS-DOS* 2.0 or higher, with 512KB memory; hard disk recommended.

Silk is a registered trademark of Daybreak Technologies, Inc. IBM and PC-DOS are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Lotus and Lotus 1 -1-i are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, Javelin is a registered trademark of Javelin Software Company:

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Application Review

o

Data Entry Goes High-Tech

DATAPLEX version 2.0ft serial Dauber 09296666

ASCII (Beliaited)

ASCII (Fixed)

Binary

Dbase !1

Bbase III

D1F

||p,otus 1-2-3

Paradox

Foxbase

Foxbase*

Microsoft Word

Mord Perfect

Uordstar

Synphony

Catanount

Otierland

Fraweuork II (Database)

Franework II (Spread)

Nultiplan 2.6 (List)

Hultiplan 2.0 (Spread)

Reflex

J Supercalc i

UP Info

UP Planner

MlttCl to: 3EHK]

Enter the application nane or select fro* list

DataPlex provides data conversion and a universal front end for data entry

Lamont Wood

f the computer world has a hierarchy, data entry is at the bottom. It offers no glamour, and it gets no attention. The rest of the computer world seems to see it as a necessary evil. But someone has to do it. Those ill-paid someones used to be found struggling mainly with card-punch machines, but in this increasingly personal computeroriented world they're far more likely to

— Circle 197 on Reader Service Card

be struggling with off-the-shelf software whose data-entry facilities were, at least in many cases, an afterthought.

Those data-entry struggles may be over: Now there's DataPlex, from Tools & Techniques of Austin, Texas. Touted as a "universal front end" for data entry, DataPlex uses a low-level form of artificial intelligence to format incoming data. Its attempt to be universal offers a side effect—data conversion—that may make it noteworthy even to those who could otherwise never work up an interest in data-entry software.

DataPlex runs on an IBM PC or compatible with two floppy disk drives and 512K bytes of RAM, though the company recommends a hard disk drive and 640K bytes of RAM. It works with DOS 2.0 or higher and sells for $195.

The Problem

By "data entry," I mean more than the thankless mechanical task of keying information from paper into a computer. Of

course, that keyboard entry has to happen, but the computer ought to be doing data checking and editing. Range checking can keep a typist from inadvertently paying someone $3 trillion an hour, or from doing anything on February 31. Data typing can ensure that ZIP codes and Social Security numbers aren't confused. The software ought to supply prompts that lead the typist through the task. And the typist ought to have the option of checking and editing data that's been input during that particular session.

Generally, if an organization has any software addressing the task, it's something cooked up by an in-house programmer who reinvented the wheel while doing so. So there are no standards: The data-entry clerks have to relearn every system they encounter. When you consider that one package might use the Tab key to move between fields, the next might use the Return key, and the next might use the space bar, you can see why data entry is considered a high-stress job. The big advantage to DataPlex, therefore, is not that it provides just the data-entry facilities mentioned, but that it eliminates the problem of learning a new system when the data-entry clerk moves to another system.

To be such a universal front end, Dataplex must address all major data-file formats. And it stands to reason that if it can do that, DataPlex can also let you move existing data from one package to another, so that database files can be fed directly to a spreadsheet, and vice versa. And DataPlex does, indeed, do that.

DataPlex Explained

While DataPlex helps you enter data that can be used by off-the-shelf PC software packages—chiefly dBASE II and HI, Lotus 1-2-3, Paradox, SuperCalc 4, and their many compatibles—it does not actually use those software packages. Instead, it produces files in the formats they use. If data input (as opposed to data

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 231

REVIEW DATA ENTRY GOES HIGH-TECH

DataPlex 2.0A

Type

Data entry and conversion package

Company

Tools & Techniques, Inc. 1620 West 12th St. Austin, TX 78703 (800)444-1945

Format

Eight 51/4-inch floppy disks

Language

C

Hardware Needed

IBM PC or compatible with two floppy disk drives and 512K bytes of RAM

Software Needed

DOS 2.0 or higher (Xenix-286/386 and UNIX V-68000 versions available)

Documentation

290-page user's guide

Price

$195

Inquiry 908.

manipulation) is all you're interested in, you don't even need to possess those packages.

The list of packages that DataPlex is compatible with is much longer than it seems, because many packages use or at least load files in 1-2-3 or dBASE formats, even if they are not functional clones of those two products. DataPlex can also use ASCII files, which most packages can at least import. DataPlex also supports the mail-merge data list formats used by WordStar, WordPerfect, and Microsoft Word. DataPlex's menu lists 24 formats or packages it can work with (see table 1), and it seems the list could easily be lengthened by adding more clones or packages that can use an intermediate format for input purposes. (The company says it intends to add about one new format a month.)

But you don't need to worry about formatting when you start using DataPlex. All you need is the ability to type and a vague realization that data files should be arranged in records that are themselves divided into fields. The address of BYTE magazine would be a record; the name, street address, city, state, ZIP code, and phone number would be fields.

The screen is divided into three windows. The bottom one has a list of com

mand options that you select by moving a color bar from one to another and then pressing Return, as in Microsoft Word. The middle third of the screen has a box where help messages appear. (Contextual help messages are available at any time by pressing Alt-H.) The top of the screen is where your data is shown.

When you fire up the software and go into data-entry mode, the data-entry area of the screen has, centered in it, an enclosed space marked FIELD 1. If you type BYTE magazine, the words appear in the field. (For longer entries, the field expands to include the text.) When you press Return, FIELD 1 is joined on the right by FIELD 2. You can go on entering the street address, city, state, ZIP code, and phone number. Each time you hit Return, a new field is added.

At the end of the address, you press Return twice—and the magic begins. The software pauses for about 20 seconds (on my 4.77-MHz system), and the word Styling appears in the help box.

Then the data reappears. The name, address, and city fields are, as before, labeled FIELD 1-4. But the state field (containing NH for New Hampshire, BYTE's home) is labeled ST (state). And the phone number field is segmented into three subfields, labeled Area Code, Exchange, and Number.

In other words, DataPlex recognizes data for what it is. On subsequent records, you will not be able to enter anything in the ST field except a valid state abbreviation, and the phone field will accept only appropriately formatted numbers.

It's not perfect. BYTE's ZIP code, 03458, comes out as 3-458, DataPlex having seen it as just a five-digit number. But leaving that field highlighted, you can go into command mode (by pressing Escape) and go to the Format menu, choose the Use command from the menu, and choose ZIP Code from the list of possible formats that appears. Suddenly, the ZIP code turns back into 03458. According to the company, DataPlex's designers were leery of letting the software classify every five-digit numeric field as a ZIP code, so you have to format it manually. The software readily recognizes ZIP+4 codes, however.

There are 44 different data formats it can recognize (actually more, if you count a number coupled with a unit measure as a format), including Social Security numbers, Canadian and European postal codes, 26 formats for calendar dates, and 6 formats for time of day.

These aren't perfect either. The date formats will let you specify February

31—but not February 32. The system knows only that a month should not have more than 31 days, or a year more than 12 months.

You can specify your own formats for a field, too. Numbers can be assigned a range, and an entry outside that range won't be allowed; thus, the computer can't try to pay someone $3 trillion an hour. Or you can assign a list of possible entries. Anything not on the list will not be allowed, and as you type your entry DataPlex will try to match it with the entries on the list, beginning with the first letter. Generally, two or three keystrokes will be enough to produce a correct match. You can also compose your own lookup tables, so that an entry in one field will trigger an entry in another. For instance, an entry of 0 to 59 in a Semester Average field of a classroom tracking system could trigger the entry of an F in the Semester Grade field.

You can also set prompts for a particular field, so the computer can ask the typist to Enter last name, for example, instead of displaying a default prompt like Enter Data for FIELD 1.

Once you're finished with a session, you then use the Transfer command to save the file. DataPlex then saves it in a proprietary format with a .DP2 file extension.

At this point, you still don't have a database or spreadsheet file. To produce one, you invoke DataPlex's Connect facility and choose from the list of 24 formats, and the system produces a file of the corresponding file format and extension. The original .DP2 file still exists, so you can render it in multiple formats if you want.

DataPlex has no data-processing facilities of its own, but you can have it filter the data you want to output by using the Extract command in the Connect facility. Using simple logical operators tied to specified fields, you can have DataPlex output only those records that have fields meeting the requirements of the logical operators. Using the example address file mentioned above, you could specify the ST field, set the logical operator to =NH, and output a file containing only records with New Hampshire addresses. In fact, I found DataPlex's Extract function more approachable than the similar function in my database package.

A Data Converter, Too

The data input procedure described above also works with existing data files. When you import a data file in one of the listed formats, DataPlex will attempt to

continued

232 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

STATGRAPHICS

INCOME VS SAVINGS ANALYSIS

VIA INTERACTIVE OUTLIEH REGRESSION

24 2D

B 18

■

B 12

2

L

JAPAN

- dzambia_^___ ■—"

■ -DENMARK

™ U.S.A.

D D „ a ° nGEBMANY

j. nr 5 DCAN

I ' 4

5ld SWEDEN

a

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 DISPOSABLE INCOME

BO: 8.304 SE 1.1173 T: 7.4321 Bl: 1.0655E-3 SE: 7.4902E-4 T: 1.4225 CORR: 0.24035 MSE: 20.691 DF: 33 POINTS DELETED:

Select the points you want to remove from your regression model...

... Then press F6 to refit the model and recalculate the statistics.

Because "Statistical Graphics" Is Better Than Just Statistics and Graphics

Most of today's PC statistical packages give you all the statistics you'll ever need. Some even give you a few graphics. But only STATGRAPHICS from STSC gives you integrated statistical graphics in an environment you control.

Unique "What If" Interactivity

STATGRAPHICS lets you explore data relationships fully, producing higher quality, more timely solutions. Define your data and assumptions, run the procedure and review the results, modify data and assumptions repeatedly and take another look—and another. All without leaving the procedure or making permanent changes to your data.

Integrated Statistical Graphics

Coupled with STATGRAPHICS' interactive environment are over 50 types of graphs—traditional pie and bar charts, histograms, 3-D line and surface plots, quality control charts, and more. All are integrated with the procedures so that they can be displayed instantly and modified repeatedly.

Query data points, do on-screen forecasting and model fitting, overlay graphs, or zoom-in on any area for a closer look. With flexibility like that, you can spot and investigate visual trends in your data—trends you may have missed if you looked only at the numbers.

Over 250 Statistical Procedures

• Direct Lotus® and dBASE8 interfaces

• ANOVA and regression analysis

• Experimental design

• Quality control procedures

• Multivariate techniques

• Nonparametric methods

• Exploratory data analysis

• Forecasting, time series analysis, and more.

STATGRAPHICS—

The Best Way to Do Statistics!

Put the power of STATGRAPHICS to work for you today—all for only $895*. Forourfreeconvincerkitor the name of a dealer near you, call

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Circle 261 on Reader Service Card

"Suggested retail price in U.S. and Canada. International prices vary. Available through dealers and distributors worldwide. STATGRAPHICS, Lotus, and dBASE are registered trademarks of Statistical Graphics Corporation, Lotus Development Corporation, and AshtonTate, respectively.

SEPTEMBER 1988 "BYTE 233

Circle 130 on Reader Service Card

REVIEW DATA ENTRY GOES HIGH-TECH

lOtech offers the widest selection of easy-to-use

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234 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Table 1: A list of file formats currently supported by DataPlex.

ASCII delimited-field format (delimiters

can be specified) ASCII fixed-field format IBM binary (EBCDIC) dBASE II dBASE III

DIF (Data Interchange Format) Lotus 1 -2-3 Paradox FoxBASE FoxBASE Plus

Microsoft Word (mail-merge list format) WordPerfect (mail-merge list format) WordStar (mail-merge list format) Symphony Catamount (nine-track tape interface

board) Overland (nine-track tape interface

board) Framework II (database format) Framework II (spreadsheet format) Multiplan 2.0 (ASCII list format) Multiplan 2.0 (spreadsheet format) Reflex

SuperCalc4 VP-lnfo VP-Planner

classify the contents of each field in the first record (or the first row in a spreadsheet file) and apply it to the rest of the file. After it's loaded, you can add further data, or you can edit the data and (after saving it as a .DP2 file) output it in either the same format or a different one.

A new file or a newly converted file can also be appended to an existing data file, although the manual warns against doing this with certain spreadsheets.

Actually, you can use the program as a data converter independent of data entry, and vice versa. DataPlex can be invoked with its FE (front end) command, in which case you're immediately in the data-entry facility, or through the regular DP (DataPlex) command, which gives you access to both the data-entry and file conversion commands. So it's possible to use DataPlex as purely a data converter without being aware of its data-entry facilities.

DataPlex also handles binary data entry downloaded through a modem. This refers to data in IBM mainframe format, using the EBCDIC alphabet code instead of the ASCII code and representing numbers in packed decimal format. DataPlex can also convert data from nine-track tapes when used with a PC equipped with a Catamount or Overland tape interface board and an optional DataPlex software enhancement that costs $595.

Inside DataPlex, a numeric field can be assigned a unit of measure; the unit will not be listed in the field, but it will appear in the prompt. DataPlex has 31 units of measure, covering distance, weight, and volume. After assigning a unit to a field, you can then change the measure and DataPlex will recalculate the figure. Thus, for instance, you can convert from English to metric and change all your tons to kilograms automatically.

All Things to All People?

The manual is thorough, but it was apparently written by and for programmers, saying things like "connect to an outside application" when it means "output your data in a particular file format." Nor were things clear even after I broke this code: Pertinent information tends to get lost in the forest of options. For instance, it turns out that to output the ZIP code mentioned above correctly to a data file (as 03458 instead of 3458), you also have to format that field with the Width command in the Format menu to add leading zeros.

And while DataPlex seeks to be a "universal front end" for data-entry tasks, that means the company is offering its data-entry screen as the universal data-entry screen—and a lot of people won't be happy with it. The (usually empty) help box and the command lines consume so much of the screen that you only see the data record you're working on, plus the last three records (which are shown at the top of the screen). There's no way to adjust the size of the data-entry area, so what you see is what you get. In addition, there is no provision for using color to give extra meaning or emphasis to the input screen, although color is all the rage nowadays.

DataPlex is easy enough to use for a data-entry clerk, although the naive user is in danger of getting lost in the formatting options when approaching anything but the most rudimentary task. But it is a powerful tool in the hands of a computerliterate manager. When you have scores of people struggling through the ghastly tedium of inputting data into the typical spreadsheet, even slight improvements in productivity are important, and Dataplex offers major improvements for most folks. And in any office where the professionals each have their own unique and beloved software package, DataPlex is an invaluable integration tool. ■

Lamont Wood is a freelance writer in the computer and electronics fields and lives in San Antonio, Texas. He can be reached on BIX as "editors. "

DOS system running Lotus 1-2-3

THIS IS AN IBM

PS/2 MODEL 80

RUNNING DOS

Under DOS, this PS/2™ is a powerful 80386-based singletasking, single-user computer that can run thousands of DOS applications. In 16-bit, 8086 mode.

One at a time.

When OS/2™ software becomes available, the PS/2 can become a multitasking, single-user computer running in 16-bit, 286 mode that can also single-task those DOS applications under OS/2.

One at a time.

With DOS or OS/2, the PS/2 will support one user.

1 user (DOS) 1 user (OS/2)

SCO XENIX system tunning SCO Professional

THIS IS AN IBM

PS/2 MODEL 80

RUNNING SCO XENIX

Under SCO XENIX,® this PS/2 becomes a powerful 80386based multitasking, multiuser computer that can run thousands of XENIX applications. In full-tilt, 32-bit, 386 mode. Many at a time.

And using SCO VP/ix,™* the PS/2 can multitask DOS applications under SCO XENIX.

Many at a time.

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Or 9 users. Or even 33 users.

And it can do all that today because you can get SCO XENIX for the PS/2—now!

Cost per system* *:

$12,389 $12,389

$12,594 $12,594

1 user

9 users

33 users

Cost per user:

Cost per system* *: Cost per user:

$14,559 $14,559

$19,726 $2,192

$40,402 $1,224

Circle 239 on Reader Service Card

SCO XENIX System V and the SCO XENIX family of software solutions are available for all industry-standard 8086-, 80286-, and 80386-based computers, and the IBM® Personal System/2™ Models 50, 60, and 80.

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(800) 626-UNIX (626-8649) (408) 425-7222 FAX: (408) 458-4227 TWX: 910-598-4510 sco sacz uucp: ...decvax!microsoft!sco!info!

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''Cost comparisons are based Wl most recently published li S domestic suggested lis prices Cost model. Base machine; IBM PS/2 Model 80,70Mb disk, 1Mb RAM. IBM 8512 color monitor, 1Mb additional IBM RAM, IBM ProPnnter XL.® 1-user DOS system; Base machine, plus DOS.U WordPerfect** I. Lotus* 1-2-1* dBASE III PUS* 1 -user OS/2 system: 1 -user DOS system: substitute OS/2 fur DOS. I-user SCX) XENIX system: l^ist machine, plus SCO XKNLX 38(i for PS/2. SCO VV. ix. SCO l.VTix ^ (word processing I. SCO FoxI>.A.SK+T" C [1H.^SK III t'U S workahke J. SCO Professional*" (1*2-3 wnrkalikej. 9-user SCO XENIX system; I user sco XENIX system, plus intelligent 8-user niiilnpun card. H IBM MSI ascii terminals 33-user SCO XENIX system: 9-user SCO XENLX Svstem, plus -. mure intelligent 8-user multipart cards 24 more IBM J151 ASCI! terminals. 4 Mb additional RAM. additional 70Mb disk

IBM andPmPrinterXI. are registered trademarks and I'ersonal System/2, PS/2 and OS/2 are trademarks ufliUtniaimiialiiusini-ssMachiiiesCiimoratiuii •latusand I-Hare registered trademarks ononis Development Corporation. 'dBASE 111 PUIS is a registered trademark of AshtonTate. XENIX is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation ' VP/iX is a trademark of INTERACTIVF, Systems, Inc. » Lyrix is a registered trademark and SCO Professional is a trademark of The Santa Cruz Operation. Inc. • QE FoxBASE+ is a trademark of Fox Software, Inc. 10/87 ©1987 The Santa Crux Operation, Inc., 400 Kncmal Street. P.O. Box 1900. Santa Cm/, Q 9S06I The Santa Cnix Operation, Ltd , ] ft Noel Street, P.O. Box 4YN. l/mdoii W1A<4¥N United Kingdom. +44 1 h39 2911. (FAX): +44 i 6379381, TELEX: 917372 scorns

Some Datacomm

Standards Should Be

Carved in Stone

15] Universal Data Systems

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V.32

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In the matter of full-duplex data communication at 9600 bps, a number of approaches have been discussed. There's the CCITT-approved V.32. There are even some "pseudo V.32s" around. Some suggest that, because of their somewhat lower cost, non-standard modems may be the answer.

At Universal Data Systems, our position is carved in stone: for full end-to-end compatibility, regardless of equipment source, standardization on true V.32 is the only workable solution.

That's why the fully featured UDS V.32 is the acknowledged price/performance leader.

Our exclusive near-end/ far-end echo cancellation techniques, combined

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EDITORS CHOICE

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with trellis coding, result in -17dBm signalto-noise ratio; that's plenty of horsepower for voice-grade lines.

As back-up for your dedicated four- or twowire system, or for a 9600 bps upgrade of your present dial-up communications, check out the UDS V.32. It's the standard!

Universal Data Systems, 5000 Bradford Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805. Telephone 205/721-8000; Telex 752602 UDS HTV

$159500

Quantity One

U!

Universal Data Systems

(M) MOTOROLA INC.

Circle 286 on Reader Service Card

Created by Dayner/Hall, Inc., Winter Park, Florida

Review Update

NEC's Newest MultiSyncs

Since the February review of multiscan color monitors, we've been able to test NEC's three new monitors: the MultiSync II, XL, and GS.

The $899 MultiSync II, the successor to NEC's original MultiSync, has a 13inch screen with a 0.31-millimeter tridot pitch. Front-panel controls include brightness, contrast, and power. You can access more switches from beneath a front-panel cover. These include vertical position and size, horizontal position and size, text mode, and text color. When the text-mode switch is on, text appears in the color selected by the text-color switch—white, amber, or green.

Rear controls include a manual switch, a mode switch, and a color-mode switch. When the manual switch is off, the MultiSync II automatically adjusts to the scanning frequency, resolution, and color requirements of the graphics adapter you're using. With the manual switch on, you select the mode (grayscale or color) and the number of colors (8, 16, or 64) that the graphics adapter requires. The monitor's single D-sub 9pin adapter accepts digital or analog inputs, and the unit comes with a tilt-swivel base.

The monitor's horizontal scan frequency automatically ranges from 15.5 kHz to 35 kHz, and vertical scan ranges from 50 Hz to 80 Hz. The bandwidth is 30 MHz, and resolution runs 800 dots horizontal by 560 lines vertical. A 21page manual covers adjustments, connections, basic troubleshooting, pin assignments, and timing charts. The MultiSync II's warranty is limited to 1 year for labor, 2 years for parts.

Our Microvision Superspot 100 tests recorded a 0.534-mm spot size for the MultiSync II. The monitor's spot size bloomed to 0.642 mm at maximum brightness, but this difference is within acceptable limits. Spot size indicates the true fineness of the display, while blooming reveals how resolution is affected by brightness. A small spot size

and a small difference between low and high levels are best. In earlier tests, the Electrohome ECM 1910 and the NEC MultiSync Plus registered the best spot sizes—around 0.45 mm. The MultiSync II numbers represent a median range.

Spot sizes usually deteriorate at the corners. Too much difference between a center spot size and a corner spot size reveals poor design. Corner spot size for the MultiSync II measured 0.648 mm at normal brightness and 0.75 mm at maximum brightness. These numbers fall within tolerable bounds. The finest corner spot sizes of the monitors we tested fell between 0.55 mm and 0.60 mm.

The MultiSync II displays pure colors, but it lacks striking sharpness. Our tests noted very little misconvergence, but they did reveal some unacceptable jitter. Swim and drift were not problems. In fact, the MultiSync II monitor posted exceptionally small numbers for horizontal time variance.

In the February review, we presented general specifications for NEC's 19-inch MultiSync XL, but we hadn't received the monitor in time to run our Microvision tests. The XL has a 0.31-mm tridot pitch, and our equipment measured a center spot size of 0.562 mm and a corner spot size of 0.585 mm. Both the spot size itself and the difference between best-case (center) and worst-case (corner) measurements were small. However, at high intensity, blooming begins to affect the display. The center spot size increases to 0.809 mm at maximum intensity; the corner spot size rises to 0.919 mm.

Measurements for jitter and swim were average, but the XL's numbers for both vertical drift (0.041 mm) and horizontal drift (0.015 mm) were exceptionally low. The XL also scored very well on our misconvergence tests, registering less than 0.1 mm in red-to-green, blueto-green, and red-to-blue errors. The tests also revealed very little difference between misconvergence at the center of the screen and at the corner.

The MultiSync XL comes with a 25page pamphlet that covers adjustments, connections, basic troubleshooting, pin assignments, and timing charts. Like the MultiSync II, the XL's warranty is 1 year for labor and 2 years for parts.

The $279 MultiSync GS (gray scale) monitor has a 14-inch screen with a flattened face to minimize glare. The monitor comes with a tilt-swivel base. The controls are easily, though somewhat inconveniently, accessible atop the monitor. These controls include brightness, contrast, vertical size, vertical position, horizontal position, and power. A TTL/analog switch at the rear of the monitor selects the proper video input mode. The monitor comes with an adapter to interface it to the analog video port of IBM PS/2 systems.

Resolution for the MultiSync GS reaches a maximum of 720 dots horizontal and 480 lines vertical. The horizontal scan frequency automatically adjusts to a maximum of 31.5 kHz; the vertical scan reaches a maximum frequency of 70 Hz. A 17-page manual covers controls, connections, basic troubleshooting, pin assignments, and timing charts.

Spot sizes for the MultiSync GS were fairly high: 0.719 mm at the center and 0.765 mm at the corner. However, spot size did not vary greatly from best-case (center) to worse-case (corner), and intensifying the brightness did not cause excessive blooming. These numbers reveal a well-designed monitor with average fineness.

Our time variance tests for the MultiSync GS registered excessive jitter: vertical jitter measured 0.016 mm, and horizontal jitter measured 0.0089 mm. However, measurements for swim fell within the median range, and drift measurements were very low.

Visually, the GS display is much more appealing than a conventional monochrome screen. Colors are represented by up to 64 shades of gray, providing greater clarity and versatility than the monochrome option offers. For programs that use extensive graphics or color menus, the GS display also enhances functionality.

All three monitors are available from NEC Home Electronics (USA), Inc., 1255 Michael Dr., Wood Dale, IL 60191,(312)860-9500.

—Stan Diehl

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 237

TWO NEW DESIGNS!

Those fantastic Byte covers—and boy, do they look great on this stylish, % sleeve T-shirt from Robert Tinney Graphics! The colored sleeves and neckline vividly

complement the full-color design. ■k And don't mistake this for a rubbery patch that cracks and peels off after a few washings. This is true fourcolor process: the permanent inks are silk-screened into the fabric, resulting in a beautiful, full-color image that lasts!

You'll also appreciate the shirt itself: a heavyweight cotton/polyester blend which combines tough washability with the cool, soft comfort of cotton. Each Byte T-shirt is priced at only $12.50 ($11.50 each for 3 or more). Be sure to include shirt size: C—(child 10-12), S(34-36), M—(38-40), L—(42-44), and XL— (46-48). Most orders shipped within a week.

#*»*■'.'.-' ,<•*•""' :

#T2—Software Piracy

#T4—Future Past

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#T1—Computer Engineering

#T3—Inside IBM

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#T5—Breakthrough

Send the following T-shirts(s) at $12.50 each, or $11.50 each for 3 or more. I have included $2 for shipping & handling ($5 overseas).

QTY.

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TITLE

SIZE

AMOUNT

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$

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$

$

Shipping & handling (see above)

$

□ Please send your COLOR brochure TOTAL

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mail this coupon to: J

Robert Tinney i

Graphics i

1864 North Pamela Dr. J

Baton Rouge, Louisiana I!

70815 i.

For VISA, MasterCard or ,( American Express orders, or for more information

Call 1-504-272-7266

238 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

BY

Limited Edition Classics

You've seen them on the cover of Byte — now enjoy these delightful images as stunning limited edition prints! Each print pictured here is published in an edition strictly limited to only 1000 signed and numbered prints, and each is accompanied by its own Certificate of Authenticity.

These gorgeous reproductions are printed on select 100% cotton fiber stock; this is a museum grade acidfree paper, highly resistant to yellowing and cracking. You will be assured of a print which will retain its color and beauty for generations.

$55

Striking 16"x20" Limited Edition Prints from the pages of Byte. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist, Robert Tinney.

Price and Shipping

The price of Byte Limited Editions, which depends on the number of unsold prints in each edition, is shown above each print pictured here. In addition, a 15% discount is available if you order two or more prints.

Your prints will be shipped flat, usually within a week of our receipt of the order. Shipping is via UPS Blue Label.

Guarantee

Ship your prints back to us within 30 days of your order, and you will be given a complete, no-questionsasked refund.

$55

#D

$55

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ifi

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mail this coupon to: |

Robert Tinney I

Graphics I

1864 North Pamela Dr. I

Baton Rouge, Louisiana I

70815 |

For VISA, MasterCard or j] American Express orders, or for more information

Call 1-504-272-7266

l_

Yes! Send me the following Byte Limited Editions.

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Deduct 15% if orderinq two or more prints.

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 239

IN DEPTH

Display Technology

243 Face to Face

by Gene Smarte and Nicholas M. Baran

257 Taking the Wraps off the 34020

by Ron Peterson, CarrellR. Killebrew Jr., Tom Albers, and Karl Guttag

275 Lighting the Way

by Rolland Von Stroh and Brian Dolinar

282 Monitor Makers

What you see isn't just what you get—it's everything. When you're interacting with a computer on a visual level, as many of us spend a great deal of time doing, what you see and how well you see it often makes the difference between health and headaches, efficiency and eyestrain. The quality of that visual interaction can—dare I say it—affect the very quality of our lives, at least the portion that we spend looking at our display screens.

As soon as you start talking about various types of displays, it becomes very clear that there are almost as many opinions about what is best as there are people working at display monitors. One person wants an amber monochrome display while another prefers green. One person likes a display that is garish with bright colors while another wants just a few carefully chosen soft colors. One person wants as sharp a contrast as possible between the characters on the screen and their background, while another finds that combination blinding. And who among us hasn't had to adjust the brightness controls and the viewing angle on nearly every monitor we've used?

This month, BYTE looks at display technology and the various types of monitors popular today. In "Face to Face," Gene Smarte and Nicholas M. Baran look inside the CRT, gas-plasma, liquid crystal display (LCD), and electroluminescent (EL) display and describe what they find there. Gene and Nicholas explain the hows and whys of these technologies, how each one creates the light we see, and what the various problems with each are.

"Behind every successful monitor is a hard-working graphics chip." Well, maybe not every one, but certainly the various graphics chips are heavily in

volved in "what you see." This month we are excited to present "Taking the Wraps off the 34020" by Ron Peterson, Carrell R. Killebrew Jr., Tom Albers, and Karl Guttag. The 34020 is the new 32-bit graphics microprocessor from Texas Instruments, and these gentlemen have been intimately involved with its design and implementation. It's a fascinating article about a chip sure to have an effect on the marketplace, and we are delighted to be able to give you the inside scoop so soon after its release.

Next, we take a look at a screen type undergoing significant changes—the EL display. In "Lighting the Way," Rolland Von Stroh and Brian Dolinar expose the secrets of electroluminescence, how and why it's so bright, and Planar Systems' recent foray into the world of EL color.

There may never be one monitor or one type of display that pleases all of us all the time, but as the technology improves, choosing the best is becoming more and more difficult. There are literally hundreds to choose from. In fact, there are simply too many to list, so this month rather than listing monitors you might pick, we have included a list of the companies that make microcomputer monitors in "Monitor Makers."

As headaches and sore eyes—at least those caused by poor display qualitybecome a thing of the past, and display technologies approach each other in quality, prices will have to come down. As a result, the choice between monitors will become just that—a choice, a matter of personal preference. Then, it will be interesting to see which technology comes out on top.

—Jane Morrill Tazelaar Senior Technical Editor, In Depth

240 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 241

THE BEST WAY

TO SEE THE FRUITS

OF YOUR LABOR.

Seiko Instruments' CM-1430 Monitor offers you the finest color image of any monitor available today.

More precise focus. Better contrast. A brighter picture. The richest colors. No other color monitor made today offers your IBM® XT, AT, PS/2™ or compatible system a better image than that produced on our Super Fine Pitch™ Black Trinitron™ screen.

The CM-1430 Color Monitor is compatible with CGA, MDA, HGC, EGA, PGC, MCGA and VGA software modes. It also supports the IBM 8514/A graphics adaptor in resolutions as high as 1024 x 768. So it's ready for the next generation of video standards even before you are.

And, to make compatibility even easier, the CM-1430 automatically switches itself to work in whatever mode you're using. So now, all of your applications can be handled by just one high per

© 1988 Seiko Instalments USA. IBM and PS/2 are registered trademarks ol

formance yet very affordable monitor. You'll never have to spend money upgrading or adding extra boards again.

Of course, the color monitor with the best picture is backed by the company known for quality — Seiko Instruments. Call today for the name of the Seiko dealer nearest you. And see for yourself how the fruits of your labor can now blossom with more vivid, life-like colors than ever before.

Inquiries, call Bob Clark (408) 922-5900.

Circle 244 on Reader Service Card

Seiko Instruments

Seiko Instruments USA, Inc. PG Products Division (408) 922-5900

IBM Corp. Super Fine Pitch and Trinitron are registered trademarks ol Sony Corp.

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IN DEPTH DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

Face to Face

Where are we now, and where are we going?

Gene Smarte and Nicholas M. Baran

Four major display technologies compete for the right to go "face to face" with all of us. They appear not only in computers, but also in televisions, household appliances, medical equipment, military equipment, and in other devices that need to display text or graphics.

These technologies are the CRT, liquid crystal display (LCD), gas-plasma display, and electroluminescent (EL) display. Other technologies, such as vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), electrophoretic displays, and light-emitting diode (LED) displays, are comparatively minor, and we won't cover them here.

Due to the great number of display products manufactured and their complexities, it's impossible to provide technical details of all the competing products. However, we have tried to show the technology behind each approach in a representative manner.

In the midst of continual improvements in computer-processing power, I/O speeds, and storage capacity, advances in display technology are often overlooked. But with the increasing importance of the graphical user interface in all aspects of computing, advances in

display technology will play a key role in defining the computer of the 1990s.

Over the years, many industry watchers have predicted that one or another display technology would dominate and eventually wipe out its competitors. However, there seems to be no basis for this prediction. As industry analyst David Mentley of Stanford Resources in San lose, California, points out, "Each

technology finds its own niche. The concept that one technology is going to dominate the market is not valid." Two major forces are driving the display market. One is the television industry. According to Mentley, "The Japanese display effort is driven by televisions, not by computers." The Japanese dominate the television industry and are devoting major efforts to improving displays for both portable, pocket televisions and large-screen, high-definition TVs. Of course, the technological advancements in television then have a corresponding effect in the computer industry. "It's a short drop back to produce monitors instead of TVs," says Mentley.

The second driving force is the demand for color. As graphical user interfaces are becoming increasingly popular, color is almost a necessity in a graphics environment. At this time, CRTs still have the edge in displaying color.

CRTs

Even though it's about 85 years old, the CRT still has many miles left in it, according to companies who use the tubes

continued

ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 243

IN DEPTH FACE TO FACE

in their monitors. They may be investigating other display technologies, but they are not abandoning their bread and butter. The CRT's reliability and priceto-performance ratio are tough to beat, and millions and millions of these tubes are in use around the world.

Currently, the CRT is the only relatively inexpensive system that can produce large full-color images. As Dick Sager, product manager for high-resolution monitors at Mitsubishi, said, "For the past 20 years I've heard that the CRT would be dead in about 5 years."

The "Multiscan Color Monitors" review in the February BYTE takes a close look at how 14 modern color monitors performed and provides detailed technical information on monitor specifications.

A CRT Primer

Let's take a quick look at how a CRT works before we look at today's technology. Conventional CRT displays produce an image by directing an electron beam on a phosphorescent coating on the glass face of the tube. When struck by the electron beam, the phosphor glows, producing the light that reaches our eyes. When the electron beam stops hitting a phosphor, the light quickly fades. Different phosphor compositions control how long the glow lasts, their persistence, and, in color CRTs, what colors are produced.

Figure la shows a simplified cross section of a CRT. The negatively charged electron beam starts in an electron gun at the back of the tube and is accelerated toward its face by a large positive voltage. Along the way, the beam is focused into

a round shape and swept across the tube face horizontally and vertically.

These days, most video-monitor CRTs use electromagnetic focusing and deflection coils, the windings of which are often referred to as a yoke. Turning the electron beam on and off at appropriate times via the control grid produces a glowing pattern on the tube's face. For monochrome displays, the phosphors can be just about any color: white, green, amber, and so forth. But that's just what you get—one color.

The long "neck" of the CRT significantly contributes to cabinet depth. Efforts to shorten the neck create deflection and focusing problems, because then the electron beam must be moved through large angles; it strikes the tube face more obliquely as it moves away from center.

Electron gun

Control grid

Glass envelope'

High

voltage

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electron Focus t

guns control

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RGB control grids

Glass envelope'

Figure la: Typical monochrome CRT operation. Negatively charged electrons are produced in an electron gun and are attracted to the high positive voltage at the front of the tube. The resultant electron beam is focused on and deflected across the CRT face.

Figure lb: A typical color CRT uses three electron guns for red, blue, and green, and corresponding colored phosphor dots on the CRT face. A thin metal screen, a shadow mask, is perforated with tiny holes that must align with the phosphor dots (see figures lc and Id).

Round shadow mask

Black background

' Red, green, and blue electron beams

Slotted shadow mask

Black stripes between phosphors

■■■

Striped phosphor

Figure lc: Close-up of a round-holed shadow-mask and phosphor-triad arrangement.

Figure Id: Close-up of a rectangular-holed, stripedphosphor shadow-mask arrangement.

244 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

FIGURE DRAWINGS: MARKE. ALSOP © 1988

IN DEPTH FACE TO FACE

Full-color displays add complexity to the basic CRT design. Figure lb shows that a typical color CRT has three electron guns, one each for red, green, and blue (Sony uses a single gun); a tube face covered with tiny triads of red, green, and blue phosphors; and a shadow mask.

You will often hear the dot-pitch specification mentioned when comparing CRT monitors. Dot pitch or tri-dot pitch is the distance in millimeters between the phosphor triads and is some measure of the resolution capabilities of the CRT itself. Many EGA monitors have dot-pitch measurements in the 0.28- to 0.31-mm range, and the trend is toward finer dot pitches.

The shadow mask is made of metal and has tiny holes in it that must be precisely aligned with the phosphor triads to prevent the beams from striking and illuminating other phosphor triads. The holes are often round with corresponding round phosphors on the face of the tube (see figure lc).

Some CRT designs use a shadow mask with rectangular slots to illuminate alternating stripes of red, green, and blue phosphors (see figure Id). As in a monochrome display, the beams are swept across the tube face, striking their appropriate phosphors through the shadow mask. By controlling which electron beams strike which of their corresponding phosphors, full color can be realized.

Recently, a big change in monitors has been the introduction of multifrequency scanning capability. Pioneered by NEC and its MultiSync family of monitors, multifrequency scanning capabilities have rapidly become commonplace. Early on, computer monitor manufacturers used the same horizontal and vertical scanning rates as television—that is, 15,750 Hz for horizontal and 60 Hz for vertical. To improve brightness (by hitting the phosphors more often in the same amount of time), permit faster screen updates, and reduce flicker, many monitors and controllers can now operate under a wide range of frequencies.

This flexible scanning approach also lets your monitor adapt to different graphics display standards. Generally, as the scanning frequencies increase, the image quality increases. But a system designed to operate at only one frequency can usually be optimized to produce a better-quality image than one that must be capable of accepting a broad range of operating conditions.

Bigger and Better

There's an ongoing demand for higher resolutions and larger displays in both

monochrome and color. In CAD, image processing, graphics specialties, and others, the demand is for photographic resolutions. The trend seems to be toward color, even though certain applications, such as word processing, can seem cluttered with extraneous color boxes and menus. Also, monochrome monitors clearly have the edge in resolution. A CGA display is harder on the eyes than a decent monochrome monitor.

The desire for higher resolution runs into two old problems: lack of brightness and unwanted heat. With monochrome monitors, heat is a persistent, but not insurmountable, problem. There's no shadow mask to absorb and waste energy.

MegaScan Technology in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, holds a patent on a yokeheat dissipation technique and uses it in a 19-inch white monochrome monitor. It provides up to 4096- by 3300-pixel resolution using an electron-beam spot size of 0.005 inch. This precision translates to 300 dots per inch. Photo 1 shows the ultrahigh-resolution MegaScan screen; the actual screen looks better than the original photo, whose appearance has been slightly degraded through the offset-printing process.

This extremely high resolution is excellent for use in medical imaging and in desktop publishing for font inspection.

According to Gary Zeller, a sales-support engineer for MegaScan, 3-point type displayed on the 19-inch monitor is readable, "though not for very long." This resolution comes with a price: about $16,000 for an "intermediate-level" system consisting of monitor, controller, and interface in single-lot quantities.

Also, tube shape is now affecting display quality. Because of the way the electron beam is deflected across the face of the tube, it makes sense to have the face curved hemispherically. The electron beam then acts like the radius of a circle whose circumference is the tube face. Once focused, the round-shaped beam strikes the tube face perpendicularly regardless of position as long as the beam radius matches the spherical dimension. Because of manufacturing requirements and the methods employed to deflect the beam, maintaining a round spot on the tube face is difficult anyway. And it becomes even more difficult as tube faces become flatter and flatter— another trend.

As the focused round beam moves away from the center position in a "flat" tube, the radius length increases, changing the focus, and it also begins to strike the tube face at an angle, forming an ellipse. This ill-shaped beam degrades the

continued

Photo 1: A display on an extremely high-resolution monochrome monitor screen. The actual quality of the screen display has been degraded by the printing process. What you see is only about one-third the quality of what you get. (Photo courtesy of MegaScan Technology, Inc.)

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 245

IN DEPTH FACE TO FACE

image. Different manufacturers address this problem through various means, but they generally employ some kind of beam-shaping circuitry to adjust the shape of the beam on-the-fly, according to where on the tube face it's located.

To get higher resolution in color tubes, shadow-mask holes and phosphor triads need to be smaller. Reducing phosphor size means that there is less material to glow, reducing brightness. Also, with smaller shadow-mask holes, fewer electrons strike the phosphors if the electronbeam intensity is held constant.

Generally, to get more electrons to strike the phosphors, you can increase the number of times the phosphors are illuminated in a given period or increase the electron-beam intensity. Unfortunately, either way, the energy that strikes the shadow mask then also increases, manifesting itself in the form of heat. This heat can warp or dome the mask and distort the alignment between hole and triad, degrading the image. One CRT manufacturer said that less than onethird of the electron-beam energy actually reaches the phosphors. This means that more than two-thirds never makes it beyond the mask and turns into unwanted heat.

A couple of different approaches are being taken to stabilize the shadow mask. One is to replace the common iron mask with a more thermally stable material such as Invar, an iron-nickel alloy. Another method, used by Zenith, is to put the shadow mask under tension to prevent it from moving when it heats up.

According to a Zenith spokesperson, the flat-tension mask (FTM) is tightly stretched steel that is much thinner than

standard masks. As a result, fewer electrons are absorbed by the mask, while the tension in the mask prevents distortion and misalignment as it heats up. The upshot is a much brighter picture with more contrast—50 percent brighter and 70 percent better contrast, according to Zenith—and improved color purity.

Unlike other CRTs with a uniform dot pitch, the Zenith tube has an "average" 0.28-mm dot pitch. In the center of the tube, the dot pitch is 0.27; at the edges, it's 0.30. Zenith owns several patents on the technology behind the FTM. The company also says that while it has experienced the normal problems associated with a project start-up, it is going forward with the program. Other CRT manufacturers claim that the FTM is viable from a technological standpoint, but it is also expensive.

In spite of the problems that have been encountered, several CRT-based monitor manufacturers continue to increase resolution and performance. Mitsubishi recently showed a prototype of a 19-inch color monitor with a 2000- by 2000-pixel resolution. It uses 0.21-mm dot pitch and a horizontal scanning-frequency limit of 128 kHz. Toshiba has worked on the shape of its CRT, added an Invar mask, and improved the electron gun, focusing elements, and deflection system to provide a unit that is 50 percent brighter than before. The battle to improve the CRT is in full swing.

A Moving Target

The CRT has turned out to be a very robust and continuously evolving technology. As David Mentley says, "The CRT is a moving target: 1280 by 960 shadow

masks are now quite common. Who would have predicted that 5 years ago?"

In addition, the development of multiscan gives CRTs a big edge over the competition. With a multiscan CRT, you can change from one resolution to another (by changing the graphics controller or mode) without having to replace the monitor.

The competing technologies are all fixed-format displays that are built for a specific resolution. Once you buy one, you're stuck with it. If you have a gasplasma or LCD display and want to switch to a higher-resolution controller, you'll have to buy a new display, too. You can use these fixed-format displays at lower resolutions, however. For example, a 640- by 400-pixel display also supports 640- by 200- or 320- by 200-pixel resolutions (the maximum specified resolution must be evenly divisible by the supported lower resolutions).

LCDs

Once a "hold it just right and you can read it, sort of laptop computer display, the LCD now competes favorably with parts of monochrome CRT technology and may eventually supplant the color CRT. The old problems of low contrast and poor readability in low ambient light are mostly behind us.

LCDs offer many advantages: small size, light weight, low power consumption, and good resolution, typically 640 by 480 pixels. But making large LCDs to compete head-to-head with CRTs is difficult. Manufacturing large LCD panels in which every pixel must be operable strains the fabrication capabilities of many companies. Prototypes are one

Liquid-crystal material

Front polarizer

DC voltage

■ Pixel

Rear polarizer

DC voltage

Figure 2a: When an LCD pixel is off, the polarized light reflects uniformly on the liquid-crystal material; thus, no contrast is created.

Figure 2b: When an LCD pixel is activated, it lets polarized light pass through it to strike a rear polarizer and be absorbed. The absorbed light appears dark.

246 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

IN DEPTH FACE TO FACE

thing; production runs are quite another.

Color LCDs currently are available only in relatively small sizes. Many are 4-inch diagonal (3V2-inch viewable) displays with 480- by 220-pixel resolution and are used in portable TV receivers. Larger LCD color displays are the center of attention in the research and development departments of many companies.

An inherent advantage of LCD and other flat-panel technologies is their linearity. The screens are flat, unlike the CRT, and because the illuminating elements are addressed directly, there is no electron beam to deflect and distort.

Figure 2a is a simplified drawing of a typical twisted nematic-crystal monochrome display, probably the most common in use today. Nematic crystals are stable between liquid and solid and are responsive to electric fields, among other things.

The example LCD panel consists of a matrix of twisted crystal pixels that can be addressed via a row-and-column scheme. The crystals are sandwiched between two polarizers. In their normal twisted "off state, the crystals modify the polarization of the light striking the panel so that most of it is reflected back; the panel color appears as the familiar uniform gray.

When voltage is applied (see figure 2b), crystal molecules untwist, changing the polarization of the incident light. When the light is able to pass through the crystals, it strikes the back polarizer and is absorbed; thus, the addressed pixel looks dark compared to the rest of the panel. Unfortunately, incident light scattered in the panel's layers and reflected back through them diminishes contrast.

The early problems with low contrast and poor readability have been nearly eliminated by using a rear-lighting, or

backlit, approach that does away with a dependence on ambient light.

Because of backlighting, reflective LCD displays are on their way out. In fact, so-called supertwist LCDs require backlighting to take advantage of their increased contrast, and it's often more appealing to have a light-emitting display. Also, color LCDs require backlighting. Still, it's a trade-off between readability and power consumption. A passive LCD panel uses a tiny amount of power, while the light source used for backlighting usually consumes many times the power required to control the liquid crystals.

In addition to the portable or laptop computer displays, an interesting and growing application for LCD panels is coupling a computer and an overhead projector. Whatever you have on your computer screen can be displayed on a portable window-like panel that sits on top of the projector in place of transparencies.

An Active Future

The most promising type of LCD is the recently developed active-matrix or thinfilm transistor (TFT) LCD. Rather than using standard multiplexing techniques (e.g., time-sharing of pixel electronics drivers) to address the matrix of crystals, the active-matrix LCD includes a thinfilm transistor fabricated along with each pixel. These transistors act as switches to turn on individual pixels.

The TFT method eliminates the time dependency associated with multiplexing (diminishing contrast as more lines are displayed) and allows direct addressing of each pixel. Color is added by using organic filters and backlighting.

Currently, active-matrix LCDs have primarily been produced for full-color

3'/2-inch pocket TVs. The Japanese produced some 2 million active-matrix LCD pocket TVs last year. At the Society for Information Display (SID) convention in May in Anaheim, California, several manufacturers displayed 9-inch activematrix LCD screens.

The major obstacle to producing 9inch and larger screens is the low throughput and poor manufacturing yield of current photomasking equipment. Defective panels have to be thrown away, and typical manufacturing yields are 20 percent. However, David Mentley says, "It's going to happen." According to his research, there are some 30 Japanese companies heavily investing in advanced-matrix LCD technology. Within a few years, we should see 9- and 11-inch advanced-matrix LCD monitors.

Gas-Plasma Displays

Gas-plasma displays operate by exciting a gas, usually neon or an argon-neon mixture, through the application of a voltage. Figure 3 shows the general construction ideas embodied in gas-plasma displays. The two types of displays are AC and DC. In both cases, a matrix of electrodes, separated by the gas, allows a certain point or pixel to be addressed.

By applying sufficient voltage at an addressed matrix intersection, the gas is excited, emitting an orange-red light. The DC type is simpler to construct but usually has an inherent background glow due to the continuously present DC voltage necessary for refresh. The AC version is more complicated to build but has no background glow or image-refresh requirements.

Because gas-plasma displays produce light, they need no backlighting. Still, they use more power than a backlit LCD.

continued

Transparent row electrodes

Glass

. Column electrodes

, Gas pixel matrix

0

DC voltage

Gas

'Glass

1 7

Transparent covers

Figure 3: Gas-plasma displays use tiny pixels of gas to produce visible light. When sufficient voltage is applied at the intersection of two electrodes, the gas glows an orange-red.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 247

IN DEPTH FACE TO FACE

Because of the need for operating voltages higher than normal, few battery-operated computers with this type of display have appeared. Manufacturers have to include converter circuitry to change the low voltage of the batteries to high voltage for the screen (about 200 volts for DC), and that adds power consumption, weight, and complexity.

Originally, gas-plasma technology provided only on-off control. Recent advances have improved control over the brightness of the pixels and provided several steps between the dimmest and brightest conditions, sort of an orangered "gray" scale. Photo 2 shows a gasplasma panel that offers both 4- and 16step "gray" scales.

Photo 2: Gas-plasma displays can now display up to 16 levels of so-called "gray. " (Photo courtesy of Panasonic Industrial Co.)

-Column electrodes

Transparent dielectric

AC voltage

Glass subtrate •

■ Row electrodes

-Reflective dielectric

Electroluminescent material

Figure 4: EL displays address pixels of EL material with electrodes.

An AC voltage causes the material to produce its characteristic yellow light.

Gas-plasma displays have faced many problems. Their lack of full-color capabilities, their relatively short life span, and their cost have all contributed to their slow emergence. IBM's 17-inch gas-plasma display panel listed for about $3300 in 1985, which is hardly competitive with CRTs. Another company recently bought the AC plasma technology from IBM and made some innovations in reducing driver count and power consumption, hoping to reduce the cost significantly.

At the May SID show, NHK Laboratories discussed its full-color 20-inch DC plasma panel intended for use in highdefinition television. (This is another example of how television can drive the display-technology industry.) Also, Fujitsu has announced 8- and 15-inch color displays with 76,000- and 256,000-pixel resolutions, respectively. Most important, the company claims that the life expectancies of the new displays now match those of CRTs. As with LCDs, a great deal of effort will be expended before large, full-color gas-plasma panels are ready for mass marketing.

EL Displays

EL displays operate on the principle of electroluminescence—phosphors emitting light in the presence of an alternating electrical field. EL displays are becoming increasingly popular in military and industrial applications requiring portability and reliability in hostile environments. Their truly solid-state construction makes them rugged.

A typical EL display consists of a thin film of EL material (phosphor) sandwiched between thin films of insulating dielectric material (see figure 4). The front material is transparent, while the rear material is reflective. The zinc-sulfide-with-manganese phosphor emits a bright yellow light when subjected to approximately 200 V AC. The voltage is applied via a grid of electrodes (also very thin), each pixel of which can be individually switched on. Other phosphors can be used for different colors.

EL displays range in size from 2 by 2 inches to 12 by 14 inches, with resolutions ranging from 320 by 128 pixels to 640 by 400 pixels. As with gas-plasma displays, a "gray" scale can be achieved by using a controller chip that provides that function. Planar Systems of Beaverton, Oregon, plans to introduce a 640- by 480-pixel display early next year. (See "Lighting the Way" on page 275 for additional information on EL displays.)

EL displays offer better contrast and

continued

248 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 249

IN DEPTH FACE TO FACE

broader viewing angles than gas-plasma and LCD displays. They use more power than LCDs but less than gas-plasma and considerably less than CRTs. As with gas-plasma, operating an EL display from batteries has its drawbacks.

In addition to being more compact and lightweight than CRTs, EL displays are much more reliable. Manufacturers claim an average mean time to failure of about 40,000 hours, in contrast to an average of 10,000 hours for typical CRTs.

While EL displays are rugged and feature excellent contrast, they are still quite expensive. A typical 640- by 400-pixel 12-inch EL display costs about $400 to manufacture today, while an equivalent CRT costs under $100. However, industry analysts expect the price of EL displays to drop to about half their present cost by 1990.

However, the EL display market is faced with the "chicken and egg" problem. The prices won't come down until the displays are manufactured and sold in larger volumes, and that's dependent on the prices coming down. According to spokespersons from Planar Systems, many workstation vendors are expressing greater interest in EL displays.

EL displays are still offered primarily in monochrome configurations. Fullcolor EL displays have been hampered by difficulties in producing a good blue phosphor. Planar Systems plans to offer

a red and green EL display for military applications in late 1989 and hopes to bring full-color displays to market by late 1990.

In spite of their appeal, EL displays are still at the high end of the market and are likely to remain so. The color problem is another obstacle to widespread acceptance. Since most commercial computers are priced extremely competitively, it's likely that many manufacturers will continue to opt for the lowerpriced gas-plasma displays, while EL will remain the favorite in military applications and perhaps in high-priced workstations.

Chips Ahead

The consensus among display manufacturers is that, although some interdependency exists, the chips and controllers to drive the displays seem able to stay up with or keep slightly ahead of the actual light-producing displays.

This is evidenced by an announcement from Yamaha's Systems Technology Division concerning its new Enhanced Panel Display Controller chip. This 128pin package will support IBM monochrome, CGA, EGA, NEC MultiSync, LCD, EL, and gas-plasma (with "gray" scale) in 640- by 200-, by 400-, and by 480-pixel, and 320- by 200-pixel modes. For 640 by 480 pixels, the package supports 16 colors. For the LCD's 320 by 200 pixels, it supports 8 colors. (For a

Laser Modulator x,y scanners

lllllllllllllllllllllllllll

x,y input

Synchronization electronics

• Rotating

translucent

disk

Display volume Motor

Figure 5: Will this be the wave of the future? A prototype display system uses a laser and rotating translucent disk to produce the elusive third dimension. (Diagram modified. Original courtesy of Texas Instruments, Inc.)

look at Texas Instruments' new graphics chip, see "Taking the Wraps off the 34020" on page 257.)

Back to the Future

Despite advances in display technologies over the years, information traditionally has been presented in a two-dimensional flat format. For most text-based applications, two dimensions appear to be enough. Humans are used to seeing in three dimensions, but often little is gained by adding depth to words and numbers alone. For just about everything else, however, three-dimensional displays make sense.

Experiments with three-dimensional displays go back to the stereoscopic viewers that used still photographs to add depth, proceeded through movies, and into television. Holography was once in vogue. In CAD and other real-world applications where a picture is worth a thousand words, a genuine need for three dimensions exists. As with most display systems, cost and image quality figure heavily into the future of such displays.

There have been many different approaches to three-dimensional displays, some involving mechanical motion and others strictly electronic. One solid-state approach from Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon, uses special liquid-crystal shutter (LCS) eyeglasses synchronized with a CRT display.

Binocular vision—seeing two images from slightly different locations—contributes to our depth perception. Early attempts to exploit this used red and blue lenses and corresponding red and blue images. Other versions have employed polarized light, prisms, and lenticular screens.

With the LCS system, each side of the glasses worn by the viewer is alternately transparent and opaque while the corresponding image shifts slightly on the CRT screen. The viewer's retinas retain each image long enough to minimize the switching flicker and fool the brain. Having one eye see an image in a slightly different position than the other provides the three-dimensional illusion on a flat screen.

An intriguing approach to truly threedimensional displays was demonstrated by Texas Instruments (TI) at the May SID show. A common drawback to LCS or polarized viewing of two-dimensional images to simulate three dimensions has been the limited viewing angle. As you move away from an ideal viewing position, usually directly in the center of the display, the depth illusion fades. Often

continued

250 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

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three-dimensional schemes also require some sort of special glasses or goggles.

Using an electromechanical approach as shown in figure 5, Don Williams of the User System Engineering Group at TI displayed a system that uses low-power laser light to project images onto a slanted 10-inch rotating translucent disk. The result is a "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar three-dimensional display system" (patent pending).

In the $10,000 proof-of-concept prototype, the disk rotates at between 400 to 600 revolutions per minute to synchronize with the laser light source. The rotation provides a translucent display volume into which a laser projects points of light. By scanning the laser in two dimensions on the rotating disk, a viewer's eyes fuse the points of light into a "solid" object. The resulting image can be viewed from any angle and has a resolution of 500 by 500 pixels and a 4-inch depth of field. Williams said that with larger disks and higher resolutions, bigger and better images can be generated, and by mixing red, green, and blue laser light, full color would also be possible.

A potential use of this system promoted by TI would be in air-traffic control. An entire airspace around an airport might be displayed, with air-traffic controllers able to walk around the scene, viewing it from different angles and heights, and identifying aircraft using small hand-held lasers (see photo 3). Williams is a human-factors engineer, and, for him, the driving force be

hind three-dimensional displays is to come up with something that works well with humans.

Going Up?

Considering the advantages of thin, lightweight displays and our affection for solid-state construction, it looks like flat panels could eventually replace CRTs, but don't count our old friend out yet. It's pretty commonplace to produce large, full-color display panels when cost is of little consideration. Reducing costs so that mass production is possible will take some time. And who knows what kinds of technological breakthroughs might launch another display scheme along the way and perhaps displace all the current contenders?

The synergy of physics, chemistry, and fabrication technologies seems to be taking display development along an exponential increase. The future is bright, in full color, and maybe even in three dimensions. ■

ACKNOWLEDGMENT Special thanks to David Mentley of Stanford Resources, Inc., a consultant on display technology based in San Jose, California.

Gene Smarte is West Coast bureau chief for BYTE in Costa Mesa, California. You can contact him on BIX as "gsmarte. " Nicholas M. Baran is a BYTE technical editor in San Francisco. You can reach him on BIX as "nickbaran. "

252 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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* Registered trademarks of their respective companies. 3LYNX and IntelliSync are registered trademarks of 3LYNX Technologies Corp. Circle 3 on Reader Service Card SEPTEMBER 1988 • BYTE

253

One Language For \

Specifications:

Ease-of-use—BBx is the fastesl,

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most powerful development tool

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available lor business oriented

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Language Structure

nance utilities and complete

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documentation save considerable time and money. 11 lets you build

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Utilities—A complete set of BBX

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utilities are provided for program

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■ Case insensitive console mode

Features

* Various debugging tools

Math Functions

BBX Utility Set

• 14 place precision and

• File Browse

computational accuracy

■ Create Data Bundle

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• Calculator

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• Program Compare

■ Long function names

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String Functions

■ Directory Listing

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■ No string length restriction

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Its portability crosses all operating environments, and now its performance is crossing all oceans.

Around the world, the industry's best and brightest programmers are discovering the astonishing power that BBX brings to Business BASIC. Write your program once, and have complete movement to MS/PC-DOS, OS/2, UNIX/XENIX, AIX, 1X370 and VMS.

This year, over 50,000 copies of BBX are performing throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America.

Commitment to innovation, development within industry standards and technological leadership have grown BBX around the globe.

In 1988, aggressive marketing and uncompromising customer support will continue to compliment our success, and expand the BBX standard among many of the world's most respected companies.

Get in touch with one of our world distributors, and feel the pulse of the power of BBX!

Die Portabilitat schlagt samtliche, bisher bekannte und unbekannte, EDV-Emgebungen. Die Leistung iiberzeugt inzwischen die gesamte EDV-Industrie.

Weltweit entdecken die besten Software-Entwickler die erstaunliche Leistung von BBX, mit der Business BASIC bereichert wird. Die Anwendungen werden nur einmal entwickelt und laufen ohne Anderungen oder Anpassungen auf MS/PC-DOS, OS/2, UNIX/XENIX, AIX, 1X370 oder VMS.

Mehr als 50.000 BBX-Lizenzen stellen die Leistung in den USA, Canada, Europa, Asien und Sud-Amerika unter Beweis.

Zur Innovation nach IndustrieStandard Spezifikationen verpflichtet, und mit dem Ziel nach technologischer Fuhrung, wachst BBX um die Welt.

Mit aggressivem Marketing ohne Kompromisse im Bereich Kundenservice, wird der Erfolg von BBX in 1988 fortgesetzt. Es steht auf samtlichen Systemer namhafter Computerhersteller zur Verfugung und stellt seine Akzeptanz bei den anspruchvollsten Anwendern unter Beweis.

Kontaktieren Sie unsere Vertretungen in aller Welt. Entdecken Sie die Schlagkraft von BBX!

BB" PROGRESSION/2" is available lor Intel Based Computers, Altos, Arete, AT&T, PCS Cadmus, Computer Consoles, Convergent Technologies, Counterpoint/MultiTech, Cubix, Data General, Digital Equipment, Fortune, Honeywell, Hewlett Packard, ICL, Motorola, Nixdorf, Prime, Pyramid, Rexon, Sanyo, Sequent, Siemens, Texas Instruments, Unisys, and the IBM family of products. BASIS is continually adding new systems.

254 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

brld Class Business.

Portable, il franchit tous les cadres d'operation, et sa performance traverse, maintenant, tous les oceans.

Dans le monde, les meilleurs et les plus brillants programmeurs de l'industrie decouvrent l'etonnante puissance que BBX amene au BASIC des affaires. Ecrivez votre programme une seule fois, et accedez totalement a MS/PC-DOS, OS/2, UNIX/XENIX, AIX, 1X370 et a VMS.

Cette annee, plus de 50 000 copies de BBX fonctionnent aux Etats-Unis, au Canada, en Europe, en Asie et en Amerique du Sud.

Un esprit constant d'innovation, un developpement conforme aux normes de l'industrie, et une position de leader dans le domaine technologique, tels sont les atouts qui ont contribue a la croissance de BBX dans le monde entier.

En 1988, un marketing dynamique et un appui inconditionnel a notre clientele continueront a couronner notre reussite, et a etendre le standard BBX a de nombreuses societes parmi les plus respectees au monde.

Contactez l'un de nos distributeurs mondiaux et decouvrez la puissance de BBX!

BB* PROGRESSIONS, BBX and BASIS Incorporated are trademarks and/or service marks of BASIS Incorporated, Albuquerque, New Mexico. All references to computer systems and software products contained within this advertisement recognize the trade and/or service marks of the corresponding manufacturer and holder of the trade and/or service mark.

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Su portabilidad traspasa todos los medios de operation y ahora su funcionamiento esta cruzando todos los oceanos.

Los mejores y mas brillantes programadores del mundo, estan descubriendo la asombrosa potencia que BBX ofrece al negocio BASIC. Escriba su programa una vez y tenga movimiento completo a MS/PC-DOS, OS/2, UNIX/XENIX, AIX, 1X370 y VMS.

Este ario, mas de 50,000 copias de BBX estan funcionando en Estados Unidos, Canada, Europa, Asia y America del Sur.

Emperio de inovacion, desarrollo en los estandards de la industria y superioridad tecnologica han hecho crecer a BBX en todo el mundo.

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{011)886-3890

422669 S.A. Hlsogold Pty. Ltd. 678 Paramatta Road Croydon. N.S.W. 2132 Australia

TEL: (02) 799-6622 FAX: (02) 799-9090 Tempo Computadoras Av. Americas #670 Guadalajara 44680 Jalisco, Mexico TELS: 30-28-45 30-28-46 30-28-86

France, Spain, Portug;

South Africa

Hlsegold Pty. Ltd.

86 Have lock Street Wes! Perth

Western Australia 6005 TEL: (09)481-0607 FAX: (09)481-3162 Intotel, S.A., de, C,V. Laguna de Mayran No. 258 3 piso Col. AnahuacC.P. 11320 Mexico, D.F. TELS: 05 45 6730 a! 05 45 6734

In the United States: BASIS Incorporated

P.O. Box 20400

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87154 TEL: (505) 821-4407 FAX: (505)821-1625

BASIS

INCORPORATED

MICROMINT'S Gold Standard in Single Board Computers and Industrial Controllers

BCC180 $395.00

Multitasking Controller

The BCC1S0, only 4.5" x 8.5" uses the same 64180 CMOS Z80 instruct ion compatible processor as Micromint's SB 180 and SB180EX single board computers. Configured primarily for process control w/ 384K of memory, 6 parallel I/O ports, console serial port, RS-232/422/ 485 selectable auxiliary serial port, and an interrupt driven ROMresident multitasking BASIC-180 compiler, the BCCI80 uses the same 44-pin I/O expansion bus as Micromint's BCC52 controller board.

VWK iJiMOM

' CMOS HW-mo, i:ifiMHl S-bit CPU. 6S-pi» PLCC packiRC

MSMdlV

' Up lo 3S4K bylel mul memoiy on-hoard

* i:sk of either iijiil- kam ih::x.] »■ i i>uom (D7;y,i

• 25<>K Jvnaniie KAM SIMM

' Tull-function BK ROM monitor indudrd

l> 171

It SS-232 semi i-.:1 »ilh aulo h,iu

' Peripheral seiul po". 150-19.:0Q baud, s ' a hits bidirectional ri.irallr.1 I/O ' MK I/O available through the BCC (MIS t IMMKNSKIN* Ui tONNH'IKlNS * Dual 22-pin f0.IM>-) edgt connector ' Ccmpatibl

* 25-p

rs for til

DIMSffT HS-212 i header for RS-U2 ■ terminals for RS-422/4M cnnnrciit

;e|/o

BCCtfid-1-20 9MHz assembled and fully socketed SW.OO

BCC180 Computer/Controller with 32K bytes of static RAM, ROM Monitor, BASIC-180 development software and user's manual For Additional 256K DRAM add $100.00

IK ('180-1 100 Quantity yy/.UK HAM W/fl ROM Muultor $30940

BCC52 $189 00

BASIC-52 Computer/Controller

The BCOSJ Computer/Controller is Micromint's holiest selling standalone single board microcomputer. Its costeffective architecture needs only a power supply and terminal to become a complete development or end-use system, programmable in BASIC or machine language. The BCC83 uses Micromint's new 80C52-BASIC CMOS microprocessor which contains a ROM resident 8K byte floating point \ BASIC-52 interpreter.

The BCC32 contains sockets for up to 48K bytes of RAM/EPROM, an "intelligent" 2764/128 EPROM programmer, 3 parallel ports, a serial terminal port with auto baud rate selection, a serial printer port, and it is bus compatible with the full line of BCC-bus expansion boards. The BCC52 bridges the gap between expensive programmable controllers and hard-to-justify price sensitive control applications. BaSIC-52's full floating point BASIC is fast and efficient enough for the most complicated tasks, while its cost effective design allows it to be considered for many new areas of implementation. It can be used both for development and end-use applications.

Since the BASIC-52 is bus oriented, it supports the following Micromint expansion boards in any of Micromint's card cages with optional power supplies:

BCC22 Smart terminal board BCC40RE-Channel relay output

ADP500 User vocabulary, digitized board

speech board BCC53 Memory and 6 port I/O

BCC25 LCD display board expansion board

BCC33 3 port I/O expansion board BCC13 8-bit and BCC30 12-bit BCC40D 8-Channel optoisolated A/D converter boards

I/O expansion board BCCI8 Dual channel serial I/O

board

BCC40D—$139.00

8-Channel Optoisolated I/O Expansion Board

The Micromint BCC40O is an 8

channel optoisolated input/output expansion board designed for use with Micromint's family of BCCbus Computer/Controllers. Using industry-standard optoisolated I/O modules, the IKC40D provides on/ off control and input monitoring of eight II5-230VAC or 5-48VDC devices used in data acquisition and control applications.

Up to 16 IK C40D boards can be used together in a single system to provide a total of 128 input and output channels. Individual channels can be read or updated by reading from or writing to a single I/O address. The IKT40D can be directly controlled from BASIC or it can function completely in the background under an application program using high-speed interruptdriven ROM C firmware. This firmware sets aside a table in memory which reflects the status, setpoints, and change-of-state flags of the I/O modules. Interaction among programs within a multiboard BCC40x system merely consists of reading or setting these memory table values. F.ach optoisolated channel is fused and has screw contacts for direct connection to the controlling device and/or the power source. Both input or output modules, and AC or DC functions can be intermixed :,„ ,l,c same BCC40D board. K.VI.WK.NS 1

* Latched outputs

* Usos industry-standard OAC5, ODC5, IAC5, IDC5 type modules

* Dual-ported module addressing

* LED on/off indicator on each channel

* Can lie used concurrently with UCC40K and other BCC-fcus peripherals

* Operates on +5V

* Opotaiifig conditions temperature O-SO-C (32-l22°F) relative humidity: 10-90% noncomli-nsing

' 4.5" x 6" board

' dual 12-pin (O.lSf,", i'tiSc connec

\Ttm

i@

mw

BCC5J BASIC 52 Controller Board $189,00

HCC-SYST.5 "52 PAK" Starter System includes: $449.00

BCC52.ROM A&B UTIL.,CCOI,MB08,UPS10 BCCSil OKM 100 Quantity Price -- $149.00 BCC52C Lower power all CMOS version of the BCC52 $199.00 NOTE: The BCC52 series is available in Industrial Temperature Range, fully tested at temperature. Prices st3rt as low as $294.00 in single quantities. Be sure to call for a quote on your specific Industrial OEM requirements.

BCC11 $139.00

Z8 BASIC Computer

BCC40R—$169.00

8-Chamrel Relay Output Board

feature*:

* Uses Z8 single chip microcomputer

* On-board tiny BASIC interpreter

* 2 on-board parallel ports St. serial port

* 6 interrupts (4 external)

* Just connect a terminal and write control programs in BASIC

' 6K bytes of RAM or EPROM memory on-board

* Baud rates 110-9600 bps

* Data and address bus available for 56K memory and I/O expansion

* Consumes only 1.5 watts at +5, +12, and -12V

ii mi*

BASIC System Controller $1.19,00

OKM 100 Quantity Price SH9.00

* Now Available In Industrial TcjnperaUne Haunt

The Micromint MCC-IOH is an 8channel relay output expansion board designed for use with Micmminl's family of BCC-bus Computer /Controllers. Using efficient mechanical relays, the IK'C-IOU provides contact-closure on/off control of eight AC- or DC-powered devices for data acquisition and control applications.

Up to 16 KCC40J boards can be used together in a single system to provide a total of 128 relay output channels. The relays are controlled by writing to a board-specific I/O address. The relays on a tlt'CJOH board can be controlled either as a set of eight relays at a single I/O address or individual relays at eight separate I/O addresses.

The 1H'('40H can be directly controlled from BASIC or it can function completely in the background under an application program using high speed interrupt-driven ROM C firmware. This firmware sets aside a table in memory which reflects the status and setpoints of the relays. Interaction among programs within a multiboard BCC40X system merely consists of reading or setting these memory table values.

The eight relay outputs have screw contacts for direct connection to the controlling device and/or the power source. Four of the relays have single-polc-double-throw (SPDT) output connections and four relays have single-polc-single-tltrow (SPST) output connections.

xpU'lHt.:.'A'HONJ*

* Contacts rated for: 1/10 HP, 3A 120V resistive, or 3A 3UVDC

* Latched relay outputs

' LED on/off indicator on each channel " Power on/off failsafe: No arbitrary closures on power up/down

* Can be used concurrently with BCC40D and other BCC-bus

' Operates on +I2V

' Operating conditions: 0-50°C

02'IWF) relative humidity; 10-00%

no neon dens inn

* 4.5" x 6" board 1 dual 22-pin (0.156") edge connec

* 20-terminal screw connector («!■ wire)

BCC18— $175.00

Dual-Serial Board

The BCCI8 is a general-purpose dual-serial-port interface board for use with the Micromint BCC-bus. Optional support software is available for the BCC52 and BCC180 computer/ controllers.

The BCCI8 Serial Board contains two serial interfaces. Each interface can be either a 110/300/1200-bps modem, or a hard-wired RS-232C/ RS-422/RS-485 interface. The modem interface uses a Xecom XEI201/XEI203 MOSART (MOdem Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), capable of 110, 300, or 1200 bps communication and compatible with Bell 103 and Bell 212A standards. The hard-wired serial interface uses an industrystandard 8251A USART (Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), capable of supporting asynchronous serial communications at speeds up to 19.2 kbps and synchronous serial communications at speeds up to 64k bps.

The BCC18 can be configured with two MOSARTs, two 825IAs, or one of each. Up to 16 BlTIHs can be used in a single system (for a total of 32 serial ports).

- Sync byte detection/insertion

- Fitensivc built-in diagnostics

- Telephone-line diagnostics

- Synchronous and asynchronous operation

- Voice synthesis capability (XEI203 only)

- Support] bisync

- Bit rale is software programnnbl* using an on-board 12:

- gjS-aaC, RS-.422, ami RS-4U supported

- MOSART and S25IA use the same program interface, u.

- Optional support software for the BCCS2 and BCCIJO is and use most of the tenures of the MOSART and E2SIA

BCCI8S OEM configuration fixed dual 8251 RS-232 only $175.00 serial port board

BCCIBS OEM 100 Quantity Prk* SU4.00

BCC18M-I 8251/8251 Dual RS-232/485 serial $209.00

BCC1RU-2 8251/1201 Modem and serial port $359.00

BCC18D-J 1201/1201 Modem/Modem board $499.00

BCC52/I8 BCC52 serial port utilities software $75.00

BCC-BUS

Expansion Products

Single Qly. Price

8-Channel relay output board $t(t9,IH!

GSM loo Quantity price $114.00

ftCCOB Single Channel UART Serial Board $149.00

HCCl.l 8-bit, 8 Channel A/D Board $129.00

BCC10 12-bit, 16 Channel A/D Board $197.00

BCC21 25-line, 80 Character Terminal Board $149,00

HCCM LCD Board (4x20) or (8x40*) $159,00

BCC55 Fully Decoded & Buffered Prototyping $ 79.00

Board

BCCxa X-10 Power Line Controller $ 59.00

BCCW Multifunction Expansion Board $160.00

MI11M 4 Slot Mini-Motherboard $ 99.00

MHDH 8 Slot Full Motherboard $ 85.00

'Call for current pricing

REPRESENTATIVES ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES

1408 Richmond Dr

Placentia, Ca. 92670 Tel:(714) 996-3917

MICROFUTURE

41040 Comae Terrace

Fremont, Ca. 94538 Tel:(4l5) 657-0264

DISTRIBUTOR

].B. DESIGNS H TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

15 Marketplace

Cirencester, Glos. GL7 2PB

England

Tel: 0285-68122 Fax:0285-68859

To order call

1-800-635-3355

TEL: (203) 871-6170

TELEX: 643331

FAX: (203) 872-2204

MICROMINT INC,

4 PARK STREET VERNON, CT. 06066

256 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

IN DEPTH DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

Taking the Wraps off the 34020

A trio of chips that puts workstation power on a small board

Ron Peterson, CarrellR. Killebrew Jr., TomAlbers, and Karl Guttag

The new TMS34020 32-bit graphics microprocessor (the '20) is well suited to workstations and personal computers requiring highly interactive user interfaces. The '20 is also suited to laser printers, which are becoming more performancehungry, with requirements for on-the-fly font compilation, and the increased complexity of page-description languages, which are constantly demanding more performance.

Data and image compression such as facsimile and ,.<**"* CD-ROM are other areas where the '20 will find ready applications, since fast bitaddressable processors provide inherent advantages over general-purpose processors for performing the Huffmantype encoding and decoding necessary for CCITT Groups 3 and 4 fax standards. In fact, for TMS340 Graphics System Processors (GSPs), fax-type compression and decompression is just another program (i.e., no additional hardware is required).

A Chip off the Old Block

The '20 is the newest member of Texas Instruments' (TI) TMS340 GSP family.

ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988

Depending on the instruction mix, it's between 6 and 50 times faster in key graphics operations than its predecessor, the TMS34010 (the '10). The '20 runs at 10 million instructions per second (MIPS) when executing from its 512-byte instruction cache. It's designed to connect directly to a second '20 as well as to the 40-million-floating-point-operation-persecond (MFLOPS) TMS34082 graphics

floating-point coprocessor (the'82 FPU). The'20 has instructions that can perform pixel- or bit-aligned block transfers at 142 megabits per second, and when using the TMS44C251 1-megabit video RAM (the 44C251 VRAM), the '20 can execute fills at up to 1. 136 gigabits per second. The '20 has all the architectural features that define TI's TMS340 GSP family (see figure 1). These features include a host-bus interface, a local-bus interface with semiautonomous memory controller, a display-control interface and registers, instruction cache, 3132-bit registers, single-cycle general-purpose instructions, and multiple-cycle graphics instructions. (For details on the '10, see "The TMS34010 Graphics System Processor" in the December 1986 BYTE.) The '82 FPU is based on the same design used by many bit-slice graphics workstation engines. It directly connects to the '20's coprocessor interface and has external expansion for both microcode and data.

The '20 has also been designed to take full advantage of the features of the 44C251 1-megabit VRAM. These im

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 257

N DEPTH THE 34020

provements allow faster fills, masked operations, and text without resorting to the expense of the wide data buses used in many workstations.

Theory of Evolution

The concept of a graphics engine designed around a fully programmable microprocessor is what made the ' 10 different from other graphics chips and has led to the TMS340 family's success. The device differs from a normal microprocessor in the special hardware and microcode included to support bitmapped graphics operations. It also integrates graphics system-control features for the CRT, dynamic RAM (DRAM), and VRAM onto one device. The underlying goal in this design was to let the

flexibility of bit-mapped graphics be matched by the flexibility of a graphics processor.

The definition of the '20 began during final development of the '10. Features that were too expensive or that would cause major schedule delays on the '10 were slated for implementation on the '20. The first issue was to obtain an overall speed improvement over the '10. This began with the obvious expansion of the '10's 32-bit internal and 16-bit external busing to a full 32 bits for both on the '20.

With the addition of 32-bit pixel and 32-bit external bus support, several graphics features have been enhanced on the '20. Pixel-formatted registers are expanded from 16 to 32 bits in significance; these include the color-expand

registers and the plane-masking register. Other enhancements include improving the processor cycle time and utilizing the fast page mode of DRAM. Also, the instruction cache was doubled to 512 bytes on the '20 to reduce cache misses and let larger algorithms fit into the cache.

New capabilities were also added. Three-operand block transfers were needed by both laser-printer manufacturers dealing with large textured objects and system developers building extensive window environments. Many system designers using the' 10 had requested better support for direct host access to the TMS340's memory, and some of the more sophisticated applications required the graphics processor to do operations

continued

Host bus

— 27 bits HA (5-31)

HBS (0-3)

4 bits

HCS- *■

HREAD- >

HWRIT

HINT- <

HRDY <

HDST- -*

HOE--*

Host

address

latch

^>

Host

interface

Gl- ■ RL- RH-

Emulation control

SCIN

SCOUT ■<*

ECO *■

I EC1 *■

CLKIN — LCLK1 <*■ LCLK2 -<

Coprocessor interface

iz

Buffer

^>

MUX

PC

ST

Register A

iz

Cache

O

I/O

regs

«

LRU (cache flags)

Register B

Decode

Emulation unit

Bus

Local memory

and

bus timing

DRAM

and

VRAM

inierface

Local bus

32 bits (^ LAD (0-31)

13 bits

RCA (0-12)

*-DDIN

■*• DDOUT-►RAS

CLK

iz

ALU

Barrel shift

iZ

Microcontrol ROM

Bus interface

4 bits

CAS0-CAS3-»-WE-*-TR-/QE

-*- ALTCH-**SF

< PGMD

< SIZE16

< LRDY

< BUSFLT

< CAMD

Reset and interrupt

Video

timing

and

control

RESET-, LINT1-, LINT2

JF

Video control

-► VSYNC

-*-HSYNC

-»- CSYNC-, HBLNK

-*- CBLNK-, VBLNK

■* VCLK

— SCLK

Figure 1: The TMS34020 block diagram. Note the coprocessor interface and the built-in host attachment capabilities.

258 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

THE WORLD'S

BEST-SELLING

DRIVE

Field-proven

THE ST225

Proven reliability. That's the reason Seagate's 20 MB half-height hard disc drive is so popular, with over 3 million sold in less than three years.

Who proved it? Millions of computer users around the world. They've benefited from our continued design and manufacturing improvements. And they've proved that the ST225 has an MTBF of 30,000 hours.

Which means years of uninterrupted performance. And a disc drive you can rely on.

Reliability has helped make Seagate the world's leading independent manufacturer of 5V" and 3V>" hard disc drives.

If you're looking for a proven 20 megabyte drive, ask for the ST225.

Call Seagate at 800-468-DISC. Put the best seller to work for you.

<W Seagate

The first name in disc drives.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 259

IN DEPTH THE 34020

64K-by-4-bit memory array

data 0-3 select

<^

64K-by-4-bit memory array

data 0-3 select

A 64K-by-4-bit A

f memory array f

N data 0-3 select >l

MUX

Color < I latch

t

Color latch ' select

Data pins

64K-by-4-bit A

memory array r

data 0-3 select

MUX

1of4 Z1

lecode S^

Block-write mode select

V

A (0-1)

Address decoders

7^

Row/column latches

H

Address pins

Figure 2a: TMS44C251 VRAM internals. Notice the four banks of 64K-by-4-bit memory, for a total internal width of 16 bits.

TMS34020

Data bus

4 bits

32 bits

4 bits

c -^

4 I

Four1-to-4-bit

color

expanders

64K-by-4-bit memory array

64K-by-4-bit memory array

Color latch

4 I

64K-by-4-bit memory array

64K-by-4-bit memory array

4 bits

4 bits

Eight 44C251 256K-by-4-bit VRAMs

4 bits

4 bits

4 bits

4 bits

V. -A«-128-bit wide bus

Figure 2b: An overall picture of the 44C251 and its connection to the '20. Notice how the '20 expands the 32-bit data path to 128 bits wide inside the VRAM.

260 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

Now create superb sounding music on your IBM PC. Ad Lib'" makes it easy.

Just when you thought you'd heard it all, along comes AdUb.

And with it comes rich, . room-filling music like you've never heard from a PC before. With rumbling bass, crystal clear highs, up-" front mid-range. All of it composed and performed on the first complete PC music system for people like you — long on desire, a little short on experience.

The heart of the system is the Ad Lib Music Synthesizer Card:" An electronic sound synthe- m sizer based on the same digital technology found in professional keyboards and the finest music computers,

Just plug it into your PC and get clean, powerful music through high fidelity headphones, bookshelf speakers, even your home stereo. It'll handle up to eleven different instrument sounds playing at once, so it's perfect for anything from a solo to a ■ . symphony.

There's also Ad Lib Visual Composer,™ about the most instinctive composition software ever devised. Simply draw lines to indicate notes, using the onscreen piano keyboard as a guide. Change instruments, tempo and volume with a couple of keystrokes. Cut, copy and paste portions of your music in a snap.

Included with the program is Compoi Projects ,M#1, a step-by-step guide to creating all kinds of music, including classical, jazz, bossa nova, ragtime, and more. Just the thing for an ever-expanding repertoire.

Visual Composer is worth $89.95 if purchased separately, but it's yours free when you buy the system.

Then play back all of your crea- ; tions, as well as several preprogrammed selections, on ^ the Juke Box™playback soft- C ware, also included with your system.""

Look for the Ad Lib Personal Computer Music System™ at selected computer and music stores, or order direct from Ad Lib with your check, Visa or MasterCard.

V

The Ad Lib Personal Computer Music System. At last, you have what it takes to make great-sounding music.

The Ad Lib Personal Computer Music

System. Includes the Ad Lib Music Synthesizer Card, Juke Box playback software, free Visual Composer software with 50 pre-set instrument sounds and Composition Projects#l $245.00

Enhance your system further with this additional Ad Lib software:

Music Championship ™#1 — Basic Concepts. Learn to identify basic musical concepts, including tempo, mode, rhythm and key. Perfect for all ages. The first in a series of music training programs combining synthesized music with exciting computer game competition

$39.95

Instrument

Maker

software.

Lets you create and

instrument

sounds for use with Visual Composer. Alter 23 sound characteristics like-attack, sustain i,\ and decay. Modeled after professional music synthesizer software .... $49.95

r more Ad Lib music software omingsoon.

Requires IBM PC, XT, AT or compatible, 256K RAM, CGA, EGA, or MGA.

For the name of your nearest dealer and a free demonstration recording, or to place an order, call us toll free today from either the US or Canada.

Ad Lib Inc. 50 Staniford Street Suite 800 Boston, MA 02114

AdLib

Personal Computer Music System

Circle 7 on Reader Service Card

IN DEPTH THE 34020

in the host's memory space.

As a result, the host interface was totally revamped for the '20. Better CRT timing control was added to the display controller to enable broadcast-quality RSI70 National Television System Committee (NTSC) timing. New XYaddressing support and improved VRAM control were also added to pack together frame-buffer scan lines for better memory utilization. The '20's VRAM support takes advantage of the 1-megabit

VRAM's split shift register as well as the older (and less efficient) 256K-bit VRAM's midline reloading.

The '20 has enhanced the XY addressing support of the '10 to include direct support for pitches other than binary for the XY address space. (Pitch is the distance between pixels on corresponding lines.) Both pitches that are the sum of two powers of 2 (A + B where both A and B are powers of 2) and completely arbitrary pitches are supported. This makes

Everything you see here**;

12MHz 80286 =3 AT-Compatible

1Mb onboard DRAM

Full set of ATcompatible controllers

EGA/CGA/MDA/ Hercules compatible

HD/FD controllers

...and more

you see here*

THE LITTLE BOARD/286

Big ^"™ power for

smaller systems. "^^L/ Little Board/286 is the newest member of our family of MS-DOS compat

ible Single Board Systems. It gives you the power of an AT' in the cubic inches of a half height 5V4" disk drive. It's a complete AT-compatible system that's functionally identical to the 5-board system above. And it runs all AT software. Ideal for embedded applications. Its low power requirement, wide operating temperature range, solid-state disk support and tiny form factor make Little Board/286 perfect for embedded applications and harsh environments: controllers, data acquisition, instalments, telecomm, workstations... anywhere small size and complete AT hardware/software compatibility are important. Better answers for OEMs. Little Board/286 is not only a smaller answer, it's a better answer... with the packaging flexibility, low power, I/O capabilities and pricing OEMs need. For information and the name of your nearest U.S. or international Ampro rep, call us today. Or, write for Little Board/286 product literature.

Reps Australia-61 3 720-3298; Belgium-32 87 46.90.12; Canada-(604) 438-0028; Denmark-45 3 66 20 20; Finland 358 0 585-322;

France-331 4502-1800; Germany, Wesl-49 89 611-6151; lsrael-972-3 49-16-95; ltaly-39 6 811-9406; Japan-81 3 257-2630;

Spain-34 3 204-2099; Sweden- 468 55-00-65; Sv»itzeriand-41 1 740-41-05; United Kingdom-44 2 964-35511; USA, conlacl AMPRO.

Compare features. Both systems offer:

• 12MHz CPU .•512K-lMbyte onboard DRAM

.80287 coprocessor option

• AT-cornpaliblc controllers-and bus expansion

• Floppy disk controller .EGA/CGA/MDA/ Hercules video options

But only Little Board/286 offers:

• 5.75* x 8* form factor

• SCSI device support: Hard disk, tape bubble drives, etc.

• Two hyle-\vide sockets for on-board solid-state disk support •Single voltage (+5 VDC truly, 8W power consumption) •0-o0"G operating range

Tradcfflarts I

u—IBM i;<irp Ueituk*—IlLTiulw MXK—Mn-nwifi Corp: Utlk Kcianl

408-734-2800

Fax: 408-734-2939 TLX 4940302

COMPUTERS. INCORPORATED

1 1 30 Mountain View/Alvi.so Road

Sunnyvale, CA 94089

the coding of output routines into linear memory and instruction support for packed screen organizations much easier. In addition, both X and Y values on the '20 are treated as signed 16-bit numbers.

The definition of the '20 has gone far beyond its own chip boundaries to include the development of an extremely fast graphics floating-point coprocessor, the '82. This processor is 30 to 100 times faster than the typical microcomputer's FPU. (See the text box "The Class of '82" on page 264.)

The '20 project team also worked closely with TI's memory-design engineers to allow the '20 to distribute some processing within the new 1-megabit VRAM, the 44C251. (See the text box "Making Videos" on page 272.) Coordination between the development programs and the resulting cooperation between these three chips enables simpler system design and higher performance.

A Marriage of Convenience

Since the '20 and the 44C251 1-megabit VRAM definitions were coordinated during development, the '20 supports performance and system features added to the 44C251. The designers of the '20 had the advantage of knowing and influencing the definition of the VRAM, so the two architectures fit together.

The importance of that joint definition can be seen most clearly with the blockwrite mode (BWM). The 44C251 has four banks of 64K-by-4-bit memory, for a total of 16 bits wide internally (see figure 2a). In normal mode, the two leastsignificant bits of the address select one of four banks—only one can be selected at a time—and the four data lines provide the data. In BWM, the four data lines used enable writing to any and all combinations of the four banks within each 44C251, and the special color-latch data is multiplexed to provide the data when it's written. The '20 controls the 44C251 to expand the 32-bit data path to 128 bits wide inside the VRAM (see figure 2b).

The BWM function is modeled after the TMS340 family's "binary to color expand" function. Color expansion works by turning data into control signals that select whether or not to write a color. Since each data line controls a multiple-bit color value, we use the term "color expansion."

Both the '20 and the '10 have flexible color expanders that turn 1-bit-per-pixel shape information into 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 bits per pixel. The '20 extends this function to 32 bits per pixel. This function,

continued

262 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Make a Great Impression

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The 34082 is a high-performance graphics floating-point coprocessor developed exclusively for the 34020. Integrating a microsequencer, register file, floating-point ALU, and multiplier onto one chip (see figure A), and supporting high-level graphics instructions, the '82 can execute floatingpoint operations at up to 40 MFLOPS.

The register file on the '82 consists of 22 64-bit registers. The file has 10 Afile registers and 10 B-file registers for data storage and two C-f ile registers for feedback. This large register file lets complex algorithms store intermediate results internal to the device, thereby reducing the memory cycles necessary to reload these operands for future cal

The Class of 82

culations. The device also incorporates a local bus for storing up to 64K 32-bit words for data and microcode expansion. This expansion memory lets you develop your own functions or store data local to the'82.

Using the '20's coprocessor interface, the '82 directly interfaces to the '20 with no "glue" logic, letting the '82 be either initially designed into the system or socketed for later addition. This interface allows connecting up to four '82s to the '20. The '20 provides a general coprocessor interface to let the external implementation of advanced functions improve performance. The '82 is one example of a coprocessor taking advantage of this interface for per

formance increases. The interface consists of five basic cycles for data communication and control:

1. Move data from '20 register to coprocessor.

2. Move data from coprocessor to '20 register.

3. Move data from memory to coprocessor (indirect '20 register move).

4. Move data from coprocessor to memory (indirect '20 register move).

5. Execute coprocessor command.

Not only does it support fully compatible IEEE Standard 754-1985 additions, multiplications, divisions, square roots, and comparisons, the '82 has instruc

Figure A: TMS34082 floating-point coprocessor block diagram. Notice the 22 64-bit registers internal to the chip.

Instruction register

Microsequencer

Microcode memory

Config

Status

^32b0

I/O control

Register A (10 by 64 bits)

C register (2 by 64 bits)

Register B (10 by 64 bits)

MUX

MUX

MUX

Multiplier

Product

MUX

MUX

ALU

Sum

LAD

\

CNTRL

from

the

34020

K32 bits^ r Hata

3 bits

FPU ^ local memory

.v control

16 bits > FPU local address

widely used in bit-mapped color graphics, would be very tedious without hardware help.

Although the BWM has the potential to give an additional performance increase of four times or more for fills and color text, it requires special addressing and control- and data-mapping hardware built into the '20. The mapping hardware makes writing pixels into the memory

consistent with how they would be written without BWM and can be thought of as the "key" that unlocks the block-write feature.

When using the BWM, you can think of each 44C251 VRAM as having four 1to 4-bit fixed color expanders in it; in other words, each memory can expand 4 bits of incoming data or control information into 16 bits. By combining two

VRAMs (to get an 8-bit-wide color latch and expander), you can get four 1- to 8bit expanders.

By using the '20's color-expander hardware plus additional on-chip hardware to generate the control signals necessary to interface to the VRAMs, the '20's 32-bit data bus is effectively expanded to 128 bits during BWM cycles. The '20 also supports the color-expand

264 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

tions for complex graphics math. Table A gives a complete list of instructions. And the expansion capability of the '82 allows for the creation of an indefinite number of user-defined functions.

Table A: Capabilities of the 34082 FPU instruction set.

One-operand operations

Absolute value 1's complement

Square root 2's complement

Two-operand operations

Add Divide

Subtract Compare

Multiply

Conversions

Integer to single Single to integer

Integer to double Double to integer

Single to double Double to single

Matrix operations

4x4, 4x4 multiply 3x3, 3x3 multiply 1x4, 4x4 multiply 1x3, 3x3 multiply

Graphics operations

Backface testing

Polygon clipping

Polygon elimination

Viewport scaling and conversion

2-D linear interpolation

2-D window compare

2-plane clipping (X,Y,Z)

2-D cubic spline

3-D linear interpolation

3-D volume compare

2-plane color clipping (R,G,B,I)

3-D cubic spline

Image processing

3x3 convolution

Chained operations

Polynomial expansion 1-D minimum/maximum Multiply/accumulate 2-D minimum/maximum

Vector operations

Add

Subtract Magnitude Scaling

Dot product Cross product Normalization Reflection

function for memories without BWM, which still gives an improvement that is roughly 10 times that of microprocessors without color-expand hardware.

Two special instructions were added to the '20 to take advantage of the BWM. VFILL is used for fast solid filling. The VBLT instruction reads binary shape information and controls the VRAM for

continued

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N DEPTH THE 34020

text and pattern color expansion.

Another area of improvement is in the plane-masking function. The 44C251's "persistent write per bit" speeds up this function. The '20 doesn't have to do read-modify-write (RMW) cycles to perform the masking operation.

By combining the wider data bus, fast page mode, faster processor cycle, and BWM support on the '20, you get a performance advantage of up to 50 times over the '10 when writing color text.

Remarkably, the '10's internal colorexpand hardware already gave it a significant advantage over general-purpose processors at this function.

The 44C251's split shift register greatly simplifies the timing requirements for loading the shift register while it's still allowed to shift. The special control and timing are directly supported by the '20, removing the time-critical real-time reload headache from the system designer.

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Strike Up the Band

The '20 significantly increases the system-bus bandwidth of the '10 due to improvements in three basic areas: a wider data bus (32 bits on the '20 versus 16 bits on the '10), exploiting enhanced pagemode accesses on DRAMs and VRAMs, and a faster clock speed or state rate. The wider data-bus and page-mode accesses let the '20 fetch more instructions in less time on a cache miss. And, at a clock speed of 40 MHz, the '20 typically fetches 16 instructions in 900 nanoseconds, while a 50-MHz '10 fetches only 3. Together, these improvements provide performance increases of three to seven times on the '20 when executing programs written for the ' 10.

The largest performance increases due to local-bus bandwidth improvements, however, come in the multiple-cycle data-manipulation instructions. The '20's FILLS, PIXBLTs, and BLOCK MOVES have improved the most. For example, a fill operation on the '20 paints the screen in one-seventh the time required by the '10; you can get even more dramatic performance increases, up to 50 times that of the ' 10, if you use the block-write capabilities of the 44C251 VRAM. For large data transfers, the '20 incorporates an eight-word (32 bits per word) f irst-in/ first-out that scoops up the source data, modifies it, and returns it to the destination within local memory.

Another unique feature of the '20 is the four CAS- outputs (see figure 1) that support byte-write operations, thus avoiding RMW cycles. Many graphics and string operations require intensive byte manipulation provided by the '20's CAS- strobes. Furthermore, these strobes let the '20's line-drawing engine splatter the display with 5 million pixels in a single second (RMW cycles would reduce performance to less than 3 million pixels per second).

In addition, the '20 dynamically sizes to 16- and 32-bit-wide memories via the SIZE16- input; simultaneously, the '20 can dynamically change its column and address multiplexing to support memories of different array sizes in the same system without additional hardware.

Hosting the Affair

The '20 operates as either a host processor or a graphics processor attached to a host bus. The host interface on the '20 is completely transparent to the host system. When the '20's memory is mapped directly into the host system's memory map, the '20 functions as a DRAM controller.

continued

266 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 267

N DEPTH THE 34020

Table 1: New 34020 instructions added to the current set for the TMS340 GSPfamily.

Graphics instructions

CLIP

CVSXYLRS.RD

FLINEZ

FPXLEQ

FPXLNE

GETPS RD

HPFILL XY

LC0L0R

LINIT

PIXBLTB.M.L

PIXBLTL,M,L

PPR0CRS,RD

RPXLRD

SETCDP

SETCMP

SETCSP

VBLT

VFILL

Coprocessor instructions

Clip DADDR.DXDY to window

Convert source XY address to linear address

Fast line draw with linear addressing

Find pixel equal to coloro

Find pixel not equal to COLORO

Get pixel size

Horizontal pattern fill

VRAM load-color latch

Line initialization

Masked PixBIt: binary to linear

Masked PixBIt: linear to linear

Process pixels in registers

Replicate pixel

Set CONVDP I/O register based on DPTCH register

Set CONVMP I/O register based on MPTCH register

Set CONVSP I/O register based on SPTCH register

VRAM pixel block transfer

VRAM fill array with processed pixels: linear

CEXEC

CEXEC

CMOVCG

CMOVCG

CMOVCM

CMOVCM

CMOVCS CMOVGC CMOVGC CMOVMC

CMOVMC

CMOVMC

where:

Coprocessor internal operation: short Coprocessor internal operation: long Move from coprocessor to 34020 register(s) Move from coprocessor to 34020 register(s) Move coprocessor to memory indirect (predecrement) *dD+,K,S,coln,l Move coprocessor to memory indirect (post-increment) Move coprocessor to 34020 status register Move one 34020 register to coprocessor Move two 34020 registers to coprocessor Move indirect (predecrement): memory to coprocessor *RS+,K,S,coln,l Move indirect (post-increment):

memory to coprocessor *BS+,KD,S,coln,i Move indirect (post-increment): memory to coprocessor 1 = the coprocessor ID (0-7) K = a count of parameters to move S = size of values operated on (0 = 32-bit, 1 = 64-bit) coin = the coprocessor instruction field

S,coln,l S,coin,l RS,W,S,coln,l RS,coin,1 -*BD,K,S,coln,l

coln,l RD,coin,1 RS,RD,S,coin,i -*RS,K,S,coin,l

Move instructions

BLKM0V

General instructions

RM0RS.RD

Move block

Rightmost one

Program-control and context-switching instructions

IDLE Idle: Wait for interrupt

MWAIT Memory wait

SWAPF *RS, RD Swap field (read-modify-write field)

TRAPL N Software interrupt: long

On a host access to the '20's local memory, the host's address is latched into the '20. The address is then reformatted and presented on the LAD and RCA buses to the '20's local memory (see figure 1). Data is routed via external data buffers that are directly con

trolled by the '20.

The 38-pin interface supports burst rates of up to 20 megabytes per second in either block-transfer or random-access mode. The '20 provides option bits in the internal host control register to let the interface pipelining be configured for

block (read or write) or RMW operations for maximum performance.

The '20 supports multiprocessing environments and can access host memory directly to improve system performance when accessing host resources. Built-in bus-fault and retry mechanisms handle address violations and bus-contention conditions. The '20 supports data operations in big endian (data indexed from the most-significant data bit) and little endian (data indexed from the least-significant data bit) modes, thus removing swizzling (data remapping) operations.

Hold That Line

The '20's Hold/Holda protocol not only lets another processor suspend the master GSP from operating on its local bus, but also lets other GSPs be directly wired onto the same local bus. Three signal lines—grant in (GI-), low-priority request (RL-), and high-priority request (RH-)—provide the handshake mechanism on this interface (see figure 1). These three lines are necessary to handle special problems associated with both graphics systems and DRAM- and VRAM-based systems.

In a typical Hold application, the '20 must reassert bus control if a shift-register-transfer (display-refresh) or memoryrefresh cycle is pending. Internal counters schedule latency of these events to provide maximum performance. Internal refresh queuing of up to 12 DRAM refresh cycles limits bus rearbitration.

Two or more '20s can be directly wired together to increase system performance. Multiple GSPs synchronized to the same local clock can efficiently handshake over the three-wire interface, allowing control of the bus to be passed between processors on every local memory cycle. With the increased size of the instruction cache and the improved efficiency of instruction acquisition, a significant performance increase can be obtained by using this interface.

Learning the Rules

The '20 has built on the ' 10's full suite of general-purpose instructions and combined them with a rich set of applicationspecific graphics instructions (see table 1). Note that the processors have a sufficient set of the necessary assembly language instructions to support a robust C language with direct field support.

Both the '10 and the '20 have direct support for operations on fields in memory. Since they are bit-addressable processors, fields in memory can start on any bit boundary; the instruction set fur

continued

268 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

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N DEPTH THE 34020

ther supports varying field widths (from 1 to 32 bits). This can be especially important in manipulating C "fields" and in the memory storage required for packed arrays in C. The TMS340 family's hardware support for fields augments these operations. (Pixels are a special case of regularly sized, packed fields in frame-buffer memory.)

Two-operand pixel-block-transfer instructions (PIXBLTs) perform 16 binary and 6 arithmetic raster operations on a pair of two-dimensional pixel arrays. The two-operand PIXBLTs are useful for manipulating and moving bounded objects and operating with solid color.

You can simulate more elaborate operations using multiple PIXBLTs, arithmetic raster operations, and the 10's binary-expand operations. Using the binary expand, fonts stored as bit patterns form color text (with transparency), and two-color patterned operations can be performed on the bit map. The flexibility of the PIXBLT instructions lets you build operations such as the 8514/A's compare operations, as well as foreground and background raster operations. In addition, you can build support for nonrectangular objects on top of twooperand PIXBLTs.

The '20 extends the '10's PIXBLT instructions by adding a third operand, a binary-mask operand. While the '10 supplies hardware support for rectangular window regions and pixel blocks, many applications have begun to require control and rendering of nonrectangular window regions. The third mask array supports this feature on the '20. The mask is used to describe the window region on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This provides complete flexibility in describing a region: It can be filled, concave, convex, outlined, have holes, and so on.

The three-operand PIXBLT employs the binary-mask array to act on the first operand, the source-pixel array. This mask array selects individual pixels in the source array to be combined with the destination array (an independent operand). For text, the source array can be an arbitrary pattern (dithered or halftoned) describing the "color" or "shading" of the text (see figure 3). The mask array contains the description of the shape of the character, or glyph. The destination array is the displayable "canvas" onto which the character is painted.

In this way, the bits having a value of 1 in the mask select pixels (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 bits deep) in the source-array pattern to transfer to the destination location. There is the additional option of performing one of 22 raster operations on the selected source or destination pixels, as well as several transparency and plane-masking options.

See-Through Pixels

Raster operations on the TMS340 family include all the Boolean combinations of 2 bits and their complements, plus an arithmetic set. This latter set supports addition and subtraction of pixels as well as a unique pair of comparison operations. The first computes the maximum of the source and destination pixels. The second computes the minimum pixel value. These operations are useful for layering "planes" of data via the intelligent ordering of pixel indexes or colors. They have been used to "drag" spritelike objects around the screen without corrupting background or foreground images. Pixels are combined through binary or arithmetic raster operations to form a resultant pixel.

Raster operations for the '20 contain several new transparency modes. Trans

Source

Mask

Destination

N bits/pixel

1 bit/pixel

N bits/pixel

Figure 3: The three-operand PIXBLT. The third operand is a 1-bit-per-pixel array that provides a mask for pixel-by-pixel control over the destination pixels.

parency is the notion that there are cases in which it is useful to inhibit the writing of new pixel data to the destination based on information within the actual operands of the raster operation. Thus, transparency circumvents the normal determination of what value is to be written to the destination pixel.

The four '20 transparency modes are transparency inhibited, transparency on resultant pixel = 0, transparency on source pixel = 0, and transparency on destination = C0L0R0. The first two are ' 10-compatible modes.

When transparency is inhibited, raster operations proceed as normal. For transparency on the resultant pixel equal to 0, the '20 checks the pixel value that results from the raster combination for zero-valued pixels. The zero value is then replaced with the original destination-pixel value so that the destination-pixel location is not changed.

For transparency on the source pixel equal to 0, the source-pixel value is checked before the raster operation for zero-valued pixels. Each zero value is identified so that the destination pixel retains its original value. This is useful for maintaining transparent pixels in the source-pixel array while using other '20 raster operations.

For transparency on the destination equal to C0L0R0, the destination-pixel value is checked before the raster operation for pixels that equal the "background" color (stored in the 32-bit C0L0R0 register). Each backgroundvalue pixel in the destination is not modified by the raster operation. This is useful for maintaining background pixels in the destination bit map, regardless of the value of the source pixel and which of the 22 raster operations are enabled.

Working on the Line

Several design areas on the '10 in the area of line support were targeted for enhancement on the '20. Among these were fast line draw, line initialization, and support for patterned lines and arrays.

To enhance line-draw performance, the '20 has added a fast line-draw instruction to the '10's Bresenham-algorithm line draw (see "Better Bit-Mapped Lines" in the March BYTE). This FLINE instruction performs the same arbitraryangle algorithm found on the '10, but it assumes preclipped endpoints as input. This allows the CPU to bypass the window-checking microcode and execute the heart of the line-draw algorithm at memory-bandwidth speeds (raster operations, plane masking, and transparency

continued

270 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

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Order Line for Europe & Mexico 602-275-1395

TERMS: No charge for Visa or Mastercard. We do not charge your card UNTIL WE SHIP your order. Manufacturers warranty applies in all cases all warranties are handled by the manufacturers. We accept Purchase Orders from authorized companies only, for 3.5% above cash price. No COD orders No refund on opened software All prices are subject to change. Allow 14 days for personal/company checks. Arizona orders add 6.7% tax. Add 2% for shippinq plus $2 00 for handling We do not guarantee compatibility.

IN DEPTH THE 34020

Making Videos

The video RAM (VRAM) is a dynamic RAM (DRAM) modified to let it transfer a large number of bits from the memory array to a separate internal serial-shift register. Prior to VRAMs, the majority of the available bandwidth in conventional frame buffers (designed around DRAMs) was used for display refreshing. This left virtually no time for a processor to update the display data.

After making the transfer, the contents of the shift register are independently shifted out to the display. As a result, the random port of the VRAM allows unimpeded access to the graphics processor. With the increasing resolutions of graphics displays and denser memory devices, the VRAM is becoming indispensable to frame-buffer design.

The original 64K-bit VRAM was organized as a 64K-by-l-bit device and had a single 256-bit shift register with four tap points (the starting column position for the shift register). Memoryarray-to-shift-register transfer cycles could be made only during horizontal retrace when the serial clock to the shift registers was stopped.

The next-generation VRAM was a 256K-bit device that combined the functionality of four 64K-bit VRAMs on a single chip. The device was organized into a 64K-by-4-bit device and contained four 256-bit "serial-shift" registers. A static RAM and counter emulated the shift-register function of its predecessor, allowing the shift function to start from any tap point.

Transfers in the middle of a line were enabled by changing the timing of the shift-register-to-memory transfer. This "midline reload" allowed designs to use fewer VRAMs for certain frame-buffer sizes, but the timing was so critical that few systems could take advantage of it. Furthermore, various manufacturers experimented with features including fast page mode, Boolean functions, and alternate shift-register timing modes.

The latest VRAM generation is a 1megabit device that has several architectural enhancements to improve performance. The organization is 256K-by-4bit with four 512-bit shift registers. Some manufacturers plan an alternative 128K-by-8-bit VRAM. It's important

to note that when graphics architectures use data buses wider than 128 bits, some memory devices will be only partially used, because they need extra devices just to reach the required data-bus width due to the "deeper" organization of the by-4 memories. To compensate for the increase in the depth of the memory, the 1-megabit VRAM includes features to improve its performance without requiring wider buses.

Most 1-megabit VRAMs support the block-write mode (BWM), which gives a performance improvement of four times or more on key graphics operations, such as fills and color-text generation. Fast page-mode accesses (common on 1-megabit DRAM) further improve memory bandwidth. Some 1megabit VRAMs will support "persistent write per bit," which lets color masking be "locked in" on the VRAMs, reducing read-modify-write (RMW) cycles. The 1-megabit VRAM will also support "split-shift-register transfers," simplifying the timing and control circuitry necessary for real-time reloading of the serial-shift register. The split shift registers provide memory savings in non-binary-powered display resolutions.

BWM is the most significant new architectural feature on the 1-megabit VRAM. On the 256K-by-4-bit VRAM, an internal 4-bit color register is loaded from the 4-bit-wide data bus during a special write cycle. At 4 bits per pixel, this latch contains the color value to be written; at 8 bits per pixel, two VRAMs are concatenated to form an 8-bit register.

When the VRAM's control signals select BWM, the two least-significant bits of the address are ignored, and the four "data pins" control the writing of the contents of the color register into any or all of four consecutive locations (a "block") in memory. A "1" on a data line initiates the writing of the colorregister value, while a "0" prevents that writing to the corresponding position in the block. With four data lines controlling the four 4-bit memory cells, the net effect is an effective increase of four times in write bandwidth. The ability to support individual pixel control in BWM allows this feature to be used for rendering color text and area filling.

are all active).

To reduce overhead during line initialization, the UNIT instruction performs the necessary setup for the LINE instruction. UNIT speeds up and simplifies the operation overhead associated with line initialization. More important, UNIT allows larger algorithms utilizing the LINE instruction to fit into cache, thereby increasing drawing performance.

For enhanced patterned-drawing support, the '20 adds a horizontal-fill instruction, HFILL, which supports patterns described in a 32-bit internal register. The repeating pattern is taken from the register and rotated as pixels are drawn if the register contains a nonzero pattern. The PATTRN register contains the current drawing position in bit 0 at the end of the instruction.

But Can I Use It?

The '20 offers a full line of developmenttool support built on the '10 support environment. A full Kernighan and Ritchie optimizing C compiler utilizing many of the extended features of the TMS340 architecture is available. Supporting the C language environment is a full set of assembly language tools for building relocatable, ROMable, or all-RAM executable files. A TMS340 family commonobject-file-format (COFF) loader, C I/O package, and high-level-language debug support are planned for the '20,

The '20 is object code-compatible with the '10. This means that math libraries, graphics libraries, graphics interfaces, and graphics-standards software are already available for the '20. These will be enhanced over time to use the extensions of the '20.

A Family Reunion

With the entrance of the '20 and '82, the TMS340 architecture addresses a very wide range of graphics applications. The ' 10's smaller package size and high level of system integration is ideally suited to high-volume cost-sensitive applications. The more powerful '20 provides an upwardly compatible migration path for ' 10 designs and meets the needs of higher performance systems.

By adding a TMS34082 Graphics Floating-Point Unit and TMS44C251 VRAM to a 34020-based system, a small board can have all the graphics and math capabilities of a high-end workstation. ■

Ron Peterson, Carrell R. Killebrew Jr., Tom Albers, and Karl Guttag are all members of Texas Instruments' design team for the 34020. They can be reached on BIX as "editors."

272 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

NATURAL LANGUAGE INTERFACE

^T7

■ ■■'■'.''.'*i v;i

I

THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES MAKES KEEPING UP WITH THE INFORMATION AGE EASY

Stewart Cheifet and Gary Kildall are your co-hosts for a weekly half-hour television program aimed at computer users, owners, educators and computer industry professionals. If you're looking for help in finding out what's new and what's news, tune in to THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES every week on your local public television station.

Regular commentators arc Jan Lewis, President of Lewis Research Corporation and publisher/editor of

JAN LEWIS

GEORGE MORROW

The Computer Chronicles is funded in part by McGraw-Hill's B VIE magazine. The Computer Chronicles is a co-production of WITT/ Harrisburg and KCSM/San Mateo.

HyperAge magazine, and George Morrow, founder of Morrow Designs.

Topics this season include: CD ROMS — Shareware — Multitasking — Business Graphics — Investment Software — PC Imaging — PC Networks — Decision Support Software — Laser Printers — HyperCard — Input Devices — and MUCH MORE.

Each week THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES looks at the top stories of the week in Random Access, a news segment designed to keep you informed about the latest developments in the computer industry.

THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES, a weekly halfhour of public television that just might be the help you need.

THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES IS NOW ON BIX

Bix, the Byte Information Exchange, now has a conference for the Computer Chronicles.

Now you can communicate directly with the staff of the Computer Chronicles to suggest topics for future shows or to request information or details on past shows.

Once on Bix, just type "join comp.chron" at the colon (:) prompt.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 273

You can rely on a file server for LAN communications...

All you need is patience. And faith.

You're getting the drift of this message already. File servers aren't designed to solve the PC user's communications problem. But now there's a system that is.

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Then take advantage of expansion possibilities. With our optional Ethernet® Link Module, you can create larger LANs with thousands of users. And through our optional Wide Area Network Module, distant COMMIX LANs can appear as one network.

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ITRON

An Infotron Division

COMMIX is a trademark of liifnlroii Corporation. Ethernet is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation.

IN DEPTH DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

Lighting the Way

The brightness of EL is expanding from yellow only to red, green, and blue

Rolland Von Stroh and Brian Dolinar

he importance of light-emitting flatpanel displays, the performance advantages of thin-film electroluminescent (TFEL, or EL) displays, and the development of color capabilities make EL a heavyweight contender in the high-information-content display field.

Ergonomic yellow color, brightness, contrast, angle viewability, ruggedness, reliability, and long life all stem from the structure of EL displays. These displays use a solid-state construction (no gases or liquids trapped between glass plates).

EL consists of layers of thin films (angstroms thick) that are deposited on a single glass substrate. These layers are composed of metals and dielectrics, similar to a semiconductor device. The solidstate nature is responsible for both the long life and ruggedness of EL displays. The core thin-film layer is a phosphor layer of zinc sulfide (ZnS) treated with manganese (Mn), which emits light when subjected to a high-voltage field. The phosphor layer is insulated from the outer electrodes—one reflective and one transparent—by two insulating dielectric layers (see figure 1).

ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988

The thinness of the overall thin-film stack provides several benefits: There is almost no physical thickness (approximately one micron) to the display, and light is emitted uniformly across a pixel and in a direction normal to the pixel surface. The light doesn't emanate in all directions, causing a Gaussian distribution, or "fuzzy-pixel," effect.

This means that with EL you see

bright, highly defined pixels. Cross-talk between on and off adjacent pixels, so common with light-emitting technologies, is almost nonexistent with EL due to the thin-film structure. This lack of crosstalk also provides the extremely wide viewing angle (about 160 degrees) and eliminates parallax—an important point for touch panels.

What You See Is...

The chief attribute of any display would have to be its viewability. It consists primarily of brightness, fill factor, contrast, angle insensitivity, and acuity. The amount of light a display emits is considered its brightness; this can be measured as an average or as pixel brightness. Fill factor is determined by comparing the amount of illuminated area to the surrounding nonilluminated area; it's given as a percentage. The greater the fill factor, the greater the apparent, or perceived, brightness. For a 640- by 400-pixel format, EL has a pixel brightness of 30 footlamberts (ft-L) and a fill factor of 50 percent, for an average yield of 12.5 ft-L.

Contrast is the ratio of on-pixel brightness to the surrounding off-pixel bright

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 275

IN DEPTH LIGHTING THE WAY

Electrodes

Dielectric thin film '

Glass substrate

Figure 1: The basic device structure of the thin-film electroluminescent display panel.

Photo 1: The ergonomic yellow of the principal EL phosphor. Note the thinness of the overall display panel. (Photo courtesy of Planar Systems, Inc.)

ness. The greater the ratio, the higher the resulting contrast. At 500 lux of ambient light, a typical EL display/contrast ratio value is 20 to 1. A display's ability to maintain its contrast ratio over a wide viewing angle is called its angle insensitivity. We measured contrast ratio at various angles in a 500-lux environment and found that an EL display remains at or above 10 to 1 over a full range of viewing angles—up to about 160 degrees.

Acuity is the uniformity of light emission across a pixel and the amount of a pixel's edge definition. Once the contrast ratio is high enough to easily distinguish between on and off pixels, image crispness is determined by how uniformly the on pixels emit light and how minimally that light "leaks" into the adjacent offpixel areas. EL has a highly uniform distribution of light over the pixel area and is also highly one-directional since the light-emitting layer is so thin.

An overall rating of good viewability

consists of good ratings in all these characteristics. Acceptable contrast with inadequate brightness or a small viewing angle, for example, won't suffice for most applications.

The light emitted by the principal EL phosphor, ZnS:Mn, is amber yellow with a peak of 585 nanometers. This "ergonomic" yellow (see photo 1) is the phosphor recommended by the German and Swedish display authorities.

The eye's peak response is located in the yellow-to-green region of the visible color spectrum (see figure 2). Although green is the more eye-sensitive color, amber yellow is less fatiguing to the eye overextended, intensive-use sessions.

Reflections

A contrast-enhancing filter helps any display technology achieve its optimum performance. Increasing ambient light reduces the display's contrast ratio until it reaches a level where the display is

washed out. To enhance the contrast, you need to use a filter with an anti-reflective coating; this will preserve a good luminance from the on pixels while reducing any undesirable reflection off the screen. There are two primary types of ambient-light reflections that you must consider when viewing an EL display. The first is the front-surface reflection off the substrate glass on which the display is constructed (i.e., the front of the screen). About 5 percent of the incident light is reflected from this front surface; about 70 percent of it comes from the rear electrodes of the EL display. An unfiltered EL display is a 75 percent-efficient mirror (see figure 3). Both reflections need to be reduced, and although both appear to be a problem, they are not. In fact, the reflection off the rear electrodes actually enhances the contrast of an EL display when you use it with a filter.

For medium-to-high ambient-light levels, you'll want to use a circular polarizer (CP). It will remove nearly all ambient reflection from the rear electrodes. However, the fact that the rear electrodes are reflective enhances the CP's ability to improve the display's contrast.

When the light reaches the quarterwave retarder, the single electric-field vector divides into its two components, one pointing along each axis of the retarder (see figure 4). These components travel at different speeds. The result is right-circularly polarized light. This means that the tip of the electric-field vector traces a right-helical path through space. The direction of the helix is determined by the right-hand rule. When circularly polarized light is reflected off a smooth, shiny surface, the direction of its polarization changes. In this case, the right-circularly polarized light changes into left-circularly polarized light.

When this light reaches the quarterwave retarder, it approaches from the rear, and the retarder imparts an additional quarter-wave left-helical motion to the light wave's electric-field vector. The result is light that is linearly polarized perpendicular to the axis of the linear polarizer. Since this light cannot pass through the polarizer, you can't see any reflection from the back electrodes.

You also need to reduce specular as well as diffuse reflected light from the front surface of the filter. Two basic modes of anit-ref lection work well: thinfilm coating and etched, or frosted, surface's. They are very different in their properties, however. Figure 5 shows the percentage of reflection on the front surface for untreated glass, etched glass, and thin-film coating.

276 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

IN DEPTH LIGHTING THE WAY

The etched surface reduces reflections by scattering or diffusing the reflection. In high-ambient light like you'd find outdoors, the reflection washes out the display, since the etched surface doesn't diminish the reflected light but only scatters it. That is, the contrast between the signal and reflected light degrades to less

than 2 to 1, and displayed information becomes illegible. The etched surface is effective for indoor applications and for ground-based sun-shielded applications. The thin-film coating has a lower reflection and is used for high-ambientlight applications, where the etched surface would be illegible.

Rough, Tough, and Ready

EL uses surface-mounted CMOS drivers and other circuitry, modulating between 185 and 215 volts. Surface mounting gives EL displays toughness and reliability and makes them easy to repair. The luminance-voltage characteristics

continued

520

0.800

/ 510

^530

\540

0.700

v 550

\ 560

0.600

0.500

0.400

0.300

0.200

0.100

Green

500

495

i490

Bluish green

Blue green

485'

Greenish blue

Blue

Yellowish

green

/ Yellow 7 green

Nw 570

/ /^\580

A. 590

-ZnS:Mn

V Orange \

Orange pink YJt

ReddishN orange

600

White

610 k 620

Pink /

Rec

~X630

^640

\

'urplish pink

^-^v Purplish red

J>650 ^^675 700-780

Red purple

480

Purple

475

400j

390

0.100

420

Reddish purple

J_

j_

_L

I

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

Figure 2: The 1931 CIE chromaticity diagram of the color spectrum with approximate color names.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 277

IN DEPTH LIGHTING THE WAY

of a typical EL device feature a threshold voltage below which little light is emitted, then a steeply rising slope just above the threshold, and finally a leveling off, or saturation region. This nonlinear characteristic means that you can address the device electrically at a high multiplexing ratio and still maintain excellent contrast.

Hooking It Up

Three basic elements are involved in interfacing EL monitors with computergraphics hardware: a display-refresh RAM, a monitor controller, and a video

clock. The RAM must be shared between the system CPU, which writes graphical data as bit patterns into the memory, and the monitor controller, which reads this data on a cyclical refresh cycle and translates it into information the display drivers and EL panel can use. In noninterlaced systems, this refresh cycle usually takes place at a 60-Hz rate to create a flicker-free image. In other words, the display controller reads one entire frame of RAM display data every sixtieth of a second.

The monitor controller converts this RAM data into a serial video-data (VID)

Rear electrodes

Incident light

Front-surface reflection = 5%

Reflection from rear electrodes ■

>- Display output brightness

70%

EL display

Figure 3: Unfiltered EL display reflections. An unfiltered EL display is a 75 percent-efficient mirror.

stream and provides a video clock (VCLK) and two basic synchronizing.signals: horizontal sync (HS), which determines when to present each row of pixels, and vertical sync (VS), which determines when to present each new display frame. Usually, there is enough time between the presentation of individual pixel rows or display frames for the CPU to update the display-refresh RAM.

EL monitors operate on the same basic signals that CRT monitors do. Thus, offthe-shelf CRT-controller chips, which provide all the basic control signals plus the interface logic required to communicate with the display-refresh RAM and CPU, can now meet the monitor-control requirements of many systems.

In addition, since flat-panel use is increasing, display-control chip manufacturers are providing the necessary control signals and timing specifications so you can easily integrate EL into many of the designs using these chips. Both newgeneration chips (e.g., those produced by Yamaha, Paradise, and Gemini) and older CRT-controller chips work with EL. Due to similar phosphor speed, lineat-a-time addressing for EL is much like that for noninterlaced CRT circuits. You don't need to learn new interfacing techniques. The newer chips also contain many new modes, such as simulated gray scale, to display contrast for color software on a monochrome monitor.

RS-232 cards, video-controller cards, and touch panels have all been designed

Unpolarized light

No light

Linear polarizer

1A wave retarder

Reflective back electrodes

Circular Polarizer

Figure 4: This diagram shows how unpolarized incident light can be controlled and its reflection eliminated by using a circular polarizer.

278 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

IN DEPTH LIGHTING THE WAY

for use with EL. Touch-entry devices work well with it. EL is flat, not curved like a CRT, so parallax with touch is not a problem. A touch-entry overlay— whether resistive or capacitive—reduces the optical transmission of a display. Infrared, resistive, and capacitive touch panels work well with EL due to its crisp image quality, low electrical emissions, and light-emitting properties.

The ability to perform to various datacommunication interface standards, such as RS-232, VT-100, or VT-220, is not a function of the EL device itself, but rather of the availability of chips and cards to support these applications. Support for these standards is available.

In Living Color

Planar Systems of Beaverton, Oregon, has developed the phosphors and processes to produce prototypes of two- and three-color EL displays. Full RGB monitors are feasible, and the next step is to come up with an economic manufacturing practice for color. The company recently shipped its second full-color prototype to the U.S. Army Laboratory

continued

5

„ 4 £

I I I I |

Untreated surface

"i

c o

o 3

r Etched surface

"5 rr

2

1

J

Thin-film coating .

V_—I 1 h^T"*

40

0

450 500 550 600 650

700

Wavelength (nanometers)

Figure 5: The comparative percentages of reflection off various front surfaces. Untreated glass fares the worst, and thin-film coating works better than etched glass in high-ambient-light situations.

at $99°°

Small talk is Cheap

... at $99, this modem is hard to beat.

Ann Fischer Lent, p.98, BYTE, June, 1988

o

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The Voyager modem is 100% Hayes compatible, has 300/1200 baud transmission speeds, and has a 28 character non-volatile memory.

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Like all DeltaGold products, the Voyager modem comes complete with everything you'll need: communications software, the best documentation in the industry, telephone cord, and an external 9-25 pin adaptor. And it's accompanied with an 18-month warranty.

The Voyager modem will work for approximately 10 hours on a 9-volt battery, or can be used with an AC adaptor, available for $6.00

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DELTA COMPUTER CORP.

Circle 81 on Reader Service Card

1-800-255-DELTA (617) 339-5575 (508)339-5575

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 279

IN DEPTH LIGHTING THE WAY

Command (LABCOM) Division in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey (see photo 2). The color prototypes have a pixel matrix of 320 by 240 (by 3 colors) and offer an active display area of 4.8 by 3.6 inches (a 6-inch diagonal). The pixel pitch is 0.005 inches (200 lines per inch).

Red, green, and blue phosphors are currently composed of ZnS:SmCl3 (zinc

sulfide with samarium chloride), ZnS:TbF3 (zinc sulfide with terbium fluoride), and SrS:Ce (strontium sulfide with cerium), respectively. A split-pixel approach, patterned for red, green, and blue (see photo 3), optimizes the tradeoffs in brightness, processing cost, and electronic addressing. When you mix them, the pixels are bright enough to gen

Photo 2: An example of a color display on a full-color EL prototype display from Planar Systems. (Photo courtesy of Planar Systems, Inc.)

lilltlliliilliHillllliliilitlPIIUI llHlllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lillllllllillHlilllllllIIHillllllll lillllllllllllHlHllllllllllllllllH lalllllilllllllillilllllliHilllllill

liliilliliiliilliliiliiliiliiliiliili

lilllllilllllllllllilllHlllllllllill liillllllllllllllHilllllilllHllllll

■•.■..■•.■..I

Photo 3: The red, green, and blue pixel matrix used to produce color in the traditionally "yellow only " EL display. (Photo courtesy of Planar Systems, Inc.)

erate a full white. For TV video, however, you want more brightness and color saturation from the blue phosphor. Planar is working on that problem, looking at processing enhancements, and exploring other phosphor compositions.

Bigger, Better, and Brighter

Over the last 2 years, the typical power consumption of a full-page EL display has decreased from the mid-20-watt range to under 10 watts. This has been accomplished by combining less-powerhungry drivers with power-recovering drive architecture. Since an EL display is a large capacitor, you can recover the capacitive current through an inductive design, reducing the power dissipation.

At the same time, breakthroughs in materials, architecture, and processing have brought a 50 percent increase in EL brightness. For outdoor applications, the brightness of EL panels increases with the refresh rate (up to 1 kHz).

Monochrome emulation of full-color information requires control of pixel-bypixel brightness at various levels. EL's large bandwidth of on-to-off contrast provides wide levels for a discernible gray scale. Full 16-level gray-scale EL drivers have been developed and used to display sharp, clear video and graphics. EL provides a full range of gray-scale design options: voltage, pulse width, and refresh-rate modulation.

Multiplexed addressing of digital flatpanel displays has constraints in size and pixel count due to the time required to address each frame a line at a time within the common 60-Hz refresh cycle. Planar has recently expanded these constraints to produce glass panels of roughly 19 inches diagonal with a resolution of about 1024 by 1024 pixels. These developments potentially expand EL markets to workstations and other large-panel applications where compactness, high resolution, and image stability are important.

A Bright Future

In the past, EL's main problem in market acceptance has been its price. Now, it's in high-volume production, bringing down the costs of the ICs, circuit boards, glass, and other materials used in its creation, and thus the final cost of the EL panels as well. The bright clarity of EL, once too expensive for most of us, is coming into view. ■

Rolland Von Stroh is vice president, marketing, of Planar Systems, Inc. in Beaverton, Oregon. Brian Dolinar is marketing engineering manager at Planar. They can be reached on BIX as "editors. "

280 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

INTRODUCING FUJITSU'S DL3000 SERIES PRINTERS.

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how much it costs, this is the printer for you.

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DL3300 (Narrow Carriage), D13400 (Wide Carriage)

Speed High Speed Draft 288 ops at 12 cpi

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Circle 313 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 314)

IN DEPTH DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

Monitor Makers

Since the monitors available for microcomputers are too numerous to give here, this list contains only contact information for the companies that make the monitors

Amdek Corp.12 A B

1901ZankerRd. San Jose, CA 95112 (800) 722-6335 (408) 436-8570 Inquiry 968.

American Research Corp.128

1101 Monterey Pass Rd. Monterey Park, CA 91754 (800) 423-3877 (213)265-0835 Inquiry 969.

AOC International2* B

10991 Northwest Airworld Dr. Kansas City, MO 64153 (816)891-8066 Inquiry 970.

Apple Computer, Inc.12 A M 20525 Mariani Ave. Cupertino, CA 95014 (408)996-1010 Inquiry 971.

AST Research, Inc.12B 2121 Alton Ave. Irvine, CA 92714 (714) 863-1333 Inquiry 972.

Axtel, Inc.2 B M

18848 Arbutus St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (714) 963-6790 Inquiry 973.

Ay din Controls'BM

414 Commerce Dr. Ft. Washington, PA 19034 (215) 542-7800 ext. 229 Inquiry 974.

Beltron Computer Systems, Inc.18

2215 North Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90031 (213) 222-9680 Inquiry 975.

BFA Sales1 AB 8401 Washington Place NE Albuquerque, NM 87113 (505) 828-9100 Inquiry 976.

Blue Chip International12B

7305 West Boston Ave. Chandler, AZ 85226 (602) 961-1485 Inquiry 977.

1 = Color or RGB monitors

K = Kaypro compatible

available

M= Mac 512, SE, Plus, or II

2 = Monochrome monitors

compatible

available

N = NEC compatible

A= Apple II, lie, lie, orlIGS

p = Sperry compatible

compatible

R = Tandy compatible

B = IBM PC, XT, AT, RT, or

s = Sanyo compatible

PS/2 compatible

T = AT&T compatible

c = Compaq compatible

u = Unisys compatible

D = Data General compatible

z = Zenith compatible

C. Itoh Electronics12AB

2505 McCabe Way Irvine, CA 92713 (714)660-1421 Inquiry 978.

Carroll Touch12B

P.O. Box 1309 Round Rock, TX 78680 (512)244-3500 Inquiry 979.

Chugai International Corp.1"

55 Mall Dr. Commack, NY 11725 (516) 864-9700 Inquiry 980.

Colorgraphic Communications Corp.13

5388 New Peachtree Rd. P.O. Box 80448 Atlanta, GA 30366 (404) 455-3921 Inquiry 981.

Compaq Computer Corp.1'0

20555 FM 149 Houston, TX 77070 (800)231-0900 Inquiry 982.

Compuadd Corp.12 B

12303-G Technology Blvd. Austin, TX 78727 (800)531-5475 (512)250-1489 Inquiry 983.

Conrac1-28

Display Products Group 1724 South Mountain Ave. Duarte.CA 91010 (818)303-0095 Inquiry 984.

Control Systems, Inc.1 B

2675 Patton Rd. P.O. Box 64750 St. Paul, MN 55164 (800) 826-4281 (612)631-7800 Inquiry 985.

Cornerstone Technology2 BM

1883 Ringwood Ave. San Jose, CA 95131 (408)279-1600 Inquiry 986.

Corvus Systems, Inc.128

160 Great Oaks Blvd. San Jose, CA 95119 (800) 426-7887 (408) 281-4100 Inquiry 987.

CTX International12ABCM N

260 Paseo Tesoro Walnut, CA 91789 (714)595-6146 Inquiry 988.

Data General Corp.1'280

North American Sales Division 4400 Computer Dr. Westboro, MA 01580 (617)366-8911 Inquiry 989.

Datafox, Inc.2 B

2215 East University Phoenix, AZ 85034 (800) 821-6317 (602)275-2072 Inquiry 376.

Dotronix, Inc.128

160 First St. SE New Brighton, MN 55112 (612)633-1742 Inquiry 377.

E-Machines, Inc.2 M

9305 Southwest Gemini Dr. Beaverton, OR 97005 (503) 646-6699 Inquiry 378.

Electro Mechanical Systems28

801 West Bradley Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 359-7125 Inquiry 379.

Electrohome, Ltd.12B

809 Wellington St. N Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2G 4J6 (519)744-7111 Inquiry 380.

4Site Technologies, Inc.1 M

Machroma Division

200 Seventh Ave., Mail Stop 250

Santa Cruz, CA 95062

(800) 634-7483

Inquiry 381.

Goldstar Electronics International, Inc.''2A'B

1050 Wall St. W Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 (800) 562-0244 (201) 460-8870 Inquiry 382.

Greatwest Technology128

SYSDYNE Products Division P.O. Box 30728 Oakland, CA 94604 (415) 639-2000 Inquiry 383.

Hitachi Sales Corp. of America12AB

401 West Artesia Blvd. Compton, CA 90220 (213) 537-8383 Inquiry 384.

Hyundai Electronics America128

4401 Great America Pkwy. 3rd Floor

Santa Clara, CA 95054 (408) 986-9800 Inquiry 385.

IBM Corp.128

Old Orchard Rd. Armonk, NY 10504 (914)765-1900 Inquiry 386.

282 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

IMC Computer, Inc.128

11100 South Wilcrest St., Suite H

Houston, TX 77099

(713)561-8857

Inquiry 387.

Indtech, Inc.1,2,8 1349BMoffettParkDr. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 (408)743-4300 Inquiry 388.

Industrial Computer Source18

5466 Complex St., Suite 208 San Diego, CA 92123 (800) 523-2320 (619) 279-0084 Inquiry 389.

Intecolor Corp.18

225 Scientific Dr. Technology Park Norcross, GA 30092 (404) 449-5961 Inquiry 390.

KayproCorp.l28K

533 Stevens Ave. Solana Beach, CA 92075 (800)452-9776 (619) 481-3900 Inquiry 391.

KimtronCorp.128

1709 Junction Court Building 380 San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 436-6550 Inquiry 392.

Kraft Systems Co.2B

450 West California Ave. Vista, CA 92083 (619) 724-7146 Inquiry 393.

Link Computer, Inc.128 560 South Melrose St. Placentia, CA 92670 (714)993-6976 Inquiry 394.

Logitech, Inc.18

6505 Kaiser Dr. Fremont, CA 94555 (415) 795-8500 Inquiry 395.

MAI Basic Four, Inc.12 8 14101 MyfordRd. Tustin, CA 92680 (800)854-3194 (714)731-5100 Inquiry 396.

MegaScan Technology28

4000 Kenneth Dr. Gibsonia, PA 15044 (412) 443-5820 Inquiry 397.

Micro Cellular Comm.12*

7100 West Camino Real

Suite 402

Boca Raton, FL 33433

(407) 391-0808

Inquiry 398.

Micro Display Systems28"

1310 Vermillion St.

P.O. Box 455

Hastings, MN 55033

(800) 328-9524

(612) 437-2233

Inquiry 399.

MicroGraphic Images2"

439 Calle San Pablo Camarillo, CA 93010 (805) 484-3799 Inquiry 400.

Microtouch Systems, Inc.1,1

10 State St. Woburn, MA 01801 (617) 935-0080 Inquiry 401.

Microvitec, inc.1A8CMT

1943 Providence Court

Airport Perimeter Business

Center

College Park, GA 30337

(404)991-2246

Inquiry 402.

Mitsuba Corp.12B

650 Terrace Dr. San Dimas, CA 91773 (800) 648-7822 (714) 592-2866 Inquiry 403.

Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc.1'81

991 Knox St. Torrance, CA 90502 (213)515-3993 Inquiry 404.

Moniterm Corp.28

5740 Green Circle Dr. Minnetonka, MN 55343 (612)935-4151 Inquiry 405.

Nanao USA Corp.1281

23510 Teleo Ave., Suite5 Torrance, CA 90505 (213)325-5202 Inquiry 406.

NEC Home Electronics12B"

Personal Computer Products

Division

1255 Michael Dr.

Wood Dale, IL 60191

(800)323-1728

(312)860-9500

Inquiry 407.

Orientec Corp. of America28

748 Monterey Pass Rd. Monterey Park, CA 91754 (213)268-4001 Inquiry 408.

Packard Bell12 B

21800 Oxnard St., Suite 700 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (818)716-2727 Inquiry 409.

Panasonic Industrial18^

Computer Products Division 2 Panasonic Way Secaucus, NJ 07094 (201) 348-7000 Inquiry 410.

PDS Video Technology12M

1152 Santa Barbara St. San Diego, CA 92107 (619) 222-7900 Inquiry 411.

Personal Computer Peripherals Corp.1"

4710 Eisenhower Blvd. Tampa, FL 33634 (813)884-3092 Inquiry 412.

Philips Consumer Electronics Co.128

1-40 and Straw Plains Pike P.O. Box 14810 Knoxville, TN 37914 (615)521-4316 Inquiry 413.

Planar Systems, Inc.28

1400 Northwest Compton Dr. Beaverton, OR 97006 (503)690-1100 Inquiry 414.

Princeton Graphic

Systems1'2'8'" 601 Ewing St., Building A Princeton, NJ 08540 (609)683-1660 Inquiry 415.

QIC Research, Inc.128

1961 Concourse Dr., Suite C North San Jose, CA 95131 (408) 432-8880 Inquiry 416.

Quadram Corp.1'28

One Quad Way Norcross, GA 30093 (404)923-6666 Inquiry 417.

Qubie12.B

509 Calle San Pablo Camarillo, CA 93010 (800) 821-4479 (805) 987-9741 Inquiry 418.

Quimax Systems, Inc.12'8

844 Del Rey Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (800) 228-0530 (800) 232-8282 in California (408) 773-8282 Inquiry 419.

Radius, Inc.2'"

404 East Plumeria Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 (408) 434-1010 Inquiry 420.

Relisys12'8

320 South Milpitas Blvd. Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 945-1062 Inquiry 421.

Roland DG12 B

7200 Dominion Cir. Los Angeles, CA 90040 (213)685-5141 Inquiry 422.

Sampo Corp. of America128

Industrial Products Division 5550 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Norcross, GA 30071 (404) 449-6220 Inquiry 423.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc.12*8 18600 Broadwick St. Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 (213)537-6791 Inquiry 424.

Sanyo Business Systems1'285

Computer Division 51 Joseph St. Moonachie, NJ 07074 (201) 440-9300 Inquiry 425.

Sharp Electronics12AB

Systems Division P.O. Box 650 Sharp Plaza Mahwah, NJ 07430 (800) 526-0264 (201) 529-9500 Inquiry 426.

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 283

IN DEPTH MONITOR MAKERS

Sony Corp. of America13

Microcomputer Products Div.

Sony.Dr.

Park Ridge, NJ 07656

(800) 222-0878

(201)930-1000

Inquiry 427.

SuperMac Technology2"

295 North Bernardo Ave. Mountain View, CA 94043 (415) 964-8884 Inquiry 428.

Tandy/Radio Shack'2BR

1800 One Tandy Center Fort Worth, TX 76102 (817)390-3700 Inquiry 429.

TatungCo.12ABC'MT

2850 El Presidio St. Long Beach, CA 90810 (213)637-2105 Inquiry 430.

Taxan USA Corp.12ABCT

18005 Courtney Court City of Industry, CA 91748 (818)810-1291 Inquiry 431.

Tektronix, Inc.2 B

P.O. Box 14928 Portland, OR 97214 (800) 835-9433 ext. 100 (503)627-7111 Inquiry 432.

Texas Instruments, Inc.12'1

Data Systems Group P.O. Box 181153 Austin, TX 78718 (800)527-3500 Inquiry 433.

Thomson Information Systems Corp.12ABM

5731 West Slauson Ave.

Suite 111

Culver City, CA 90230

(800) 325-0464

(800) 237-9483 in California

(213) 568-1002

Inquiry 434.

3A Computer Corp.12B

45-56 Pearson St.

Long Island City, NY 11101

(718)361-7878

Inquiry 435.

3Lynx Technologies Corp.1'2'8'"

1450 Seareel Lane San Jose, CA 95131 (408) 432-8833 Inquiry 436.

Toshiba America, Inc.'-2A'B 9740 Irvine Blvd. Irvine, CA 92718 (714)583-3000 Inquiry 437.

TW Casper Corp.12AB

2153 O'Toole Ave., Suite E San Jose, CA 95131 (408)922-0188 Inquiry 438.

Ultra-Comp12B

2600 North Broadway St. Louis, MO 63102 (314)621-4999 Inquiry 439.

Unisys Corp.12 B p u 1 Unisys Place P.O. Box 418 Detroit, MI 48202 (313)972-7000 Inquiry 440.

Wells American128

3243 Sunset Blvd. West Columbia, SC 29169 (803) 796-7800 Inquiry 441.

WYSE Technology12B

3571 North First St. San Jose, CA 95134 (408)433-1000 Inquiry 442.

Xtron Computer

Equipment Corp.''2AB

19 Rector St.

New York, NY 10006

(800) 854-4450

(212) 344-6583

Inquiry 443.

Zenith Data Systems12ABZ 1000 Milwaukee Ave. Glenview, IL 60025 (800) 842-9000 (312)391-7000 Inquiry 444.

Before you buy 7 books and 2 compilers, get the C Workshop.

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284 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

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SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 285

PICK BIX BRAINS

'-■ ..:...

... With a 10 Day Trial Membership

If you've thought about joining BIX before but weren't sure it was what you needed, now is the time to try it. Because now for a limited time, we're inviting you to try BIX for 10 days. If at any time during this 10 day trial period you don't feel BIX has made you a more knowledgeable microcomputer user, we'll refund your entire registration fee. You pay only for time spent on the system.* (See log-on instructions for hourly rates).

Explore BIX in your home or office. Put its power to work for you and unleash your full microcomputer potential — programming, designing, specifying, researching — and more.

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Join BIX and arm yourself with the latest in microcomputerrelated1 information

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FEATURE

Between Man and Machine

New advances in user-interface technology could change the way we interact with our computers

Ernest R. Tello

^^^^^■1 early a quarter of a century has passed since the -t I Publication °f Marshall McLuhan's Under

y\ I standing Media. During that time, the appear1 V| I ance of the personal computer has vindicated I many of McLuhan's farseeing views. If he were alive today, he would probably characterize the personal computer as a marriage of several previous inventions: the clock, the calculator, the typewriter, and the television. But the personal computer is more than just a marriage of separate inventions. It is a unique medium that specializes in conducting marriages between different media and technologies.

McLuhan believed that electronics represents an extension of the human nervous system. If he was right, then the new technologies being developed at research centers represent a quantum leap in the ways that human beings will be able to extend themselves into the worlds of digital electronic simulation and control. And given the speed with which new ideas migrate into end-user products, you might be seeing some of these innovations sooner than you think.

Datahands and Databodies

At present, getting data into a computer usually means typing it in or using a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball to interact with the screen. One company developing new ways of interacting with the computer is VPL Research of Redwood City, California. VPL specializes in devices that let you manipulate an on-screen "virtual" device that is the same shape as the actual input device. The firm now has two commercial products: the DataGlove and the DataSuit.

The DataGlove (see photo 1) is a hand-gesture interface invented by VPL's Thomas G. Zimmerman and Young L. Harvill. Used with advanced graphics workstations, the DataGlove lets you manipulate virtual tools and objects just as you would the real tools and objects they emulate. The DataGlove has applications in high-end graphics workstations, robotics, biomedicine, and human-factor engineering.

Running through the light material of the glove are treated

288 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

optical fibers that measure the degree of bending of the user's hand joints. The DataGlove also contains a magnetic sensor that tracks the absolute position and orientation of the top of the user's hand in reference to a magnetic source located within 30 inches of the glove.

A control unit connected to the glove transmits the position and orientation of the hand and the measured values of the hand joints to a host computer. The control unit can send this information, at up to 60 times per second, through the RS-232C or RS-422 port to your computer in a user-definable format. Using a Macintosh Plus, SE, or II, or an IBM PC, XT, or AT, you can create personalized calibration files and a library of your own gestures.

Recognizing and representing human hand gestures is a challenge that rivals speech and handwriting recognition in its potential difficulty. Gestures range from symbolic signals or commands, such as the peace sign, to dynamic actions such as grasping, lifting, tossing, and squeezing. VPL researchers have developed a technique in which they use dynamic-gesture templates and perform a finger-by-finger evaluation to match gestures with these templates.

VPL's newest product, the DataSuit (see figures la and lb), is a whole-body input device that, using the same principles as the DataGlove, captures, records, and displays the movements of the human body. The DataSuit is used in applications such as kinesthetic learning, monitoring and feedback of certain aspects of human performance, and simulations for training personnel in hazardous environments. It can track up to 68 joints of a person's body moving within a 10- by 14-foot area.

The DataSuit system relies on software called Body Electric, a name derived from a poem by Walt Whitman and subsequently used by science fiction author Ray Bradbury. The software drives a graphical animation of a stick-figure representing the user. Body Electric incorporates a dataflow language called Flex, a hierarchical interactive tree interface called Tree, and an interpreter called Script, to customize the applica

continued

ILLUSTRATION: KEVIN HAWKES © 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 289

FEATURE BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE

tion to the user's requirements.

VPL is developing a commercial version of the DataGlove, incorporating a more sophisticated tactile-feedback system that will allow you to actually feel virtual objects that exist only on the computer screen. This system will evolve into force-feedback, a technology that will constrain your hand when it comes into "contact" with the virtual object.

The Force

Systems that imply force-feedback technology are being studied at other institutions, such as George Washington University, where Teresa W. Bleser, John L. Sibert, and their coworkers have created an intriguing artists' paint system.

Photo 1: The DataGlove is a device that uses optical fiber sensors to measure and evaluate the range of joint movement, hyperextension, and abduction in the hand.

With this technique, called GWPaint, artists use a data tablet that senses not only the position of their drawing stylus, but also its orientation and the amount of force they apply. The computer uses this information to simulate the articulation of a piece of charcoal. When the stylus senses that the artist is applying downward force, it dynamically increases the width of the line. The computer can also vary the texture of the line with the angle of attack.

Another force-feedback device, the joystring (see figure 2), was invented by John Staudhamer of the University of Florida at Gainesville, and modernized and developed by Richard J. Feldman of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The joystring consists of a T-shaped hand grip whose vertices are kept in a state of tension by three taut, thin guy wires. Force sensors at the ends of the wires measure the force produced by various twisting movements of the user's hand and transmit that information to the computer. The computer, in turn, directs servo motors to exert the equivalent forces in real or virtual environments. In effect, the joystring recognizes and communicates the force and torque that you generate.

In settings where temperatures or other conditions make it impossible for humans to be physically present but where dexterity and strength are essential, force-feedback systems measure and mimic the delicate dynamics of our arms and hands. Another area in which this technology has been used is for remotely operated telerobots like those that handle radioactive materials. Applications such as physical therapy and athlete training systems could also emerge, using sophisticated tactilesensing and feedback systems.

Eyeing the Future

Although magicians often claim that the hand is quicker than the eye, in some applications the hand may be too slow—or too busy doing something else—to interact with a computer. A technology called eye tracking makes the human eye a computer-input device for such situations.

Perhaps naturally, one of the first organizations to show a serious interest in eye-tracking technology was the U.S. Air Force. However, the results of research in this area make it clear that there are more applications for it than in fighter jets.

Basically, eye tracking works by using special cameras that lock onto the eye, then bounce a beam off its cornea and continually record the direction in which the light is reflected. Current techniques allow resolution fine enough to determine

Figure la: On an animation called Clint, you can see some of the real-time output from the DataSuit.

Figure lb: Ralph is a post-processed animation driven by the DataSuit. Potential applications for the DataGlove and DataSuit include high-end workstations, robotics, biomedicine, and human-factor engineering.

290 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

FEATURE BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE

which word on a computer screen you're focusing on. Various software systems have been devised for making use of this kind of information. For example, when coupled with a natural-language processing system and voice recognition, such a system would let you glance at a word and ask various questions about it, such as its meaning and other occurrences of the word.

Another scheme is graphical-display software programmed to respond dynamically to the user's focus of attention. Such systems could determine that you were focusing your eyes on one specific portion of the screen display and alter the display accordingly—bringing a window to the foreground of the screen, for instance.

Several eye-tracking projects are currently under way by both universities and commercial firms. At Texas A&M University, there has been ongoing research on an eye-tracking system using the frames of eyeglasses equipped with infraredemitting diodes and phototransistors. Basically, this device uses electro-optical sensing in such a way that the positioning of the eye determines the amount and intensity of the light emitted to the phototransistors.

Because the eye's response time is so rapid (20 to 30 milliseconds) you could conceivably give a computer commands with your eyes much faster than with your hands or even a mouse. Applications for a system like this include aircraft and air traffic control handling, wheelchair maneuvering, and certain types of microsurgery.

Sentient Systems Technology of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, develops eye-tracking systems for use mainly by health care personnel and handicapped persons. The Eye-Typer 300, an eye-gaze-controlled keyboard system, lets you enter information into a computer by focusing your eyes for a specified amount of time (called dwell-time) on LEDs positioned like a checkerboard around the edge of the unit. The camera, centrally located in the device, measures the reflection of an infrared light on your cornea relative to a reflection on a "target" worn on your face just below the eye. If you want, you can customize the specific fields on the face of the unit to represent words, phrases, or pictures.

You can plug the Eye-Typer 300 into an IBM PC, XT, or AT. You can send your input out the RS-232C port to a printer. A one-line liquid crystal display (LCD) across the bottom of the computer lets you see your input. As you "type" each letter, word, phrase, or picture with your eyes, the computer repeats it back to you using an embedded speech synthesizer. When you hit a carriage return, the computer repeats the entire sentence you have just entered. You can also use this device to operate an environmental control system and, for example, work lights, televisions, and other appliances.

A request from NASA led Analytics of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, to come up with OASIS (Ocular Attention Sensing Interface System), an eye-tracking system that uses a combination of eye and voice input. With OASIS, without taking your hands off the controls of your airplane or car, you can, for instance, look at an analog gas gauge, ask it exactly how many gallons are left in the tank, and get a vocal answer.

The OASIS device consists of eye-position and voice-processing firmware, eye-tracking signal processing, and headmotion algorithms. Analytics provides the type of customized application I/O or interface software you would need to work with your existing system or create a complete system from scratch.

Another possible application for OASIS would be providing quality control functions on, for example, a widget production line. As the widgets go by, you would look at each one and speak into a microphone (either placed in your helmet or re

motely embedded between the monitor and a keyboard), saying the words "Accepted" or "Rejected." The widgets would drop into the proper bins by themselves, without your having to stop to look down and write, or physically throw the widgets into "good" or "bad" bins. In this type of interface, your eye position works as the cursor, and your voice operates as a button, in place of computer keys.

Talk to Me

Systems that let you talk to your computer, long a staple of science fiction, are just now appearing as commercially available systems for desktop computers. Generally, these voice-recognition systems have a vocabulary in the range of 1000 to 10,000 words and have to be trained to recognize individual users' voices. Another limitation is that with most of these devices, you have to adjust your phrasing and choice of vocabulary to the machine.

Ray Kurzweil, the creator of the "voice typewriter," optical character readers, and music-synthesis devices, is the founder of Kurzweil Applied Intelligence in Waltham, Massachusetts. Kurzweil has produced a 5000- to 10,000-word voice-recognition system that consists of a printed circuit board and proprietary software for use with an 80386-type personal computer.

The Voice RAD and Voice EM systems let you talk directly into your machine, which can then send the information to your printer for text output. You still have to train the computer to recognize your voice, but you can customize your output by inputting "voice macros"—that is, teach your system words that

continued

Figure 2: Thejoystring is a force-feedback device that recognizes and communicates the force and torque that you generate.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 291

FEATURE BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE

stand for complete phrases. Used largely by the medical community, the systems let doctors dictate a patient's medical findings or x-ray results into their computers and, without having to go through a transcriptionist, immediately receive a hard copy of the information.

Creating workable real-time speech-recognition systems will require some very advanced hardware—perhaps computers that use parallelism or the concept of neural networks. Among the companies and universities currently tackling this problem are BBN Laboratories and Thinking Machines, both of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Battelle Institute Columbus Labs in Columbus, Ohio; and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Heads Up

At the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division of NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, scientists have combined three of the most promising new interface technologies into one integrated environment. The Virtual Interactive Environment Workstation (VIEWS) uses headtracked and head-mounted displays, gesture-tracking, and voice input and output. (NASA's Langley research branch is also working on head-mounted VIEWS devices. See photo 2.)

VIEWS consists of a head-mounted stereoscopic display that projects a wide-angle three-dimensional panorama, which you can control with your head movements, voice commands, and hand gestures. The system lets you explore a 360-degree field of vision that can be either a simulated or remotely sensed environment, and you can have direct interaction with its virtual components.

The head-mounted display unit uses two medium-resolution monochrome LCD display screens, which can be seen through a wide-angle binocular optics viewer. The display is coordinated with the user's head movements in real time via a 6-degreeof-freedom tracking mechanism. The system uses various

Photo 2: Used as a research tool at NASA's Langley facility, this helmet is a flight simulator that enables pilots to try out technologies such as eye tracking, voice recognition and synthesization, and three-dimensional graphics displays.

video mixing and switching devices, combining both commercially available and custom equipment to merge images from a variety of sources into a single integrated representation.

VIEWS also incorporates a commercially available binaural, three-dimensional sound system. With headphones, you can hear sounds, either from within or outside your immediate field of view. A speech-recognition module lets you give vocal commands in a natural, conversational manner.

NASA's interest in these technologies stems from its desire to incorporate on the planned space station an implementation of the concept of "telepresence"—the ability to put yourself into almost any environment you can envision. The agency has committed itself to using the most advanced user-interface technology for control of autonomous and semi-autonomous telerobotics devices.

Breeding Ideas at MIT

The MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a wellspring of human-machine interface research. Since the early 1970s, people such as Nicholas Negroponte, director of the Media Lab, and Seymour Papert, director of the Learning Research Group and head of the School of the Future project, have been actively working to develop novel ways for humans and machines to interact.

Papert's research has had wide-ranging benefits, such as the Logo programming language and the field of Turtle Geometry. Negroponte's interest in the expressive communication of the human body encompasses the subtle expressions of the faceparticularly the eyes and lips.

One of the projects under Negroponte's direction involved research with a full-body optical tracking suit that allows a computer to record the expressive movements of the entire human body. These recorded movements were used to drive a computer-animation system called the "Graphical Marionette," an undertaking that is part of ongoing work being sponsored by the Japanese Broadcasting Corp.'s NHK-TV. In another of his ventures, Negroponte studied how the human sense of "presence" (i.e., audio and visual representations of a person) might be captured and transmitted over long distances via various media.

Delle Maxwell, a graduate of Negroponte's program, made use of her graphical animation background when she worked on NHK-TV's Dr. Holon project. This venture involved the creation of a (pre-Max Headroom) computer-generated TV-show host that, through hand gestures, could express emotion and personality while also walking and turning its body.

Another MIT Media Lab graduate student, Steve Strassman, has made an impressive achievement with his Hairy Brushes program. Hairy Brushes lets an artist "dip" a virtual paintbrush into different types of ink, use fast or slow drawing, apply splatter effects, and even simulate a drybrush style.

Strength in Synergy

As evidenced at Ames Research Center and MIT's Media Lab, the fullest potential for advanced user interfaces could come through the use of a combination of two or more interface technologies. By using more than one interface technology at a time, you can overcome the limitations of each; thus, the user can work in a way that is more natural. For example, using a natural-language interface combined with some type of pointing interface—whether a mouse, a datahand, or perhaps even an eye.tracker—could simplify complex language-parsing problems and save precious CPU time for other tasks.

Eventually, full-body tracking suits may become valuable for systems that use video-camera-based vision systems to de

292 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

FEATURE BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE

A Stick with a Difference

Janet J. Barron

If it's important that you keep your hands on the wheel of your car while you are driving, think how important it is that pilots keep their hands on the controls of the plane while they are flying. A new user interface invented by scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, lets pilots do just that. It is called the Thumball, a joystick with a trackball installed on it. The Thumball was developed to enable pilots of military and commercial planes to make adjustments to the plane's electronic data system without taking their hands off the controls. With this device (see figure A), they can precisely enter data, position a cursor, and receive digital readouts in two axes on a CRT screen. Pilots will be able to use it to make changes in heading, pitch, or trim, or to make other precise adjustments. Currently, and until the Thumball becomes commercially available, pilots must take their hands off the controls and turn knobs to provide these functions.

The Thumball's mechanism, called a spherical integrator, works like an optoelectronic mouse. A pilot will be able to operate the device with his thumb while his hands remain on the controls. So far, only one of the devices exists. It is installed in the cockpit of a simulator at Langley for testing.

The Thumball is one step in NASA's development of the concept of a "Glass Cockpit." In this project, NASA is placing all the aircraft's controls and readings on one CRT display. This way, pilots can have a wider field of view than they now have and can see all the readings by looking at one screen instead of a whole bank of instruments.

In Boeing 757s and 767s, the Glass Cockpit's beginnings are already in place, says NASA's H. Douglas Garner.

Figure A: The Thumball, a joystick with a mouse on top, lets pilots enter data into their flight computers without taking their hands off the jet's controls.

While inflight, the pilots and the passengers are able to "see" where they are geographically. In the cabin, passengers can watch large projection screens showing macro and wide-angle representations of the plane's position. The Thumball was created by Gar

ner, Anthony M. Busquets, Thomas W. Hogge, and Russell V. Parrish of NASA's Langley Research Center.

Janet J. Barron is a BYTE technical editor. You can reach her on BIX as "neural. "

rive gesture-recognition and other types of pattern-recognition data. With advances in artificial intelligence techniques, object-oriented programming, and graphics methodologies, you may someday soon be working in a three-dimensional simulation of an office environment. Such a setting would allow you to zoom in on objects not physically in sight or available for your use (such as a filing cabinet), extract information from the object (say, a letter or document), and manipulate the data with tools, such as a pair of virtual scissors.

In the end, the real key to advanced user-interface technol

ogy lies in the development of software with enough intelligence to provide synergism between you and the machine. As user interfaces become more sophisticated, talking to our computers could become as natural as talking to each other—with all the speed, variety, and subtle nuances that implies. ■

Ernest R. Tello of Santa Cruz, California, is a contributing editor for BYTE and the author o/Mastering AT Tools and Techniques (Indianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams). He can be reached on BIX as "editors. "

ILLUSTRATION: TOM CENTOLA © 1988

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 293

Five eas$f ways to »st your BASIC

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Circle 116 on Reader Service Card

FEATURE

The BASIC Revival

The

'beginner's " language has significant new features and a structured approach

Namir Clement Shammas

his year marks a quarter of a century since the

birth of BASIC at Dartmouth College. Just as people change and mature as they age, so has BASIC changed in 25 years. The original BASIC interpreters became very popular because they were easy to use and widely available. But the advent of both the IBM PC family and Borland's very affordable, fast Turbo Pascal compilers opened the eyes of many BASIC programmers who had pushed the language to its limits. BASIC implementations, such as Applesoft BASIC and Microsoft BASIC, lacked many important features, such as callable subroutines, multiline functions, and local variables. In addition, Pascal already had a better reputation as a neat, structured language that fostered efficient modular coding.

Correcting these shortcomings, as well as other faults, has led to a BASIC revival. The new ANSI BASIC standard includes many new features, some of which have outdone Pascal, Modula-2, and even C. And the ANSI standard serves as a launching point for a number of BASIC implementations, such as True BASIC, Turbo Basic, and QuickBASIC, that also add their own extensions to the language.

A Break with the Past

The new BASIC implementations do not require the use of the much-criticized line numbers. Instead, numeric or alphanumeric labels can direct jumps in program flow. Listings la and lb compare the coding of the same program under BASICA and QuickBASIC, respectively. Notice that the line numbers are removed in listing lb, and lines 1030 and 2000 of listing la are replaced with the more meaningful and highly readable labels GetNum: and Center:. Even if the line numbers 1030 and 2000 were kept in the QuickBASIC version, they would still be regarded as labels. Using labels is a more mature route for highlighting program locations relevant to unconditional or subroutine jumps. Turbo Basic and QuickBASIC support new features related

to data objects: long integers, structures (in QuickBASIC), and formal dynamic and static arrays. In previous BASIC interpreters, integers were limited to 2 bytes; this, in turn, limited the record number of random-access files to 32,767. Thus, only half the range of integer values was useful to file I/O. The new long-integer types extend the range of whole numbers to 2 billion. Using long integers, you can not only reach the previously sought limit of 65,535 records, but also go well beyond that number (the limitations are imposed by the operating systems). You use the & suffix to declare a variable or a function as having a long integer.

QuickBASIC supports constants of all simple types, such as the following:

CONST MAX.DI1W = 100, MAX.REC& = 65535 CONST MISSING.DATA# = -1.0E30

The type-declaration character is not part of the constant, and it can be dropped when using the constant in the program. For this reason, constant identifiers are unique: No two constants can have the same name and have different data types.

The support of symbolic constants is something new and important to BASIC. Symbolic constants replace numbers or strings with more meaningful identifiers. They also make updating the same constant value throughout the program quick, easy, clear, and less error-prone. Structured languages such as Pascal, C, Ada, and Modula-2 also support constants.

Unlike the BASIC interpreters, the early BASIC compilers that worked with Microsoft BASIC and BASICA programs did not support dynamic arrays. Now, the Turbo Basic and QuickBASIC compilers support formal dynamic and static arrays. The $STATIC and $DYNAMIC compiler directives declare arrays as static or dynamic, respectively. You can also include the STATIC or DYNAMIC keywords with the DIM declarations to override the current default type of arrays.

You can erase and optionally redimension dynamic arrays at

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 295

FEATURE THE BASIC REVIVAL

run time using the ERASE and DIM statements, respectively; applying ERASE to a static array merely assigns zero or null characters to its elements. True BASIC regards its arrays and matrices as dynamic. You can even redimension an array nondestructively to add more elements. BASIC'S new support of dynamic arrays is very significant, since programs can now size up arrays and matrices on the fly. Languages like Pascal,

Listing la: A BASICA program.

1000

T$ = "Test Program" : GOSUB 2000

1010

T$ = "version 1.0" : GOSUB 2000

1020

PRINT : PRINT

1030

INPUT "Enter positive number ";X

1040

IF X <= 0 THEN 1030

1050

PRINT SQR(X)

1060

END

2000

1 Center string

2010

L = LEN(T$)

2020

PRINT SPC(40-L\2);T$

2030

RETURN

Listing lb: The QuickBASIC version of the program in listing la.

GOSUB Center GOSUB Center

T$ = "Test Program

T$ = "version 1.0"

PRINT : PRINT

GetNum:

INPUT "Enter positive number

IF X <= 0 THEN GetNum

PRINT SQR(X)

END

Center:' Center string

L = LEN(T$)

PRINT SPC(40-L\2) ;T$

RETURN

Listing 2a: The BASICA version of a quadratic equation solver.

1000 CLS

1010 PRINT "Solve for X in A*X"2 + B*X + C =

0" : PRINT 1020 INPUT "Enter A, B, C "; A,B,C 1030 Determinant = B*B - 4*A*C 1040 IF Determinant > 0 THEN 2000 1050 IF Determinant = 0 THEN 3000 1060 ' solve for imaginary roots 1070 Rootl = B/2/A

1080 Root2 = SQR(-Determinant))/2/A 1090 PRINT "Root = ";Rootl;" +/-i ";Root2 1100 END

2000 ' solve for real and different roots 2010 Rootl = (B + SQR(Determinant))/2/A 2020 Root2. = (B - SQR (Determinant))/2/A 2030 PRINT "Rootl = ";Rootl;" Root2 = ";Root2 2040 END

3000 ' solve for real and equal roots 3010 Rootl = B/2/A 3020 PRINT "Roots are ",-Rootl 3030 END

Modula-2, and C support dynamic arrays via dynamic memory allocations using pointers.

QuickBASIC 4.0 has introduced record structures that resemble those of traditional structured languages. To define a personal data record, for example, you declare the type PersonalRec as follows:

TYPE PersonalRec

PersonName AS STRING*30

Profession AS STRING*40

Age AS INTEGER

Weight AS SINGLE END TYPE

This QuickBASIC record is made up of a 30-character name field, a 40-character profession field, an integer-type age field, and a single-precision floating-point body-weight field. QuickBASIC records cannot contain fields that are either arrays or dynamic strings, but nested record declaration is allowed. Compare the above with a similar Pascal record:

Personal_Rec = RECORD

Person_Name : STRING[30];

Profession : STRING[40];

Age : INTEGER;

Weight : REAL;

END;

An array of records for the personal data is declared as

DIM People (MAX.PERSONS) AS PersonalRec

Thus, QuickBASIC 4.0 has introduced the syntax to declare new data-type identifiers—something new to the purist BASIC programmer.

Beyond Simple Decisions

Decision-making constructs are more sophisticated under the new BASICs. They include, in a nutshell, an expanded IF statement and a powerful new SELECT CASE. These arm the new ANSI BASIC with constructs found in structured languages. For example, the old one-line IF.. .THEN.. .ELSE statement can be extended into a multiline version. You can also use ELSEIF clauses like those in Pascal.

Listing 2a shows a BASICA program that solves for the root of a quadratic equation. Listing 2b contains the Turbo Basic version, which uses an IF.. .THEN.. .ELSEIF.. .ELSE statement. Note the difference in code readability between the two versions. Listing 2c shows a Turbo Pascal version of the same program; notice how similar the IF statements are in listings 2b and 2c. The new multiline IF statement also shows that BASIC fosters structured coding and simultaneously demotes the use ofGOTOs.

The SELECT CASE statement is a new decision-making statement that resembles the Pascal CASE and C switch statements—and, in fact, it's even more powerful than CASE and switch. It is similar to the IF.. .THEN.. .ELSEIF statement, but it lets you try several tests. Consider the following SELECT CASE statement in QuickBASIC:

SELECT CASE NuraData

CASE IS <= 0 ' relational test

1 same as IF NumData<= 0 THEN Message$ = "YOU HAVE NO DATA" ErrNum = 1

296 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

FEATURE THE BASIC REVIVAL

CASE 1,2,3 ' enumerated list

"TOO FEW OBSERVATIONS"

a value range "MINIMAL SAMPLE SIZE"

Message$ = ErrNum = 2

CASE IS 4 TO 30 ' Message? = ErrNum = 3

CASE ELSE

Message? = ErrNum = 0

END SELECT

This example illustrates the three basic types of CASE labels: relational test, enumerated list, and value range. The relational CASE label in BASIC extends the use of SELECT CASE in place of IF.. .THEN.. .ELSEIF statements beyond that of other structured languages. In addition, the CASE labels can include several clauses of various types; for example, the statement CASE 1,2,3, IS > 100, 10 TO 30 is acceptable.

Another important feature, found in QuickBASIC and Turbo Basic, is that the CASE labels can also contain expressions. These compilers will accept a statement like CASE x/y, IS > SQR(h+l), for example. The popular structured languages do not support this use of expressions in CASE labels. The SELECT CASE statement lets you construct very powerful multiway decision making.

BASIC has also expanded the number and types of loops. The previous BASIC interpreters provided the fixed-iteration FOR ... NEXT loop and the conditional WHILE... WEND loop, and now the new ANSI standard also recognizes fixed, conditional, and infinite loops.

While the FOR.. .NEXT loop is still used in the new BASICs, the EXIT FOR statement now provides an elegant exit from that loop. There is also a DO... LOOP loop that provides the following versatile variations:

DO [WHILE<expression>]

<loop statements> LOOP [UNTIL<expresslon>]

The DO WHILE... LOOP loop is essentially the same as the conditional WHILE.. .WEND loop found in BASICA and Microsoft BASIC. The DO.. .LOOP UNTIL loop is new and resembles the REPEAT.. .UNTIL loops in Pascal and Modula-2. DO.. .LOOP is an open or infinite loop with parallels in Ada, C, and Modula2, but not in Pascal.

Listing 3 shows a QuickBASIC program that employs DO .. .LOOP, DO WHILE.. .LOOP, and DO.. .LOOP UNTIL. Note that you can use a DO.. .LOOP with both the UNTIL and WHILE clauses; this serves to monitor the continuation of the loop when two conditions must apply. (The conditions are separated into the UNTIL and WHILE clauses to enhance logical readability.) You can use the EXIT DO statement to exit any type of DO ... LOOP, especially the infinite type; listing 3 uses it to exit the outer DO. ..LOOP.

In general, the various forms of DO loops and the EXIT DO statement promote structured thinking and coding.

New Functions and Subroutines

The new BASICs promote the more powerful multiline functions. The familiar DEF FN<name> function can now be spread over multiple lines; under many of the older BASIC interpreters, you had to mimic such functions using subroutines. The other type of function does not begin its name with the letters FN, so you must list it in DECLARE DEF statements. Under the new BASICs, functions can be recursive. Listing 4

shows a recursive factorial function. As with any multiline function, END DEF marks the end of the function. The function result is returned by assigning an expression to the function identifier. Function arguments are passed by value and, except in True BASIC, cannot be arrays. With the multiline function, the new BASICs support the EXIT DEF statement to allow an

continued

Listing 2b: The Turbo Basic version of a quadratic

equation solver.

CLS

PRINT "Solve for X in A*XA2 + B*X + C =

0" : PRINT

INPUT "Enter A, B, C "; A,B,C

Determinant = B*B - 4*A*C

IF Determinant > 0 THEN

1 solve for real and different roots

Rootl = (B + SQR(Determinant))/2/A

Root2 = (B - SQR(Determinant))/2/A

PRINT "Rootl = ";Rootl;" Root2 = ";Root2

ELSEIF Determinant = 0 THEN

' solve for real and equal roots

Rootl = B/2/A

PRINT "Roots are ";Rootl

ELSE

1 solve for imaginary roots

Rootl = B/2/A

Root2 = SQR(-Determinant))/2/A

PRINT "Root = ";Rootl;" +/-i ";Root2

END IF

END

Listing 2c: The Turbo Pascal version of a quadratic equation solver.

Uses CRT;

VAR A, B, C, Determinant, Rootl, Root2 : REAL; BEGIN

ClrScr;

WRITELNC Solve for X

WRITELN; WRITE('Enter A, B, C Determinant := B*B

in A*X*2 + B*X + C = 0');

') ; READLN(A,B,C) ; 4*A*C; IF Determinant > 0 THEN BEGIN

{ solve for real and different roots }

Rootl := (B + SQRT(Determinant))/2/A;

Root2 := (B - SQRT(Determinant))/2/A;

WRITELN('Rootl = ',Rootl,' Root2 = ',Root2) END ELSE IF Determinant = 0 THEN BEGIN

{ solve for real and equal roots }

Rootl := B/2/A;

WRITELN('Roots are ';Rootl) END ELSE BEGIN

{ solve for imaginary roots }

Rootl := B/2/A;

Root2 := SQRT(-Determinant))/2/A;

WRITELN('Root = ';Rootl;' +/-i ';Root2) END;

END.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 297

The Working Environment

As BASIC has matured and developed, the programming environment for developing software has also improved. Today's compiled BASIC packages offer integrated editors, file managers, debuggers, and a DOS interface. They are a far cry from the old interpreted BASIC environment.

True BASIC

The True BASIC environment is notable for its simple visual appearance (see photo A). The screen is split into two areas: the command history and the screen editor. Typing Help provides you with on-line help for specific topics—which you'll need, because True BASIC does not display a menu for the available environment-related commands.

You can display any directory using the FILES command, with the default aimed at listing *.TRU files in the current directory. True BASIC enables you to change directories, save the file currently being edited under a new name, update the edited file, or start a new one. You can also type True BASIC language statements from the command level. This lets you test predefined functions for proper use or examine results after a program terminates.

Typing RUN causes the program displayed by the editor to start executing. If the True BASIC compiler detects an error, it displays an error message and the line number in the command window. True BASIC points to the nature of the error and to the routines and files (if any) where the offending code is located; the editor does not automatically invoke other files that contain the located compile-time error. The compiler displays a list of errors found in the program.

True BASIC implements DO commands, which let you run secondary programs and external subroutines. Normally, the DO command invokes a utility that interacts with the program in the screen editor buffer. If the filename following the DO command contains a complete True BASIC program, then the invoked program performs a task not directly affecting the edited program; for example, you can invoke a menu-driven DOS shell program to format a disk, copy files, or delete files. Alternatively, you could invoke programs that provide on-line help to accompany your custom programs. But DO commands really shine when they invoke external subroutines that interact with the program in the editor. The True BASIC distribution disk provides external subroutines to perform program formatting, cross-referencing, and tracing via DO commands.

Another versatile feature of the True BASIC environment is the LOAD command, which lets you load BASIC libraries and modules, making them part of the language. This means that an executing program need not explicitly declare loaded libraries or modules, so compiling is faster. (True BASIC is actually a semicompiler that verifies the correctness of the entire program before it executes.)

Turbo Basic

Turbo Basic's environment is similar to the well-received environment in Turbo Prolog (see photo B). The default setting features five windows, including the one-line main menu and the Edit, Message, Run, and Trace windows. The options in the main menu let you invoke the filer, edit a program, compile, compile/run, set compiler switches, select environment options, reconfigure windows, and set up debugging features. The main menu File option lets you manipulate selected files and directories, invoke the DOS shell, and exit.

The commands for the Turbo Basic editor are very similar to WordStar commands in nondocument mode. You can customize the key commands using the Install program. The main

Photo A: The True BASIC programming environment.

C.'KftHOl.BflS Line 48 Col PRINT "TOWSS OF KMfOI"

COLOR 6, 8 Keyboard

LOCATE xPronptLine, 7.X, zCursorOff Bounds HINT "Nunber of Disks CI TO " * ST Overflow BO ' get the nunber of disks f: LOCATE xPronptLine, LENCNunker o IMPUT NunberOfDisksztl) IF NunberOfDisksxCl) > KhaxBiskl LOOP UNTIL NunberOfDisksxCl) <= '/fla TouerBasev. = TouerBasev. < KunherOfBiikjzd) COLOR 7, 8

Keyboard break OFF Bounds OFF

Photo B: The Turbo Basic programming environment.

Photo C: The QuickBASIC programming environment.

298 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

FEATURE THE BASIC REVIVAL

menu's Compile option features automatic debugging similar to that of True BASIC, except that if Turbo Basic finds an error in an included file, it will load that file into the editor.

Turbo Basic offers three classes of compiler options. The first lets you select the destination of the compiled code—to memory, or to an .EXE file. The second class specifies the compiler toggle switches, such as the 8087 requirement, keyboard break, checking bounds, detecting overflow, and stack checking. The third class of suboptions lets you directly enter the command-line arguments and specify the sizes for the stack, music buffer, and I/O communications. These sizes may also be specified by metacommands embedded in the source code.

The Setup and Window options let you fine-tune certain aspects of the Turbo Basic environment, such as colors, code directories (i.e., include, source, and compiled files), and window configurations. The Debug option permits you to turn tracing on or off, and the Run-Time Error suboption makes Turbo Basic display the message that accompanies the error instead of merely displaying an error number.

QuickBASIC

The new QuickBASIC 4.0 environment (see photo C) comes with a number of very significant enhancements over previous versions. For example, it enables you to open new text windows to edit a specific function or subroutine. This new feature makes the environment responsible for locating your sought routine and placing its code in a separate window.

The QuickBASIC environment initially displays two windows. The editing window occupies most of the screen, and the one-line main menu is located right above it. The second, much smaller window contains two lines reserved for the immediate mode. This mode lets you type BASIC commands and execute them immediately, just as in BASICA or GWBASIC.

The File options perform functions similar to those in Turbo Basic, but with a few differences. The QuickBASIC environment permits you to load (and also unload) more than one file into memory. When the environment loads a QuickBASIC source code file, it precompiles it and (if it uses subroutines) builds an internal subroutine map. Pressing the F2 function key pops up a window that displays the name of the main routine(s) in memory, along with indented lists of subroutines. You use the cursor keys to select a main program or a subroutine. The QuickBASIC environment provides on-line help screens that show the editor's commands, an ASCII table, and the QuickBASIC keywords.

The QuickBASIC editor is connected with the QuickBASIC threaded p-code compiler/interpreter. When you type a line of code and then press Enter or move the cursor, the compiler verifies the new line and immediately flags any syntax error. The editor uses most WordStar nondocument editing commands.

The View options enable you to view code hierarchy and select a code segment, as discussed earlier. You can also view the next routine in the code hierarchy, the next statement, the output screen (even after program execution has terminated), and the code of included files.

The Run options let you create .EXE programs (as either stand-alone files or smaller files requiring the QuickBASIC run-time library), create compiled libraries, and start/restart a program in memory. The Debug options offer debugging tools. You can specify variables to be monitored in the Watch window, and you can also set breakpoints that stop the program when specific lines are reached or when specified expressions attain certain values. Other options let you trace the program execution and keep track of the last 20 statements executed.

early function exit. These enhancements undoubtedly give functions additional power; nevertheless, they still lag a bit behind those of languages like Pascal and C.

While GOSUBs can employ labels to direct their subroutine jumps, a new and more powerful class of callable procedures is taking their place. The procedures have a name and a parameter list. Parameters are passed by value or by reference—the general rule is that expressions are passed by value, and variables (simple or arrays) are passed by reference. Enclosing a simple variable in parentheses causes it to be passed by value, as an expression; QuickBASIC also supports the BYVAL keyword to explicitly specify that a parameter is to be passed by value. The parameter list is the main data interface between the procedure and the calling program unit. The variables in other programming units cannot be accessed or shared without special declarations.

An important feature in these procedures is the ability to handle arrays of any size. The LBOUND and UBOUND functions return the lower and upper array bounds, respectively; they work with both one-dimensional and multidimensional arrays. Turbo Basic implements these predefined functions slightly differently from the proposed ANSI standard (which QuickBASIC and True BASIC follow). With the LBOUND and UBOUND functions, you can write general-purpose routines for manipulating arrays and matrices much more easily than in Pascal or, to a lesser extent, Modula-2 and C.

BASIC procedures can have local variables. When using local arrays, you must dimension them early in the procedure and remove them before the end. While the BASIC implementations impose a strict data interface between the procedure and other programming units, they differ in implementing local variables and accessing (or sharing) global variables. In QuickBASIC, you declare local and global variables using STATIC and SHARED, respectively. SHARED variables can also be exported (i.e., created by the procedure and submitted to the pool of global variables). Turbo Basic uses the LOCAL, STATIC, and SHARED declarations to define local, static, and shared global variables within procedures. True BASIC places procedures before the unique END of a program, giving them access to all global variables. By contrast, procedures located beyond the END statement or in external libraries cannot share global variables. All the variables in these procedures are strictly local.

Listings 5a and 5b show the True BASIC and Turbo Basic versions of the same procedure. The listings illustrate using local variables and handling arrays of various sizes.

Modular Approach

QuickBASIC and True BASIC implement modules. These, along with external libraries, foster a new level for structured programming in BASIC. True BASIC modules are made up of functions and procedures, as well as the following sections:

MODULE <name>

PUBLIC <list of exported variables>

PRIVATE <list of local routines>

DECLARE DEF <list of functlons>

SHARED <list of variables global In module only>

<module Initialization statements>

<function or subroutine declarations>

END

The PUBLIC declaration lists the names of simple variables and arrays exported to client programs. This creates public vari

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 299

FEATURE THE BASIC REVIVAL

Listing 3: A QuickBASIC program that demonstrates

DO. . . LOOP, DO. . . LOOP UNTIL, and DO WHILE. . . LOOP.

CLS DO

INPUT "Want to calculate a square root? ";A$ IF A$ = "" THEN A$ = "N" A$ = UCASE$(LEFT$(A$,1) )

IF AS <> "Y" THEN EXIT DO ' exit main loop

DO

INPUT "Enter a positive number ";X

PRINT LOOP UNTIL X > 0

S = X /2

DO WHILE ABS(S*S - X) > 0.000001

S = (X/S + S) / 2 LOOP

PRINT "Square root of ";X;" = ";S : PRINT LOOP

END

Listing 4: A recursive function written in

Turbo Basic.

DEF FNFactorial#(N%)

IF N% > 1 THEN

FNFactorial# = N% *

FNFactorial (N%

-l)

ELSE

FNFactorial* = 1.0

END IF

END DEF

^^^^

ables that are global and accessible to all parts of the module, as well as to the program that calls the module. The PRIVATE declaration lists the functions and procedures that are local to the module; all routines that are not listed are strictly private. The DECLARE DEF statement indicates the names of all the functions declared within the module. The SHARED declaration lists the scalar and array variables that are accessible to all the routines in the module, but not to any client program; they should not appear in the routines' argument lists.

Module initialization is carried out automatically before the program starts running; thus, any PUBLIC variable involved in the initialization step must be assigned an initial value from within the module itself. This makes the initialization step independent of the client programs.

The Grand Picture

The new ANSI BASIC standard and the implementations based on it have brought significant improvements to the BASIC programming environment. BASIC programs benefit from structured coding: They're more clearly defined and easier to read and maintain. This structure is apparent at two levels: within the program itself, and in the multiline functions and procedures. The avenue for writing reusable BASIC libraries has reached new and unprecedented levels on microcomputers. The BASIC revival is indeed real and is worthy of the notice

Listing 5a: True BASIC listing of a callable procedure.

SUB Basic.Stat (X() , Mean, Sdev) ! Return average and standard deviation

of an array X() LET SumX = 0 LET SumXX « 0 LET Sum = Size(X)

IF Sum < 2 THEN ! return with numeric

error values

LET Mean = -1.0E+30

LET Sdev = -1.0E+30

EXIT SUB END IF

FOR I = LBound(X) TO UBound(X) LET SumX = SumX + X(I) LET SumXX = SumXX + X(I)A2

NEXT I

LET Mean ■ SumX / Sum

LET Sdev = SQR((SumXX - SumXA2/Sum)/(Sum-1))

END SUB

Listing 5b: Turbo Basic listing of a callable procedure.

SUB Basic.Stat (X#(l), Mean#, Sdev#) 1 Return average and standard deviation of

an array X() LOCAL Sum#, SumX#, SumXX#, 1% SumX# = 0 SumXX* = 0 Sum# = UBound(X#(l)) - LBound (X# (1) )

IF Sum# < 2 THEN ' return with numeric

error values

Mean# = -1.0E+30

Sdev# = -1.0E+30

EXIT SUB END IF

FOR 1% = LBound(X#(l)) TO UBound(X#(1))

SumX# = SumX# + X#(I%)

SumXX# = SumXX# + X#(I%)"2 NEXT 1%

Mean* = SumX* / Sum*

Sdev* = SQR((SumXX* - SumX#A2/Sum#)/(Sum#-1))

END SUB

of many veteran BASIC programmers who have migrated to Pascal and C. There was a valid cause for this exodus of programmers. But now, there is a good reason to give BASIC a second look: It's getting better all the time. ■

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Shammas, Namir. The New BASICs. Publishing, 1987.

Redwood City, CA: M&T

Namir Clement Shammas is a columnist for several computer magazines and a freelance writer living in Glen Allen, Virginia. You can reach him on BIX as "nshammas. "

300 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

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HANDS ON

CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

Steve Ciarcia

Part 2

Why Microcontrollers?

The DDT-51 is a low-cost IBM PC-based Intel 8031/8051 development system

Photo 1: Prototype of the DDT-51

development system.

Having explained last month why we want to design projects around a single-chip microcontroller, it's time to talk about getting the software into the microcontroller. As I previously suggested, your options are either burn and crash (burn the program into an EPROM and figure out why it crashed) or use a development system.

The DDT-51 8031 development system I'll describe in this article offers many of the features of more expensive software development systems, at a fraction of the price. Unlike those systems, you can build this one yourself, modify the features to suit your tastes, and wind up with a system tailor-made for your application.

I'll start with the DDT-51 system hardware, then describe the software interface that lets an IBM PC control the target 8031 system.

The DDT-51 Development Tool

Nothing ever works the first time. When you are debugging microcontrollerbased hardware, you need to be able to

load and run a program, stop at breakpoints, single-step through critical parts of the code, disassemble instructions, examine and change registers, and continue where you left off. An ideal development system helps you do all that without using any 8031 system resources: no pins, no ICs, no program RAM—nothing at all. In-circuit emulators (ICEs) come closest to that ideal, because they replace the microcontroller with a hard-wired equivalent of the microcontroller chip—an equivalent that lets you directly observe the chip's (normally hidden) inner functions.

The DDT-51 system isn't quite that ideal, but it comes close. It needs one interrupt input, one output pin, and a 2Kbyte RAM chip to hold debugging code and data. A 40-pin DIP clip attaches directly to the 8031 IC, and there are no other connectors to the target board. Photo 1 shows the prototype DDT-51 development system board, and figure 1 shows a block diagram of the hardware.

The software that runs on the host IBM PC is called DEBUG31. DEBUG31 shows all the 803l's internal RAM and the main registers when the microcontroller is stopped, as illustrated in figure 2. You can load new values into the registers, set a breakpoint to trap the program, and single-step through the code. You use function keys on the host to control all these operations.

Like an ICE, the DDT-51 supplies the data, address, and control lines needed to simulate an 803l's operations, although at a much slower rate. When the connections are disabled, the 8031 will run as though the DIP clip wasn't there.

Under the Hood

As described last month, an 8031 doesn't have an internal program ROM, so it needs an external EPROM (usually a 2764). If you replace that EPROM with a pin-compatible 6264 8K-byte RAM, the DDT-51/PC link can load and change the

continued

COPYRIGHT © 1988 STEVEN A. CIARCIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 303

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

8031 's program. Once you've got the program loaded, the 8031 can execute it normally, just as though it were in EPROM.

The debug RAM is a key component of the DDT-51 system, but some 8031 systems may not need any RAM. Because the DIP clip connects to the 8031 bus control lines, it's easy enough to put the debug RAM on the DDT-51 board. I used a 2K-byte RAM simply because it is the smallest one that's readily available. An 8K-byte RAM would work just as well.

Unfortunately, the 8031 wasn't designed to share its bus control lines with other hardware. All the bus lines float when the RESET input is high (they use tristate drivers), but the program halts until RESET goes low again. The program restarts from address 0000 hexadecimal after a RESET, rather than con

tinuing where it left off, which is exactly what a RESET should do. What's needed is a dual-ported RAM that can be accessed by either system independently, with separate control, data, and address lines. The two systems can then store and examine data in the common RAM without interaction.

Although the PC and the 8031 can both access the debug RAM, they can't do so simultaneously. To keep the hardware simple, there are no interlocks to prevent collisions (both systems attempting to access the RAM at the same time). If a collision does occur, one processor will ahVays get bad data because the proper buffers are not active. The PC and 8031 programs must adhere to a software gentleman's agreement to prevent RAM conflicts. It turns out that this is not at all difficult to accomplish.

How do they do that? Once the 8031

Debug RAM

EPROM programmer

1

Cable to IBM

parallel printer

port

PC interface from IBM parallel printer port to data, address, and control buses

5-volt power supply

Bidirectional bus buffers

Cable and DIP clip to target system 8031

Figure 1: A block diagram of the DDT-51 development system.

program starts running, the DDT-51 can pull INT1 low to interrupt normal execution. A few debugging instructions added to the 8031 code handle the interrupt and examine a location in the debug RAM to determine what function was requested. The 8031 copies the results into the debug RAM and returns to normal operation, giving DEBUG31 (on the PC) free access to the RAM.

The gentleman's agreement is controlled by two wires: the IRQ line, triggering an 8031 interrupt, and the 8031 HALTED line, which is set while the interrupt handler is in control. Remember that the 8031 isn't halted after the interrupt, but is in the middle of the interrupt handler.

Figure 3a describes the physical connection between the PC and the target system; figure 3b shows the timing diagram that manages access to the debug RAM. DEBUG31 on the PC writes control information into the debug RAM and pulls the IRQ line low. The 8031 responds to the interrupt, examines the debug RAM, and executes whatever functions are needed. When it's done, it sets the HALTED line active and waits for DEBUG31 to restore the IRQ line to a high level. The 8031 then sets HALTED low, reloads the registers, and returns to normal operation in the interrupted program.

Figures 4a and 4b show the DDT-51 system circuit diagram. The DDT-51 system divides neatly into four sections: the PC parallel-port interface, bus buffers to control the various lines, the debug RAM, and an EPROM programmer.

The Port Swings Both Ways

The DDT-51 system trades hardware for software. The DDT-51 's hardware pro

HALTED at single step

Reading debug RAM, interrupt count is 2

A = ED B = 00 DPTR = 0016 SP = 07 PSW = 00 (CYACF00VP)

Reg Bank 0: EE ED ED ED ED ED ED ED Reg Bank 1: 56 00 00 ED EE 00 16 00

Reg Bank 2: 3F 84 00 00 ED ED ED ED Reg Bank 3: ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

Bit-addressable RAM:

20 ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

General RAM:

30 ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

40 ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

50 ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

60 ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

70 ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED ED

Use F9 to step, F10 to run

PC = 0056 -> LCALL 00DB

Figure 2: A sample display from the DEBUG31 program, shown here in single-step mode.

304 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

vides only essential functions; the software handles most of the logic. DEBUGS 1 merely sets and reads bits in the DDT-51 hardware to find out what's going on in the target 8031. Sounds simple enough.

Because speed of interaction between the host PC and the DDT-51 is important, the DDT-51 connects to the PC via a bidirectional parallel port (using the serial port would greatly increase the hardware complexity of the DDT-51). Unfortunately, an irritating problem with the design of the PC is that its standard parallel printer port is output only.

All the hardware needed to read or write 8 bits of data is already in place, but it lacks a connection to enable that function. While you can buy a custom parallel I/O board, I think changing a single trace on the existing board might be worth it to some readers. Figure 5 shows the single cut and addition to convert a standard parallel printer port to bidirectional operation.

Of course, all the clone boards (even the IBM boards) seem to use different IC numbers and assign the bits to different pins on the ICs, so this modification can be a real mystery. If you are unwilling to chop up your printer port card, buy a $50 clone printer port card. They are usually bidirectional. Some clone cards also omit the input connection between the data bus and pin 14 of the LS174. I suppose they figure that because the output is unused, the input is irrelevant. It's easy to find the two unused pins, however (a modified port will still work correctly with all your other software, simply because the code doesn't know about the change and won't take advantage of it).

DEBUG31 examines each of the three possible printer ports, working down from LPT3, to find which one has the modification installed. This provides a convenient way to check your work. DEBUGS 1 will tell you which card it's using.

Creating Five Ports from One

The DDT-51 system needs more than one I/O port to control all its hardware. Rather than burden the PC with more ports, I used an 8255 parallel peripheral interface (PPI) chip and a pair of LS374s to get five more ports. DEBUG31 controls these ports using the four standard printer control lines.

IC9, the control register, holds bits that must be active all the time, like the 8031 RESET and IRQ lines. It also supplies the 8255's register addresses and several bits for the DDT-51' s bus logic.

IC12, the system register, holds the

8031 system bus control bits. There are 4 unused bits in this register that can be used for additional functions. The outputs are disabled whenever the 8031 drives the DDT-51 's address and data buses, so that there is no conflict.

IC8, the 8255 bus interface, drives the high byte of the external address bus through port B and writes and reads the external data bus using port A. Port C samples the 8031 HALTED line. Other port C bits monitor the outputs of the DDT-51 logic circuits when running diagnostics from the PC.

Every 8031 system has a latch that demultiplexes the low-order byte of the address from the combined address/data bus. You might think that, because the outputs of that latch don't connect to the 8031, the DDT-51 system would need another DIP clip to get access to that part of the address bus. Instead, it is simpler to duplicate the latch, using IC10.

The DDT-5l's debug RAM presents a similar problem, since the RAM requires a chip select line and the target 8031 system may not have an address decoder. I added IC11 to provide chip selects on 8K-byte boundaries throughout the 64K-byte address space. The EPROM programming socket, which is empty in normal use, also gets a chip select line from this decoder.

Bus Buffering

Both the 8031 and the DDT-51 system have control lines to read and write the program RAM (normally on the 8031 board) and the debug RAM (on the DDT51 board). There are more combinations of data, address, and control line directions than might seem possible at first, which is why the logic isn't as simple as you'd expect. IC9 supplies two control lines, called

continued

Modified parallel printer port

DDT-51

8031/8051

development

system

PortP2

8031 target system board

Address high Port P0

*■

Data/address low ALE PSEN WR RD

■<—

■< >■

-IRQ

/

IBfv

AT

1 PC, XT

> + 8031 HALTED

+ RESET 8031

i

10-pin DIP-clip connection

Figure 3a: Physical connections between the DDT-51 and its host and target systems.

-IRQ from PC

+ 8031 HALTED ' \

frnm flrW1 | (

Debug RAM , 8031 KERNEL INT1 handler | access PC < i DEBUG31 1

None

1 D

PC EBUG31

Figure 3b: A timing diagram showing the system's "gentleman's agreement"for controlling access to the debug RAM.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 305

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

CTLS TO 8031 and CTLS FROM 8031, to select one of three states. The 8031 controls the DDT-51 logic when CTLS FROM 8031 is active, DDT-51 logic controls the 8031 system when CTLS TO 8031 is active, and the two systems are isolated from each other when both lines are inactive.

Setting the direction of the data and address lines isn't a simple task. For example, when the target 8031 system writes to the debug RAM, both the address and data come from the 8031. When it's reading from the debug RAM, the address comes and the data goes. A similar situation, in reverse, occurs when the DDT-51 reads the 803l's program RAM.

IC14 sets the DATA TO 8031 and DATA FROM 8031 lines by deciding which way the data must flow based on the current address, read or write activity, and signal source. This must be handled by hardware because it varies cycle by cycle as the 8031 runs its program.

When the two systems are isolated, the PC can access the debug RAM and the 8031 can access the program RAM without interacting. If either system tries to access the other while they're isolated, the data returned will be indefinite.

You've probably noticed that there's no hardware preventing both the CTLS TO 8031 and the CTLS FROM 8031 lines from being active at once. Further, as the schematic shows, this is definitely an illegal condition; it should never occur with properly operating PC code.

The reason for using an LS374 (IC10) to latch the address should now make sense. The bus buffers can't be activated until the control and address lines indicate in which direction the data should go. When the 8031 system supplies the ALE signal, the DDT-51 hardware accepts the 8031 data bus and tries to latch it in IC10. An LS373 is a transparent latch, meaning that the outputs track the inputs whenever the clock is high. When the 8031 lowers ALE, the bus buffers turn off and the data goes away before an LS373 can reliably latch it.

The LS374 is an edge-triggered latch, which means that the outputs change at the upward transition of the clock. Using ALE to clock the latches gives a sharp edge just before the data buffers turn off. This way, the LS374 records the inputs correctly.

Debug RAM

The debug RAM is simply a 6116 2Kbyte static RAM chip, driven by the buffered address and data lines. Either sys

continued

PCDATA?

27

PCDATA6

2S

PCDATA5

29

PCDATA4

30

PC DATA 3

31

PC DATA 2

32

PCDATA]

33

PCDATA0

31

PB3 PB2 PB1 PB0 PC7 PC6 PC5

PC3 PC2 PCI PC0

Figure 4a: The DDT-51 schematic, showing the PC interface and the debug RAM.

306 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

CONTROL BUS

o

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 307

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

tern can access it. DEBUG31 assumes that the debug RAM is located at 8000 hexadecimal.

EPROM Burning

Although the DDT-51 system is used to develop programs using RAM instead of EPROM, there (presumably) comes a time when you've finished the program and you're ready to ship it. At that point, you need an EPROM programmer. DDT-51 incorporates the world's least expensive 2764 EPROM programmer.

The programmer section of figure 4b shows all the hardware required to program a 2764 EPROM. The programming supply voltage comes from two 9-volt batteries hard-wired to add +18 V to the 4-5-V power supply. A simple emitter follower reduces this 23-V level to 21 V and provides enough current for the programming pulse. The 0.1-microfarad capacitors filter out noise glitches from the logic. You'll have no problem with battery life unless you start using this programmer for production quantities.

It turns out that programming a 2764 EPROM is much like writing to a rather slow RAM. First, you set up the address and data lines, select the chip, and pulse pin 27 low for 50 milliseconds. If pin 1 has +21.0 V on it while pin 27 is low, you've just programmed 1 byte of the EPROM. That's all there is to it.

DEBUG31 can already write data to any 8031 address, so programming an EPROM simply requires an "EPROM burn" software flag to lengthen the write pulse to 50 ms. A manual switch applies 21.0 V to the zero-insertion-force (ZIF) socket.

This system handles code that fits into a single 2764 EPROM. A DIP switch on the DDT-51 system board sets the chipselect address range so you can burn EPROMs at different addresses. And 8K bytes of EPROM holds a lot of 8031 code, particularly for smaller projects. Unlike the Circuit Cellar serial EPROM programmer (see the October 1986 Circuit Cellar), however, there are no circuits to prevent damage occurring when you insert or remove an EPROM from a "live" socket. Make sure you turn the DDT-51 system's power off and disconnect the DIP clip from the 8031 before inserting or removing the EPROM.

Of course, 2764s allow faster "intelligent" programming methods, but I haven't implemented them (I thought an EPROM programmer that required zero additional chips was pretty good). As a result, the DDT-51 system is both the world's least expensive and slowest

continued

(-5V

SELECT 21V FOR EPROM PROGRAMMING 5V OTHERWISE

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IC7

2764/6264 Vpp/NC PGM/WE NC/CS2 A12 All A10 A9 A8 A7 A6 A5 A4 A3 AJ Al A0

EPROM PROGRAMMER

*CTLS TO 8031

*CTLS FROM 8031

Figure 4b: 77ie EPROM programmer subsystem and bidirectional bus buffers.

308 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

hC

hP

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IC5 74LS244

2Y1

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 309

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

EPROM programmer. If you start writing long programs, you may want to step up to my serial EPROM programmer.

DEBUG31 Essentials

You might think that DEBUG31 on the PC is written in assembly language to handle all the bit manipulation needed to control the hardware. It turns out that it's all done in Turbo Pascal, which is a whole lot easier to read and understand. All the tricky stuff is handled by a few low-level routines.

At the highest level, DEBUG31.PAS is a simple loop that waits for function keys to be pressed. Each function key triggers a separate procedure to handle whatever is requested. Listing 1 shows the entire main loop, which is easy enough to understand.

Listing 2 shows a procedure called by the main loop (and elsewhere, too). SysReset activates the RESET 8031 line

from IC9 and sets up DDT-51 hardware so that the PC has access to the 8031 through the bus buffers. When the RESET line is active, the 8031 has stopped operating and floated all its bus and control lines, so the PC can read or write any hardware on the shared data bus.

SysReset calls SetCR (set the control register IC9), SetSR (set the system register IC12), and Load8255 (interface to the 8255), which are some of the lowestlevel routines in the system. Each controls a single IC connected to the printerport data lines. The routine handles all the operations required by other code and provides a convenient set of mnemonics that are easier to remember than the actual bit locations and values.

The 8031 Kernel

The DDT-51 system depends on a small kernel of 8031 code to handle interrupts

and perform functions on behalf of the PC program. This code runs only during INT1 interrupts and must adhere closely to the gentleman's agreement interface to avoid hardware collisions.

Unlike DEBUG31.PAS, KERNEL.ASM must be written in 8031 assembly language and incorporated into any 8031 program that uses the debugging features of DEBUG31, but most of it is located in the 2K-byte debug RAM located on the DDT-51 board. The normal program memory must hold only about two dozen bytes of KERNEL'S code, and you can move most of that chunk to any convenient location.

Because the 8031 registers and internal RAM are not directly accessible through the DDT-51 interface, KERNEL must copy those values into the debug RAM before DEBUG31 can see them. Once they've been copied, the PC can read, display, and change them as

IBM PC PRINTER PORT

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PRINTER PORT MODIFICATIONS

DATA BUS AND CONTROL PORT PIN ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT STANDARDIZED.

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Figure 5: How to make an IBM PC's unidirectional parallel printer port bidirectional.

310 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

needed. KERNEL then copies the new values back into the internal locations and returns to the interrupted code.

The software handles breakpoints in a similar manner. DEBUG31 stores the breakpoint address in debug RAM and triggers an interrupt. KERNEL decodes the operation and writes an LJMP instruction at the specified address. The KERNEL breakpoint handler gets control when the 8031 executes the LJMP and copies the internal values into debug RAM.

At the heart of the interrupt-handler routine, the first order of business, as with any interrupt code, is to save all the CPU registers. Later on, these saved values will be copied into debug RAM so that DEBUG31 can reconstruct the actual state of the machine when the interrupt occurred.

If a breakpoint was active, the UndoBP routine removes the LJMP and restores the program RAM so that the next instruction is ready to go. Because an LJMP requires 3 bytes, it may have overwritten one or two instructions following the breakpoint. Regrettably, the 8031 does not have a single-byte software interrupt instruction like the 8088's special INT 3 breakpoint.

The DumpRAM routine copies the internal RAM values into debug RAM as described before, as well as extracting the registers saved on the stack. Remember that the internal RAM reflects the current registers rather than the ones used by the main program. Some internal RAM locations can't be read without introducing side effects: Reading the serial buffer will reset a pending interrupt, which would cause a malfunction in the main code.

Both KERNEL and DEBUG31 increment separate IRQ counters; KERNEL'S counter is stored in debug RAM. If DEBUGS l's counter differs from KERNEL'S version, at least one IRQ got lost, which probably means that the 8031 program is out of control.

Because most of KERNEL is in the debug RAM, DEBUG31 can't read that RAM while the 8031 executes from it. The StepSpin routine is located in 8031 program RAM, which frees up the debug RAM for the PC. The StepSpin code sets 8031 HALTED to indicate that the debug RAM is available, then waits for the PC to raise INT1 when it's done changing the RAM. At that point, it's safe to begin executing from debug RAM again, so the code returns to SpinRet to continue.

The code following SpinRet reads the

continued

Listing 1: The DEBUG31.PAS main loop.

(*** setup code omitted here ***)

REPEAT { Get next key } GetKey(keyl,key2) ; { Is it an extended key? } IF keyl = Chr(ESC) THEN BEGIN { Which function key? } CASE Ord(key2) OF

59 : ShowHelp;

60 : SysReset;

61 : LoadKernel;

62 : Download;

63 : SetBurn;

64 : Writeln('F6 not used');

65 : SetRegs;

66 : SetBP;

67 : SysStep;

68 : BEGIN

( Normal, no IRQ } SysRun(running, FALSE); Writeln('Use F9 to stop/step'); END; ELSE; END; END;

UNTIL (keyl = Chr(ESC)) AND (key2 = Chr(O)), (*** some cleanup code omitted ***)

Listing 2: The system reset procedure.

( Force reset and take control of bus }

PROCEDURE SysReset;

BEGIN

( Ensure a reset } SetCR(Reset8031,ON);

( Get control of bus ) SetCR(IRQ,OFF); SetCR(CtlTo8031,ON); SetCR(CtlFrom8031,OFF); SetCR(AccessOK,ON); SetCR(EnableDec,ON) ;

{ Set up controls } SetSR(XRD,OFF); SetSR(XPSEN,OFF); SetSR(XALE,OFF) ; SetSR(XWR,OFF);

{ Our data and address } Load8255(I55Ctls,I55AoBoCi);

{ Reset IRQ counter }

IRQctr := 0;

PutRAMbyte(IRQctrB,$00);

Writeln('8031 hardware is reset');

( Indicate reset ) state := reset;

END;

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 311

Circle 213 on Reader Service Card

BUYER'S GUIDE.

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HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR

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new run-mode byte from debug RAM and handles the request. This code also installs the new breakpoint LJMP instruction.

Finally, the StuffRAM routine copies the (possibly changed) values from debug RAM back into internal RAM. It inserts the new values for the registers into the right stack locations, so that the main program's registers can be altered by the PC. It does not restore registers with side effects (e.g., the serial transmitter buffer) for the same reason that DumpRAM didn't read from them.

After the registers are restored, the 8031 executes a RETI (return from interrupt) and the interrupted main code resumes execution, perhaps with new register values. (The complete listings for DEBUG31.PAS and KERNEL.ASM are available for downloading from the Circuit Cellar bulletin board system.)

A Middle Ground

Does working on the DDT-51 development system convert me into a software jockey? Certainly not. To maintain a high level of performance in Circuit Cellar designs at a time when the rest of the industry is moving to applicationspecific ICs (ASICs) and other development-intensive reduced-component custom designs, I have chosen a middle ground of using programmable microcontroller chips.

In the same way that a large board of IC logic chips is reduced functionally to an ASIC, I have lumped the controlling elements of the TTL circuit I usually use into a configurable application-specific controller that can simulate these functions. Using simple three- or four-chip microcontrollers as standard computer engines in my projects, I am now better able to concentrate on presenting applications of technology rather than providing redundant explanations of low-level logic.

The DDT-51 development tool will hopefully help other BYTE readers consider the benefits of this middle ground.

The DDT-51 development system won't handle all possible 8051 target systems, but it will give you a good start. With that in hand, we can continue with other interesting Circuit Cellar project designs.

Experimenters

As is the custom with all Circuit Cellar projects, the software for the DDT-51 development system is available for downloading from my multiline bulletin board free of charge. Call (203) 8711988. Of course, this downloaded soft

ware is limited to noncommercial personal use unless licensed otherwise.

Next Month

I'll present a real-world example of

multiprocessing. ■

Special thanks for the technical contributions provided for this article by Jeff Bachiochi and Ed Nisley.

Editor's Note: Steve often refers to previous Circuit Cellar articles. Most of these past articles are available in book form from BYTE Books, McGraw-Hill Book Co., P.O. Box 400, Hightstown, NJ 08250.

Ciarcia 's Circuit Cellar, Volume I covers articles in BYTE from September 1977 through November 1978. Volume II covers December 1978 through June 1980. Volume ///covers July 1980 through December 1981. Volume IV covers January 1982 through June 1983. Volume Kcovers July 1983 through December 1984. Volume VI covers January 1985 through June 1986.

Circuit Cellar Ink

It's virtually impossible to provide all the pertinent details of a project or cover all the designs I'd like to in the pages of BYTE. For that reason, I have started a bimonthly supplemental publication called Circuit Cellar Ink, which presents additional information on projects published in BYTE, new projects, and supplemental applications-oriented materials. For a one-year subscription (6 issues), send $14.95 to Circuit Cellar Ink, 12 Depot Square, Peterborough, NH 03458. Credit card orders can call (203) 875-2199.

There is a multiline Circuit Cellar bulletin board system (running TBBS 2.0M) that supports past and present projects in BYTE and Ink. You are invited to call and exchange ideas and comments with other Circuit Cellar supporters. The 300-/1200-/2400-bps BBS is online 24 hours a day at (203) 871-1988.

To receive information about the Circuit Cellar Ink publication for hardware designers and developers, please circle 100 on the Reader Service inquiry card at the back of the magazine.

Steve Ciarcia (pronounced "see-AREsee-ah ") is an electronics engineer and computer consultant with experience in process control, digital design, nuclear instrumentation, and product development. The author of several books on electronics, he can be reached on BIX as "sciarcia."

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

312 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

HANDS ON

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Rick Grehan

Floating-Point without A Coprocessor

A high-precision floating-point-emulation library for your PC

ost of the applications for floating-point calculations are obvious: scientific analysis, engineering design, financial calculations. Others, like graphics and desktop publishing (calculations involving reduction and enlargement), are less obvious. Interest in increasing floating-point throughput has grown; this is most apparent in the attention being paid to higher-performance math coprocessors—witness the inclusion of sockets for both the Weitek and the Intel coprocessors on many of the new 80386 machines.

For some situations, a coprocessor is the best answer for hurrying the throughput of floating-point calculations. But for many others, a coprocessor is either not cost-effective (although the prices are coming down—I'm waiting until I can get an 8087 for $50) or simply unavailable (as is the case with many laptop computers). Software designers of products dependent on floating-point operations cannot assume all targets for their products will have a floating-point coprocessor available. (Apple provides its floating-point support as part of the Standard Apple Numeric Environment [SANE], which is incorporated into the Macintosh's System file.)

I decided on this month's topic partly in response to a comment I heard at a recent seminar: A participant was designing an application and complained that he wanted to include floating-point support but could not find any real working examples. I also believe that it's instructive to investigate the inner workings of a system you take for granted. Who knows? You might improve things and design the

ILLUSTRATION: MACIEK ALBRECHT © 1988

next IEEE standard for floating-point numbers.

The package I designed performs the four basic operations: add, subtract, multiply, and divide. I'll describe these this month. I've also incorporated some basic I/O routines, which will appear next month.

The system is written in 8088 assembly language, and to test it, I provided some simple interface routines with BYTE Small-C. You should be able to modify this interface to hook into your favorite compiler. (You'll find pseudocode listings of the main routines here. The 8088 source code for the package, FL0ATPAK.TXT, is available in a variety of formats. See page 3 for details.)

First, let's take a look at the format of floating-point numbers.

Know the Beast

It's important to be clear about the format of floating-point representation. Lord knows it's tough enough to be clear

about base-10 floating-point numbers; base-2 floating-point is even worse.

Scientific notation provides a compact means of representing numbers when there is the possibility of wide swings in value. Simply put, even though you don't have room for lots of digits, you can still write very big and very small numbers. Instead of writing 1,000,000, you can write 1.0E+6; and instead of writing -.00000032, you can write -3.2E-7.

It's a mathematical shorthand. The expression -3.2E-7 means -3.2 x 10"7. For a little terminology: -3.2 is referred to as the mantissa, and -7 is the exponent. How can we get.this representation into our binary computer? Use the same idea, only make everything base 2.

Figure 1 shows the format my floating-point math package uses. FAC1_EXP stores the exponent, and FAC1_MAN holds the mantissa. Since this is all in base 2, you can express a floating-point number in scientific notation format as follows:

continued

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 313

HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

<FAC1_EXP>.

<FAC1_MAN> X 2

FAC1_MAN is a binary number with both integer and fractional parts. Just as the decimal mantissas above use a decimal point to separate their integer and fractional portions, binary floatingpoint numbers use a binary point to separate integer and fractional portions. Of course, this binary point is an imaginary entity; it has no real existence inside the computer—we just assume its location.

As usual, things are never really quite as simple as they appear at first glance. What I've described is a fairly accurate description of the representation—but with a couple of minor exceptions.

Minor exception number one is that FAC1_EXP is a biased exponent. This simply means that the value stored in FAC1_EXP is the true exponent value plus a bias. Adding a bias allows the package to represent positive and negative exponents. For example, in my package, the bias is 16384. An exponent of 0 would be represented as 16384; +12 would be 16396; and -5 would be 16379. Thus, the exponent has a range of 2+16383 to 2"1"83—something like 104"1 and jq-4931 as a means 0f rapidly identifying true zero, the package recognizes FAC1_EXP equal to zero as signaling the special case that the entire number is zero. (The number 16384 isn't something I pulled out of the air. Since FAC1_EXP is 16 bits, a bias of 16384 gives us a 15-bit exponent with the high bit left over to detect exponent overflow.)

Minor exception number two revolves around the fact that the internal represen

tation of a floating-point number (i.e., how the package sees the number when an operation is being executed) is different from that number's external representation (i.e., how calling routines see the number). Specifically, the internal representation of the number sports an additional word's worth of precision. You'll see how this—and other trickery—becomes important when I get to the floating-point output routine.

You can think of FAC1 as a floatingpoint accumulator—a. floating-point register, if you will—internal to math package uses. There are actually two accumulators: FAC1 and FAC2. Each holds one of the two arguments involved in the math operation, and when the addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division is finished, FAC1 holds the result. A third storage location, FAC3-MAN, saves temporary values during the multiplication and division routines.

Now that we've gone over the blueprints, it's time to get to the construction work. As I stated earlier, we begin at the foundation.

Addition

Before you can add two floating-point numbers, you have to do something anyone who has ever added fractional numbers is familiar with: align the decimal points. Only now you're aligning the base-2 equivalent of the decimal point, and in our representation of floatingpoint numbers, this translates to matching up the exponents.

You do this by determining which number has the largest exponent and

15

0

FAC1_EXP: Biased exponent (bias is 16384). True exponent is FAC1_EXP -16384. If FAC1_EXP point number is zero.

0, the floating

79

0

FAC1_MAN

80-bit mantissa. The lowest 2 bytes are used internally by the package for extending the precision of the calculations; when the .number is returned to the calling routine, only the upper 8 bytes are used.

FAC1_SIGN: A 1-byte location used to hold the sign bit. When the floatingpoint number is returned to the calling routine, the sign bit is recorded in bit 15 of the exponent.

Figure 1: Floating-point representation. Note that the internal format adds an additional word of precision.

moving that number into FAC1. The other number goes into FAC2. Then you simply subtract FAC2's exponent from FAC1 and examine the result to determine how many bits to shift FAC2 to line up its binary point with FAC1.

Note that since you've guaranteed that the number in FAC2 has a smaller absolute value than FAC1, the shift will be to the right. Why? What you're doing is matching the exponents of the two numbers, and you accomplish this by adding an amount—call ity—to FAC2_EXP. This has the effect of multiplying the entire number by 2y (just as adding to the exponent of a base-10 floating-point number has the effect of multiplying by 10), so we have to offset that by shifting FAC2's mantissa to the right. (Remember that shifting a binary number right 1 bit divides that number by 2.)

If you have to shift FAC2 more than 78 bits, you can exit the routine immediately; FAC1 is so much larger than FAC2 that the addition will have no effect on the result.

Next, you examine the signs of the two numbers. If they differ, negate the mantissa of FAC2 (since you're really performing a subtraction). You can then go about the business of the actual addition, which looks for all intents and purposes just like addition of 80-bit integers. See listing 1 for the addition pseudocode.

If bit 79 (the highest bit) has been set as a result of the addition, then an overflow must have occurred. This can happen only if FAC1 and FAC2 had the same sign, and if that's the case you don't have to modify FAC1.

However, a subtraction may have taken place (if FAC1 and FAC2 had different signs); in this case, a 1 in bit 79 indicates that the result is a negative number in two's complement form (and that the absolute value of FAC2_MAN was greater than FAC1_MAN). You can determine this by reexamining the FAC1_SIGN and FAC2_SIGN. If they differ, you know the sign of the result is the sign of FAC2, so move FAC2_SIGN to FAC1_SIGN and negate the mantissa of FAC1 to make it positive again.

The last step is to normalize the contents of FAC1, so le|'s go ahead and talk about normalization. What is it, and why is it important?

Make It Normal

It would be a waste of space to write a floating-point number as 0.00003E-4; it's better to instead write it as 3.0E—9. Likewise, you wouldn't want to write 1,200,000.OE+6; use 1.2E +12 instead.

continued

314 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

How to create high-performance programs without wasting your time or money

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SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 315

HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

The point: Don't consume space with zeroes; get the most significant nonzero digit near the decimal point. This process is called normalizing the number. You can normalize a binary floating

point number using a series of shift operations, as shown in listing 2. Since in the base-2 system the only nonzero digit is a 1, normalization amounts to shifting the contents of the mantissa left or right until

Listing 1: Floating-point addition.

Add FAC2 to FACl:

FPADD:

IF FAC1_EXP < FAC2_EXP THEN

exchange FACl and FAC2; Bits_to_shift = FACl_EXP-FAC2_EXP; IF Bits_to_shift > 78 THEN

RETURN; IF FAC1_SIGN <> FAC2_SIGN THEN

Negate FAC1_MAN; REPEAT Bits_to_shift TIMES

Shift FAC2_MAN right; Add FAC2_MAN to FACl_MAN; IF (FACl_SIGNOFAC2_SIGN) AND

(Bit 63 of FAC1_MAN = 1) THEN BEGIN

Negate FAC1_MAN; F AC 1_S IGN=F AC 2_S IGN ; END GOTO NORM FACl;

Listing 2: Normalizing floating-point numbers. The four primary routines exit through this code.

Normalize The Number In FACl:

NORM_FACl:

IF FAC1_MAN=0 THEN

FAC1_SIGN=0;

FAC1_EXP=0;

RETURN; IF bit 79 of FAC1_MAN=1 THEN

BEGIN

Shift FAC1_MAN right 1 bit;

FAC1_EXP=FAC1_EXP+1;

END WHILE bit 78 of FAC1_MAN=0

BEGIN

Shift FAC1_MAN left 1 bit;

FAC1_EXP=FAC1_EXP-1;

END IF bit 15 of FAC1_EXP=1 THEN

RETURN Exponent_overflow_error; IF FAC1_EXP=0 THEN

RETURN Exponent _under.El ow_et:ror; RETURN;

Listing 3: Floating-point subtraction, based on the fact thatx-y x+(-y).

Subtract FAC2 from FACl:

FPSUB:

FAC2_SIGN = FAC2_SIGN XOR 128;

GOTO FPADD;

a 1 appears in bit 78. Hence, a normalized mantissa in this notation might look (in base 2) like the following:

0.100100111001011

(I've shown only the top 16 bits.) Notice that the topmost bit (bit 79) stays zero. Its job is to play bucket and catch any overflow bit that occurs as the package performs floating-point operations on the number.

Of course, shifting the mantissa left or right is the same aL multiplying or dividing (respectively) by 2. So that the value of the floating-point number doesn't change, you must offset the effects of the shift operation by incrementing or decrementing the exponent. The rule is simple: If you shift left (a multiply), offset that by decrementing the exponent; if you shift right (a divide), offset that by incrementing the exponent.

Finally, the normalization routine has to check for exponent overflow and underflow. This will happen if, during the shifting process I just mentioned, the routine increments the exponent above the maximum allowed (overflow) or decrements it to zero (underflow). The normalization routine shown in listing 2 returns an error code if the exponent overflows or underflows. It's up to the calling routine to decide how to handle the situation.

All four of the floating-point routines exit through the normalization routine.

Subtraction

This is tough. You invert FAC2's sign (FAC2_SIGN) and do a floating-point add (see listing 3). Next!

Multiplication

Multiplication is simpler than you probably think. If you can multiply decimal numbers, binary multiplication is a snap. Furthermore, multiplying numbers in scientific notation is not much harder. Just keep two simple rules in mind: 1) Add exponents and 2) multiply mantissas. Adding the exponents is the easy part—it's just a matter of adding two 16bit numbers. But multiplying the mantissas—that's what we really came here for.

Think of how you learned multiplication in grade school—writing one number above the other, then proceeding across the lower number, multiplying one digit at a time, generating partial products, and adding. It's the same thing here.

Take a look at figure 2a, where two binary numbers are being multiplied. Proceeding from right to left on the lower

316 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

number (the multiplier), if the digit is a 1, then write the upper number (the multiplicand) under the bar. If the digit is a 0, then write 0 under the bar. (These numbers under the bars are the partial products.) Keep going until you run out of bits in the multiplier. The rightmost digit of each partial product lines up with its generating digit in the multiplier. The result is the sum of the partial products.

You'll notice that the result can have up to twice the number of bits in the multiplier (or multiplicand, whichever has more bits). So when you go to multiply two 80-bit mantissas, the result can be up to 160 bits, the top 80 of which are all that you're really interested in. To multiply binary fractional numbers (the mantissas) so that the lower unwanted bits fall off the right end, see figure 2b.

The process is similar to the one in

figure 2a, with the addition of an accumulated value. You scan the digits of the multiplier from right to left. If the digit is a 1, add the multiplicand to the accumulated value; if the digit is a 0, add a 0 to the accumulated value. Then—and this is the trick—shift the accumulated value to the right prior to the next addition. The result is the same, only we've slid the least-significant bits off to the right.

That pretty much covers the technique used by the floating-point multiplication routine (the pseudocode is shown in listing 4), except for a couple of points: First, since the routine adds biased exponents, it has to subtract the bias from the result (otherwise the result would be doubly biased). Second, the multiplication operation actually shifts FAC3 (which holds the accumulated value, as shown in

continued

(a) 110 1 10 10

(b)

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0

10 10

0 0 0 0 110 1 0 0 0 0 110 1

0 0 0

i

0 0 0

1 1 0

1 1 0

I

0 1 1 0 0 0

0

shift 0

1

1

shift 0 0

10 10 10 10

10 0 0 0 0 10

0 1 1

1

0 0 1

1 1 0

0 shift 1

1

10 10

-10 0 0

0

Figure 2: (a) Multiplying binary integers. This should remind you of the longhand multiplication you learned on the chalkboard, (b) Multiplying binary fractions. Notice that the result is the same as in (a), but we 've shifted least-significant bits off to the right.

Listing 4: Floating-point multiplication.

Multiply FAC1 by FAC2

FPMULT:

FAC1_SIGN = FAC1_SI(3N XOR FAC2_SIGN;

FAC1_EXP = FAC1_EXP + FAC2JEXP

(BIAS+1 J.Clear FAC3_MAN; REPEAT 7 9 TIMES

BEGIN

Shift FAC3_MAN right;

Shift FAC1_MAN right;

IF carry=l THEN

FAC3_MAN = FAC3JMAN + FAC2_MAN;

END FAC1_MAN = FAC3_MAN; GOTO NORM FAC1;

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BYTE m

It's indispensable.

HANDS ON

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Listing 5: Floating-point division.

Divide FAC1 by FAC2:

FPDIV:

IF FAC2_EXP = 0 THEN

RETURN Division by

zero error;

FAC1 SIGN = FAC1 SIGN~

XOR FAC2 SIGN;

FAC1_EXP = FAC1 EXP

FAC2_EXP + BIAS;

Clear FAC3 MAN;

FAC1_MAN = FAC1 MAN

FAC2_MAN;

REPEAT 80 TIMES

BEGIN

Shift FAC3_MAN left;

Shift FAC1_MAN left;

IF carry=l THEN

FAC1_MAN = FAC1

_MAN +

FAC2~

"MAN;

ELSE

FAC1_MAN = FAC1

_MAN

FAC2"

"MAN;

Set bit 0 of FAC3 MAN - 1;

END IF;

END

FAC1 MAN = FAC3 MAN;

GOTO NORM FAC1;

figure 2b) to the right before each addition, so the result of the multiplication is FAC1 x FAC2 x 2. This reduces accuracy loss that can arise from the fact that the routine multiplies binary fractions. This loss of precision is analogous to multiplying .2 and .4, yielding .08 and wasting a digit position on the 0. The routine accounts for the additional multiplication by 2 by subtracting 1 from the exponent of the result (I sneaked this into the part where the routine subtracts the bias from the resulting exponent).

Division

This will sound ridiculously obvious, but floating-point division is a lot like the reverse of floating-point multiplication. Instead of adding exponents, you subtract them. With binary floating-point numbers in particular, instead of a series of shift-right-and-add operations applied to the mantissas, the algorithm consists of shift-left-and-subtract operations.

Again, let's concentrate on the division of binary fractions (the mantissas). The procedure is similar to integer division (a topic I won't go into in great detail, since there are many introductory texts on the subject). At the core of the routine is a loop that compares the divisor (FAC2) to the dividend (FAC1) to determine if the divisor can "go into" the dividend. If so, the routine subtracts the divisor from the dividend (creating a partial remainder), sets the 0th bit in the quotient (FAC3), and shifts everything to the left for the next operation.

You'll notice that the routine doubles up the subtraction and comparison operations: If subtracting the divisor from the dividend generates a borrow (indicating a negative result), the routine reverses the effect of the subtraction by adding the divisor back into the dividend (this is what happens when the divisor won't go into the dividend). This shift-and-subtract process (with an occasional add) is repeated for each bit of the mantissa.

Of course, the complete floating-point division routine must first check for division by zero. This is easy: Since the routines define an exponent of zero as an indicator of true zero, the FPDIV routine simply tests FAC2_EXP. If FPDIV finds that FAC2_EXP is equal to zero, the routine exits with an error condition (see listing 5).

Getting It In and Out

Next month, I'll wrap up the floatingpoint library with a description of the routines for loading and storing the floating-point accumulators, I/O, and some suggestions for extending the package. ■

Rick Grehan is a BYTE senior technical editor at large. He has a BS in physics and applied mathematics and an MS in computer science/mathematics from Memphis State University. He can be reached on BIX as "rick_g. "

Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH, 03458.

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417-A IngaHs St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (BOO) 345-4220 In CA: (408) 458-9938

CUT RIBBON COSTS!

Re-ink your printer ribbons quickly and easily. Do all cartridge ribbons with just one inker! For crisp, black professional print since 1982. You can choose from 3 models: Manual E-Zee Inker — $39.50 Electric E-Zee Inker — $89.50 Ink Master (Electric) — $159.00 1000's of satisfied users in 5 years. Money back guarantee.

BORG INDUSTRIES

525 MAIN ST., JANESVILLE, IA 50647 1-800-553-2404 In IOWA 319-987-2976

NEW Expert System

FirstExpert - expert system generator. Ridiculously easy yet extremely powerful. No programming needed. Speed up business decisions and analysis. Information transferable to other environments. Amplifies Your intelligence! An ingenious program for a sensational price. Many examples included.

$99 Call or write for more information.

NovaCast Expert Systems

2530 Berryessa Rd. Suite 607, San Jose, CA 95030 (408) 272-4071 fax: (408) 437-7777

Inquiry 579.

COMPLETE LINE OF BAR CODE PRODUCTS

• PrintBar II • PrintBar Softfonts

• PrintBar I • CodeScan 2000 FREE BROCHURES (916) 622-4640

Bear Rock Software Co.

6069 Enterprise Dr. Placerville, CA 95667

Inquiry 583.

SELF-INKING PRINTER RIBBON

Awarded United Stales Patent #4701062 Lasts 10-15 limes longer than the conventional ribbon For printers using Vi* width open spool ribbon: Okidata-82A-83A-84-92-93 Dec LA 180/120 Teletype-33. 35 Dec LA 30/IBM 1443

Star Gemini 10X Teletype-Model 40

Exlet Tl 800/810. 820, 880

Contact us by mail, phone or telex and we will forward you a brochure.

CONTROLLED PRINTOUT DEVICES, INC.

POB 869, Baldwin Rd., Arden, NC 2B704 (704) 684-9044 • TELEX: (FILMON-AREN) 577454

Inquiry 580.

muLISP 87 for MS-DOS

Fast, compact, efficient LISP programming environment. muLISP programs run 2 to 3 times faster & take Vz to Vz the space of other LISPs. 450 Common LISP functions, multi-window editing & debugging, flavors, graphics primitives, lessons & help, demo programs, comprehensive manual.

Soft Warehouse, Inc.

3615 Harding Ave., Suite 505, Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 734-5801

Inquiry 584.

BAR CODE MADE EASY

PERCON® E-Z-READER™ keyboard interfaces and multiuser RS-232 models make it easy to add bar code to virtually any computer/terminal WITHOUT SOFTWARE MODIFICATION Immediate shipping. Two year warranty. Bar code printing software available. Call for details on fast, accurate, easy data entry. Substantial reseller discounts.

PERCON®

2190 W. 11th St.. Eugene, OR 97402 (503) 344-1189

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 321

The Buyer's Mart

BAR CODES

READ & PRINT BAR CODES

Fast, reliable data entry into your programs as if from your keyboard. Internal unit for PC, XT, AT PS/2-M30. RS-232 unit for DOS & Non-DOS systems (incl. all PS/2). Stainless steel wand and LASER interfaces. Powerful Bar Code and Text printing software.

Seagull Scientific Systems 601 University Ave., Suite 150, Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 386-1776

BAR CODE READERS

Among the industries best and most widely used barcode reader, reads all major barcode formats (code 39, 2 of 5, UPC/EAN, codabar), connects between keyboard & system, advanced CMOS uses keyboard power supply, connects to all IBM compatibles and DIN terminals, completely OS independent, software independent. Same day ship. 1 year warranty, 30 day satisfaction guarantee. CALL for prices too low to advertise.

Solutions Engineering Sales

8653 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910

800-635-6533

Inquiry 585.

FINITE STATE COMPILERS

A Case program that develops complex software programs in minutes instead of hours! The COMPEDITOR forms source Finite State programs in: ADA, BASIC, C, FORTRAN and PASCAL. IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 175K RAM Dos 2.0+

Price: $175.00 per compiler (With Primer) Sampler $30

AYEC0 5025 Nassau Circle, Orlando

INCORPORATED FL 32808 1-800-537-4753

Inquiry 590.

CD-ROM

Public Data on CD-ROMs

• Econ/Stats I — Prices, Employment

• Consu/Stats — BLS/Census 1984 consumer data

• Agri/Stats — Agricultural series

• Makes tables, DIF, or ASCII

• $49 each, req. MS-DOS

• CD-ROM publishing services available

Hopkins Technology

421 Hazel Lane, Hopkins, MN 55343 (612) 931-9376 CompuServe 74017,614

Inquiry 591.

COMMUNICATIONS

COMPUTER RENTALS

RENTALS

WEEKLY

MONTHLY

$189.

IBM PS/2 Model 50

IBM - APPLE COMPAQ

Full Stock/Next Day Delivery Free Service & Maintenance

800 PC-RENTL

Inquiry 596.

CROSS ASSEMBLERS

CROSS ASSEMBLERS

Universal Linker, Librarian Targets for 36 Microprocessors

Hosts: PC/MS DOS, micro VAX, VAX 8000 Developed and supported at:

ENERTEC, INC.

BOX 1312, Unsdale, PA 19446 215-362-0966 MC/VISA

Inquiry 597.

DATA INPUT DEVICES

Bar Code & Magnetic Stripe Readers for microcomputers & terminals, including IBM PS/2 & others, DEC, AT&T, CT Wyse, Wang. All readers connect on the keyboard cable & are transparent to all software. Low cost bar code print programs & magnetic encoders are also available. GSA contract #GS00KS7AGS5346.

TPS Electronics

4047 Transport, Palo Alto, CA 94303 415-856-6833 Telex 371-9097 TPS PLA

MULTI-LINE PC-DOS BBS

The Bread Board System (TBBS). Secure, reliable, fullfeatured commercial information system for IBM XT/AT/386/PS2 or compatible. Menu editor allows customization by nonprogrammers. Kermit, X & YModem. High performance allows up to 32 simultaneous callers. User audit trail. 300/1200/2400/9600 bps.

eSoft, Inc.

15200 E. Girard Ave. #2550, Aurora, CO 80014 (303) 699-6565

Professional Series

Pseudocode releases it's PseudoSam Professional Series of cross assemblers. Most popular processors. Macros, Conditional Assembly, and Include Files. Virtually unlimited size. For IBM PC's, MS-DOS 2.0 or greater With manual for $35.00. Each additional $20.00. (Ml res. 4% tax). Shipping $5, Canada $10, Foreign $15. Visa/MC. {Dealer Inquiries Welcome).

Kore

6910 Patterson, Caledonia, Ml 49316

616-791-9333

Inquiry 586.

Inquiry 592.

Inquiry 598.

CAD/CAM

New! CADJET for CADKEY3

Call, write or contact your CADKEY dealer

for information on the exciting, new CADJET

Overlays for CADKEY3. Makes CADKEY3

easy to learn and use.

—30 Day Money Back Guarantee!—

PHoLB!,I?Chn0,0gy 703-977-6520

Blue Ridge, VA 24064 MCA/ISA

Bi-Directional File X-fers

Multi-Coin telecommunications program otters the following

A Simultaneous Downloading/Uploading

■ Send/Receive Console Messages During File Transfers

• 100% Line Utilization During Multi-File Transfers

• Uses Full Duplex ADLC Protocol

• More Efficient Than Xmodem, Kermit, etc.

• Saves Time and Cuts Connect Costs

Information & 5'/*" Demo Disk $5.00 + S3 s/h

Program Pkg.. 3Vj" & 5V*" disks, manual — S49.95 + $4 s/h

Multiplex Systems (412) 276-3374 24 hre.

P.O. Box 16174, Pittsburgh, PA 15242

CROSS ASSEMBLERS

Macros, PC Compatible, Relocatable, Conditionals, Fast, Reliable from $150

also: Disassemblers EPROM Programmer Board

MICROCOMPUTER TOOLS CO.

Phone (800) 443-0779

In CA (415) 825-4200 912 Hastings Dr., Concord, CA 94518

Inquiry 587.

Inquiry 593.

Inquiry 599.

$39.95 CAD

Fully featured, symbols, auto dimensioning, hatching, fillets, reads DXF, handles all but the largest drawings. Extremely powerful BASIC-like macros, on line manual plus so much more. Requires IBM XT/AT/PS2 with 640K and hard disk. 20,000 new users this year.

PAFEC INC.

5550 Technology Park, Norcross, GA 30092 1-800-52PAFEC (404) 441-9300

Inquiry 588.

FAX MACHINES $395

MUBATA FAX 1200/1600 $795/925

SHARP FAX FO300/FO500 $1195/1495

TOSHIBA FAX 30100/3300/3700 $1088/1240/CALL

RICOH 10/20 $1295/1595

CANON FAX 20 $1279

PC/XT SYS.Receive/Transmit FAX+Scanner $1595

PC/XT Telephone Answer & Voicemail $1195

Prepay prices Visa/MC 2% cod 2% restock 20% TELEPHONE PRODUCTS CENTER

23591 0213 El Toro Rd., El Toro, CA 92630 714/739-9555

CASE

Inquiry 594.

COMPUTER INSURANCE

680X0 Cross Assemblers

Now, inexpensive quality 608X0 Cross Assemblers trial use your IBM PC or compatible. All versions include extensive listing facilities, up to 32 char labels, sorted symbol tables, INCLUDE files, PATH names, ORG, DC, DS, EQU, many other directives (except MACROS}, printed manuals. Basic versions create Srecords. Linking versions create either S-rBCords or relocatable modules, and include a linker which creates S-records or binary output files. Not copy protected. Minimum requirements are 320K, DOS 2.XX, 8 1-5W" DSDD. Bask: 68000/69G1Q-$4935 Unking 68000V68010—$8935 Basic 68020-46935 Basic 68020/68881-St29

Chads, VISA, MC accepted- MN residents +6% sates tax. No POs or CODs,

please- RAVEN Computer Systems

Box 12116, St. Paul, MN 55112 (612) 636-0365

Inquiry 600.

Affordable CASE

A new concept in Computer Aided Engineering for developing PC/DOS applications! C Dispatcher generates fast, efficient C code for command and menu driven applications. Develop, document, and change easily. Many features. For many compilers. $295.00 MC/Visa

Amaryllis Inc.

563 Wattaquadoc Rd., Bollon, MA 01740

(617) 365-5456

Inquiry 589. 322 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

INSURES YOUR COMPUTER

SAFEWARE provides full replacement of hardware, media and purchased software. As little as $39 a year provides comprehensive coverage. Blanket coverage; no list of equipment needed. One call does it all. Call 8 am-10 pm ET. (Sat. 9 to 5)

TOLL FREE 1-800-848-3469

(Local 614.262-0559)

SAFEWARE, The Insurance Agency Inc.

Inquiry 595.

Z80/HD64180

SLR Systems cross assemblers run on PC and are compatible with Microsoft M80/L80. $195.00 tor assembler and linker. We have CP/M emulator cards for PC. Up to 125 mhz Z80 clock speed, starting at $249.95! Also Z60/HD64180 C compilers.

Z-World

1772 Picasso Ave., Davis, CA 95616 (916) 753-3722 Please see our ads on page 346.

Inquiry 601.

The Buyer's Mart

DATA CONVERSION

MEDIA CONVERSION/DATA TRANSLATION

Mora than jus! a straight dump or ASCII transfer! Word Processing, DBMS, and Spreadsheet data on Disks or Tapes transferred directly into applications running on Mainframes, Minis, Micros, Dedicated Word Processors, Typesetters, and Electronic Publishing systems. IBM PS/2 & Macintosh supported #1 in the translation industryl

CompuData Translators, Inc.

3325 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1202, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 387-4477 1-800-825-8251

Inquiry 602.

DATABASE MGMT. SYSTEMS

dBASE III WORKALIKE $39

1 on 1 = 3II "a programmable relational DBMS.. .the menu mode is a fancier and more complete version of dBASE's.. .faster operation in the interactive mode... at $39,1 on 1 = 3II is a great deal for those who would be glad to have a dBASE III Plus clone" PC MAGAZINE 5/17/88. $39 + $4 s/h AMEX add $2.00

1 on 1 Computer Solutions

26 Finchwood Dr., Trumbull, CT 06611 203-375-0914

dBASE III is a trademark of AshtonTate

Inquiry 603.

DATA/DISK CONVERSION

QUALITY CONVERSIONS

• Disk • Scanning • Tape

•TYPEWRITTEN $.33 per page to ASCII

•TYPESET 6-24 point Low Rates

('WP Formats available)

IMAGES Logos/Line Art/Glossies

1st Run Computer Services Inc.

1261 Broadway, Suite 508, New York. NY 10001 (212) 779-0800

Inquiry 604.

Get the Expertise You Need!

Disk/Disk • Tape/Disk • OCR

Over 1,000 formats! 3'/2, S'A, or 8 inch disks; 9 track mag tape; 10 MB Bernoulli cartridge. Data base and word processor translation. Specialists in Government Security Data. Call for free consultation.

Computer Conversions, Inc.

9580 Black Mtn. Rd„ Ste J, San Diego, CA 92126 (619) 693-1697

Inquiry 605.

DISK CONVERSIONS

Media transfer to or from: IBM, Xerox, DEC, Wang, Lanier, CPT, Micom, NBI, CT, also WP, WS, MS/WRD, DW3, MM, Samna, DEC DX, MAS 11, Xerox-Writer, ASCII.

FREE TEST CONVERSION

CONVERSION SPECIALISTS

531 Main St., Ste. 835, El Segundo, CA 90245 (213) 545-6551 (213) 322-6319

Inquiry 606.

DISK & TAPE CONVERSIONS

AUTOMATICALLY

SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Over 1000 formats from Mini, Micro Mainframe, Word Processors, & Typesetters,

TAPE Conversions as low as $23.00 MB

DISK Conversions as low as $15.00 per Disk

Call or write TODAY for a cost saving quotation.

CREATIVE DATA SERVICES

1210 W. Latimer Ave., Campbell, CA 95008

(408) 866-6080

Inquiry 607.

DATA/DISK CONVERSION

HEWLETT PACKARD TO MACINTOSH

Translate programs written in Hewlett Packard BASIC to run on the Macintosh. Copy files from HP Technical computers to Macintosh. Custom work quoted. Write:

Oswego Software

5525 N. Broadway St., Indianapolis, IN 46220

Inquiry 608.

CONVERSION SERVICES

Convert any 9 track magnetic tape to or from over 1000 formats including 3Vi\ 5%", 8" disk formats & word processors. Disk to disk conversions also available. Call for more info. Introducing OCR Scanning Services.

Pivar Computing Services, Inc.

165 Arlington Hgts. Rd, Dept. #B Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 (312) 459-6010

Inquiry 609.

DEMOS/TUTORIALS

INSTANT REPLAY III

Build Demos, Tutorials. Prototypes, Presentations, Music, Timed Keyboard Macros, and Menu Systems. Includes Screen Maker; Keystroke/Time Editor, Program Memorizer, and Animator. Reed Great Reviews! Simply the BEST Not copy protected. No royalties. 60 day satisfaction money back guar. IBM and Compatb. $149.95 U.S.Chk/Cr. Crd. Demo Diskette $5.00

NOSTRADAMUS, INC.

3191 South Valley Street (ste 252) Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 (801) 487-9662

Inquiry 610.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

HIGH RESOLUTION MONITOR

• Desktop Publishing and CAD low cost graphics subsystem

• Workstation Resolution tor your IBM PC/XT or AT compatible

• 1024 x 768 paper white 14" flat screen

• Dri\ers for Ventura, Page Maker, Windows, GEM and AutoCAD

• Can coexist with another color graphics adapter

• Call NOW £595 including graphics board, monitor and software

• VISA and MasterCard accepted

CAT! INC

16840-B Joleen Way, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 HOT LINE 408-77S-CATS

Inquiry 611.

DISK COMPATIBILITY

IBM PC's USE Mac DISKS

MatchMaker lets you plug any Macintosh external floppy drive into an IBM PC. Half size card and software lets you copy to/from, view directory, initialize, or delete files on the Mac diskette. Works with PCs, XTs, ATs, and compatibles. The easy way to move information!

$149.00 Visa/MC/COD/Chk.

Micro Solutions Computer Products

132 W. Lincoln Hwy.. DeKalb, IL 60115 815/756-3411

Inquiry 612.

DISK DRIVES

HARD DISKS

ST 4096 $549 Micropolis $575

Miniscribe $639 ST251 $339

ST251-1 $399 148MB 28ms $839

CPU INC

(714) 870-9033

Inquiry 613.

DISK DRIVES

PS/2 DRIVES FOR PC's AT's

CompatiKit/PC $329

CompatiKit/AT $269

Built-in floppy controllers—no problem. Supports multiple drives and formats. Lets your computer use IBM PS/2 1.4M diskettes plus morel Call for further information or to place an order.

VISA/MC/COD/CHECK.

Micro Solutions Computer Products

132 W. Lincoln Hwy.. DeKalb. IL 60115 815/756-3411

Inquiry 614.

DISK DUPE EQUIPMENT

DO YOUR OWN DUPLICATION

Copy 10,000 or only 10 in as little as 15

seconds each with famous Mountain Duplication equipment at the very best prices!! See us for all of your duplication equipment needs from Disks to Drives to Duplicators.

SYSTEMS SUPPORT DATA

223 North Royal Avenue, Front Royal. VA 22630 1-800-231-4355

Inquiry 615.

DISK DUPLICATION

DUPUCATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY Let us Flatter you!!! See us for all disk duplication needs. 10 disks to 100,000 and more All formats—All systems. Best prices—Our own in-house printing of documentation—labels-sleeves.

SYSTEMS SUPPORT DATA

223 North Royal Avenue, Front Royal, VA 22630 1-800-231-4355

Inquiry 616.

DISKETTES

CHEAP DISKS!!!

Although this headline may not convey

quality our 31/2" floppy disks do!

100% Certified

720pk only 98<f

1.44 MEG only $2.60

SYSTEMS SUPPORT DATA

223 North Royal Avenue, Front Royal, VA 22630 1-800-231-4355

Inquiry 617.

DUPLICATION SERVICES

SOFTWARE DUPLICATION

• One Stop Shopping • Technical Support ■ Custom Packaging • Drop Shipping

• Copy Protection • Fast Turnaround

• Competitive Pricing

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

800-222-0490 NJ 201-462-7628 MEG ASoft

P.O. Box 710, Freehold. NJ 07728

See our ads on page 339.

Inquiry 618.

SOFTWARE PRODUCTION

• Disk duplication

• Warehousing

• All formats

• Drop shipping

• EVERLOCK copy

• Fulfillment

protection

• 48-hour delivery

• Label/sleeve printing

• Consultation &

• Full packaging

guidance

services Star.Bytej ,nc

713 W. Main St., Lansdale, PA 19446

215-368-1200

800-243-1515

Inquiry 619.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 323

The Buyer's Mart

ELECTRONIC PROJECTS

BUILD TALKING ROBOT!

- Build B.E.R.T.© the Basic Educational Robot Trainer

- Featured in BYTE April & May / 87

- Even a child can program this talking Robot, built ffom off-the-shelf components

- Minimum Kit $50.00 U.S.

- Complete Kit $180.00 U.S.

- For further information write to:

GoCo Dist.

Suite 806, 1146 Harwood St. Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6E 3V1

Inquiry 620.

HARDWARE

MYRIAD MODEM

2400BPS ONLY $119

• Free Bitcom software

• 4 Com ports selectable

• 2 years warranty

• Hayes compatible

• For IBM PC/XT/AT & compatibles

• Made in USA

DATA ERA STORE (408) 729-4589

1556 Halford Ave., No. 168, Santa Clara, CA 95051

Inquiry 626.

HARDWARE

LATEST VERSION AWARD BIOS

NOW, you can have the latest AWARD BIOS for your PC/XT, 286 or 386. Upgrade your old machine for VGA, networking and new keyboard and hard drive types. Fast, knowledgeable service, guaranteed results. Call 1-800-423-3400 (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST)

KOMPUTERWERK, INC.

851 Parkview Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15215 For info., call (412) 782-0384

Inquiry 632.

ENTERTAINMENT

NEMESIS™ Go Master™

Go is a popular Oriental game of intellectual complexity and elegance. NEMESIS, recognized worldwide as the best Go program, is an ideal playmate and tutor. Pournelle's game of the month twice: "If you are interested In Go, buy this program." BYTE 7/87

Toyogo, Inc.

76 Bedford St., Ste. 344, Lexington, MA 02173 (617) 861-0488

8096 Microcontroller

Single Board 8096/7, Ser. Interface, 5V only; Assembler Forth in EPROM +Manual/Software Guide $400. Add-on EPROM Simulator incl. download SAW $350. Hardware/Software evaluation package incl. cabling and tutorial books $580. Cross Compiler (Assembler/Forth) available.

DIGITAL MICRO CONTROL

15617-25th Drive S.E., Mill Creek, WA 98012 (206) 338-2406

87C51 PROG. $125.00

The UPA 87C51 Programming Adapter lets you use your general purpose programmer to program the 87C51, 8751H, AMD8753H, 87C252, and 8752BH. Also lets you program the 87C51/8751H security bits and the 87C51 encryption array. It's very simple and VERY cost effective.

LOGICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION

6184 Teall Station, Syracuse NY 13217 (315) 478-0722 Telex 6715617 LOGS

Inquiry 621.

Inquiry 627.

Inquiry 633.

FLOW CHARTS

FLOW CHARTING 11+ HELPS YOU!

Precise flowcharting is fast and simple with Flow Charting II +. Draw, edit and print perfect charts: bold and normal fonts, 26 shapes — 95 sizes; fast entry of arrows, bypasses & connectors; Fast Insert Line; shrink screen displays 200-column chart; 40 column edit screen for detail work, much more!

PATTON & PATTON

81 Great Oaks Blvd.. San Jose. CA 95119

1-800-525-0082 (Outside CA)

408-629-5376 (CA/lnt'l)

CHIP CHECKER

• 74/54 TTL + CMOS • 8000 Nat. + Signetics

• 14/4000 CMOS • 9000 TTL

• 14-24 Pin Chips • .3" + .6" IC widths Tests/Identifies over 650 digital chips with ANY type

of output in seconds. Also tests popular RAM chips. IBM compatible version $259. C128 + C64 version $159.

DUNE SYSTEMS

2603 Willa Dr., St. Joseph, Ml 49085

(616) 983-2352

BUY * SELL • TRADE

Apple • IBM • Compaq • Service Parts • Accessories • Systems •

PRE-OWNED Electronics, Inc.

30 Clematis Avenue, Waltham, MA 02154 800-274-5343 FAX 617-891-3556

Service Centers and Dealers welcome

Inquiry 622.

Inquiry 628.

Inquiry 635.

STRUCTURED FLOW CHART

NSChart creates Nassi-Shneiderman (structured) flowcharts from a simple PDL. Keywords define structures & text strings appear in the chart. Easy to create, even easier to revise! Automatic chart sizing, text centering. Translators from many languages available. For Mac and IBM PC.

SILTRONIX, INC.

P.O. Box 82544, San Diego, CA 92138 1-800-637-4888

Rack-Mounted AT 286 or 386

Industrial, Med-Tech, Laboratory and Comm. needs <> Intel 80286 or 80386 CPU daughter card 0 Passive back plane (8-10 expansion slots) 0 Fits standard 19" rack 0 Heavyduty dual fans 0 Clean air filter 0 High-speed, high-quality hard disk available 0 Slide-mounted CPU chassis for easy maintenance access Q Power supply up to 260 Watts. For details and prices, Contact:

(516) 589-8666

International

Telecommunications Services

SANYO 5SO/555 USERS

$159.95 . . $79.95

$169.95 . $599.95 $109.95

20 MEG HARD DISK SYSTEM

TAMPA BAY DIGITAL

1750 Drew St., Clearwater. FL 34615 — FREE CATALOG — 813-443-7049

Inquiry 623.

Inquiry 629.

Inquiry 636.

GRAPHICS/SOFTWARE

TurboGeometry Library

Over 150 2&3 dimensional routines, includes Intersections, Transformations, Equations, HiddenLines, Perspective, Curves, Areas, volumes, Clipping, Planes, Vectors, Distance, Polydecomp, IBM PC and Comp. MAC. MSDOS 2+. Turbo Pascal. Turbo C, MSC & Turbo Pascal MAC. 400 pg. manual, source code. $149.95 + 5.00 S&H. VISA, MC, Chk, PO. 30 Day guarantee.

Disk Software, Inc.

2116 E. Arapaho #487, Richardson, TX 75081 (214) 423-7288

Inquiry 624.

FREE CATALOG

Protect your computer power from black-outs, brownouts, audioA/ideo hash and surges! Complete line of low cost Emergency Power Supply units, Line Conditioners and Surge Suppressors prevent damage and loss of valuable data. Prevent errors, malfunctions and false printouts! Send for money saving catalog today.

INDUS-TOOL

730 W. Lake St.. Chicago, IL 60606

Phone 312-648-2191

Inquiry 630.

6800 / 68020 / 68881

COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

lor the 68000, 68020 and 68881 chips—includes the chips, power supply, serial interface with software, 68000/68020 cross assembler (hosted on a PC), documentation, schematic, Operating System, cables. Special Price—$1100.00

Phone URDA, Inc. 1-800-338-0517

HARDWARE

Inquiry 637.

HARDWARE COPROCESSORS

IBM PS/2

'S Up to 41% off! RelBil Your Cost

MODEL 50-386

(New) SCall

MODEL 60-041

5,295 3,335

MODEL 60-071

6,295 3,777

MODEL 80-041

6,995 4,395

MODEL 80-071

8,495 4,995

MODEL 80-111

8,995 6,095

MODEL 80-311

11,995 8,635

American Micro Computer Center (305) 985-9406

2890 Griffin Rd., Suite "4, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

Inquiry 625. 324 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

PC CARDS/KITS

• 8 bit A/D card, 0-5V $79

• 8 bit D/A card, 0-2.5V $79

• Relay driver card, 8 outputs (3A) $149

• Digital I/O (8 TTL input/output) $79

• JB XT computer kit w/monitor $499

• FREE CATALOG—parts, kits, computers JB COMPU-TRONIX

3816 N. Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 425-9586

Inquiry 631.

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR

DSP products for the IBM PC/XT/AT based on the Tl TMS32010 and TMS320C25. Designed for applications in communications, instrumentation, speech, and numeric processing. Offered with 12 bit 80 KHz A/D and D/A and continuous data acquisition & playback option. $650 and up.

DALANCO SPRY

Suite 241, 2900 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington DC 20008

(202) 232-7999

Inquiry 638.

The Buyer's Mart

HARDWARE/ENGINEERING

RF/MICROWAVE PROBLEMS? Soln Laboratories, Inc. would like to help. With laboratory facilities in Norcross, GA and Piano, TX, SOLN Labs has a broad range of experience in solving electronic circuit design problems. Specializing in RF/Microwave circuits, we provide complete R&D services in all areas of electronic technology Including microprocessor based systems. Services range from basic consulting to turnkey system development. For more information, call or write:

SOLN Laboratories, Inc.

Microwave Systems Division 732A Holcomb Bridge Rd., Norcross, GA 30071 Phone: (404) 449-8536

Inquiry 639.

HARDWARE/PERIPHERALS

BUILD SCALE SYSTEMS FOR LESS

For a fraction of your present cost, you can produce professional computerized weighing systems using building-block interface modules and software. They're versatile, easy to use and unbeatable value.

Call or write for brochures, prices and examples taken from our wide industrial experience.

SCALE TRON INC.

P.O. Box 424, Lachine, Quebec, H8S 4C2 CANADA

(514) 634-7083

Inquiry 640.

HUMAN FACTORS

Design Better Screens!

NaviText™ SAM gives you hypertext access to the best user interface design guidelines. SAM helps you evaluate usability, too. It's a human factors consultant on a disk! For PC's, it costs $295.

Northern Lights Software Corporation

24A Pilgrim Dr., Box 1056, Westford, MA 01886 (508) 692-3600

Inquiry 641.

IMAGE PROCESSING

ZIP Image Processing

ZIP brings video image processing to the PC. Control ImageWise video digitizer, use 1 or 2 serial ports to capture/display images from any video source. Outstanding image display on EGA/EEGA/VGA in color and 64 gray levels. Call (314) 962-7833 for VISA/MC, or send check $79 + $2 s/h. MO add 5.8%.

Hogware Company

470 Belleview, St Louis, MO 63119 {314) 962-7833

Inquiry 642.

INFORMATION

The "Economic Report of the President"

has concise tables of the major economic indicators (GNP, Employment, Inflation, Population the deficit, and much more.) The Tables of the 1988 Report are now available on disk in (CAL, WKS, CSV, or TXT) formats for (PC or MAC or most CP/M)— $49.95

FAIRFACTS

Box 536, San Rafael. CA 94915 Tel. 415-485-1781

Inquiry 643.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

STOCK-MASTER 4.0

Commercial grade

nventory management

software a

micro prices.

• Supports all 12

• Stock Status Reporting

transaction types

• Activity History Analysis

• Trend Analysis

• Bill of Materials

• Quality Control

• Purchase Order Writing

• Multiple Locations

• Order Entry

• Purchase Order Tracking

• Material Requirements

• Open Order Reporting

• On Line Inquiry

• Serial/Lot # Tracking

Applied Micro Business Systems, Inc.

177-F Riverside Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92663 714-759-0582

Inquiry 644.

Are you about to spend thousands of dollars for

Novell or 3-COM?

The invisible Network does the same thing, but costs only $249 per machine. True NETBIOS-compatible Local Area Network with high-speed 1.8 Mbps interface cards, cables, and all networking software. Works great with Multi-user dBASE, Clipper, Quicksilver, FoxBASE+, and all other file-sharing and multi-user software.

Database Specialties (415) 652-3630

P.O. Box 2975, Oakland, CA 94618

LAPTOPS

LAPTOP SPECIALS

Toshiba • Zenith • NEC • DATAVUE • SHARP • NEW! Hard drives available for Tandy 1400 LT & Toshiba 1100+ • AFFORDABLE 5Va" or 31/2" DRIVE UNITS for LAFTOPS & DESKTOPS • DICONIX PRINTERS • 768 card for T1000 • 2400 BAUD MODEMS for Laptops • Fast reliable and friendly service. For Low Pricing call

COMPUTER OPTIONS UNLIMITED

201-469-7678 (7 Days, 9 am-10 pm Eastern time)

Inquiry 645.

File Transfer Utility

2 PC: Connects any two PC's for file transfer and communication. Features ' 115,200 baud transfer fate ' directory trees ' chat mode ' file tagging/viewing/delelion ' print facility' universal cable * free cable wiring diagram (so you can "roll your own" cable!) ' 3Vz" & 5W" disks. Complete - $55 (List: $80), without cable • $45. 2PC Lite: less Expensive. Works Great! Complete - $40 (List: $50), without cable - $30.

Both programs have 43-line mode.

Thompson Computing, cWFN.Vfentu Park Road,

Suite 306, Newbuty Park, CA 91320, (805) 498-7653 VISA/MC add 4%.

Inquiry 646.

L A P - l_ I N K

The ultimate solution for linking laptop computer with any IBM compatible desktop PC. 115, 200 baud transfer rate—faster than any other product available, No installation necessary, easy to use split screen design. Includes incredible "universal cable" that connects any two computers. Transfer entire disks faster than a DOS copy commandl Only $129.95 including universal cable and both 3Vz" and 5Vi" disks. "Bridge" owners can trade in for only $89.95 w/o cable.

Traveling Software, Inc.

19310 North Creek Parkway, Bothell WA 98011 1-800-343-8080 (206) 483-8088

Inquiry 647.

LASER PRINTER RECHARGE

Discover How to Save 30%-50% on Toner Cartridges

Lat us recharge your loner cartridges for HP Series I & II, Apple. Canon, QMS & others. Also Canon, PC models 10, 14, 20 & 25. Factory-llka method, no holes drilled. Send cartridge w/check for $39.95 lo nearest factory.

Dealerships and Training Available!

Laser Tech

27403 E. Hwy 4 118 N. Van Ransselear

Farmington, CA 95230 Rensselear, IN 47978 (209) 886-5440 (219) 886-8233

Add Sales Ta» lor CA & IN Residents

Inquiry 648.

LEGAL

LEGAL DOCUMENT MAKER

All pleadings and documents. Any word processor software.

Free Brochure.

New! Supra II™.

TSC - The Software Company

P.O. Box 872687, Wasilla, AK 99687 (907) 373-6550

Inquiry 649.

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

Professional Programmers Extender: Standard Mac interface, lists, printing, graphics, tiling. Extender GraphPac: Quality color graphs. Line, bar, semi-iog, customizable symbols.

INVENTION Software (313) 996-8108

Inquiry 650.

MEMORY CHIPS

MEMORY CHIPS

41256-15-12-10 Call

51000 (1 Meg) Call

4164-15 Call

51258 for Compaq 386.Call

4164-12 Call

8087-3-2 Call

41128 Piggy Back for AT...Call

80287-6-8-10 Call

41464-12 (64Kx4) Call

80387 Call

414256 (256Kx4) Call

NEC-V-20-8 Call

2764,27126.27256,27512 ... Call

Mouse Call

Prices subjec

lo change

ESSKAY

718-353-3353

Inquiry 651.

MUSIC

MIDI — PC/XT $84.95

Your MIDI instruments can talk with your PC/XT via a MIDIATORS. Software INCLUDED! MT-S Sequencer, Performance Splitter/Auto-Chorder, 8 MIDI Monitor. Requires 256K, DOS 2.0+, Std. Serial Port (COM1 or COM2) & std. cables. Needs no modifications, exp. slot, or power sup. Introductory Price $84.95+5.00 s/h, TX res. add 7.25% lax. MC VISA, Check (allow 10 days).

Key Electronic Enterprises

9112 Hwy. 80 W., Suite 221-B, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817) 560-1912

Inquiry 652.

PC BOARDS

P-C-B ARTWORK MADE EASY!

* Help Screens ' Dip & Sip Library * Printer or Plotter Artwork ' Supports Mice

* Auto-Router available * ICON Menus Requirements: IBM or Compatible PC, 384K RAM, DOS 3.0 or later.

PCBoards: $99.00 DEMO: $10.00

PCBoards

2145 Highland Ave./Ste. 201, Birmingham, AL 35205 (205) 933-1122

Inquiry 653.

PROGRAMMERS TOOLS

Microsoft QuickBASIC

does Database Management.

db/LIB Database Library

is 100% dBASE file compat. Only $139.00.

AJS Publishing, Inc.

(800) 992-3383 (818) 985-3383 In CA.

C or T Pascal Code Instantly

Complete database in just minutes. Draw & Paint your screen, show what fields to use for indexes— That's it—running source code in 6 seconds. Automatic context sensitive help, programmer docs on each program. $389/TPascal ver. or $499/TC or MS-C ver.

Call ASCII (800) 227-7681

Inquiry 654.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 325

The Buyer's Mart

PROGRAMMERS TOOLS

TLIB™ 4.0 Version Control

The best gets better! They loved TLIB 3-0: "packed with features.. .[does deltas] amazipgly fast... excellent"—PC Tech Journal Sept 87. "has my highest recommendation"—R. Richardson, Computer Shopper Aug 87. Now TLIB 4.0 has: branching, more keywords, wildcards & file lists, revision merge, LAN and WORM drive support, more. MS/PC-DOS 2.x & 3.x $99.95 + $3 s&h. Visa/MC.

BURTON SYSTEMS SOFTWARE P.O. Box 4156, Cary, NC 27519 (919) 856-0475

Inquiry 655.

TURBO PLUS $99.95

Programming tools for Turbo Pascal 4.0 Screen Painter, Code Generator, I/O Fields, Dynamic Menus, Programming Unit Libraries, Sample Programs, 280 Page Illustrated Manual. 60 Day Satisfaction Guarantee! Brochures & Demo Diskettes avail. Highly Favorable Reviewsl IBM & Compatibles.

Nostradamus Inc.

3191 South VallBy St. (Suite 252) Salt Lake City. UT 84109 (801) 487-9662

Inquiry 656.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

OUTSTANDING IBM SOFTWARE

ONLY $2.75/DISK OR LESS

Our collection contains the latest versions of the Best Shareware and Public Domain Programs. Most are menu driven with full documentation. 3.50" format Is also available. OrdBrs shipped First Class Within 24 hours and Satisfaction is guaranteed. Write for free printed catalogue or send a 25$ stamp for a disk catalogue.

A.C.L. (916) 973-1850

1621 Fulton Ave., Suite #35-B, Sacramento, CA 95825

Inquiry 661.

$3.00 SOFTWARE FOR IBM PC

Hundreds to choose from, wordprocessors, databases, spreadsheets, games, lotto, communications, business, music, bible, art, education, language and useful utilities for making your computer easier to learn. Most programs have documentation on the disk. WRITE FOR YOUR FREE CATALOG TODAYI

BEST BITS & BYTES

P.O. Box 8245. Dept-B, Van Nuys, CA 91409 In CA: (818) 781-9975 800-245-BYTE

Inquiry 662.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

$4.00 SHAREWARE $4.00

IBM-PC Compatible Software

• Over 700 Disks to Choose From

• Not Half Full Like Some Distributors

• Dozens of Programs in All Categories Call or Write for FREE Catalog on Disk — Please specify SVa" or 3V2" Disk —

The Software Kingdom

P.O. Box 555, Auburn, NH 03032-0555 1-800-S52-DISK (In N.H.) (603) 483-5055

Inquiry 667.

SCANNING SERVICES

Signature Scanning Service

If you have a HP LaserJet Plus, Series II or compatible, have your signature made into a graphic macro. Save time! Save yourself from writer's cramp! Let your LaserJet sign those letters for you! Includes instructions for most popular word processors. One signature only $50. Three or more, only $40 each. Logos and letterheads also available from $125. Send for free samples!

Orbit Enterprises, Inc.

P.O. Box 2S75-BY, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 (312) 469-3405

Inquiry 668.

SECURITY

Get INSIDE!

INSIDE! is a powerful software performance analysis tool for popular PC compilers. INSIDE! measures the execution time of every function or procedure with microsecond accuracy or computes how often each source line is executed. Simply compile your application and INSIDE! does the rest.

Paradigm Systems Inc.

P.O. Box 152, Milford, MA 01757 (800) 537-5043 In MA: (508) 478-0499

FREE CATALOGUE

PUBLIC DOMAIN/SHAREWARE

• 400 IBM PC & compatibles disks • 200 Amiga disks • 125 Atari ST disks PC disks as low as $1.25 each, Amiga & ST as low as $1.60 eachl Rent or buy. Free shipping! Call toll free, write or circle reader service for FREE BIG CATALOGUE with full descriptions. Please specify computer—48 hr. turnaround!

Computer Solutions

RO. Box 354—Dept, B, Mason, Michigan 48854 1-800-874-9375 (M-F 10-6 EST) 1-517-628-2943

TOTAL PRIVACY $49

Powerful data protection for PC/AT—documents, databases, spreadsheets—any kind of data file. Ultra Fast, Super, and DES encryption methods. Operate from menu or command line. Help. Quick tutorial in 100 page manual. $10 Demo. $49 Introductory price. Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money back.

DIARY 1-800-87-DIARY Visa/MC/COD

P.O. Box 70443, Bellevue, WA 98007 FREE copy for cracking our code (No one has)

Inquiry 657.

Inquiry 663.

Inquiry 669.

Modula-2

Our new Potpourri Catalog lists a large number of small, inexpensive modules—many for less than $25. Please call for your free copy. Inquiries from new authors welcome. From the creators of Repertoire, M2Asynch, DynaMatrix, EmsStorage, Graphix, Macro2, NetMod, and Repertoire/Btrieve Toolkit.

ns a ■ 4536 SE 50th, Portland, OR 97206 " IVII (503) 777-8844; TLX: 650-2691013

Inquiry 658.

FREE BUYER'S GUIDE

See Page 39

Programmer's Connection is an independent dealer representing more than 250 manufacturers with over 750 software products for IBM personal computers. Call to receive our FREE comprehensive Buyer's Guide or refer to page 39 of this issue to see a partial list of our software products.

Programmer's Connection 800-336-1166 216-494-3781

Inquiry 659.

RENT SOFTWARE $1/DISK

Rent Public Domain and User Supported Software for $1 per diskfull or we'll copy. IBM (3Vi" also), Apple, C-64, Sanyo 550 and Mac. Sampler $3. VISA/MC. 24 hr. info/order line. (619) 941-3244 or send #10 SASE (specify computer) Money Back Guarantee!

FutureSystems

Box 3040 (T), Vista, CA 92083 office: 10-6 PST MorirSal, (619) 941-9761

Inquiry 664.

QUALITY SOFTWARE IBM/COMPATIBLES

Get a Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database,

Money Manager and 5 arcade games plus our

10,000 program catalog for ONLY $10.00 (+s/h)

800-992-1992 (National)

800-992-1993 (Ca only)

619-942-9998 (Foreign)

VISA, MC, AMEX Accepted. (COD + 1.90)

The International Software Library

511-104 Encinitas Blvd., Encinltas. CA 92024

Inquiry 665.

BIT-LOCK® SECURITY

Piracy SURVIVAL 5 YEARS proves effectiveness of powerful multilayered security. Rapid decryption algorithms. Reliable/small port transparent security device. PARALLEL or SERIAL port. Countdown and timeout options also available. KEY-LOrC security at about 1/2 BIT-LOCK cost. MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS 7805 S. Windemere Circle, Littleton, CO 80120 (303) 922-6410 or 798-7683

Inquiry 670.

SMALL BUSINESS SYSTEMS

SMALL BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Finally, a complete computer system classroom designed and field tested with the Small Business Owner in mind Business capital of America we proudly present "The Y.E.S.! Collection'^) (Vour Efficiency System) Several modules written by New England's Ross Ballard II. II you are starting a new business or have been in business lor less than Iwo years, and can work with professional trainers via telephone then the Y.E S!(c) curriculum is for you Choose Irom our 'Starting a New Vfenture". "The Home Based Business", or 'Women in Business" each built around NCR Hardware and our unique accounting software that we help you customize. Ash yoursell il your business deserves (tie best then say 'YE.S.!" Write or call now tor our tree brochure

ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS TRAINING, INC.

206 Washington Street. Keene. NH 03431 1-800-328-7677 (In NH 357-5111)

Inquiry 671.

SOFTWARE/ACCOUNTING

DISASSEMBLERS

MPU OBJECT CODE on your PC

Relocatable, symbolic disassemblers are now available for the Motorola, Intel, RCA, Tl, Rockwell, & Zilog micros! Automatic label generation, assembly capability and much more. Call and ask for what you need.

HELMS'"

P.O. Box 6719, San Jose, CA 95150

(408) 356-1210

TWX 910-379-0014 (800) 448-4880

Inquiry 660. 326 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

FREE SOFTWARE

Buy or Rent $1/dlsk

World's largest Free Software Library of IBM PC & Compatibles and Macintosh. Over 3000 programs for Religion, Utilities, Business, Com., Word Processor, Education, and Games on 5.4" and 3.5" format. Best quality, Lowest rate, and Fastest service. For fast free catalogue write to:

SOFTSHOPPE

P.O. Box 15022, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 (313) 763-8721

Inquiry 666.

ACCOUNTING TUTOR $79.95

Peanuts and Caviar Accounting Software is designed to introduce the principles of accounting and bookkeeping to non-accountants through its software and textbook. It then may be used as your business' accounting software. Being used by educational institutions to teach accounting (e.g., Pepperdine, etc.) $79.00

COUNTERTRADE PRODUCTS, INC.

5145 Idylwild Tr.. Boulder, CO 80301 303-530-5433

Inquiry 672.

The Buyer's Mart

SOFTWARE/A/I

dBASE BUSINESS TOOLS

' General Ledger * Purch Ord/lnvntory

* Accounts Recvbl. ' Accounts Payable

• Order Entry " Job Costing

" Sales Analysis • Job Estimating

$99 EA. + s&h w/dBASE 2, 3 or 3 + SOURCE CODE

dATAMAR SYSTEMS" Cr. Crd/chk/coD

4876-B Santa Monica Ave.

San Diego, CA 92107 (619) 223-3344

Inquiry 673.

SOFTWARE/BASIC TOOLS

SOFTWARE/BUSINESS

FINANCE MANAGER II

Easy to learn, fully integrated, menu-driven bookkeeping system for small business and personal use. IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or compatible. Try before you buyl General Ledger evaluation copy for only $10!

CALL TODAY! (719) 528-8989 HOOPER INTERNATIONAL: po Box 62219, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80962

Inquiry 679.

SOFTWARE/ENGINEERING

VERSATILE DSP & DISPLAY

PC DATA MASTER is a DOS shell which integrates a full set of signal processing functions: flexible graphics, data file math, DSP utilities, data sampling/generation, and interactive help. Support for CGA, EGA, VGA, Here & AT&T. Add custom analysts or graphics functions easily using your favorite compiler. $135. Toolkit $45. Demo $10.

Durham Technical Images

P.O. Box 72, Durham, New Hampshire 03824-0072 (603) 868-5774

Inquiry 685.

QuIckWindows

As seen In the Microsoft Value-Pack Catalog!

Create windows, pop-up and pull-down menus, data-entry screens, and multiple-input dialog boxes quickly and easily. Full support of Microsoft mouse. Join the many Fortune 500 companies using QuickWindows and order your copy today. QuickWindows $79. Advanced $139. For Microsoft QuickBASIC or BASCOM. See pg.78, BYTE, March '88.

Software Interphase, Inc.

5 Bradley St., Suite 106 • Providence, Rl 02908 (401) 274-5465 Call now for Free Demo Disk

Inquiry 674.

SOFTWARE/BUSINESS

DATA ENTRY SYSTEM

Heads-down data entry with two-pass verification for the PC/XT/AT - PS/2 & compatibles. Loaded with features like: Auto dup & skip, verify bypass, range checks, & table lookups. Fully menu driven only $395. Call for free 30 day trial period.

COMPUTER KEYES

21929 Makah Rd„ Woodway, WA 98020 (206) 776-6443 1-800-356-0203

1-2-3® + ©RISK = Risk Analysis

Manage risk with ©RISK 1-2-3 Add-lnl An ©RISK simulation automatically reflects thousands of "what-if" scenarios. ■ View full range of possible outcomes ■ Monte Carlo simulation ■ Graphs in .PIC format ■ 30 new probability distribution ©functions Now required for all Harvard MBAs FREE DEMO

Palisade Corporation

2189 Elmira Road, Newlield, NY 14867 (607) 564-9993

Inquiry 680.

SOFTWARE/CHURCH

PowerChurch Plus®

Fast, friendly, reliable church administration system. Full fund accounting, mailing lists, membership, contributions, attendance, word processing, accts. payable, payroll, multi-user support, and much more - all for $695 complete. FREE demo version.

F1 SOFTWARE

RO. Box 3096, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

(213) 854-0865

Engineer's Aide

Join the Desktop Engineering Revolution!

• Pipeline/Ductwork Sizing • Orifice/Control Valve Sizing

• Pump/Fan/Compr. Sizing • Project Financial Analysis

• Heat Exchanger Sizing • Conversion Calculator

• Fluid Properties Library • Specification Writer Above programs in one stand alone integrated package for $695. For IBM PC & Macintosh.

EPCON

1-800-367-3585 (24 hr) 1-805-484-5381 (Ca)

Inquiry 686.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

MICROSAFE: Inexpensive, easy to learn and use Finite Element Analysis for IBM PCs and compatibles. Up to 400 nodes, 600 beams, 500 plates. Graphics. 2-D: $75, 3-D: $120, Both: $160. Overseas add $20. Evaluation copies. NOT COPYPROTECTED. Ask for brochure.

MICROSTRESS Corp. (Dep. bmi)

10950 Forest Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98178-3205 (206) 772-0508

Inquiry 681.

Inquiry 687.

LP88-SPREADSHEET LP

Our besl-selling menu-driven linear programming system now solves problems with 1000 constraints and 5000 variables up lo 30 times faster. New version reads/writes Lotus worksheets. Use 1-2-3/Symphony as a matrix generator or post processor. Many other features including interactive and batch operation, spreadsheet-style display, equation processor, problem/basis storage, file I/O. Simplex restart, report generator, sensitivily analysis. lENews says: "The flexibility and features of this program are a bargain at its low price." $149 with 8087 support and 100-page manual- $29 for working demo and manual.

EASTERN SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, INC.

P.O. Box 15328, Alexandria, VA 22309 (703) 360-7600

Inquiry 676.

dFELLER Inventory

Business inventory programs written in modifiable dBASE source code.

dFELLER Inventory $150.00

Requires dBASE II or III. PC-DOS/CPM

dFELLER Plus $200.00

with History and Purchase Orders

Requires dBASE III or dBASE III Plus (For Stockrooms)

Feller Associates

550 CR PPA, Route 3, Ishpeming, Ml 49849 (906) 486-6024

ROMAR CHURCH SYSTEMS™

Membership-61 fields plus alternate addresses; labels, letters, reports any field(s). Offering-256 funds; optional pledge; statements; post to 255x/yr, Finance-gen. ledger w/budget; up to 500 subtotals & 99 depis., month & YTD reports anytime for any month. Attendance—8 service limes, 250 events per service; 60 consecutive weeks. Available for floppy, 3Vz & hard disk. Ad too short! Write lor Iree 48-page guide.

Romar Church Systems, Attn: BJB

P.O. Box 4211, Elkhart, IN 46514

(219) 262-2188

Inquiry 682.

SOFTWARE/ENGINEERING

Inquiry 677

PRACTICAL ENGINEERING TOOLS Hobbyists—Students—Engineers

CIRCUIT DESIGN^CompDes, menu selections from basic electricity to circuit designs. MATHEMATICS_CompMath, menu selections from general math to statistics. DIGITAL SIGNAL ANALYSIS_CompView. Fourier Analysis of waveforms and filters. PC/MSDOS. $49 each. VISA/MC

BSOFT SOFTWARE (614) 491-0832

444 Colton Rd., Columbus, OH 43207

Inquiry 683.

SIMULATION WITH GPSS/PC™

GPSS/PC™ is an IBM personal computer implementation of the popular mainframe simulation language GPSS. Graphics, animation and an extremely interactive environment allow a totally new view of your simulations. Simulate complex real-world systems with the most interactive and visual yet economical simulation software.

MINUTEMAN Software

P.O. Box 171/Y. Slow, Massachusetts. U.S.A. (617) 897-5662 ext. 540 (800) 223-1430 ext. 540

Inquiry 688.

Circuit Analysis — SPICE

Non-linear DC & Transient; Linear AC.

♦ Version 3B1 with BSIM, GaAs, JFET, MOSFET, BJT, diode, etc. models, screen graphics, improved speed and convergence.

* PC Version 2G6 available at $95.

Call, write, or check inquiry # for more info.

Northern Valley Software

28327 Rothrock Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90274

(213) 541-3677

Inquiry 689.

BUSINESS ENGLISH FINANCES

Maintain PAYABLES, VENDORS, EXPENSE CATEGORIES, ASSETS, LIABS. Dictionary-driven English user interface to generate, query, update payables and do financial calculations. Run expense summary reports. LOAD SAVE EDIT English command text. On-screen calculator; Color screens/windows; Payables ASCII export; Fast! Easyl IBM & compatb. min. 512K RAM. 1.2M or HD $89.

Gemma Software Components

597 Orchard Place. Uniondale. NY 11553 (516) 483-2513

Inquiry 678.

Affordable Engineering Software

FREE APPLICATION GUIDE & CATALOG Circuit Analysis • Root Locus • Thermal Analysis • Plotter Drivers • Engineering Graphics • Signal Processing • Active/Passive Filter Design • Transfer Function/FFT Analysis • Logic Simulation • Microstrip Design • PC/MSDOS • Macintosh • VISA/MC

BV Engineering 'ProfessionalSoftware

2023 Chicago Ave., Suite B-13, Riverside, CA 92507 (714) 781-0252

Inquiry 684.

FREE ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

Personal Engineering is a monthly magazine sent free of charge (USA only) to scientists/engineers who use PCs for technical applications. Topics each month include Instrumentation • Data Acq/Control • Design Automation. To receive a free sample issue and qualification form either circle below or send request on letterhead to;

Personal Engineering Communications

Box 1821. Brookline, MA 02146

Inquiry 690.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE

327

The Buyer's Mart

SOFTWARE/ENGINEERING

SOFTWARE/GRAPHICS

SOFTWARE/LOG.

EC-Ace ANALOG CIRCUIT ANALYSIS

You can afford to get started with EC-Ace, a subset of the powerful ECA-2 circuit simulator. Includes all the basics and built-in graphics.

• AC, DC, Temperature, Transient

• A full 525 pg. ECA-2 manual.

• Interactive, twice as fast as SPICE.

EC-Ace 2.31 IBM PC or Mac $145. Call 313-663-8810 for FREE DEMO

Tatum Labs, Inc.

1478 Mark Twain Ct, Ann Arbor, Ml 48103

Inquiry 691.

SOFTWARE/FINANCIAL

"THE FINANCIAL PLANNER" SOFTWARE

SAVE 40% Retail $9995 -OUR PRICE $59.95 ( + 2.00 S/H) PA residents add 6% Tx Menu Driven program w/printed Manual.

•Balance Checkbook -Loan Amortization Schedule

•Prepare Budgets 'Manage Investments

•Prepare Financial Statements 'Plan Savings & more

Specify Apple lie, lie, llgs, IBM PC or Compatible CKS/MCA/ISA SHIPPED UPS

SOFTECH INDUSTRIES, INC. 717-584-5191

RD 1, Bx 117A, Dept B901, Hughesville, PA 17737

FPLOT PEN PLOTTER EMULATOR

Use your dot matrix or laser printer as an HP pen plotter. Fast hi-res output. Vary line width. Includes VPLOT virtual plotter utility to capture plotting commands. Supports NEC P5/P6, IBM Proprinter, Epson LQ/MX/FX, HP Laserjet. Uses Hercules, CGA, EGA or VGA for screen preview. $64 check or m.o.

FPLOT CORPORATION

Suite 605, 24-16 Steinway St., Astoria, NY 11103 212-418-8469

Inquiry 695.

GRAPHICS PRINTER SUPPORT

AT LAST! Use the PrtSc key to make quality scaled B&W or color reproductions of your display on any dot matrix, inkjet, or laser printer. GRAFPLUS supports all versions ot PC or MS-DOS with IBM (incl. EGA, VGA), Tecmar, and Hercules graphics boards. $49.95.

Jewell Technologies, Inc.

4740 44th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98116 800-628-2828 x 527 (206) 937-1081

PC USAGE LOG

The DEDUCT PC business usage, the IRS requires an audilable time and reason log. To analyze HOW lime is spent on PC projects, one needs to KNOW what was done, date, start and ending times. PC USAGE LOG will automatically keep track of all this information. Saved records can then be edited, sorted, and displayed or printed to give summary or detail reports. IBM compatible PC, MSDOS 2.0 & up, 256K memory, (80x25) monitor. Price S24.95. Visa/MC/AmExp are OK.

Discovery Software Corporation

Post Office Box 1740a Salt Lake City, Utah 84117 1-801-272-3033 Orders & Technical Information

Inquiry 734.

SOFTWARE/PACKAGING

HARD TO FIND COMPUTER SUPPLIES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS & POWER USERS

Cloth binders & slipcases like IBM's. Vinyl binders, boxes, and folders in many sizes. Disk pages, envelopes, & labels. Low quantity imprinting. Bulk disks. Everything you need to bring your software to market. Disk and binder mailers. Much morel Low Prices! Fast service. Call or write for a FREE CATALOG.

Anthropomorphic Systems, Limited

376 E. St. Charles Rd., Lombard, IL 60148 1-800-DEAL-NOW 312-629-5160

Inquiry 692.

Inquiry 696.

Inquiry 701.

SOFTWARE/FORECAST

FORECAST PRO

An excellent forecasting package that uses artificial intelligence to help both the beginner and the experienced forecaster achieve top-notch results. Time series analysis techniques include exponential smoothing, Box-Jenkins, & dynamic regression.

CALL NOW FOR A FREE DEMO DISK!

Business Forecast Systems, Inc.

68 Leonard Street, Belmont, MA 02178 (617) 484-5050 TELEX #710-3201382

Inquiry 735.

SOFTWARE/GEOLOGICAL

GEOLOGICAL CATALOG

Geological software for log plotting, gridding/contouring, hydrology, digitizing, 3-D solid modelling, synthetic seismogram, fracture analysis, image processing, scout ticket manager, over 50 programs in catalog. Macintosh tool Please call, or write, for Free Catalogl

RockWare, Inc.

4251 Kipling St., Suite 595, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 USA (303) 423-5645

SOFTWARE/GRAPHICS

PC TECHNICAL GRAPHICS

TEKMAR is a graphics library for the EGA or Tecmar Graphics Master. Similar to PLOT-10, includes WINDOW, VIEWPORT, AXIS. Support for HP, HI plotters. Curve fitting, complete plotting program. Log, semi-log, multiaxis, 3-D, contours. Jerry Pournelle (Aug 86 Byte): "As good as any I have ever seen..." Demo disks, literature available.

Advanced Systems Consultants

21115 Devonshire St. #329, Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818) 407-1059

Inquiry 693.

FORTRAN PROGRAMMER?

Now you can call 2-D and 3-D graphics routines within your FORTRAN program.

GRAFMATIC: screen routines $135.

PLOTMATIC: plotter driver 135.

PRINTMATIC: printer driver 135.

For the IBM PC, XT, AT & compatibles. We support a variety of compilers, graphics bds., plotters and printers.

MICROCOMPATIBLES

301 Prelude Dr., Dept. B. Silver Spring, MD 20901 USA (301) 593-0683

Inquiry 697.

SOFTWARE/INVESTMENT

The now Business Week TOP 1000 and Mutual Fund Scoreboard

Diskettes use Ihe enormous power of your IBM or compatible PC

to select, rate, and compare every equity and fixed Income mutual

fund on the market (Mutual Fund Scoreboard), and virtually every

Business Week 1000 company (TOP 1000)—Al the touch of a key.

Mutual Fund Scoreboard Diskettes:

$49.95 each or $239.90 tor subscriptions to both.

TOP 1000 & TOP 1000 ELITE Diskettes:

$199 for the TOP 1000 & $299 for the ELITE version

which offers names & addresses of the top officers too!

Order now or receive more information by calling 1-800-553-3575

(In Illinois, call 1-312-250-9292).

or wme to: Business Week Diskettes

RO. Box 621, Elk Grove, IL 60009

Inquiry 698.

SOFTWARE/LANGUAGES

FORTRAN for Macintosh

Language Systems FORTRAN is a full-featured FORTRAN 77 compiler integrated w/MPW. Full ANSI FORTRAN 77 plus VAX-type extensions. SANE numerical calculations & data types incl. COMPLEX'16. 68000, 68020 and 68881 object code. Arrays greater than 32K. Link with Pascal, C, MacApp. $304 w/MPW via air. MCA/ISA/Check. MAC+, SE, Mac II. HD req.

Language Systems Corp.

441 Carlisle Drive, Herndon, VA 22070 (703) 478-01B1

Inquiry 699.

SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE

LET'S TALK LABELS

We do disk labels (5V4" & 3Vi)

• Better • Faster • Cheaper •

Because we specialize in disk labels. . .Let's Talk

We also have Tyvsk Sleeves Mailers • Binders • Vinyl Pages

We are a complete software packaging service. Hlce & Associates

9303 Cincinnati-Columbus Rd., West Chester, OH 45069 513-777-0133

Inquiry 702.

SOFTWARE/SALES & MKTG

HIGH SALES VOLUME

Requires a thorough, fast and friendly lead tracking system. CONTACT PLUS manages your sales contacts through ample tickler dates, autodialer, phone call history and graph, date stamped notes, mail/merge with history, call analysis reports, and tickler calendars, ASCII import/export. ($79.95 plus $5.00 S&H). Demo disk $3. IBM PC and compatibles. VISA/MC/COD.

E. Trujillo Software

P.O. Box 23052 Albuquerque, NM 57192-1052

Orders only: 800-628-2828 ext 581 (505) 881-3223

Inquiry 703.

SOFTWARE/SCANNERS

Optical Character Recognition

Stop retyping: PC-OCR"" software will convert typed or printed pages into edfable text files for your word processor works with HP ScanJet, Canon and most other scanners. Supplied with 15 popular fonts. User trainable: you can teach PC-OCR" to read virtually any typestyte, incl. foreign fonts Proportional text, matrix printer output. Xerox copies OK. $385. Check/VISA/MC/AmExp/COD

Essex Publishing Co.

RO. Box 391, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 (201) 783-6940

Inquiry 704.

SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC

S E G S

Scientific & Engineering Graphics System See "What's New" pg 82, BYTE June, 1988

Log, Data & Linear Axes; Curve Fitting & Smoothing 1-2-3 Interface; Numeric Spreadsheet. Supports all Video Standards. PC Printers & Plotters. 10 Curves w/5000 points each. Plus much more. Call Today.

Edmond Software

3817 Windover Drive 1-405-842-0058

Edmond, Oklahoma 73013 1-800-992-3425

Inquiry 694.

328 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

The SPINDRIFT Library

At last! Now there's a way for FORTRAN programmers to do the things they always wanted to do: Execute other programs via CALL EXEC; edit key control of CURSOR; WINDOWS; POP UP HELP; Wildcard file search; Save/ restore screen images; COLOR. 150 subroutines and functions in all. Price: $149. + S&H Write for DEMO DISK: $5 credited to purchase. Specify your Compiler.

Spindrift Laboratories, Ltd.

116 S. Harvard Ave., Arlington Hts., IL 60005 (312) 255-6909

Inquiry 700.

DATA ACQUISITION & ANALYSIS ON PC'S

• Free application assistance. Tell us about jour DSP process control, WD or DJA needs. Our expert engineering stall will provide you with a system solution to !:t your needs and budget.

• A/0 & IEEE 488 boards from MetraByte, Scientific Solutions and Analog Devices.

• Analysis software Including PRIME fi\CTDR FFT subroutine library, FOURIER PERSPECTIVE II advanced linear systems analysis.

• Menu driven software (torn Unkel, Laboratory Technologies, Ouinn-Curtis, and Golden, Scientific/engineering 2 & 3D graphics.

See "What's New" page 80, BYTE July, 1988 LOW PRICES—Satisfaction GUARANTEED

ALLIGATOR TECHNOLOGIES

RO. Box 9706, Fountain valley. CA 92708 Tel. (714) B50-9984 FAX. (714) BS0-99e7 MCI. ALLIGATOR

Inquiry 705.

The Buyer's Mart

SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC

Spectra Calc Data Processing

Acquire and analyze data from commercial or custom analytical instrumentation. Fast real-time display, WYSIWYG plotting. Extremely fast applications for curve fitting, deconvolution, PLS algorithms etc. Spectral search and archive. Array programming language includes matrix, FFT, graphic commands,

GIC

395 Main St., Salem, NH 03079 800-862-6004 603-898-7600 FAX 603-898-6228

Inquiry 706.

Do You Need to do This on Your PC?

1.2 liter per sec . 8.386421 sec

Lascaux 1000, 'The Intelligent Calculator". (For IBM PC's) verify logic of calculations. Reduce steps by 50%. Extensive table of physical constants. Easily customized. Much more! $59.95 Demo disk $1.

Lascaux Graphics

Bronx, NY 10467

Inquiry 707.

3220 Steuben Ave. (212) 654-7429

ORDINARY/PARTIAL

DIFFERENTIAL EQN

SOLVER

FOR THE IBM PC & COMPATIBLES

microcompatibl.es inc.

301 Prelude Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20901

(301) 593-0683

Inquiry 708.

Inquiry 709.

Scientific/Engineering/Graphics Libraries Turbo & Lightspeed Pascal, Modula-2, C

Send for FREE catalogue of software tools for Scientists and Engineers. Includes: Scientific subroutine libraries, device independent graphics libraries (including EGA, HP plotter and taserjet support), scientific charting libraries, 3-D plotting library, data acquisition libraries, menu-driven process control software, versions available for a variety of popular languages.

Qulnn-Curtis

1191 Chestnut St., Unit 2-5, Newton, MA 02164

Inquiry 710.

"powerful and easy to use..."

Ask for our free 16 page brochure with complete product descriptions and detailed technical application notes (and for a brief description of two of our products see "What's New", Byte, page 84, July/88).

MicroMath Scientific Software

2034 East 7000 South

Salt Lake City, Utah B4121-3144

(801) 943-0290

SOFTWARE/SECURITY

KEEP YOUR PC PRIVATE*

MicroLock PC Security Software protects MS-DOS tiles and programs from unauthorized access. MicroLock features unlimited passwords, Quick Encryption, Locks Directories, Hides files, Locks .EXE and .COM files, uses one simple control menu w/on-screen helpl

Only $89.95! (+$3 s/h) 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE Check/Visa/MC

MIcroNlche, Inc.

The Summit, Suite 110, 4350 Brownsboro Rd.

Louisville, KY 40207

Orders: (502) 893-4526 FAX: (502) 893-4503

Inquiry 634.

SOFTWARE/SORT

OPT-TECH SORT/MERGE

Extremely fast Sort/Merge/Select utility. Run as an MS-DOS command or CALL as a subroutine. Supports most languages and filetypes including Btrieve and dBASE. Unlimited filesizes, multiple keys and much more! MS-DOS $149. XENIX $249.

(702) 588-3737 Opt-Tech Data Processing

P.O. Box 678 - Zephyr Cove, NV 89448

Inquiry 712.

SOFTWARE/TAX PREP

W-2 & 1099 ON FLOPPY

The MAG COLLECTION of programs make an IRS/SSA FORMAT floppy from a data entry screen or imported ASCII file. Includes manual and application forms.

• Used nation wide • Menus, user friendly

• Step-by-step data entry • Prints W-2 & 1099

• Free phone support • PC compatible

Illinois Business Machines Inc.

Department MAG

1403 Box 310 Troy Rd., Edwardsville, IL 62025

PH. n (618) 692-6060

Inquiry 713.

SOFTWARE/TOOLS

NATURAL LANGUAGE SOFTWARE

Use JAKE to create a front end to your database, game, or graphics programl JAKE translates English queries and commands into C function calls and data structures. JAKE offers context-sensitive semantic processing; interfaces easily; <64K mem.

$495. INTERACTIVE DEMO $10

ENGLISH KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, INC.

5525 Scotts Valley Dr. #22, Scotts Valley, CA 95066

(408) 438-6922

Inquiry 714.

STATISTICS

STATA

Statistics and graphics join to make STATA the most powerful package for the PC. No comparable program is as fast, friendly, and accurate. $20 Demo. Quantity discount available. Call toll-free for more information. AX/VISA/MC.

1-800-STATAPC

Computing Resource Center

10B01 National Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (213) 470-4341

Inquiry 720.

STATISTICS

RESULTS NOT SIGNIFICANT?

Next time use EX-SAMPLE. Expert program estimates sample size using power analysis for comparisons of means, props, regression, ANOVA, chi-square, log-linear, LISREL. surveys, experiments, many more. Justify sample size to funding agencies, plan sampling budget. Can pay for itself in a single study. IBM/MS-DOS, $195+s/h. (50% educ. disc). VISA/MC/AMEX/PO, 30-day guarantee. Call now for FREE brochure.

The Idea Works, Inc.

100 West Briarwood, Columbia, MO 65203 1-800-537-4866 314-445-4554

Inquiry 716.

STATISTIX™ II

Comprehensive, powerful and incredibly easy-touse. Full screen editor, transformations, linear models (ANOVA, regression, logit, PCA, etc), ARIMA, most standard stat procedures. Clear, well organized documentation. Satisfaction guaranteed. $169 PC DOS, $99 Apple II.

NH Analytical Software

P.O. Box 13204, Roseville, MN 55113 (612) 631-2852

Inquiry 717.

NCSS

Professional, easy to use, menu driven statistical system. Used by over 5,000 researchers.

• 5.0 Statistical System —$99

• 5.1 Graphics (2D & 3D)—$59

• 5.3 Power Pac Supplement—$49

• 5.4 Exp. Design/QC—$49

• 5.5 Survival Analysis—$49

We accept checks, PO's, Visa, MC. Add $3 s/h.

NCSS-B

865 East 400 North, Kaysville, UT 84037 801-546-0445

Inquiry 718.

Ecstatic

$49.95

A full featured statistical package that's powerful, convenient, astonishingly easy to use and extraordinarily inexpensive. At last! A statistical package that gives you the tools you need, the clarity you want and at a price you can afford. Ideal for researchers, professionals, and students. Volume discounts available. To order call or write to:

SomeWare In Vermont, Inc.

P.O. Box 215, Montpelier, VT 05602 1-800-451-4580 (496-3173 In Vermont)

Inquiry 719.

Spreadsheet Statistics

NEW! 23 comprehensive statistics and forecasting modules for analyzing LOTUS worksheets. Low cost $24.95 each. Easy to use. Includes tutorial. Basic and advanced statistics with graphics and many user-definable options. Compare. Free brochure.

Walonick Associates, Inc.

6500 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis., MN 55423 (612) 866-9022

Inquiry 721.

TEXT RETRIEVAL

SCREEN MANAGER

MENU, WINDOW, and DATA ENTRY Support for the Professional Programmer! Interfaces to most languages. BASIC, C, FORTRAN, COBOL, PASCAL, ASSEMBLER. 100 Page Manual. Thirty day money back guarantee. No Royalties. from $79. Visa/MC

The West Chester Group

P.O. Box 1304, West Chester, PA 19380 (215) 644-4206 CALL FOB FREE DEMO

Inquiry 711.

THE SURVEY SYSTEM

An easy-to-use package designed specifically for questionnaire data. Produces banner format, cross tabs & related tables, statistics (incl. regression) & bar charts. Codes and reports answers to open-end questions. All reports are cam era-ready for professional presentations. CRT interviewing option. CREATIVE RESEARCH SYSTEMS

15 Lone Oak Ctr, Dept. B, Petaluma, CA 94952

^____ 707-765-1001

Inquiry 715.

TEXT RETRIEVAL

GOfer, high speed lext reirieval software for IBM PC compatible and Apple Macintosh computers. Highly acclaimed.

• No file conversion or indexing required.

• Searches for lex! in any file. (ASCII, EBCDIC, WordStar, etc.)

• RAM resident operation for immediate availability, also runs as a standard DOS application—Desk Accessory on the Macintosh

• Moves text across different filrj lormats {DisplayWrile to WordStar, MS Word to WordPerfect, etc.).

ONLY $79.95! Call or write to order: (VISA, MC, COD, Check)

Mlcrolytlcs

300 Main SI., Suite 1591, East Rochester, NY 14445 (BOO) B28-6293

(716) 377-0130 In NYS

Inquiry 722.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 329

The Buyer's Mart

UTILITIES

UTILITIES

UTILITIES

Enhanced DOS Commands

Get directory listings of all files that don't match a template. Search all directories for files matching a template. New commands and new versions of existing commands, all with lots of variable options. Plus all commands accept special codes to reduce repetitive entries. Get the most from DOS with these time-saving routines. For MS-DOS/PCDOS 2.0 and higher. $29.95

Driscoll Graphics

135 E. Church, P.O. Box 625 Clinton, Ml 49236

Inquiry 723.

LOGGER®

Logger, for IBM-PC and compatibles, tracks and reports: User, Time on, Time off, Directories used, Programs used, Program start/end time, and calculates totals. Tracks directories/files: Opened, Created, Renamed, Deleted. Completely transparent. Retails for $74.95 with quantity discounts available.

System Automation Software, Inc.

8555 16th St.. Silver Spring, MD 20910 1-800-321-3267 or 1-301-565-8080

Inquiry 726.

Desktop Publishers!

When you need thB best "no-nonsense" tools for Screen Capture and Image Management...

Collage Display Utilities

Dynamic Grayscaling, Image Browsing and Cataloging, and much, much more! Supports EGA, VGA, PS/2, CGA, Hercules, and MDA displays!

Suggested Retail price, only $8995

Inner Media, Inc.

(603) 465-3216, -7195 Fax

Inquiry 736.

WORD PROCESSING

MATCH PRINTERS TO PC

Malch-A-Prinler adapls most printers lo PC/PS2 and compatibles. With this residenl driver, get the lull extended IBM ASCII character set on most printers. French, Spanish, German. Italian. Swedish. Greek, etc.. and logic symbols. Works great with Apple Imagewnter and D.M.R, Epson and most daisy-wheel printers. Solve character compatibility now. great lor academic and engineering application. Introductory Price $5995 & $2 S&H. California residents add 6Vfc<to sales tax. MO/Checks.

MATCH SOFTWARE

6426 Coldwater Canyon, North Hollywood, CA 91606-1113 Toll free # 1 (800) FLOPPYO

FasTlrieve®

FasTrieve, for IBM-PC and compatibles, indexes your word processing documents to instantly (< 1 sec.) retrieve text using your search expressions (boolean statements, phrases, spelling variations). Retrieved text can be edited, printed, and saved to disk. Retails for $99. Discounts available.

System Automation Software, Inc.

8555 16th St., Silver Spring, MD 20910 1-800-321-3267 or 1-301-565-8080

FARSI / GREEK / ARABIC / RUSSIAN

Hebrew, all European, Scandinavian, plus either Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Thai, Korean, Viet, or !PA. Fullfeatured multi-language word processor supports on-screen foreign characters and NLQ printing with no hardware modifications. Includes Font Editor. $355 dot matrix; $150 add'l tor laser; $19 demo. S/H in U.S. incl'd. Heq. PC, 640K, graphics. 30 day Guarantee. MC/VISA/AMEX

GAMMA PRODUCTIONS, INC.

710 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 609, Santa Monica, CA 90401

213/394-8622 Tlx: 5106008273 Gamma Pro SNM

Inquiry 724.

Inquiry 727.

Inquiry 730.

COPY AT TO PC

The 1.2mB drive has long been known to HEAD but NOT reliably WRITE on 360kB floppies. With "CPYAT2PC"™ 1.2mB drives CAN reliably WRITE 360kB floppies saving a slot for a second hard disk or backup tape. "CPYAT2PC" (Not Copy Protected) offers 'the preferable SOFTWARE SOLUTION.' ONLY 479+54 S/H VISA/MC/COD UPS B/R

MICROBRIDGE COMPUTERS

655 Skyway, San Carlos, CA 94070

Order loll free 1-800-523-8777

415-593-8777 (CA) 212-334-1858 (NY)

TELEX EZLNK 62873089 FAX 415-593-7675

HANDS OFF THE PROGRAM®

- Locks Hard Disk. - Restricts Floppy Use.

- Protects Subdirectories.

- Normal Use of DOS Commands and Application Software.

- IBM PC, XT, AT and True Compatibles.

■ DOS V2.0 and Higher. Hard Disk System.

- Keep Other People's HANDS OFF Your System

- $99.95 VISA/MC

SYSTEM CONSULTING, INC.

314 Canterbury Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (412) 963-1624

DuangJan

Bilingual word processor for English and: Armenian, Bengali Euro/Latin, Greek, Hindi, Khmer, Lao, Punjabi, Russian, Sinhalese, Tamil, Thai, Viet... $109+$5 s/h (foreign + $12 s/h). Font editor included. For IBM with dot-matrix & LaserJet printer. Demo $6 + $1 s/h.

MegaChomp Company

3524 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia. PA 19149-1606 (215) 331-2748

Inquiry 725.

Inquiry 728.

Inquiry 731.

Recover deleted files fast!

Disk Explorer now includes automatic file recovery. You type in the deleted file's name, Disk Explorer finds and restores it. Disk Explorer also shows what's really on disk; view, change or create formats, change a file's status, change data in any sector. MS-DOS 575 U.S. Check/Credit card welcome.

QUAID SOFTWARE LIMITED

45 Charles St. E. 3rd Fl.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4Y 1S2

(416) 961-8243

$79.95!!

Buy the RED Utilities now! Programs include: Disk cache to speed hard disk. Printer spooler. Batch file compiler. Path command for data files. Wild card exceptions. Protect hard disk from accidental formatting. Sort directories. Over 10 more programs. IBM PC. Visa/MC. The Wenham Software Company

5 Burley St., Wenham, MA. 01984 (617) 7747036

Inquiry 729.

PC-Write™ Shareware Ver. 2.71

Fast, full featured word processor/text editor for IBM PC. With spell check, screen clip, (lailmerge, split screen, ASCII files, macros. Easy to use. Supports 400 printers - LaserJet* and PostScript. Software, User Guide, and Tutorial on 2 disks for $16. Try it, then register with us for only $89 and get User Manual, 1 year tele-support, newsletter and 2 upgrades. 90-day guarantee. VISA/MC.

Quicksort 1-800-888-8088 CALL TODAY! 219 First N., #224-BYTC, Seattle, WA 98109

Inquiry 732.

jppp_7

■ ■ j ■ j ■ j f j

Easiest IEEE 488(GPIB/HPIB) Interfaces for your PC, PS/2, Macintosh, HP and more!

• Controllers

• Converters

• Extenders

• Buffers

• Boards

Please see our ad on page 234.

ID

tec

Call or send for your FREE Technical Guide

| (216) 439-4091

25971 Cannon Road • Cleveland, Ohio 44146

Telex 6502820864 • Fax (216) 439-4093

CHIP SHOP

CALL FOR THE LOWEST PRICES

SAME DAY SHIPMENT

4164 8087 4128 80287 41256 80387

1 meg chips V20, V30 and more

SABINA INTERNATIONAL, INC !

Phone 1-800-2 SABINA

Phone 1-714-594-6336

FAX 714-595-4008

, System 1800 ': Basic System $950 : (MADE IN U.S.A. < with quality)

• 195 watt power supply 11uVHM

■ CiocWCalen., Evofsx HD/FDconl

• FCC class "8" approved

■ *8 Hour la dory high temp dynamic bum-in

• 1.2 MEG TokOi. Man switch AT Keyboard

• Runs Autocad. Lotus, Xerra Novell, all prop. Software

•200 pi

USA)

Mono Sys [Basic Sys + Everrjopfucs 132 co

EGA 5ys [Basic Sys. + Evtrw EGA carrj + W Evens EGA [31mm| Mot Super EGA Sys (Basic Sys + Even* EGA card * NEC ll/Naruo 8060 |3t System 1800 lOMHt '286" 0 wart S12K. 25. IP, KB. Base system System Wi I2MH; '286' D wart I men RAM. KB. Base system Syslcm 3000 IrjMm '386' 0 wan, I meg., KB, Base system

• Made in U.S-A. oy Evei ■ '" with 1 v«a/ warranty

Evens Ra Mon.l ,. S1T30

S1475 i] Mon.l SI70D

J1150

-S1345 11995

Upgrade Octljiu: (Call In Enm product! nol lliterj).

A Seagale 20MM0M/72M HanMiSkI2S(VW25/i725 B 3Vi" or 7Z0K/I 44K . SttSrJUS

C Ewrex EMS 3MB $ 95 D Euro POCKET 1200 B Modem

E. Everei Super EGA (8001600) $189 F Vega VGA card

G. Genoa Super EGA (600 x 6001 S219 H. Panasonic 108ft printer

Schwab Computer Center

"Th* Everai Store" - Authorized Everei Dealer 32B2 El Cnmirro Rool. Santa Clara. CA 95051

Daily UPS

M-F ID-7;SAF 11-4

Prices change without notice

VISA/MCWE

Circle 131 on Reader Service Card

Circle 237 on Reader Service Card

Circle 240 on Reader Service Card

Circle 50 on Reader Service Card

IMC

Compu$aven

Call: 1-800-624-8949 or 1-800-877-8855

BOARDS

Above Board 286 325 NEC MVA 1024 789

Adv. Dig. Slave 545 Orchid Designer 329

AST 4 Port 299 Paradise 480 Auto..145

AST 5251-11E 545 Paradise VGA+ 238

ATI VGA Wonder..SAVE Paradise VGA Pro..352

ATI EGA Wonder 172 STB VGA EM 299

BOCA RAM AT .142 Sigma VGA H 252

Genoa EGA HiRes+.. 199 Video 7 V RAM 489

Genoa VGA HiRes ..429 Video 7 Vega VGA .252

Hercules VGA 242 W. Digit. 1003 WAK...99

Artist/Computone/lntel/Metheus/Number 9 CALL

QuadramfTalltree/Tseng Labs/Verticom/VML.CALL

DISK DRIVES

MAC Hard Drives ....Call Seagate 20M Kit .....262

Miniscribe 40M 312 Seagate 30M Kit 279

Miniscribe 6053 509 Seagate 251 369

Miniscribe 6085 695 Seagate ST251-1 .429

PlusCard 20M 518 Seagate 4096 £25

PlusCard 40M 655 Toshiba 3.5" Kit 89

AST/Archive/Alloy/CDC/Genoa/lomega CALL

Micropolis/Maynard/Maxtor/Tal!grass/Tecmar..CALL

SOFTWARE

Carbon Copy+ 5.0..108 Microsoft Works 123

DBase III Plus 374 Microsoft Word 4.0..209

Fastback Plus 32 Multimate Advan. II.249

First Publisher 2.Q....75 Top (PC or MAC) ...Call

Harvard Graph 2.1.275 WordPerfect 5.Q 239

MACDraw .129 Ventura Publisher...495

Microsoft Excel- PC295 Paradox 2.0 429

COMPUTERS

AST Model 286 CALL Toshiba 1000 739

AST Model 386 CALL Toshiba T1200F 1595

Intel 25 MHz CALL Toshiba T1200H 2265

Mitsubishi 286/110...1039 Toshiba 3100/20 2995

NEC Laptops SAVE Toshiba 3200 3685

Samsung Laptops .SAVE Toshiba 5100 4745

Sharp PC-7000A 1165 Zenith 183 .1949

Sharp 4521 .1975 Zenith Supersport .1625

Sharp PC-7100 .1745 Zenith Supersport 2863395

Acer 80386:16 MHz/0 Wait/1 Meg Ram 2745

Acer 80386:20 MHz/0 Wait CALL

NEC Powermate Portable 286/640k/20M 2645

NEC Powermate Portable 286/640k/40M 3095

Sperry PC IT 512k/44M HD/Ke/board 2Z95

Samsung S500 AT: 10MHz/40M Drive 1565

Televideo 386:16 MHz/2m/1.2M Drive 2595

Wyse 2108:8 MHz/512W1.2M Drive .1199

Wyse 2112:12.5 MHz/1 M/1.2M Drive 1699

Wyse 2214:12.5 MHz/0 Wa5it/1.2 Drive. .1895

Wyse 386:16 MHz/1M/1.2M Drive/0 Wait 2795

Unisys 386:16 MHz/1 M/1.2M Drive/0 Wait 2599

Altos/Apple/Compaq/AT8T/ITT/. CALL

TERMINALS

Altos V 485 Televideo 965 412

Adds 1010 299 Wyse 30 289

IBM 3151 .379 Wyse 50 355

Kimtron KT-70 PC 359 Wyse 60 395

Televideo 905 315 Wyse 85G 379

Televideo 955 375 Wyse99GT 469

Visual/CIE/Link/Qume/Falco CAL

PLOTTERS

Calcomp 1023GT ..3785 Houston 62 .4.495

Calcomp 5902 3395 HP 7475 1395

Calcomp 1043GT ..6275 HP 7550 A 2895

Enter SP 1800 3095 HP 7595 7595

Houston DMP 52 ....2795 loline 3700 3045

Houston 41/42 2095 loline 4000 3995

Houston 56A 3795 Roland 980 1.195

Houston 61 3295 Roland 880 929

NumonicsfTaxan/Versatec/JDL/Other Models. CALL

DIGITIZERS

Calcomp12 x12 365 Logitech HiRes Mouse....98

Calcomp 44 x 60 3745 Kurta IS 3 .CALL

Calcomp36 x 48 3195 Kurta IS 8.5 X11 249

GTCO 24x36 1945 Kurta IS 12x12 315

GTCO 36 x 48 2395 Kurta IS 12 X17 535

Hitachi 11 x 11 439 Summa 12x12+ 348

Logitech C7 Mouse 82 Summa 12 x 18 598

MODEMS

ATI ETC 159 Novation Parrot 85

Anchor 2400E 145 Practical 12001 65

AST 9600 .7.79 Prometheus 2400B/2....119

Avatex 1200 Ext 95 Prometheus 2400G .149

Hayes 1200 279 Racal-Vadic 2400VP....399

Hayes 2400 412 USR Courier 2400 299

Incomm T2400 MNP .235 USR 2400E 345

Migent Pocket 109 USR HST9600 649

Multitech 224 EH 388 Ven-Tel 18000 939

Multitech 224 EC 325 Zoom 2400 HC 1.39

Avatex/Case/Everex/UDS/Other Models CALL

PRINTERS

Alps Allegro 24., 362 NEC 5200 519

Canon BJ130 .795 NEC 5300 689

Citizen120D .1.42 NEC P5XL .815

Citizen 180D 1.58 NEC P9XL .1018

Citizen MSP40 312 Panasonic 1080M2 ....158

Citizen MSP55 469 Panasonic 1091M2 ...198

Fujitsu DL3400 512 Panasonic 1524 549

Okidata 390 475 Panasonic 1595 429

Okidata 391 £49 Star NX1000 169

NEC P2200 328 Toshiba P351SX 959

Canon 8II .1565 NEC LC 890 3145

HP Lazer Jet II ....SAVE Quadram Postscript 2795

Brother/C.ltoh/Data Products/Data South CALL

Diconix/Epson/Genicom/QMS/OTC/TI CALL

MONITORS

Amdek310A 69 PGS Ultra Synch 519

Amdek 1280 6.45 PGS LM 300 539

Intercolor 19"VGA....1595 Tatung Multiscan 475

Mitsubishi 1371A 489 Taxan 770+ 5.15

Mitsubishi 20" Auto..1845 Thomson 4160 RGB199

NEC Multisync II 562 Thomson EGA 299

NEC Multisync + 915 Sigma Laser 19" ....1765

NEC Multisync XL. 2095 Wyse 700 678

NEC Multisync GS..179 Verticom 2 Page....1765

Magnavox Multi 512 Zenith 1490 598

Seiko 1430:14", Multiscan, 1024x768, .26mm...649

SCANNERS

Datacopy 730 .1095 PGS LS-300/wOCR .965

AST / HP / Taxan / PC Hand Scanner CALL

Internationul orders are welcome.

HOURS: MON-FRI 7AM-6PM/SAT 9AM-2PM

ARIZONA SALES: (602)437-4855. CUSTOMER SERVICE (602)437-4856

FAX: (602)437-9685 CompuSave: 4207 S. 37th SI. Phoenix AZ 85040. Prices reflect cash discounts and are subject to change withoQ notice. We do not guarantee compatibility. Major credit cards and selected PO's are accepted.

PACIFIC-286-12

• 1 2MB Floppy Drive (Option $120314" Drive)

• 640K Ram (Option S95 lor 360K Dnve)

• Serial/Parallel

• 101-Key Enhenced Key Board

• SI ■ 13.3(1 Wait)

SI = 15.2(0 Wait $150 Option]

• 6/12 MHz Key Board Switchable

• WA2 HD & FD Controller

LCD-286 PORTABLE

MONO SYSTEM

• W/Mono Monilor

• SO MB Hard Disk

CGA COLOR SYSTEM

W/CGA Monitor 20 MB Hard Disk

EGA COLOR SYSTEM

• W/EGA Card W/EGA Monilor W-20MB Hard Disk

$1195 $1395

$1580

• 10 MHz 802!

• 640K Ram •SI = 10.3

• Key Board

• LCD Screen

• Super Twist Back Lighting

• Serial/Parallel

• 1.2 MB Floppy Drive

• 80287 Socket

• 200 W Power Supply ^

•20 MB Hard Disk SI 595

• 23 lbs.

• Size 15V * 9V xB"

LCD-386

• 20 MHz SI = 23

• 80386-16

• One 12 MB Floppy Drive

• 40 MB Hard Disk (ST-251)

• LCD Screen (640x200)

• Key Board

• I/O Serial/Parallel

$2795

PACIFIC-386

• 80386-16 (20 MHz]

• SI -- 23

• 1 MB Memory

• One 12 MB Floppy Drive

• 40 MB (Seagate ST-251)

• 101 Enhanced Key Board

• 200 W Power Supply

• I/O Card Serial/Parallel ■80387 Socket

MONO SYSTEM

• W/Mono/P Card

$2395

EGA COLOR SYSTEM

■ W/EGA Card (640x350] • EGA Monitor

$2785

CRT-PORTABLE 8088

• Compaq Type ■ B0B8-1 10 MHz

• 2 Floppy Drive

• 150W Power Supply

• TTL Disply 9" Amber

• Key Board

$770

CRT-PORTABLE-286

• Conpaq Type

• 80286 |10 MHz or 12 MHz)

• One 1.2 MB Floppy Drive

• 200 W Power Supply

• TTL Disply 9" Amber

• At Key Board

• I/O Card Senal/Paralle

• WA2 HD & FD Co

• 20 MB Hard Disk

Her

$1389

PRICE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

Dealers are welcome Call For Quantity Price

ne ricej

PACIFIC COMPUTER (818) 571-5548 M

120 E. Valley Blvd., »H, San Gabriel, CA 91776 FAX: 818-571-0905

(800) 346-7207 (California)

(800) 421-1102 (Outside California)

ORDER ONLY

u

Circle 199 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 200)

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 331

Mail Order Electronics-Worldwide

TittF

ELECTRONICS

Mail-Order Electronics

24 HOUR ORDER HOTLINE AIL OTHER INQUIRIES (7AM-SPM PST)

aeLaaaa

NEC V2Q & V3Q CHIPS

Replace the 8086 or 3088 in Your IBM PC and Part No. Increase Its Speed by up to 30%! prjce

UPD70108-5 (5MHz) V20 chip $ 7.49

UPD70108-8 (8mhz) V20 chip $ 8.95

UPD70108-10 (10MHz) V20 chip $21.95 $14.95

UPD70116-8 (8MHz) V30 Chip $11.95

UPD70116-10 (10MHz) V30 Chip $24.95 $19.95

74QO

Part No.

1-9 . . . .29

10+ .19

Part No.

1-9

10+

7400

7485

. . . .65

.55

7402

. . . .29

.19

7486

. . . .45

.35

7404

. . . .29

.19

7489

. . . 2.05

1.95

7405

. . . .35

.25

7490

. . . .49

.39

7406

. . . .39

.29

7493

. . . .45

.35

7407

. . . .39

.29

74121. . .

... .45

.35

7408

... .35

.25

74123. . .

... .55

.45

7410

... .29

.19

74125. . .

... .55

.45

7414. . .

... .49

.39

74126. . .

... .69

.59

7416. . .

... .39

.29

74143. . .

. . . 3.95

3.85

7417. . . .

. . .39

.29

74150. . .

. . . 1.35

1.25

7420

. . . .35

55

74154. . .

. .. 1.35

1.25

7430

. . . .35

.25

74158. . .

1 50

.99

7432

... .39

.29

74173. . .

... .85

.75

7438. . . .

... .39

.29

74174. . .

... .59

.49

7442. . . .

... .55

.45

74175. . .

... .59

.49

7445. . . .

... .79

.69

74176. . .

... r99

.69

7446

... .89

.79

74181. . .

... 1.95

1.85

7447. . . .

... .89

.79

74189. . .

. . 1.95

1.85

7448

. .. 2.05

1.95

74193. . .

... .79

.69

7472

... .89

.79

74198 . .

. . . 1.85

1.75

7473

... .39

.29

74221. . .

... .99

.89

7474. . . .

... .39

.29

74273. . .

... 1.95

1.85

7475

... .49

.39

74365. . .

... .65

.55

7476. . . .

... .45

.35

74367. . .

... .65

.55

74L.S

74LS00. . . .

. .29

.19

74LS165. . .

. .75

.65

74LS02. . .

. .29

.19

74LS166.. .

. .99

.89

74LS04. , . ,

. .35

.25

74LS173.. .

. .59

.49

74LS05. . . .

. .35

.25

74LS174. . .

. .49

.39

74LS06

.. 1.09

.99

74LS175.. .

. .49

.39

74LS07

.. 1.09

.99

74LS189...

. . 4.59

4.49

74LS0B

.. .29

.19

74LS191.. .

. . .59

.49

74LS10

.. .29

.19

74LS193.. .

.. .79

.69

74LS14. ...

. . .49

39

74LS221...

.. .69

.59

74LS27

. . .35

25

74LS240. . .

. . .69

.59

74LS30. . . .

.. .29

.19

74LS243. . .

.. .69

.59

74LS32. . . .

.. .35

.25

74LS244.. .

.. .69

.59

74LS42. . . .

.. .49

.39

74LS245.. .

.. .89

.79

74LS47. . . .

.. .99

.89

74LS259..

.. .99

.89

74LS73. . . .

.. .39

.29

74LS273.. .

. .89

.79

74LS74

.. .35

.25

74LS279. . .

.. .49

.39

74LS75

. . .39

.29

74LS322. . .

. . 4.05

3.95

74LS76. . . .

.. .55

.45

74LS365.. .

.. .49

.39

74LS85. . . .

.. .59

.49

74LS366..

.. .49

.39

74LS86 .

.. .35

.25

74LS367...

.. .49

39

74LS90. . .

.. .49

.39

74LS368..

.. .49

.39

74L.S93. . .

.. .49

.39

74LS373 .

. . .79

.69

74LS123. . .

.. .59

.49

74LS374 .

.. .79

.69

74LS125.. .

.. .49

.39

74LS393..

.. .89

.79

74LS138 .

. . .49

.39

74LS590..

. . 6.05

5.95

74LS139.

.. .49

.39

74LS624..

£ 05

1.49

74LS154. .

.. 1.09

.99

74LS629..

. . 2.95

2.85

74LS157.

.. .45

.35

74LS640..

.. 1.09

.99

74LS158..

. . .45

.35

74LS645..

. . 1.09

.99

74LS163..

. . .59

.49

74LS670.

.. 1.09

.99

74LS164..

.. .59

.49

74LS688..

. . 2.39

2.29

74S/PROWIS*

74SO0

74S04

74S08

35

74S196....

. . . &49 1.49

74S10

29

74S240

1.49

74S32

35

74S244

1.49

74S74

... ^tS .25

74S253

... r?9 .49

74S85

. . .+tt91.19

74S287*. . .

1.49

74S86

49

74S288-. . .

1.49

74S124

. . . 9-75 1.95

74S373. . ..

1.49

79

74S374

1.49

74S472". . .

2.95

74F

74F00

29

74F139. .. .

... +39 .59

74F04

.29

74F157. . . .

... t69 .49

.29 .25

2.95

74F10

.. . r£9

74F240. . .

... r99 .69

74F32

.29

74F244. . . .

99

74F74

.39

74F253

... +39 .49

74F86

... as

?9

74F373. . . .

99

.69

74F374. . . .

99

CD—CMOS

CD4001.. CD4008.. CD4011 . CD4013.. CD4016.. CD4017.. CD4018.. CD4O20 . CD4024.. CD4027. . CD403O. . CD4040.. CD4049.. CD4050.. CD4051.. CD4052. . CD4053.. CD4063. CD4066.. CD4067.. CD4069.. CD4070. . CD4071.. CD4072..

. +r95 1.49 25

CD4076

CD4081

CD4082

CD4093

CD4094

CD40103.... CD40107. . . CD40109....

CD4510

CD4511

CD4520

CD4522

CD4538

CD4541

CD4543

CD4553

CD4555

CD4559

CD4566

CD4583

CD4584

CD4585

MC14411P. . MC14490P..

2.49

r49 .29

4.95

79

. 7v95 4,95 .£491.76 . t89 .59 39

.89

S.95

MICROPROCESSOR COMPONENTS

MISCELLANEOUS CHIPS

Part No. Price

D765AC 435 3.95

WD9216 635 4.95

95H90 9:95 4.95

ZOO, Z80A, Z80B SERIES

Z80 +3^ .99

Z80-CTC +r?9 .99

280-DART 4.95

Z80-PI0 +r?9 .99

Z80A 1.69

Z80A-CTC 1.79

Z80A-DART 4.95

Z80A-PI0 1.69

Z80A-SI0/0 5.75

Z80B 3.49

Z80B-CTC 3.95

Z80B-PIO 439 3.95

6500/6800/68000 SER.

6502 2.65

65C02(CMOS) 6357.75

6520 1.95

6522 3.95

6532 6t49 5.49

6551 -+^9 2.95

65C802 (CMOS) 4&3S 15.95

6800 1 -95

6802 3.95

6810 1.25

6821 1-75

6840 9353.49

6500/6800/68000 Cont. Part No. Price

6845 9:95 2.95

6850 1.95

6852 +t«*9 .75

6854 <M91.19

MC68000LB . ++-95 9.95 MC68000L10 +935 11.95 MC68010L10 4935 29.95 MC6B020RC12B +6935 99.95

8031. 8000SEmES. 3.95

80C31 9.95

8035 1.95

8073 9.95

8080A 935 2.49

8085A 2.49

8086 535 4.95

8086-2 6.95

8087 (5MHz) 99.95

8087-1 (10MHZ). .229.95 8087-2 (8MHz)... 159.95

8088 6r49 5.75

B088-2 835 7.75

8116 4.95

8155 2.49

8155-2 3.49

8156 3.95

8202 6354.95

8203 935 6.95

8212 2.29

8224 2.25

8000 SERIES Cont.

Part No. Price

8228 2.95

8237-5 435 4.49

8243 935 1.75

8250A 6.49

8250B (For IBM).... 6.95

8251A 1-89

8253-5 1.95

8254 4.95

8255A-5 2.95

8259-5 2.25

8272 435 3.95

8279-5 2.95

8741 9.95

8742 29.95 19.95

8748 (25V) 7.95

8748H (HMOS) (21V)...9.95

8749 9.95

8751 (3.5-8MHZ).... 39.95 8751H (3.5- 12MHz)... 44.95

8755 14.95

DATA ACQUISITION ADC0804LCN . . 9r+9 2.79

ADC0808CCN 5.95

ADC0809CCN . . 935 3.69 ADC0816CCN.++35 8.95

ADC1205CCJ-1 19-95

DAC0808LCN 1.95

DAC1008LCN 4.95

AY-3-1015D 4.95

AY-5-1013A 2.95

MICROPROCESSOR SALE!

Part No. nstt

8052AHBASIC CPU w/BASIC Interpreter $29.95

MC68008L8 32-Bit MPU (8-Bit Data Bus).. $10.90 $9.95

MC68701 8-Bit EPROM Microcomputer $14.95

MC68705P3S 8-Bit EPROM Microcomputer. .$14.90 $9.95

MC68705U3S 8-Bit EPROM Microcomputer.

80286-10

80287-8

80287-10

80387-16

80387-20

Part No.

16-Bit Hi Performance MPU.. . . Math Co-processor (8MHz). ... Math Co-processor (10MHz)... Math Co-proc. (16MHz) grid array . Math Co-proc. (20MHz) grid array .

.. $10.95 .. $99.95 . $245.95 $309.95 . $494.95 . $795.95

-DYNAMIC RAMS

Price

■4116-15 16,384 x 1 (150ns) 1.09

4128-20 131.072x1 (200ns) (Piggyback) 935 2.75

"4164-100 65.536 x 1 (100ns) 435 3.69

-4164-120 65,536 x 1 (120ns) 9^5 2.79

•4164-150 65,536 x 1 (150ns) 935 2.69

*4164-200 65,536 x 1 (200ns) 9^5 1.95

'TMS4416-12 16,384x4 (120ns) 935 7.75

■41256-80 262.144 x 1 (80ns) +435 13.49

•41256-100 262.144x1 (100ns) +4*9 12.49

•41256-120 262.144x1 (120ns) +935 11.95

•41256-150 262.144x1 (150ns) +335 11.49

"50464-15 65,536x4 (150ns) (4464) 9.95

■5110O0P-10 1,048.576x1 (100ns) 1 Meg. 4935 39.95

•514256P-10 262.144x4 (100ns) 1 Meg.8935 69.95

STATIC RAMS

2048x8 (120ns) 4.95

2048 x 8 (45ns) 6.95

(350ns) 89

(450ns).

■2016-12

2018-45

2102

2114N

2114N-2L

21C14

5101 ■6116P-3 "6116LP-3 "6264LP-12 "6264P-15 ■6264LP-15

6514

■43256- 15L •62256LP-12

1024 x 1 1024 x 4 1024 X 4 1024 x 4 256x4 2048 x 8 2048x8 8192x8 8192 x8 8192x8 1024x4 32.768 x 32.768 x

TMS2516

TMS2532

TMS2532A

TMS2564

TMS2716

1702A

2708

2716

2716-1

27C16

2732

2732A-20

2732A-25

27C32

2764-20

2764-25

2764A-25

2764-45

27C64-15

27128-20

27128-25

27128A-25

27C128-25

27256-20

27256-25

27C256-25

27512-20

27512-25

(200ns) Low Power 1.49

(200ns) (CMOS) 49

(450ns) CMOS 1.95

(150ns) CMOS.... &49 5.25 (150ns) LPCMOS..635 6.19 (120ns) LPCMOS+935 10.95 (150ns) CMOS .. +3t*9 7.95 (150ns)LPCMOS+335 10.25

(350ns) CMOS 3.49

8 (150ns) Low Power 12.95

8 (120ns) LPCMOS 17.95

EPROMS

2048 x 8 (450ns) 25V 635 5.95

4096 x 8 (450ns) 25V 635 6.49

4096 x 8 (450ns) 21V 935 4.49

8192 x 8 (450ns) 25V 935 7.95

2048x8 (450ns) 3 Voltage ... 935 6.95

256x8 (1/iS) 635 4.95

1024 x 8 (450ns) 4.95

2048 x 8 (450ns) 25V 3.75

2048 x 8 (350ns) 25V 4.25

2048 x 8 (450ns) 25V (CMOS) . . . 5.49

4096 x 8 (450ns) 25V 3.95

4096 x 8 (200ns) 21V 4.25

4096x8 (250ns) 21V 3.95

4096 x 8 (450ns) 25V (CMOS) . . . 5.95

8192x8 (200ns) 21V 4.25

8192x8 (250ns) 21V 3.75

8192x 8192 x

COMMODORE CHIPS

(250ns) 12.5V 3.95

(450ns) 21V 2.95

(150ns) 12.5V (CMOS)... 6.49

16,384x8 (200ns) 21V 6.95

16,384x8 (250ns) 21V 5.95

16,384 x 8 (250ns) 12.5V 5.25

16.384 x 8 (250ns) 21V (CMOS) . . 6.95

32,768 x 8 (200ns) 12.5V 6.95

32,768 x 8 (250ns) 12.5V 5.95

32,768 x 8 (250ns) 12.5V (CMOS) . 7.95

65,536 x 8 (200ns) 12.5V 13.49

65,536 x 8 (250ns) 12.5V ++35 11.25

EEPROMS

2816A-25 2048x8 (250ns) 5V Read/Write.... 5.95 2817A 2048x8 (350ns) 5V Read/Write.... 7.95 2865A 8192 x 8 (250ns) 5V Read/Write.... 9.95 52B13(21V) 2048x8 (350ns) 5V Read Only 1.49

Part No.

Price

LAG 570

.+8359.95

WD1770....

. ++35 9.95

SI3052P....

. . &49 1.25

6504A

..+351.19

6507

..4392.95

6525

-435 2.49

6526

+435 12.95

..4353.25

6569

9435 15.95

6572

835 6.95

6582 (9V) . .

+435 6.95

8501

+935 8.95

8502

735 4.95

8564

935 4.95

8566

9435 15.95

9.95

8721

+43511.95

8722

935 6.95

■251104-04.

.+935 8.95

310654-05..

9.95

318018-03 .

, +635 8.95

318019-03.

.+635 8.95

318020-04.

. 10.95 8.95

325302-01.

10.95

325572-01.

1 4.95

"82S100PLA

* 15.95

901225-01 .

..++359.95

901226-01.

11.95

901227-03.

11.95

901229-05.

11.95

'No specs

available

"Note:82S100PLA =

U17(C-64)

74CCMOS

74C00 .

::■•>

74C174 .

79

74C02 .

.29

74C175.

. .79

74C04 . .

.29

74C221 .

.1.79

74C0B . .

.35

74C240.

. .69

74C10 55

.19

74C244.

.1.79

7*14

.59

74C373.

.1.95

74C32 . .

.35

74C374 .

.1.95

74C74 . .

. .59

74C912.

.8.95

74C85 . .

1.49

74C915.

. .99

74C86 .

.35

7C920.

.4.95

74C09 M93.95

74C921 .

.4.95

74C90 .

.99

74C922 .

.3.95

74C154 .

2.95

74C923 .

.3.95

74C173+r85 59

74C925

.5.95

IWISC. COMPONENTS

TANTALUM CAPACITORS

TM.1/35 .1fil@35V. ..

TM1/35 MS 35V.... 1M2.2J35 2.2»l @ 35V. .

TM4.7/35 4.7,,l @ 35V 45

TM6.8/35 6.6j.l © 35V 49

TM10/35 10i.l'8 3SV 69

POTENTIOMETERS

Values available (insert onms into space matted "XX"): 500O. IK, 2K.

5K, I0K, 20K. 50K, I00K, 200K. 1MEG

43PXX '■ Wall, 15 Turn .99 | 63PXX ', Wall. 1 Turn .89

TRANSISTORS AND DIODES

PK2222 2N2222A, 2N3055 .. 2N3904. .

.65

PN2907.. 2N4401.. IN270 . IN751. .

1N4004 12

1N4148 07

1N4735 25

C106B1 49

SWITCHES

JMT123 SPDI, On-On 1.19 I 206-8 SPDT.l6-r.in DIP 1.29 MPC121 SPDT,0n-0ll-0n1.19 | MS102 SPST, Momentary .39

D-SUB CONNECTORS

DB25P Male. 25-pin .75 | DB25S Female, 25-p.n .79

LEDS

XC5S6BT1".. Red 12 I XC556VT11., Yellow 15

XC556GT1*., Green 15 XC556CT1M, Clear/Red 15

IC SOCKETS

8LP. 14LP. . 16LP. 24 LP. . 28LP. . 40LP .

Wire Wrap (Gold) Level «3

8WW 59

14WW 65

16WW 69

24WW 1.19

28WW 1.39

40WW 1.89

Snldcrlail standard Ifinld &Tin) & Header Plug Sockets Also available

74HC HI-SPEEP CMOS

Part No.

Pi

ice .19 .19 .19 .19 .19 .29 .19 .25 .29 .35 .35 .55 .35 .69 .39 .39 .39 .39 .19 .39 49

Part No.

Price

74HC221 74HC240 74HC244 74HC245. .

74HC04

74HC08

74HC10

-99

-99

...r29 ....r49

-99 .69

-99 .69

... ^9 .79

74HC259. 74HC273. 74HC373 74HC374

74HC595

74HC688. . .

74HC943

74HC4040

74HC4049

74HC4050

74HC4060

74HC4511.

74HC4514

74HC4538

74HC4543

74HC74

74HC75

-89

... r99 .65 -99 .65

74HC85

^9

:99 .79

r89

. . . . r99 79

74HC125 74HC132 .

.,..i«9

..,.:69

•59 .39 -59 .39

74HC139 74HC154 74HC163 74HC174 . .

:49

. +t49 *6 tS9

. +r29 .99 -H79 .99

89

. . +r19 .89

74HCT — CMOS TTL

74HCTOO

-29 r29

?29

-29 -29

17 17 .17 .17 .17 .21 .25 .19 35

74HCT139

. . .-59

35

74HCT04

74HCT174.

,...t88

.35

74HCT10

74HCT240, , 74HCT244. . , 74HCT245 . 74HCT373 . . 74HCT374.

....t89 ....r99 . +7+9

.. .-H9

-H-e

.89

39

74HCT74 74HCT86 74HCT138.

-49

-49

.. , .-59

.79 .55 .49

LINEAR

DS0026CN

1

LM1458N

39

TL074CN

1,19

LM1488N

49

TL084CN

m

DS14C88N (CMOS)...1.19

8.9b 45

49

LM307N

DS14C89N (CMOS)... 1.19

LM309K

1 25

LM1496N

t89 .69

.45 .79 .99 1.29 3 95

MC1648P

LM1871N

9*9 1.95

195

1.95

LM1896N-1 ... ULN2003A

+t49 .79

LM323K

79

LM324N

39

XR2206

3.95

LM338K

LM339N

39

XR2243

1.95

1.79 69

26LS29

26LS31

9rS5 2.95

LM348N

1.19

LM350T

2 95

26LS32

1.19

.39 49

26LS33

LM2901N

. .. .1.49

LF353N

. .39 .15

79

LM2907N

1.29

89

LM2917N(6piri!

1.95

109

MC3419CL

695 3.95

MC3450P

LM361N

1.79

MC3471P

+t95 75

.89

MC3486P

LM393N

LM399H

LF411CN

TL497ACN

MC3487P

+t49 9t95

2.95 .79 .99

1.49 .29 .59 .49 .89 99 .79

LM3900N

LM3905N. . . LM3909N

.49

1.19

99

LM3916N 195

NE5532 69

NE5534 69

7805K (LM340K-5). ...1.29

XRL555

LM556N

NE558N

7812K(LM340K-12). .1.29

7815K(LM340K

15)...1.29

7805T (LM340T-5) 49

7812T (LM340T

12) . . . .49

7815T (LM340T-15) . .. 49

7905K (LM320K-5) +-85 .99

7905T (LM320T-5) 59

75472

. t59 .39

75477

MC145106P

MC1398P

6-95

4.95

2r49 1.95

LM1414N

+r29

.49

MC145406P. .

2.95

PARTIAL LISTING • OVER 4000 COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES IN STOCK! • CALL FOR QUANTITY DISCOUNTS

w-~.n .~ ^ ram?s SUBJECT TQ FREQUENT PRICE CHANGES

332 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 134 on Reader Service Card

Worldwide • Since 1974 MMC

• QUALITY COMPONENTS • COMPETITIVE PRICING ""oMelTfa

MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL

JAMECO SOLDERLESS BREADBOARD SOCKETS

JE23 Part

No.

Dim

JE20 JE21 JE22 JE23 JE24 JE25 JE26 JE27

6Vz x % 354 X 2Vi 6>Ax1% 6'A x 2 It 6V2 x 3!* 6V2 x 4Vi 6'/a x 5% 714 x 7V!>

200

400

630

830

1,360

1.660

2,390

3,220

$ 2.29 $ 4.49 $ 5.95 S 7.49 $14.95 S22.95 $27.95 $37.95

COMPUTER PERIPHERALS

Jameco IBM PC/XT/AT

Compatible Motherboards

■ Award BIOS ROMs included JE1001

JE1001 4.77/8MHZ (PC/XT) $ 99.95

JE1002 4.77/10MHz (PC/XT) ...$119.95 JE1007 6/8/10/12MHz (AT) $349.95

Jameco Computer Power Protection jei"i9o

JE1190 Power Base $29.95

JE1191 6-Outlet Power Strip $11.95

Jameco IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible Keyboards

JE1016 Pictured JE101 5 Standard ATlayout (XT/AT).. $59.95 JE101 6 Enhanced layout (XT/AT) ... $79.95

Jameco Extended 80-Column Card for Apple lie

• 80 Col./64K RAM ■ Doubles amount ot data your Apple lis can display as well as ils memory capacity • Ideal (or word processing • Complete with instructions

JE864 $39.95

ADD12 (D^

Drive II, II-. lie)

$99.95

DATA BOOKS

400041 NSC Linear Data Book-Vol. I (88) $14.95

400042 NSC Linear Data Book-Vol. II (68). ... $ 9.95

400043 NSC Linear Data Book-Vol. Ill (88) $ 9.95

210830 Intel Memory Handbook (88) $17.95

230843 Intel Microsystem Hndbk. Set (88) $24.95

IBM AT COMPATIBLE KIT Mini-286 6/8/10/12MH* Kit

JE1007 JE1015 JE1017 JE1022 JE1032

JE1043 JE1065

Baby AT Motherboard (Zero-K RAM - includes

XT/AT Style Keyboard

. S 59.95

Baby AT Flip-Top Case. . .

. S 69.95

6W Hi-Density Disk Drive

.3109.95

200 Watt Power Supply...

. S 89.95

360K/720K/1.2M Floppy

. $ 49.95

Now With^ FREE QAPLUS

Diagnostic . Software! «3

irlflfrlfrftfrftll

Regular List $789.65 SAVE $99.70!

JE1059 $519.95 (EGA Monitor and Card not included)

IBM AT Compatible Kit $689.95

3 left)

JE2009*

JE286M JE2009 Technical Manual 7. . $29795

RAM not included - Minimum RAM configuration 512K (18 Chips 41256-120,1

IBM COMPATIBLE DISPLAY MONITORS

12" Amber Monochrome

TTL Input, High Resolution (PC/XT/ATI l|j»'

AMBER $99.95

14" RGB Color — CGA Compatible Mmj^jz~—~^!§

Amber/Green/Color Switchable, 640 x 200 Resolution (PC/XT/AT)

TTX1410 $279.95

■

14" EGA Color - EGA/CGA Compat., 720 x 350 Max, Resolution (PC/XT/AT)

TE5154 $399.95

14" EGA Monitor and EGA Card - EGA compatible, 720 x 350 Max

Resolution - displays up to 16 colors (PC/XT/AT)

JE1059 $519.95

■ VGA/PGC/EGA compatible, 800 x 600 Max, Reso

14" Multiscan Color

lution (PC/XT/AT)

CTX1435 $549.95

IBM PC/XT/AT COMPATIBLE CARDS

Graphic Display Cards

JE1050 JE1052

JE10S0

Mono Graphics Card w/Printer Port (PC/XT/AT).

JE1055

Color Graphics Card w/Printer Port (PC/XT/AT).

$59.95

EGA Card with 256K Video RAM (PC/XT/AT).

$49.95

JE1071

Multi I/O with Drive Controller and Mono Graphics (PC/XT). ■

$169.95

$119.95

Multifunction, I/O and Expansion Cards

.„„.. I/O Card with Serial, Game, Parallel Printer JfclUbU Port and Real Time Clock (PC/XT) $59.95

JE1061 RS232 Serial Half Card (PC/XT/AT) $29.95

I/O Card with Serial, Game and

Parallel Printer Port (AT) $59.95

Expand to 384K (zero-K on-board) Multifunc w/Serial

Game, Parallel Printer Port & Real Time Clock (PC/XT) .'. $69.95

JE1065 JE1078

JE1081

2MB of expanded or extended memory (zero-K on-board) (AT)

$119.95

JE1082

3MB of expanded or extended memory, parallel printer

port, serial port and game port

(zero-K on-board) (AT) $1 69.95

Floppy and Hard Disk Controller Cards

JE1 040 360KB Floppy Disk Drive Controller Card (PC/XT). . . . $29 95

JE1041

JE1043

20/40MB Hard Disk Controller Card (PC/XT).

$79.95

JE1045

360K/720K/1.2MB Floppy Disk Cont. Card (PC/XT/AT) $49.95 360K/720K/1.2MB Floppy/Hard Disk Controller Card (AT)

$149.95

COMPUTER PERIPHERALS

Zuckerboard 30 Meg HardjDisk Drive

Board for Tandy 1000, 1000A,

1000SX, 1200, 3000 and 3000HL

ST225

ST225XT

ST225AT

ST238

ST238XT

ST238AT

ST251

ST251XT

ST251AT

ST277

ST277XT

ST277AT

XR4

TB40

U.S. Funds Only

Shipping: Add 5% plus $1.50 Insurance

(May vary according to weight)

California Residents:

Add 6%, 61/2% or 7% Sales Tax

• 30 Megabytes formatteS capacity • Uses only one slot ■ Pre-formatted with MS-DOS T30MB30MBHardDisk$599^5 $399.95

Seagate 20,30

40 and 60MB

Half Height

Hard Disk

Drives

ST225K (Pictured)

20MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) S224.95

20MB w/Controller (PC/XT) S269.95

20MB w/Controller (AT) S339.95

30MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $249.95

30MB w/Controller (PC/XT) S299.95

30MB w/Controller (AT) S389.95

40MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $429.95

40MB w/Cont. Card (PC/XT) $469.95

40MB w/Controller Card (AT). . . . $539.95

60MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $499.95

60MB w/Controller (PC/XT) $549.95

60MB w/Conlroller Card (AT). , , . $639.95

40MB Tape Back-Up

for IBM PC/XT/AT 40MB Tape Back-Up $369.95

40MB Tape Cartridge $24 95

Jameco 5.25" PC/XT

& AT Compatible

Disk Drives

JE1022 (Pictured)

JE1 020 360K Black Bzl. (PC/XT/AT) ... $ 89.95 JE1021 360K Beige Bzl. (PC/XT/AT)... $ 89.95 JE1 022 1.2MB Beige Bzl. (PC/XT/AT) . ■ $1 09.95

3.5" PC/XT/AT Compatible Disk Drives

„.«.,.. 35" 720KB (Bezels and Instal

352KU lation Kit incl.) (PC/XT/AT) $129 95

„„.„ 3.5" 1.44MB (Bezels and Instal

MF355B lation Kit incl.) (PC/XT/AT) $149.95

Datatronics 2400/1200/300 Modems

NEW, Packet Version!

• Hayescommand compatible • Bell 103/212A compatible- Auto-dial/autoanswer ■ FCC approved 1-year warranty • Includes MaxiMite Communication Software (except 1200P)

1200/300 Baud Pocket Modem $109.95

1200/300 Baud Internal Modem. ... $ 69.95 2400/1200/300 Internal Modem. . . . $139.95

1200/300 Baud External Modem $119.95

2400/1200/300 External Modem . . . $179.95

1200P 1200H 2400S 1200C 2400E

TEST EQUIPMENT

MefexM4650:

• Handheld, highaccuracy

■ 4ft Digil LCD

■ Manual ranging with Overload Protection

• Audible conlinuily tester

■ Tesls: AC/DC Voltage, Resistance, Conlinuily Capacilance, Frequency

• One Year Warranty

• Size: 7"Lx3VWx U/'H

M4650.. $89.95

$20 Minimum Order

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines

c 1988 Jameco Electronics

9/88

Mail Order Electronics-Worldwide

lameco

ELECTRONICS

V/SA*

Data Sheets - 50C each Prices Subject to Change

Send $2.00 Postage for a FREE 1988 CATALOG

FAX Numbers: 415-592-2503 or 415-595-2664 Telex: 176043

1355 ShorewayRd., Belmont, CA 94002 • 24HR. ORDER HOTLINE415-592-8097 • All Other Inquiries (7am-5pm PST) 415-592-8121

Circle 134 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 333

Circle 85 on Reader Service Card

Difference ...

2 FORI LIFETIME WARRANTY

/ Pkg'd in 6 different colors, bulk or boxed COLOR

/ 100% tested and certified

• Guaranteed clipping level of 65% or above

/ Includes tyvek envelopes {not paper), write protect

tabs and user labels / Quality at affordable prices 5-W-48TP1

DS-DD

.49 .59

BULK

COLOR

OR GRAY

BOXED COLOR

DS-HD 96 TPI IBM-AT Compatible

.90 .99

mm ® Americas

IiCenTecU 'SS&&82&

Color Diskettes

/TIMELESS WARRANTY / 75%+ clipping level quaranteed / Each disk 100% tested and certified / 18 COLORS for data organization / Pkgs. include sleeves, w/p tabs, & ID labels 5-1/4" -48 TPI DS-HD 96 TPI

DS-DD

.84 .63

3-1/2"-135 TPI DS-DD COLOR

1.75

5-1/4"

48 TPI DS-DD

IBM-AT Compatible

PLASTIC STORAGE BOX COLOR

BULK COLOR

PLASTIC STORAGE BOX

BASF

1.39 1.15

3-1/2"-135 TPI BLACK DS-HD

4.50

DS-HD 96 TPI 'ZjeSf IBM-AT Compatible

.94

3-1/2" DS-DD

1.34

Call for best prices on Data

BULK

320

5-1/4" DS/DD 48 TPI Exceeds ANSI specifications + 6C FOR TYVEK

ORDERING INFORMATION

TERMS: P.O. orders accepted, government and schools on net 30. SHIPPING: U.S. orders add $3.00 per 100 diskettes or fraction thereof, add $3.00 for COD orders. PRICE PROMISE: We will better any lower delivered price on the same products and quantities advertised nationally.

Toll Free Order Line:

Information Line:

1800 233-2477 1801-5610092

^BfSC INTERNATIONAL

UPPLY COMPANY 1376 W. 8040 S. / WEST JORDAN, UT 84088 HRS: 8 AM TO 5 PM (MTN. TIME)

334 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

TiiiWCfsets The Pace!

CZs Tango's ease-of-use, rich functionality

and crisp output have brought lens of tbmistmtk of boards

to life, quickly and

affordablv.

Start-to-finish design tools include:

Tango-Schematic with Library Manager, Tango-PCB I mil Grid, 9 Layers, Oerher Output, Tango-Route Autoroutes 90+",. Fast!, Tango-Tools 8 Money-Saving Utilities,

$495 $495 $495 $295

Let's discuss your design needs Toll-Free, or order a lull function Evaluation Pkg, just $10, V1SA/MC.

OUU 4o»J-/oUl Satisfaction guaranteed,

ACCEL Technologies, 7318 Trade St., San Diego, CA 92121

Circle 6 on Reader Service Card

8051, 8096, 68HC11, 68008 SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERS

We feature a series of single board computers for process control applications. Available as bare boards or assembled and tested. Optional EPROM resident System Monitors and BASIC interpreters are also available.

ALLEN SYSTEMS

2151 Fairfax Road

Columbus, Ohio 43221

614-488-7122

LOGIC PROGRAMMER

1

BPEKbMH

UNIVERSAL LOGIC PROGRAMMER

• PROGRAMS.

READS. DUPLICATES. TESTS AND

SECURES HUNDREDS OF 20- AND 24-PIN DEVICES

• 23 UNIVERSAL PIN DRIVERS WITH INDEPENDENT DAC. ADC & SLEW FUNCTIONS PROGRAM ALMOST ANY LOGIC DEVICE

• MENU DRIVEN OPERATION IS EASY TO LEARN AND QUICK TO OPERATE

• CONNECTS TO ANY IBM COMPATIBLE COMPUTER VIA PARALLEL PRINTER PORT

• EDITS FUSE DATA S. TEST VECTORS WITH FULL SCREEN EDITOR

• TESTS WITH VECTORS & SECURES AFTER PROGRAMMING

• SUPPORTS ALL POPULAR PLD DEVELOPEMENT SOFTWARE

• GOLD TEXTOOL 2IF IC SOCKET • ONLINE HELP FUNCTION

• MONEY BACK GUARANTEE «SELF CALIBRATING

• TOLL-FREE TECH SUPPORT • JEDEC FILE IN/OUTPUT

• UPDATABLE VIA FLOPPY • ONE YEAR WARRANTY

• EPROM PROGRAMMERS ALSO «SAME DAY SHIPMENT

•JUST$798

CALL FOR FREE DEMO DISK 800/225-2102

BP^

MICROSYSTEMS 10S81 HADDINGTON #190 HOUSTON, TX 77043 713/461-9430 TLX: 1561477 FAX: 713/461-7413

Circle 36 on Reader Service Card

Fix common problems fast!

You don't need to be an expert to diagnose and correct problems involving PC setup. All you need is HELPME™ software! More than 300 tests. On-screen help for understanding and correcting identified problems. Quick identification of system configuration and compatibility. $99 plus shipping and handling. MC and VISA accepted. California Software Products, Inc., 525 N. Cabrillo Park Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 973-0440.

Circle 38 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 39)

ON TARGET ASSOCIATES

Producls and Services

for Design and Manufacturing Engineers.

Micro Channel Design Consulting

Prototype Cards

■Newsletter

"DC/O /-f^--—"~" -ASIC's

•■''■'--- Extender Cards

Adapter Bracket Sets Burn-in Mother Boards

We will move your PC/XT/AT products to the Micro Channel, or create your new design.

CALL: (408) 980-7118 for our Free catalog

ON TARGET TARGET TARGET

...the PS/2 leaders.

PS/2 and Micro Channel are trademarks of IBM Com.

Circle 195 on Reader Service Card

EPROM PROGRAMMER

$ 3 4 9

THE EP-1'S A GREAT VALUE AND HERE'S WHY: READS PROGRAMS. COPIES OVER 350 EPROM AND EEPROMS FROM 30 MFG'S INCLUDING 2716-275)3,2804-28256,270! 1 READS/ WRITES INTEL MOTOROLA STRAIGHT HEX & BINARY

• OPTIONAL HEADS PROGRAM INTEL 874X,8751.87C51,8755

• MENU-DRIVEN CHIP SELECTION BY MFG & P/M;NO MODULES

• FAST SLOW, QUICK PULSE PROGRAMMING ALGORITHMS

• SPLITS FILES BY BASE ADDRESS AND ODD/EVEN (16 & 32 BIT)

• ALL 1NTELUGENCE IN UNIT; Z80 MICROPROCESSOR BASED

• 5 12 5 21 25 V PROGRAMMING FOR CMOS &-A SUFFIX PARTS

• FREE PC-DOS SOFTWARE • RS232 TO ANY COMPUTER

• GOLD TEXTOOL Z1F SOCKET • 8 BAUD RARES TO 38,400

• MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

• 2 FREE FIRMWARE UPDATES CHECKSUMS SUPPORTED

• ONE YEAR WARRANTY

• SAME DAY SHIPMENT

• UV ERASERS FROM $34.95

CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION 800/225-2102

BPa

MICROSYSTEMS 10681 HADDINGTON #190, HOUSTON, TX 77043 713/461-9430 TLX: 1561477 FAX: 713/461-7413

Circle 36 on Reader Service Card

The Amazing A-BUS\k

Plug into the future

An A-BUS system with two Motherboards

A-BUS adapter (IBM) In foreground

With the A-BUS you can plug your PC (IBM, Apple, TRS-80) into a future of exciting new applications in the fields of control, monitoring, automation, sensing, robotics, etc.

Alpha's modular A-BUS offers a proven method to build your "custom" system today. Tomorrow, when you are ready to take another step, you will be able to add more functions. This is ideal for first time experimenting and teaching.

A-BUS control can be entirely done in simple BASIC or Pascal, and no knowledge of electronics is required!

An A-BUS system consists of the A-BUS adapter plugged into your computer and a cable to connect the Adapter to 1 or 2 A-BUS cards. The same cable will also fit an A-BUS Motherboard for expansion up to 25 cards in any combination.

The A-BUS is backed by Alpha's continuing support (our 11th year, 50000 customers in over 60 countries).

The complete set of A-BUS User's Manuals is available for $10.

About the A-BUS:

• All the A-BUS cards are very easy to use with any language that can read or write to a Port or Memory. In BASIC, use INPand OUT(or PEEK and POKE with Apples and Tandy Color Computers)

• They are all compatible with each other. You can mix and match up to 25 cards to fit your application. Card addresses are easily set with jumpers.

• A-BUS cards are shipped with power supplies (except PD-123) and detailed manuals (including schematics and programming examples).

Relay Card RE-140:$129

Includes eight industrial relays. (3 amp contacts. SPST) individually controlled and latched. 8 LED's show status. Easy to use (OUT or POKE in BASIC) Card address is jumper selectable.

Reed Relay Card re-i56:$99

Same features as above, but uses 8 Reed Relays to switch low level signals (20mA max). Use as a channel selector, solid state relay driver, etc.

Analog Input Card AD-142:$129

Eight analog inputs. 0 to +5V range can be expanded to 100V by adding a resistor. 8 bit resolution (20mV). Conversion time 120us. Perfect to measure voltage, temperature, light levels, pressure, etc. Very easy to use.

12 Bit A/D Converter an-1 46: $139

This analog to digital converter is accurate to .025%. Input range is -4V to +4V. Resolution: 1 millivolt. The on board amplifier boosts signals up to 50 times to read microvolts. Conversion time is 130ms. Ideal for thermocouple, strain gauge, etc. 1 channel. (Expand to 8 channels using the RE-156 card).

Digital Input Card in-i41:$59

The eight inputs are optically isolated, so it's safe and easy to connect any "on/off" devices, such as switches, thermostats, alarm loops, etc. to your computer. To read the eight inputs, simply use BASIC INP (or PEEK).

24 Line TTL I/O dg-i48:$65

Connect 24 input or output signals (switches or any TTL device) to your computer. The card can be set for: input, latched output, strobed output, strobed input, and/or bidirectional strobed I/O. Uses the 8255 A chip.

Clock with Alarm cm44: $89

Powerful clock/calendar with: battery backup for Time, Date and Alarm setting (time and date); built in alarm relay, led and buzzer: timing to 1/100 second. Easy to use decimal format. Lithium battery included.

Touch Tone® Decoder ph-i45:$79

Each tone is converted into a number which is stored on the board. Simply read the number with INP or POKE. Use for remote control projects, etc.

A-BUS Prototyping Card pr-152:$is

SW by 4% in. with power and ground bus. Fits up to 10 I.C.s

ST-143

CL-144

RE-140

AD-142

Smart Stepper Controller sc-149: $299

World's finest stepper controller. On board microprocessor controls 4 motors simultaneously. Incredibly, it accepts plain English commands like "Move arm 10.2 inches left". Many complex seguences can be defined as "macros" and stored in the on board memory. For each axis, you can control: coordinate (relative or absolute), ramping, speed, step type (half, full, wave), scale factor, units, holding power, etc. Many inputs: 8 limit & "wait until" switches, panic button, etc. On the fly reporting of position, speed, etc. On board drivers (350mA) for small steppers (MO-103) Send for SC-149 flyer. Remote Control Keypad Option RC-1 21: S49

To control the 4 motors directly, and "teach" seguences of motions. Power Driver Board Option PD-1 23: $89

Boost controller drive to 5 amps per phase. For two motors (eight drivers). Breakout Board Option BB-122:$19

For easy connection of 2 motors. 3 ft. cable ends with screw terminal board.

Stepper Motor Driver st-i43:$79

Stepper motors are the ultimate in motion control. The special package (below) includes everything you need to get familiar with them. Each card drives two stepper motors (12V. bidirectional. 4 phase. 350mA per phase). SpecialPackage:2motors(M0-103) + ST-143: PA-1 81: $99

Stepper Motors mo-i 03: $15 or4for$39

Pancake type. 2%" dia, %" shaft. 7.57step. 4 phase bidirectional. 300 step/sec. 12V. 36 ohm. bipolar. 5 oz-in torque, same as Airpax K82701-P2.

Current Developments

Intelligent Voice Synthesizer, 14 Bit Analog to Digital converter^ Channel Digital to Analog converter. Counter Timer, Voice Recognition.

A-BUS Adapters for:

IBM PC, XT, AT and compatibles. Uses one short slot. AR-133 $69

Tandy 1000,1000 EX&SX, 1200,3000. Uses one short slot AR-133...S69

Apple II, II+, He. Uses any slot AR-134...S49

TRS-80 Model 102. 200 Plugs into 40 pin "system bus" AR-136...$69

Model 100. Uses40pinsocket (Socket is duplicated on adaDter) AR-135 ..$69

TRS-80 Mod 3,4.4 D. Fits SO pin bus (With hard disk, use Y-cable) AR-132...S49

TRS-80 Model 4 P. Includes extra cable. (50 pin bus is recessed). AR-137 $62

TRS-80 Model I. Plugs into 40 pin I/O bus on KB or E/l. AR-131 ...$39

Color Computers (Tandy).Fits ROM slot. Multipak. or Y-cable. AR-138...$49

A-BUS Cable (3 ft, 50 cond.) ca-i63: $24

Connects the A-BUS adapter to one A-BUS card or to first Motherboard Special cable for two A-BUS cards: CA-162: $34

A-BUS Motherboard mb-i2o:$99

Each Motherboard holds five A-BUS cards. A sixth connector allows a second Motherboard to be added to the first (with connecting cable CA161: $12). Up tp five Motherboards can be joined this way to a single ABUS adapter. Sturdy aluminum frame and card guides included.

Add $3.CO per order for shipping. Visa, MC, checks, M.O. welcome. CT & NY residents add sales tax. COO. add $3.00 extra. Canada: shipping Is $5 Overseas add 10%

JjjjQ ALPHA ^®(°fe©&

a s«,™ lysines comedy 242-B West Avenue, Darien, CT 06820

Circle 16 on Reader Service Card

Technical info: (203)656-1806

£My 800 221-0916

Connecticut orders: (203) 348-9436

All lines open weekdays 9 to 5 Eastern time

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 335

Circle 88 on Reader Service Card

WE OFFER:

1. Same Day Service - All orders shipped, insured, within 24 hrs

2. Guaranteed Satisfaction - Lifetime warranty, 30-day return guarantee

3. In-stock Inventory - No delays, no disappointments

4. No Minimum Order - Quantity discounts also available

5. Pre-Approved Purchase Orders and Visa & MasterCard Accepted

AND GREAT PRICES!

5.25 Black Disks, DS/DD . . .36 ea. 5.25 Color Disks. 8 Colors

Available, DS/DD 46 ea.

5.25 Black Disks, DS/HD . -82 ea. 5.25 Color Disks, 8 Colors

Available, DS/HD 94 ea.

3.5 Blue or Gray Disks,

DS/DD 1.12 ea.

3.5 Color Disks, 5 Colors

Available, DS/DD 1.28 ea.

3.5 High Density, Black

only 3.80 ea.

100% certified and tested. Error free lifetime warranty. All disks include generic white box, Tyvek sleeves, labels, write protect tabs, shrink wrapped.

CONTINUOUS FORM LABELS

Size

23/4 X 7/16

23/4X7/16

2V2X 15/16

2V2X 15/16

23/4 X 23/4*

23/4X1-7/16

3x15/16

3.3x15/16

3V2X 15/16

3V2X.15/16

3'/2X 15/16

3V2X 15/16

4x15/16

4x15/16

4x1-7/16

4x1-7/16

BoxQIy. Pric8/1,000

Across 1 across 4 across 1 across

3 across 1 across 1 across

4 across 4 across

1 across

2 across

3 across

4 across 1 across 3 across 1 across 3 across

Prices quoted for full boxes only. * Designed for the 3'/2" disk

10,000 20,000

5,000 15,000

2,500

5,000 20,000 20,000

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

5,000 15,000

5,000 15,000

$1.95 $1.95 $2.18 $1.98 $12.00 $3.00 $2.00 $2.05 $1.90 $1.90 $1.90 $1.90 $3.21 $3.21 $3.25 $3.25

"The Quality Disk & Label Specialist

Since 1982"

1040 Broadway

Westville, NJ 08093

609-456-6996

FAX# 609-456-7172

All products assembled in the U.S.A.

All orders F.O.B. Westville, NJ

C.O.D. orders add $2.20

9-TRACK MAG.TAPE SUBSYSTEM* FOR THE IBM PC/XT/AT AND...

For information intcrctiiiiKit;. backup and archival storage, AK Systems offr!tKti!Mr;ir;k. IliM fc,iin;it-compat)b1e y;." magnetic lape subsystem tor the IBM PC, featuring:

■ IBM lormat 1600/3200 and 800 cpi.

■ Software (or PC-DOS, MS-DOS, XENIX.

■ Also tor AT&T, DEC. VAX.

VME.S-100, RS-232, IEEE 488.

AKSystems

20741 Manila St

Oin1::-v,!-..rlH CAD1H11 [B10| 709-8100 TWX 9111-593-2071

Circle 12 on Reader Service Card

PC488B

$445

IEEE-488 INTERFACE CARD WITH BUILT-IN BUS ANALYZER

• GPBAS1C package complements IBM/Microsofl BASIC interpreter and compiler to create a programming environment similar to HP desktop computers.

• Additional libraries of over 20 high level 488 dedicated functions for C, Pascal or Fortran available ($50).

• Powerful menu-driven bus analyzer, which can run in the foreground or in the background while 488 programs or commands arc executed, features program stepping, break points and real lime bus data capture (4k circular buffer)

• Instant toggling between foreground and Analyzer screen.

• Complete Talker/Llstener/Controller capability.

• Dipswitch selectable Base Address, IRQ, DMA

VISA MC AMEX Call today far datasheet!!

B&C MICROSYSTEMS

355 West Olive Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Vli. (408)730-5511 FAX: (408)730-5521 TELEX: 984185

Circle 25 on Reader Service Card

336 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Dealers!

Network-OS LAN Systems - Includes Boards, Cabling, Terminators and Software. Two-user hardware and software for under $1,000 list!

Close-Up Remote Communications - Support your customer without leaving your office. Authored by Cogitate for Norton-Lambert!

Context Sensitive Help for Dataplex, RM/ COBOL, Clipper and dBase /// - Puts your application's documentation "on line."

DataFlex Database Management - True MultiUser database for MS/PC-DOS, Unix and Xenix. Site licensing available.

Dump/Restore-XT - Seven utilities for the MS/ PC-DOS user.

Call or write today for our catalog and pricingl

COGITATE, INCORPORATED

"A Higher Form ol Software"

24000 Telegraph Road

Southfield, Ml 48034

(313) 352-2345/Telex: 386581

Visa/MasterCard Accepted

Circle 45 on Reader Service Card

Get the whole

story on graphics

terminal emulation.

To find out more about software that lets your PC emulate TEKTRONIX™ 4105/6/7/9 and DEC VT100™ terminals, call or write:

(§ GRAFPOinT

4340 Stevens Creeks Blvd., Suite 280, San lose, CA 95129 |408) 249-7951

Circle 113 on Reader Service Card

EM220 $169

IBMPC/VT220

VT220. VTIQ2 emulation

File Transfer

132 Column modes

Color Support

Hot Kex

SSSS TEK4105

EM4105

$349

Trrulemarks: 177(0

Tekmmix 4105 emulation

• Tektronix 4010 emulation

• VT220, VTI02 emulation

• Picture files

• High resolution hardcopy

• VGA and EGA support

Diversified Computer Systems, Inc.

3775 Iris Ave., Suite IB Boulder. CO 80301 (303) 447-9251

VT220- DEC: IBM PC. XT-IBM Girp;

la Int.

Circle 78 on Reader Service Card

FREE!

Turn-key PC Systems i Handbook /

NEW

1988

Fall-Winter Edition

Save Time and Money Over 1000 Hard-to-lind Hardware and Software Hems of Special Interest to Technical

• RS 232/IEEE 468 Networks i Stepping & Servo

Motor Controls

• Ruggedized PC's

. RackMlg 80286 5 80386 > Laboratory Automation . 1 MHZ WO

• Digital Scopes to 200 MHZ

• High Speed Bus Adapters ■ Waveform Synthesizers

• Data Loggers

• PC Bus Expansion Chassis

• And Much More

^f^.

A How-to-Handbook that enables you to configure the BEST products from the world's leading PC hardware and software vendors into risk free turn-key system solutions that meet your needs.

Toll Free Hotline for application assistance and convenient one stop shopping at competitive prices. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

203-786-5151™' P.OBok 9565. Now Haven. CT 06536 (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM E.S.T) Fax:203-786-5023 Tele*: 9102501037

Circle 64 on Reader Service Card

What's New at

AMERICAN DESIGN COMPONENTS?

We warehouse 60,000 items at American Design Componentsexpensive, often hard-to-find components for sale at a fraction of theii original cost!

You'll find every part you need — either brand new or removed from equipment (RFEI in excellent condition. But quantities are limited. Order from this ad, or visit our retail showroom and find exactly what you need from the thousands of items on display. OPEN MON.-SAT., 9-5

THERE'S NO RISK!

With our 90-day warranty, any purchase can be returned for any reason for full credit or refund.

EGA COLOR MONITORS... 25 KHz

Operates

ideally with

trie ATI Wonder

Card (avail, from

American Design

for SI 99.00). Perfect

for text, CAD & other

graphics applications.

Scanning freq. to 25KHz. Std. Hi-Res.: 800 x

560, 752 x 410. Input: 110/220V, 50/60HZ., 75W.

Mtd. in metal chassis. (Hook-up diagram incl I

Mfr — Hitachi #CD1215DTL

TESTED — LIKE NEW! 12"— Item #18059 $179.00

$189.00

14"

Item #18599

COMMODORE COMPUTERS...

PLUS 4 —

(Cust. Returns — Tested Good!)

Built-in software incl.: a word processor, spread sheet, graphics, & a filing system. Comes complete w/power supply & instruction manual.

vic 20 — ltem#19Z02 $49.95

(Cust. Returns — As Is!)

No guarantee. (Power supply not incl.)

Item #18770 $29.951

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS...

STATIC RAMS

2114 1024 x 4 (450ns) S .99

2148-55 3 49

2149 1024x4 1 45ns) 2.49

2167S-45 3g5

2102L-2 :;;i;9o

HM6116LP-3 2048 x 8 (150ns) 11.00

HM6116LP-4 2048 x 8 (200ns) 10.00

6147P 2.95

6167P-6 4.50

6514 340

MICROPROCESSORS

68000P-16....S 20.00

68020RC16 199.00

68881RC12 145.00

R802866 55.00

8086-i $ 5.80

8088 5.50

765 3.75

68008-8 9.95

68000P-10 13.50

DYNAMIC RAMS

4116-200 16.385X 1 (200ns) S .69

4.116-250 16,384 x 1 (250ns) 49

4164-150 65,536 x 1 (150nsl 1.25

TMS4164 65,536 x 1 (150ns) 2.25

TMS4416 16,384 x 4 (150ns) 12.00

4.464-150 65,536 x 4 (150ns) 15.00

8118 16,384 x 1 (120ns) 49

41256-150 262,144 x 1 (150ns) 15.00

EPROMS

2708 1024 x 8 (450ns) S 4.95

2716 2048x8 (450ns) 3.49

TMS2532 4096 x 8 (450ns) 5.95

2732 4096 x 8 (450ns) 3.95

2732A-25 4096 x 8 (250ns) 3.95

27C64 8192 x 8 (250ns) 4.95

2764 8192 x 8 (450ns) 2.95

2764A-25 8192 x 8 (250ns) 3.55

2764-250 8192 x 8 (250ns) 3.55

MCM68766 8192 x 8 (350ns) 15.95

27128A-25 16.384 x 8 (250ns) 5.00

27128-250 16,384 x 8 (250ns) 4.25

27C256 32,768 x 8 (250ns) 7.95

27512 65,536 x 8 (250ns) 11.55

27C128-26 7 00

5V4" FULL-HEIGHT

HARD

DISK

DRIVES

40Mb

(AT/XT

Compat.)

High speed, 40 ms. access time.

Quantum #Q540

Item #17765 New - $379.00

10Mb (ST412 Compat.)

Major manufacturers — Get them while they last!

Item #17199 $99.00 ea.

115 CFM MUFFIN® FANS

"The Source" of the

electro-mechanical components

for the hobbyist.

51/4" FULL-HEIGHT DISK DRIVE (IBM® Compat.)

48 TPI.40 Track,

Double Side/Double Density

Tandon #TM100-2 or equiv.

Item #7928 $79.00 New 2 for $150.00 New

12/24VDC MUFFIN® TYPE FANS

55/100CFM

115VAC, 6OH2., 21W., 28A.,

3100 RPM, 5-blade model, aluminum housing. Can be mounted for blowing or exhaust. Dimen:4'V,6"sq. x 1V2" deep NEW —Mfr: IMC

Item #1864 $9.95 USED — Mfr: Centaur/Howard Item #5345 $5.95

COMPUTER GRADE POWER SUPPLY

Other uses—runs CB & car radios. Comes ready to plug in!

DC Output: -5V@.5amp.

+5V@ 3 amp.

+12V@ 6 amp.

Input: 115V/60H2. Dimensions:

9 V„"W x 33//H. (Rubber ft. incl.)

Item #9501 New - $24.95

We carry a full line of ICs & Semiconductors...

HIGH POWER SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY

T'THIN:

5 plastic blades with feathered edges. 8W. Can be mounted for blowing or exhaust. Aluminum housing. Brushless, ball-bearing type. Mfr: - Centaur, #CUDC24K4-601 Item #8541 New - $19.95

STEPPING MOTORS for ROBOTICS...

Precision steppers with increments from 1 to 7.5° Speeds up to 5,000 steps.

Item No.

3V2" MICROFLOPPY

DISK . atti

DRIVE

1 Mb (unformatted), 135 TPI, 3 ms. access time. Power requirements: +12, +5 volts. Removed from operational computers —

TESTED — UKENEW! Mfr —NEC, model FD1035

Item #17171 $79.00 ea. 2 for $150.00

MAGNIFYING LAMP

EXTERNAL DISK DRIVE CHASSIS

With

60W

power

supply

(fan cooled).

Can accommodate:

2 full-ht. drives our item #7928

2 floppy drives #1904

1 hard drive & 1 floppy #13250

Input: 115/230V, 50/60 Hz. Orig. for Burroughs computer. Dim.: 11"Wx8"Hx12" deep

Item #14541 $59.50

HIGH-RESOLUTION TTL MONITORS... (Open Frame)

Multi-position, 30", completely adjustable swing arm with 3-way f metal C-clamp. Has 4" diopter magnifying lens, w/ruler. Porcelain lamp socket & on/off switch uses up to a 60W bulb. Color: beige. UL listed.

Item #13136 New - $24.95

i

f

Fig. 2

l^'sq. x iVdeep

*k

5275 7630 16410 16406

Fig. 1 W" ~™*~/

2"Lx2V,"dia. x2'VH Step DC Torque Angle Volt. 02/in. Type Mfr. 81 Part No.

/

Fig. 3 "

21/a"sg. x 1"deep

Fig

Price

1.8 72

PM20 PM

12.0 12.0

7014 7.5° 12.0 #GramsperCm.

700« 900*

Superior

MO61-FF-6201B

Superior

MO92-FT-402

Applied Motion

4017-839

Applied Motion

4017-838

Mitsubishi

55SI-25DAYA

$19.95 ea. 2 for $37.50 S34.50 ea. 2 for S59.50

S9.95 ea. 2 for $14.95

S9.95 ea. 2 for $14.95 SI 0.95 ea. 2 for $19.95

DC Output: +5V@18A -5V@2.5A + 12V@2.5A Input: 115/230VAC, 50/60Hz. Dim: 13"Lx4V2"Wx 1V,"H Mfr —Sola #39-139 Item #17210 New - $29.95

SMART WATCH DS1216,

DS1216 is a 28-pin, 6"-wide dip socket w/built-in CMOS watch function. Non-volatile RAM controller & lithium energy source. Accepts either 24-pin 2K x 8 or 28pin 8K x 8 CMOS static RAM. Communication w/Smart Watch function is established by pattern recognition on a serial bit stream of 64 bits on D.O. Mfr — Dallas Semiconductor Item #15939 New-$29.95

PROTOTYPING DEVICE w/EPROM INTERFACE — (Z8603)

Complete microcomputer

2Kb ROM; 128 bytes RAM; 32I/O lines; up to 62Kb addressable extern, space ea.; 144 byte reg. file;. 124 G.P. reg.; 4 l/C port reg.; 16 status & contr. reg; Full duplex UART; 2 program. 8-bit counter/timers On-chip oscill. accepts crystal or extern, clock drive; 1.5V power supply, TTL compat.

Item #18515 $24.95

AMERICAN DESIGN COMPONENTS

YES! Please send me the following items—

9"- High Resolution

12VDC Green phosphor. Schematic included. Motorola #MD2003-190

Item #17198 «ew-$14.95

12"- High Resolution

12VDC, green phosphor. Subassemblies, CRT, board & transformer included. Comes w/hook-up diagram.

Item #6811 New - $19.95

15" Data Display/Monitor Kit

Alphanumeric & graphics display. Green phosphor. Input power reg. 24VDC. Bandwidth: 22-72Khz. Consists of 2 subassemblies (monitor & board). Hook-up diagram included. Wells Gardner #15V7025.

Item #16171 Afew-$24.95

Please call or write with your requirements!

ANTI-GLARE SCREENS...

Glare & reflection filters that improve speed, accuracy & operator comfort...

IBM PC

Monochrome Item #19215

IBM PC Color Item #19216

47"&7"Monochrome Item #19223

Apple Macintosh Item #19225

Compaq Portable Item #19226

New - $8.95 ea; 2/$15.00

Item Wo.

How

Many?

Description

Price

TOTAL

Shipping & handling: we ship UPS unless

otherwise specified. Add S3 plus 10*'o of total.

Canadian: S3 plus P.O. cost. Charge only.

Sales Tax (N.J. residents only,

please add 6% of total)

ORDER TOTAL

62 JOSEPH STREET, MOONACHIE, N.J. 07074 L_l My check or money order is enclosed. ]~l Charge my credit card.

Total □ Visa □ MasterCard □ Amex

MINIMUM

ORDER

S15.

Byte-988

Card No.

Exp. Date

Signature

Telephone: Area Code

Number

Name

Address

City

State

Zip

All inquiries and free catalog requests—call (201) 939-2710.

For all phone orders, call TOLL FREE 800-524-0809. In New Jersey call (201) 939-2710.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 337

RS-422/232

CURRENT LOOP

DS-225 Single channel async communication board for IBM PC/XT/AT Software selectable to be RS/ 422/485, 232 or Current Loop - Selectable Address & Interrupt

1-800-553-1170

478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304 (216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

SERIAL/PARALLEL

Communications Board

• Two Parallel Printer Ports

• Two 8-Bit Digital I/O Ports

• Two Serial Ports, RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485

• Address Selectable

• Selectable & Shareable Interrupts

1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

; INCORPORATED

478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304

TEL: (216) 434-3154 FAX: (216) 434-1409

TLX:5101012726

Circle 217 on Reader Service Card

Circle 218 on Reader Service Card

72 Digital I/O

PXB-721

Parallel Expansion Board

• For IBM-PC & Compatibles

• 72 Digital I/O Lines

• Simple Programming

• Uses One Expansion Slot

• Fast Delivery

$195

1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304 (216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

MODULAR DATA ACQUISITION

• FOR IBM & Compatibles

• Flexible and Inexpensive

• Money Back Guarantee

• Free Technical Support

Fast Delivery 1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

Leaders in Communication Technology 478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304 (216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

Circle 220 on Reader Service Card

Circle 221 on Reader Service Card

Communications Board

• For IBM-PC/XT/AT & comp.

• Dual RS-232C interface

• Optional software supports COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4

• Jumper selectable interrupts

Fast Delivery 1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304 (216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

WAVEFORM

SYNTHESIZER

Circle 223 on Reader Service Card

I

• For IBM PC/XT/AT and compatibles

• Generates user-definable signal

• Up to 2000 points per envelope

$795.00 1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304 (216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

RS-422

Communications Board

L

< For IBM PC/XT/AT/PS/2

■ Dual channel RS-422/RS-4851

■ Selectable/shareable interrupts > Differential drivers to 4000 ft.

< Immediate delivery

1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

Leaders in Communication Technology 478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304 (216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

Circle 219 on Reader Service Card

IEEE-488

MXI-100

• GPIB controller board for IBM PC/XT/AT

• Control up to 14 Devices

• User friendly Software Commands

• DMA Transfer to 200k byte/sec.

$345.00 including software

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

478 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44304

(216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

800-553-1170

Circle 222 on Reader Service Card

RS-422

Communications Board

FOR

MODELS 50, 60, 80 DUAL CHANNEL ADDRESS SELECTABLE BAUD RATE TO 256 K INTERRUPT SELECTABLE

1-800-553-1170

QUA TECH

INCORPORATED

Leaders in Communication Technology

478 E. EXCHANGE ST.

AKRON, OH 44304

(216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

FAX: (216) 434-1409

Circle 224 on Reader Service Card

Circle 225 on Reader Service Card

100% CERTIFIED 5Va" BULK DISKS

51A DS/DD 59c 31/2" DS/DD 1.09

Price based on quantity of 300 includes sleeves, labels and tabs.

800-222-0490

In NJ 201-462-7628 FAX 201-462-5658

• 24 Hour Shipment •

MEGASoft

P.O. Box 710, Freehold, NJ 07728

BUY QUALITY FOR LESS!

51/4 DS/DD 39*

100% CERTIFIED LIFETIME WARRANTY

Price based on quantity of 250 in bulk includes Tyvek sleeves and label kits.

800-222-0490

In NJ 201-462-7628 FAX 201-462-5658

• 24 HOUR SHIPMENT •

MEGASoft

P.O. Box 710, Freehold, NJ 07728

Full service duplication facility

Circle 164 on Reader Service Card

UNIVERSAL E(E)PROM PROGRAMMER $495 (Kits from $165)

• No personalit)- modules; Menu driven device selection.

• Built-in Eraser/Timer option ($50); Conductive foam pad.

• Direct technical support; Full 1 year warranty.

• Stand alone duplication & verify (27XX parts).

• Quick pulse algorithm (27256 under 60 sec).

• 27xx to 1 Mbit; 25xx; 68xx; CMOS; EEPROMS.

• 8741,-2,-4,-8,-8H,.V9H,-51,-C51,.52,-55,9761 & more.

• IBM-PC, Apple, CPM or Unix driver; Autobaud KS232.

• Offset/split Hex, Binary, Intel & Motorola 8,16,32 bit.

• Manual with complete schematics.

VISA MC AMEX Call today for datasheets.'!

B&C MICROSYSTEMS

355 WEST OLIVE AVE. SUNNYVALE, CA 94086 PH: (408) 730-5511 FAX: (408) 730-5521 TELEX: 984185

Circle 26 on Reader Service Card

UNIPRO™

UNIVERSAL PROGRAMMER AND MEMORY/TTL IC TESTER FOR PC/XT/AT

B

E(E)PROM (16K-1MB) PAL (20 & 24 pins) BIPOLAR

8741/42/48/49/50 CPU 87(C)51/44 CPU DYNAMIC/STATIC RAM & TTL TESTER Option: 4 Socket adaptor

only $585 complete

Other products available. Individual programmers for E(E)PROM (up to 1 MB), PAL, BIPOLAR, 6748 series, 8751 series, Memory/TTL Tester, and gang programmers with 4, 8, & 16 sockets. Also industrial quality EPROM Eraser with timer and safety switch is available (erases 30 of 28 pin eproms at a time).

OEM & Distributor welcome. 10 % educational discount

473 Sapena Ct. #24

Santa Clara, CA 95054 yeiTCIf VISA

AMEX

Tel (40B) 727-6995 FAX (408) 727-6996

Circle 296 on Reader Service Card

Circle 165 on Reader Service Card

► SAVE

► ON

9 TRACK TAPE SYSTEM

,^_ FOR IBM PC/XT/AT

■ Mainframe to PC Data Transfer

• Highspeed Backup

• All Software, Complete System •Service and Support, easy

Installation

call (818) 343-6505 or write to: Contech Computer Corp.

P.O. Box 153 Tarzana, Calif. 91356

CONTECH

Circle 58 on Reader Service Card

MICRO CHANNEL

ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT

SUPPLIES

INTRODUCING: The PS/2 Burn-In Board!

For Design and Manufacturing Engineers

1. First Passive Backplane for PS/2 Micro Channel

2. Test adapters without power cycling computers

3. Test adapters without damaging computer

4. Optional module and software provides single step bus emulation

CALL now for your FREE Catalog. Quality PS/2 compatible products available.

ONTARGET 0N TARGET Associates

TAPPFT lOT4 W. Maude Ave., 8 602

TA no r! Sunnyvale, CA 94086

IMK^tl (408)980-7118

PS/2, and Micro Channel mc trademarks of IBM Corp.

Circle 194 on Reader Service Card

Circle 135 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 136)

FCC APPROVED!

Sub-Mini AT! The Space Saver 3-DR. Capability 8-Expansion Slots!

Basic System:

• 3-LEDs, Keylock, Reset & Turbo Switch

• 200-Watt Power Supply

• 8 Full Size Expansion Slots

• 3 Exposed Half Height Drive

• Smaller Foot Print Than XT

• 6/12MHzO Wait State

• 80287 Math Coprocessor Ready

• On Board 0-1MB RAM With 512K

• 1ea 1.2MB High Density Drive

• 1ea WDC WA2 Floppy/H.D. Controller

• BTC-5060 AT Style Keyboard

• Assembled, Tested & Burned-in

MAT-1 5799.00

PERIPHERALS FOR XT AND AT FOR XT

1. Floppy Disk Controller With Cable S20.00

2. Hard Disk Controller With Cable S72.90

3. Color Graphics Card With Composit Jack S47.10

4. Color Graphics Card With Printer Port S51.80

5. Mono Graphics Card With Printer Port S51.80

6. Color/Monochrome Graphics Printer Card (Runs Color Software on TTL) $69.40

7 Enhanced Graphics Adaptor (EGA) S147.10

8. Smart VGA S276.50

9. Parallel Printer Card S17.60

10. Dual Game I/O Card $17.60

11. Serial I/O Card S23.50

12. Dual Serial I/O Card S41.20

13. Mouse For PC/XT/AT W/Driver Software $61.20

14. Multi l/0(Ser/Par/Game/Clk/Ctrir) $58.80

15. No Slot Clock With Software $2710

16. 0-576K RAM Card S31.80 17 8MHz XT Motherboard W/Phoenix BIOS $61.20

18. 10MHz XT Motherboard W/Phoenix BIOS $88.20

19. 150-Watt Power Supply $43.50 FOR AT

20.

21. 22 23. 24.

25.

26. 6/12MHZ Mini ATM.B

Phoenix BIOS 27 200-Watt Power Supply

Floppy/H.D. Controller W/Cables 0-2MB EMS RAM Card With Software Serial/Parallel Card

6/IOMHz AT MB.. 0 Wait, Phoenix BIOS 6/12MHz AT M.B., 0 Wait, Phoenix BIOS 8/10MHZ Mini AT M.B.. 0-W, Award BIOS 0-W,

$141.20 $112.90 $43.50 $278.80 $325.90 $325.90

$347.10 74.10

10MHz XT Turbo Basic

• Baby AT Case

• Keylock, LED, Reset 8, Turbo Sw.

• 4.77/IOMHz Selectable

• 8 Expansion Slots

• 8087 Math Coprocessor Ready

• 150-Watt Power Supply

• 0-640K On Board With 256K

• 1ea 360K Floppy Drive

System:

• 1ea Floppy Disk Controller

• 1ea Mono Graphics Printer Card

• 1ea 12" TTL Amber Monitor With Swivel Base

• 1ea XT Style Keyboard

• Assembled, Tested & Burned-in

XT10-1 $495.00

6/10MHz AT-286 Basic System:

6/10MHz Selectable

• 6MHz 1-Wait, 10MHz O-Wait

• 8 Expansion Slots

• 80287 Math Coprocessor Ready

• 200-Watt Power Supply

• 0-1 MB On Board With 512K

• 1ea 1.2MB Floppy Disk

• 1ea Floppy/H.D. Ctrlr.

• 1ea BTC-5060 AT Style KBD

AT10-1 S777.00

ORDER HOT LINE 1-800-543-5107

Technical Information (714) 990-2097

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9:00 am - 6:00 pm PST Please write for our complete price list.

JAWIN COMPUTER PRODUCTS

565 W. Lambert Rd., #C PgH Brea, CA 92621 ■■■

Terms: Please add 5% (or $2.00, whichever is higher) plus .25' tor each S100.00 CA residents please add 6% sales lax We accept VISA/MC/Cash. Personal checks please allow 2 weeks to clear. All merchandise is warranted lor 1 year unless otherwise staled.

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 339

Make Money With Your PC

A Revolutionary Software System, designed for maximum profits with minimum setup, now transforms any IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible computer into a secure, reliable Bulletin Board and Information Host System.

Subscription Systems throughout the free world are presently being used in diala-date and matchmaking applications, for multi-user databases and multiple listing endeavors, on-line order taking, along with scores of other lucrative telecommunications tasks.

To learn more about this unique, selfperpetuating opportunity that can adapt to both voice and data environments, contact: PC/WORKS at (805) 654-0721 or FAX (805) 650-0195.

Circle 204 on Reader Service Card

OPTICAL DISKS

LASERDR1VE

as featured [n PC WEEK 4/26/88

• 800MB storage on single disk

• connecting to any host via SCSI interface

• Plug'n Play to any operating system

only $4995 Limited time only

PANASONIC LS5000 $2495 - 200 mb

OPTICAL MEDIA

For IBM & Panasonic Optical Drives - $52

We carry a full line of 51/4" & 12" Opfical Drives

SKAN TEKNOLOGIES, INC.

optical storage systems (212) 809-5570 (516)295-2237

PAL/EPROM PROGRAMMER CARD

For PC/XT/AT Systems

NEW ■■ VERSION 2 OF SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE

-Programs 20 and 24 Pin MMI. NS, Tl, AMD, ALTERA. CYPRESS, RICOH, and PANATEC PALS. Supports EPLD, polarity, RA, and shared product term types. -Functions Include: Read, Write, Verify. Protect. Edit, Print, and File load and save ol program, -JEDEC supported. -Software Included

100MHZ LOGIC ANALYZER CARD

For PC/XT/AT Systems

$ 1 1 9 9 fl jH -24 Channels at 25Khz-25Mhz

6 Channels at 100 Mhz ■Internal Clock up to 100 Mhz ■External Clock up to 25 Mhz ■Threshold Voltage TTL, ECL, or variable Irom -10 to +10v ■Can Stack Multiple Boards ■All Software Included

CALL NOW FOR ORDERS AND TECHNICAL INFO (201) 994-6669

Link Computer Graphics, Inc. 4 Sparrow Dr.,

Livingston, NJ 07039. TLX: 9102409305 LINK COMPUTER

Circle 146 on Reader Service Card

... at your command Master Switch is sophisticated yet flexible. Several computers can access one another or share printers and modems. Use serial or parallel interfaces, up to nine ports. The buffer is expandable up to one megabyte. Access a job control menu from each computer to view the queue or cancel, hold, and release jobs. Many other features.

MasterNet software allows computer networking and electronic mail capabilities for PCs.

Other solutions from ROSE

• Printer Sharing • Multiplexers

• Protocol Conversion • Modems

• Buffering • Manual Switches

• Micro to mainframe • Cables We design a variety ofquality productsfor computer networking ami ilula commumaitum sof\ttion\ guaranteed Ui work.

Dealer and OEM inquiries aw \

!.v guarantee! vc Iconic.

PQCC P.O. GOX 742S71 HOUSTON, TX 77271

ELECTRONICS cau>orcatalog 7139337673

RS-422/485 Selectable Address/IRQ Two/Four Wire Operation One/Two/Four Port Versions Delivery From Stock

Circle 243 on Reader Service Card

"EXACT TERMINAL EMULATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE'

• PRECISE EMULATION OF THE DECVT52, VT100, VT102.VT220

• EXPANSION MODULES FOR OVER 40 EXACT EMULATIONS

•9 FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOLS.

• EASY TO USE, QUICK TO INSTALL, AND MUCH MORE

• IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 FOR INFORMATION 800/548-9777

SrjfTRONtCS

303/593-9540 TELEX 450236

Circle 250 on Reader Service Card

VMEbus

Multibus l&ll

S-100 bus

To achieve performance, you need a performance bus. To find out the latest information on any of the above buses, you need

SUPERMICRO

the magazine for integrators and users of VME, Multibus, and S-100.

SUPERMICRO, PO Box 2089, Provo, UT 84603

To find out how you can receive a trial issue, circle the number below.

Circle 235 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 236)

Circle 252 on Reader Service Card

bigmMuth

' REAL VOICE Digital Recording

-- for your PC, XT, AT or Compatible

♦ VOICE MAIL SYSTEM

I

♦TELEMARKETING

i

- -Inbound & Outbound

F

♦ SMARTEST ANSWERING

MACHINE

♦AUTODIALER—DATABASE

♦ VOICEPAD'"

r

- Voice for your Programs

=

♦ PROGRAMMER'S TOOLKIT

I -(optional W)

J Vz card, software, cables, and speaker

ES s269°°t5s/h <W

(415) 652-9600

Talking Technology, Inc.

4383 Piedmont Ave. Suite B

j Oakland. CA 94611

7

6809

Single Board Computer

'^mSWB^W'Mmk

RAM; EPROM, real-time clackjwdtcrsdog timer,44-pin 4.5- * 6.5 PCB EXPANSION MODULES: RAM, EPROM, CMOS RAM/battery, analog I/O, serial I/O, parallel I/O, counter/timer, IEEE-488, EPROM programmer, floppy disks, cassette, breadboard, keyboard/display.

Winlek Corp.

Uf 1 *■ nsi ■ II? ir 1180i S0"111 Sireel I 11* I li IV I Lalayerle, IN 47904 I 317-742-842S

Circle 264 on Reader Service Card

Circle 268 on Reader Service Card

Circle 293 on Reader Service Card

DAIAl

• Multi-user Database!

• Powerful!

• Multiple Operating System Compatibility!

• Attractive Dealer Pricing!

• Full Dealer Support!

Datafloi is a trademark of Data Access

Dealer Inquiries Invited

24000 Telegraph Road

Southfield. Michigan 48034 USA

1313) 352-2345

Circle 46 on Reader Service Card

ANGEL II Universal Print Buffer

SIX MOST USEFUL INTERFACE DEVICES IN ONE BOX

By comfr.T ng ail the features ol a megabyte buffer, an interface converter, a protocal converter, an automatic A/8 switch, a code generator, and an Interface tester six most useful Interface devices in one bo< (he ANGEL II is a buffer in ils own class II gives the maximum value al the 'owest cost, it provides the comp'elsnsss and convenience to the computer user mat was never available before. It is the ideal buffer (or your Laser pnnler, Plotter. CAM CAD, and Desktop Pub'ishmg applications. ANGEL II DOES IT ALL FOR YOU!

THE ANGEL II GIVES yO(J THE BEST VALUE IN THE MARKET TODAY! Angel II-64K $225.00

Angel H-256K $325.00

Angel 11-1M $645.00

WeacceplVisa.Ktaslercard.COOfcssh). To order Irom the U.S. Call Toll-free: 1.800-263-7487

COMPUTER AGE LTD.

P.O. BOX 73U

NOBLETON, ONT, LOG IND

1-14161-859-0370

ANGELA'S OUTSTANDING FEATURES

• An ur^ue buffet tU wwces automatic s*itcfi bamen rno comptiei s and rw pflniart swal

and paraiei, mlerfaces » POWER UP AND GOfeamre eliminates cabtt Swapping.

• The firs! h/?r rn;; ■:■,■:« jraf.i-: izrrjusen ana siore data iheweKal.'y up id EJM bytes

• With sianda/tJ RS-232 and Cenirwure ca«fl::t; 'j rEr-3»c!:rc:o:s5.-.:ji'-ihir:'*ars DTA'DSftnandshUfig Xcr.Xryilwser.ai ana BUSY.-ACKeonWtorpaialW

• Memory size is usei ejpandab:* lo 256K. IM bytes lUsaHegibuflei

> Ifcfl orvy buffet fai can deieci and repwi in■:c-t,r.g taji'are :a'3 6'i. ana party on sena ■npui AutoMud to; automate tauovaie

• Senai inpuioulpul baudraies are indepen*ntlyseieflal!lBlrom3«l!o19!K

• iisfruc'jor.isa'eo.iMronmit'etci lis easy to total and designed io i=si

• 15 Useful remote commands lor butter control Iromtnecc-mpt/er.

• Copy Coalrtxis Copy, Heidum, Dagnosfn:

Circle 51 on Reader Service Card

IMAGING CARD

DV-01

GRAYSCALE FRAME GRABBER

Composite video in/out

256 x 240 resolution

Digitize/display at frame speed

256 gray levels in

16 Meg, color palette out ~

PC/XT/AT compatible

$849.00 Complete with software VISA/MC Demo Disk available &:

Control Vision *

P.O. Box 596, Pittsburg, KS 66762 (316)231-6647

Circle 59 on Reader Service Card

PC488A

$145/195

LOW COST PC/XT/AT INTERFACE FOR IEEE-488 (GI'IB/HPII!)

• Includes INSTALLABLE DOS DEVICE DRIVERS and software support for BASIC

• Oplional language support for C, I'ASCAL, FORTRAN anil ASSEMBLY - $50

• -Selectable liasc I/O address, IRQ and DMA

• CONTROLLER / TALKER / LISTENER capability

• Customer support via dediealed 1A hours B.VC Microsystems BULLETIN HOARD

• Quantity discounts available

VISA MC AMEX Calltodayfordalaslmlll

B&C MICROSYSTEMS

355 West Olive Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

l'll:(-IIB)73tl-55U FAX: (.|[IS)730-xS21 TELEX: 984185

Circle 27 on Reader Service Card

"INDISPENSABLE"

Jerry Pournelle, Byte, 8/87

Vopt is the fast, safe disk organizer. It will quickly eliminate the file fragmentation that slows your disk operations.

Vopt includes Vmap for viewing the organization of your disks plus numerous other utilities that test and report on the efficiency of your system.

Call for a free demo disk!

*cq qf $3 shipping/handling $39.90 CA add 6.5% sales tax.

GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS

,tPf 2870 Fifth Ave., Suite 201 San Diego, CA 92103 800/284-3269

Circle 112 on Reader Service Card

lynamu tlectronics.

2.1552 J Commerce I Center Dr. I Suite L I LagunaHileI CA ')2653

Stocking Distributor of Semiconductors

8087 • 5 • 8 • 10

80287 • 6 • 8 • 10 MEG

80387 • 16 • 20 MEG

256K • 64K • 128K • V20 • V30 Fast* Reliable • Everytime

Phone: 714-855-0411 Fax: 714-855-8504

No relund - exchange only - Exchange good lot 30 days unless manufacturer warranlies merchandise longer

Circle 89 on Reader Service Card

Circle 86 on Reader Service Card

7J\kbatiml

5>4" DISKS

5 BOX

10 BOX

83* 7?-5 7*-° 73-0 K146-5139-° 133-0

-3i/2"Diskettes

S-Side ll9-5 D-Side 165-0 H-Den.399-5

-8" Diskettes

S-Sideic95 S-Sideon'O D-Sideoris S-Ben.10- DDen/u nripn"

D-Den/

International Orders Accepted

ox.^. Delaware 1-8O0-451-1849

'-" _» P.O BO< 10247. WILMIHGTOH. M I98SO

(Di/lJ/s+4-n / Oklahoma 1-800-654-4058

Connection- N«^?-WPe-fi?J-j:

-6221

KnltrCirt KctfM COD ttttn MUUJf'MM Siif#"€

■■■'- 'WWicPt^JNMmM,19

OffriSiSM .._

^ft|„-,»,liW:,fft:.-':*»a'"J»'* «s &«

Telex#4933362'Fax#405.4954598

BUS 79-5 76-° 73-°

Bg I6« I57-015°-°

"Worldwide" Orders Accepted

SSide 125P

3-5 ,,r»

D-Side 1750

35 H Den. 4715

DATA CARTRIDGES

DC1000_12.95 DC 2000 _ 17.50 DC300XLP19.75 DC600A_21.95

Authorized Distributor Magnetic Media

SDen.l79_5

o»SSide ,„

6«D-$ide„.,„

a DDen.2340

3M

'"- _ PO SOU 10247. WILMINGTON, DE.198SO

fti/tJaUn I Oklahoma V800-654-4058

VISK6TT6—f- P.O.OOX1674, BETHANY, OK, 73008

Connection' Ne.xaAa,.1u8?2-,tE1,??S,1

"»*■■ tWw S!5.00- Viu. H«1«rUrt «cc«pted CO D ertm M i 1 M S«(»ct Sihmiu Ik kK. FW.M.HIwra^MKWrtiwulS'.iiif HL.Prion it*nct lodu^t Wilful mtict'

Telex#4933362 ■ Fax*405-495-4598

BULK 5V4 DISKS

Double Side-Double Den.

100% Tested & Certified Error Free, at "Minimum 55% Clipping Level or Higher:"'Lifetime Warranty'.' With Tyvek Sleeves & Write on Labels

100

200

600

.34- .33- .31

each each each

DEALERS WELCOME

Telex *4933362- Fax*405-495-4598

Shipping Charges Vary With Quantity Call

OiaDnMo 1 Oklahoma 1-8O0-654-4O58

e/(SK6TTC f- PO BOX 1674 B£TM*HY. 01 73O0H

ConneetToif N?sa.g,a„l;,8?g;6o?s1-622i

Minimum Order 2509 - Visa,MasterCard accepted COD add 309 UPS delivery. US Mail lor AP(5 FPO AK.HI.orPRadd 5% additional (or PAL.

SEPTEMBER 1988 • BYTE 341

Circle 60 on Reader Service Card

SPEECH PRODUCTS

For PCs and compatibles

SYNTHESIZER—only $79.95

The next versatile and best sounding speech product available lor under $4000! The amazing Speech Thing provides text-tospeech as well as PCM and ADPCM speech and music reproduction. Comes with "Thing" D/A converter that attaches to the parallel printer port outside the computer-ideal lor laptops. Will not interfere with normal printer operation. Also comes with audio amplifier/speaker and power adapter. Software includes two advanced text-to-speech programs, digitized speech and music files, full screen waveform editor, sampling music keyboard, special eflects mixing board, and drivers so you can add speech and sound effects to programs written in BASIC, C, PASCAL, and others. Includes 54 page manual. SPEECH THING—$79.95.

DIGITIZER-only $89.95

The Voice Master PC Digitizer is a full 8-bit PCM sampler board. Fits in any available slot. Up to 15,000 samples per second. Input pre-amp has automatic gain control and 4.5 Khz low pass filter. Includes a quality headset microphone. Software included for recording and editing sound files for playback through Speech Thing. Also includes a real-time spectrum display and oscilloscope display as well as assembly language source listings lor writing your own drivers. BONUS: Voice recognition program included which is callable via an interrupt vector. Demonstration program written in GWBASIC. VOICE MASTER PC DIGITIZER—$89.95.

VOICE RECOGNITION

only $49.95

A price/performance break-through! Equal in performance to other systems costing hundreds more $$$. The amazing Voice Master Key program adds voice recognition to just about any program or application. You can voice command up to 256 keyboard macros. Fully TSH and occupies less than 64K. Instant response time and high recognition accuracy. Easy and lun to use—no compilers or editors required. Works with CAD, desktop publishing, word processor, spread sheet, even other TSR programs. A genuine productivity enhancer. Voice Master Key can also be called from within a program for adding voice recognition to custom applications. VoiCB Master Key requires the Voice Master PC Digitizer for operation. (Please note: Voice Master Key will not replace the keyboard or mouse except under certain circumstances. Not to be confused with the still unavailable "voice typewriter.") VOICE MASTER KEY-$49.95.

BONUS OFFER! Buy Voice Mitter Key with PC Digitizer lor only $129.95-yousave$10!

BETTER BONUS OFFERI Buy all three: Speech Thing, PC Digitizer, and Voice Muter Key lor only S189.95—you save $20! ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE OF PROFESSIONAL QUALITY. ORDER HOTLINE: (503) 342-1271 Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time Add $5 lor shipping and handling on all orders. Add an additional $3 for 2nd day delivery. All goods shipped UPS. Master Card and VISA, money order, cashiers check or personal checks accepted (allow a 3 week shipping delay when paying by personal check). Foreign inquiries contact Covox tor C&F price quotes. Specify computer type when ordering. 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED. ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON HARDWARE. Cj|| „ wMt, ,„ FflEE pr0(|uct citilog.

COVOX INC. 67S-D CONOER ST.

EUGENE, OREGON 07402 U.S.A. TEL: 503-342-1271 FAX: 503-342-1203

342 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

Model 135ES995° Others from $345'

mm

GANG/SET

(E)EPROM

MULTI PROGRAMMERS

• Model 135 is a SET Programmer, GANG Duplicator, & UNIVERSAL Device Programmer.

• Programs virtually all 24,28, & 32-pin (E|EPROMs.

• RAM expandable to 2MegoByte.

• Optional support lor 40-pin EPROMs, Bipolar PROMs, 40-pin Micros, & |E|PLD/GAL/FPLA Devices.

• 18-Month WARRANTY & 12-Month FREE Device Updates.

1-800-523-1565

In Florida: 1-407-994-3520

ImmII 10 1021 S. RogS°C°, Bo"co Rolon. FL 33187 Ktmmmmtamt FAX: |-I07| 994-3615Icle»: -1998369 BYTEK

•(U.S. Prices only)

Circle 37 on Reader Service Card

The BEST for LESS

29

Quality 51A"DS/DD Diskettes Min.100 Guaranteed Two-for-One Replacement

if found initially detective within six months FREE sleeves, tabs, labels

5W COLOR (Min.100) 39c

6W HIGH DENSITY (Min. 50) 69e

Brand Box 5W (Min. 10) $3.99

Brand Box COLOR 5V* with FREE Plastic Case (Min. 10)... $4.99

3V6" DS/DD (Min. 50) $1.09

100% Lifetime Warranty

Shipping: S4.50 per min. order/$2.00 each addtl. lot MC'VISA Only

1-800-537-1600

Operator No. 227

Depl. No. 1523 P.O. Box 61000 San Francisco, CA 94161

Circle 168 on Reader Service Card

Motion Control & Data Acquisition

A card in your PC creates the fast LAB 40 bus which supports up to 8 modules. User Friendly Packages for PC/XT/AT.

• Intelligent DC Servo: Joystick, numeric control, motion record/playback, C calls. Up to 16 axes. Two axis package w/motors $1550 (USA).

• 4-Axis Stepper w/source code & motor $316.

• Scope/FFT 650KHZ A/D 4 oh. w/source $525. 'Modules: 8 & 12 bit A/D, Relay, Stepper, Clock, Servo & Amps, Prog Controller (Forth, A/D, EEPROM, 68HC11, RS-232/422/485, LAB 40). "Adapter for RS-232 for Mac and others. 'Free immediate technical support & literature. Call (415) 755-1978 or our BBS (415) 755-1524.

75 Southgate, Daly City. CA 94015

(omputer (ontinuum

(415)755-1978

Telex: 3727438

B=

g=fl

! not only a printer buffer!

QQg |j THIS IS TUB MOST SOPHISTICATED

PRINTER BUFFER - MULTIPLEXOR - SWITCH

WITH TWO SEPARATE INPUTS |SERIAL AND PARALLEL) AND TWO SEPARATE OUTPUTS |SERIAL AND PARALLEL| CAN BB USED LIKE STANDARD BUFFER WITH ANY INPUT TO ANY

OUTPUT BUT ALSO YOU CAN CONNBCT 2 COMPUTERS TO 1 PRINTER OR I COMPUTER TO 2 PRINTERS. OR 2 COMPUTERS AND 3 PRINTERS AND MORE = 1 COMPUTER TO 3 PRINTERS OR 3 COMPUTERS TO I PRINTER

H10H CAPACITY - 64 KB TO 266 KB AND - S86 KB TO I MB [MODELS A AND B) PAUSE, COPY AND RBSET FUNCTIONS

SBRIAI, PORTS WITH 7 OR 8 BiTS WORD L8NQTH, BIT, PARITY. XON/XOPP. DTR. RTS

• STOP

DCB-i 1*| Po

m , 195

t lupplj inrj pt

DCB-B-IbdK t l| cibloa ir. mclu

255''

ALSO WB HAVE THE MOST COMPLBTE DATA CONVERTER UNIT CONVERTS RS332 SERIAL TO CENTRONICS PARALLBL OR VICE VERSA, 1UST BY MOVINO JUMPERS BAUD RATS AND PROTOCOL FULLY PROORAMABLE PROM 160 TO 19200 BAUDS INCLUDES DTR, RTS, XON/XOPF, PARITY, tic

DCU

80 I"'

mpplj tnd obit. NOT ii

EM

serialOpaiallel bi-directional converter

INTECTRA lne.-Deft.M2

!629 T6RMINAL BLVD MOUNTAIN VIEW-CA-9<0<3

'(415) 967-8818 TX 345545

Find out how our whole family of

EMU-TEK graphics terminal emulation

oftware makes fjood sense for the work you do,

Call today for more information.

FTC

DATA SYSTEMS

(714)995-3900

(800) 962-3900 (800) 972-3900 (Calif.)

10801 Dale St., Suite M-2

Stanton, CA 90680

Circle 104 on Reader Service Card

Serial Data $495

Analyzer

Introductory Oiler

DataScout"-' turns your PC into a tool for solving RS-232 interfacing problems. Features:

• Monitor full duplex async data

• Log Monitored Data to Disk

• Post Acquisition Analysis

• Inject Data in Either Direction

• Integrated Breakout Box

• 9 LEDs Monitor Signal Levels

• Simple menu driven interface

HiTech Equipment Corp. LI I U 9560 Black Mtn. Rd. ** * *■ San Diego, CA 92126 (619) 566-1892

Circle 119 on Reader Service Card

WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD - CALL (800) 654-7762

CAT™8MHZ

BASE SYSTEM

■ 256K (Opt. 640K) • 150 Watt Power

Supply • AT Style Keyboard • 4.77 or 8 MHZ Keyboard Selectable

• FDC • 8087 Socket • 360K Floppy Drive

$39900

!/

COMPLETE SYSTEM CALL FOR PRICE 1 Year Warranty

pr

w

v .'.^sh

OPTION A

12" Mono Amber Monitor Graphics Card w/par port

$546od

OPTION 'j

640 x 200 Color Monitor Graphics Card w/par port

S716°°

j^e

& PANASONIC

KXP1080I 144CPS 199

KXP1091I 192CPS 229

KXP1092I 240CPS 379

Tractors — Sheet Feeders

PRINTERS

CITIZEN 180D 180CPS 9 Pin 10" .179 MSP15E 160CPS 9 Pin 15" 369 MSP40 250CPS9 Pin 10" 369 Cables — Ribbons Available

EPSON 3V2 DISK DRIVE

^{B • In 5V4 Mounting • 720K

«"» $ggoo 10 for $g2oo

150 WATT POWER SUPPLY

Direct PC Replacement $5goo

jSk

J>"

'«

HARD DRIVES

c2? Seagate

COMPLETE KITS

ST225 20Meg w/cont. & Cables.... 269°°

ST238 30Meg w/cont. & Cables.. 299°°

ST251 40Meg Vi HT 40 Mil w/software . 379°°

ST251-1 40Meg, 2.8 Mil Sec ... 479°°

ST4026 20Meg Full HT 40 Mil 279°°

ST4096 80Meg Full HT w/software 649°°

OPTION C

12" Mono Amber Monilor

Graphics Card w/par port

20 Meg Hard Drive

S81900

CAT™ 286-10

BASE SYSTEM

• 512K Exp. to 1 MEG • 200 Watt Power Supply • AT Style Keyboard

• Western Digital Controller • 1.2 Meg Floppy • Legal Bios w/manuals • Systems

Documentation • 1 yr war. • Clock/Calc

COMPLETE SYSTEM CALL FOR PRICE 11.3 Morions SI

$92900

\^>^

OPTION A AT

12" Mono Amber Monitor Graphics Card w/par port

S107600

EVEREX MEMORY & 10 CARDS

EV138 0-576K For XT 89°°

EV173 Par/Ser/Clock 0-1 Meg XT ... . 109°°

EV173A Par/Ser 0-1 Meg AT 79°°

EV159 RAM 3000 Lotus/Intel 0-3 Meg .. 119°°

EV170 I.O. Par/Ser/Clock 69™

EV659 EGA 640 x 350 Auto Switching 149°°

EVEREX TAPE BACKUPS

40MB Mini Cartridge, 1.8MB/min, XT 359°°

40MB Mini Cartridge, 3.6MB/min, AT 359°°

40MB Streaming Cassette, 5MB/min w/cont... . 539°°

60MB Streaming Cassette, 5MB/min w/cont 619°°

60MB Streaming Cartridge, 5MB/min w/Full cont... .779°°

125MB Streaming Cartridge, 5MB/min w/Full cont.. .989°°

External Add 195°°

MODEMS

-^—BEVEBEie

EV-920 EverCom 12 300/1200 bps 74°°

EV-940 Internal 300/1200/2400 . 159°°

EV-945 External 300/1200/2400 239°°

MNP for all of above add $10.00 Mead / Hayes Compatible

1200 Baud w/Bitcom 5 yr. Warranty 69°°

1200 Baud External, 5 yr. Warranty & Software 99™

2400 Baud Internal, 5 yr. Warranty & Software 129°°

OPTION B AT

640 x 200 Color Monitor Graphics Card w/par port

'1299°°

OPTION C AT

12" Mono Amber Monitor

Graphics Card w/par port

20 Meg Hard Drive

=1399°°

jaffi**

<8f

MONITORS

6gOo e

GOLDSTAR

EGA 640 x 350 369°°

SAMSUNG

12" Monochrome Amber ., 7900

14" RGB Color 640 X 200 249°°

14" EGA Multisync 44900

RAM UPGRADES

4164 150 NS, 64x1.. 300

4164 120 NS, 64 x 1 32s

4164 100 NS, 64Kx 1 ... A

41256 150 NS, 256K X 1 12»°

41256 120 NS, 256K X 1 13"

41256 100 NS, 256K x 1 1305

4464 150 NS, 64K x 4 ., 12"

1Meg 100 NS, 1048 x 1 3900

INTEL COPROCESSORS

Intel 8087 5Mhz 9900

Intel 8087 8Mhz <& 14900

Intel 80287 6Mhz , djm 17900

Intel 80287 8Mhz v«»8#.. 239oo

Intel 80287 10Mhz " 289°°

Intel 80387 16Mhz 429°°

Intel 80387 20Mhz 77900

SIMM RAM UPGRADES

256K x 9 120 NS .139°°

BELOW EVERYONE'S COST - CLEARANCE SALE

1 Meg x 9 120 NS .649°°

LETTER QUALITY PRINTER

Why pay $1149 for a Cltoh DAISYWHEEL PRINTER MANUFACTURED BY C.ITOH

STARWRITER™F-io

When our 40 cps letter quality daisywheel printer from the same manufacturer is only

$299°°.

ea. 100 for $249

These printers were originally priced to sell at over $1100. Through a special arrangement MEAD has purchased these units from a major computer manufacturer and is offering these printers at a fraction of their original cost.

• 6 ft. Serial Cable $ igoo

• AT or XT RS232/Serial Interface 3900

• Bidirectional Tractor. 14900

» Cut Sheet Feeder. iggoo

3 MONTH WARRANTY

TANDON

360K FLOPPY DRIVE 160K FLOPPY DRIVE

• TM100-2A Full Height • TM 100-1A • 160K

> Orig. Drive used by IBM • IBM Pkg & Instructions

List 249°° Mead 89°° Llsi 199°° Mood 39°°

OKI DISK DRIVE

• 360K IBM Compatible

• 5Vi", 1/3 Height • 90 Day Warranty

List 199°° Mead 49°°

«MfBoxes

800-654-7762

SALES: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. PST

702-294-0204

CUSTOMER SERVICE / ORDER STATUS: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. PST

FAX 702-294-1168

fra*rwfe ate Registered with then respects Co s Prices Sublet to Change

STftNDARD FEATURES

• 40 CPS • Accepts Paper to 15 inches • Form Length and Pitch Set from Conrol Panel Industry compatible ribbon, printwheels and control commands • RS232 Serial Interface

;^

10 MEG HARD DRIVE

COGITO

• 1/2 Height

• 65 Mil Sec.

List 299°° Mead 109°° Add 70°° w/conlroller

MITSUBISHI FLOPPY DRIVE

1.2 MEG

' 5%" Half Height • Black Face • 1 Year Warranty

List 99°° MBad79°°

PRINTER STANDS MANUFACTURED BY EPSON OR IBM

List 39°°

Mead 9°°

DATA CARTRIDGE

3M COMPATIBLE

DC 300 XLP • 45 Meg or Less • Indiv. Wrapped Lisl 39°° Mead 14°°

c

1

COMPUTER

£

NO SURCHARGE FOR MC/VISA

TERMS: MC • VISA • COD • CASH

Purchase Orders from Qualified Firms

Pergonal Checks • AE add 4<ft

20W Restocking Fee on Non-Defective Returns

1000 Nevada Hwy. • Unit 101 • Boulder City, Nv 89005

(MmtarCardj

SHIPPING: (min. (?') UPS

Circle 163 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 343

Circle 87 on Reader Service Card

*FREE! Headcleaning Kit

3M H1B9

High Performance Products For High Perlormance Pi

DS-DD uuanmy uiscounis DS.H0

•**,. Available a *n

.72* 525 1.48

1.49 350 4.45

3M Mark Q PC "Formatted" Disk© 85

3M HlgMand Box Diskettes 47

3M No-Logo Bulk w/tyvek, labels, W/P 52

DC-1000 12.75 DC-300XLP ....19.65

DC-2000 17.25 DC-600A 21.65

WHOLLY

TEL!

COLOR DISKS

110% of Industry

Standards

DS/DD Color 5.25" DS/HD Color

.79 in Plastic Storage Box I .£.&

.45 Bulk-Color 88

DS/DD Color 3.50" DS/DD Color

1.59 ... in Plastic Storage Box . . no logol ■«. Density 2MB 3.49

■8i$i\

BASF

'FREE BASF VCR TAPE

5.25" DS/DD e*^|k

.65* 3 so" ds/dd 1.35 -95

60 BASF 5.25" DS/DD in Minidex/60 .... 47.40

kferbatim d^SSpL*

t— A Kodak company offer inside

.75 1.49 1,39

sUePfus */Teften, PC Formatted... .85

Nashua

BULK

BLACK DISKS PB» COLOR DISKS

.29 5.25" DS/DD 48TPI 39

.69 5.25" DS/HD 96TPI 79

1.05 3.50" DS/DD 135TPI 1.19

■5.25" Bulk Disks with sleeves, labels & w/p tabs, add 6C

Worldwide Special!

Price in U.S. currency per box of ten diskettes includes: COST OF PRODUCT, INSURANCE AND [AIRFREIGHT

(C.I.F. Anywhere in the World!) BOX OF TEN DISKS: CIF WORLDWIDE BY AIR PRICE:

5.25" DS/DD/48TPI 4.75/box

BASF-5.25" DS/DD in plastic library box 8.50/box

KAO-5.25" DS/HD 'AT in plastic library box . . . 9.99/box KAO-3.50" DS/DD in plastic Library box ... 13.95/box (Min. order 50 boxes Orders s'lippec within USA & Canada via surface-deduct 75« per box. Oiler expires September 30.1988 Puces higher on certain destinations where air consolidation no! available )

CALL FOR INFORMATION ON

RIBBONS, STORAGE, MAG TAPES AND

YOUR NAME & LOGO DISKETTES

TERMS: VISA. Mastercard or AMEX COD only add S3 00 Prepaid orders deducl 2% cash discount. PO's accepted Irom recognized institutions and corporations on Net 30 Shipping: S4/100 or lewer disks Reduced shipping charges on larger quantities

WE BEAT ANY PRICE!

Toll Free Order Line: Information Line:

1-800-523-9681 1-801-255-0080

TLX-9102404712 FAX-801 -572-3327

H DISKCOTECH

DISKCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

213 Cottage Avenue

P.O. Box 1339 Sandy, Utah 84091

344 BYTE • SEPTEMBER 1988

RS-232C INTERFACE AND

MONITORING EQUIPMENT CATALOG

FROM B&R ELECTRONICS

WRITE or CALL for YOUR FREE COMPREHENSIVE B & B ELECTRONICS CATALOG TODAY! Pages and pages of photographs and illustrated, descriptive text tor B&B's complete line of RS-232 converters, RS-422 converters, current loop converters, adapters, break-out boxes, i. data switches, data splitters, si** short haul modems, surge protectors, and much, much more. Most products meet FCC Parti 5J. Your RS-232 needs tor quality, service and competitive prices will be more than met by B&B ELECTRONICS. Manufacturer to you, no middleman! Money-back guarantee! Same-day shipment! One-year warranty on products! Technical support available.

Write For Your FREE Catalog Todayl

B&B electronics! M MANUFACTURING COMPANV

1502J Boyce Memorial Drive, P.O. Box 1040'Ottawa, IL 61350

Phone: 815-434-0846

Circle 24 on Reader Service Card

Software

Development

Tools

Quelo-68000

Since 1983, professional quality tools for the entire 68xxx family including the 68030. Hosts: MS-DOS, UNIX and VAX.

C Compilers

C Source Level Debuggers

Macro Assembler Packages

Disassemblers

Simulators

AW5CET

Systems®, Inc

800/448-8500

FAX: 207/236-6713 Telex: 467210 AVOCET CI

Circle 230 on Reader Service Card

9-Track Tape Subsystem

for the IBM PC/XT/AT

Now you can exchange data files between your IBM PC and any mainframe or minicomputer using IBM compatible 1600 or 6250 BPI 9-Track tape. System can also be used for disk backup. Transfer rate is up to 4 magabytes per minute on PCs and compatibles. Subsystems include 7" or IOV2' streaming tape drive, tape coupler card and DOS compatible software. For more information, call us today!

/lUfJLSTRRt

9621 Irondale Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311 Telephone: (818) 882-5822

Circle 226 on Reader Service Card

2400BAUD $95 MODEM

30 DAY FREE TRIAL

WE ARENT KIDDING...HIGH PERFORMANCE TEXAS INSTRUMENT CHIP SET. LOW COST, NO COMPROMISE 2400,1200,300 BAUD MODEM. FULL FEATURED, HAYES COMPATIBLE IBM INTERNAL. SOFTWARE INCLUDED. 30 DAY MONEY BACK TRIAL CALL FOR DETAILS

CompuCom Corporation

(800) ACT ON IT (408) 732-4500 (CA)

Circle 48 on Reader Service Card

WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Distributors who can offer us PC Products (Hard disks, NEC Printers, Monitors, Graphics Cards etc.) quickly, at a competitive price, suitable for sale on the German Market.

WE ARE OFFERING:

PC-Products made in Germany of a high quality, some of which are only available from Germany. (Copy Cards, etc.) for Atari and Amiga PCs.

Hendrik Hasse Computersysteme.

Wiedfeldstr. 77 10-4300 Essen

West Germany

Telefax — 49 201 422575

I

Circle 303 on Reader Service Card

IC

PROMPT DELIVERY!!!

SAME DAY SHIPPING (USUALLY)

QUANTITY ONE PRICES SHOWN lor JULY 12, 1988

OUTSIDE OKLAHOMA: NO SALES TAX

DYNAMIC RAM

SIMM

1048KX9

100 ns

$550.00

1Mbit

1048Kx1

100 ns

37.50

41256

256KX1

60 ns

14.25

41256

256Kx1

80 ns

13.95

41256

256Kx1

100 ns

13.50

51258

* 256KX1

100 ns

13.50

41256

256KX1

120 ns

12.95

41256

256KX1

150 ns

11.50

41264

+ 64Kx4

120 ns

16.95

EPROM

27C1000 128Kx8

200 ns

S37.50

27C512

64KX8

200 ns

13.95

27256

32Kx8

250 ns

7.25

27128

16Kx8

250 ns

6.6C

STATIC RAM

43256L-10 32KX8

100 ns

$18.50

L.6264P-12 8Kx8

120 ns

13.75

6Vi DAYS

7:10 AM-10 P

<l:.SHIPVI/>

FED-EX

WE EXPORT ONLY TO CANADA, GUAM, PUERTO RICO & VIRGIN ISLANDS

SAT DELIVERY INCLUDED ON FED-EX ORDERS

RECEIVED BY: TfcSUAk IS 3D Fr: P-1 MUES/1 fc

MasterCard/VISA or UPS CASH COD

Factory New, Prime Parts ojPoo

MICROPROCESSORS UNLIMITED, INC.

5S?£SSa (918)267-4961

No minimum order. Plaaso nolo trial prices aro suuiecl lo SI foi packing malonals Ofdera recalled by Federal Express Standard

chango Snipping & insurance eifra. 4 up to 9 PM CST can uiually be delivered the ni Air r.i 16.00, or guaranteed next day Priority Om

Circle 176 on Reader Service Card

TIMELINE INC.

Continental U.S.A.

ORDER DESK ONLY

SUPER

SEPTEMBER SALE

Inside California

L.A. & Technical Info

(800) 872-8878 (800) 223-9977 || (213)217-8912

AST™ RAMPAGE AT

INCREDIBLE!

MEMORY EXPANSION CARD FOR YOUR IBM PC/AT

Can be expanded to 2Mb memory. This card can do EMS and EEMS as well as extended memory. We bought these bulk pack from an OEM, so no AST box or manual. We supply our own manual. Comes with software for printer spooler and Ramdisk. 1 year warranty. RAMPAGE™ card available with 0-K memory only. Serial/parallel port card available separately at a very good price.

* ADAPTEC 4000A controller $7Q

I/O for the ST412-506 Interface Using MFM Encoding ■ ^T

*DC 600 STYLE TAPES

10,000 ftpi ea. 19.95 3-9 17.95 ea. 10+

$15

ea.

(minimum order 2)

* AST ADVANTAGE 1 -Serial, 1 -Parallel Port For AT. Has extended memory (no EMS or EEMS).

$79

OEM INQUIRIES WELCOME

ZENITH 7" DIAGONAL SCREEN

HIGH RESOLUTION

AMBER MONITOR

22 MHZ

TYPICAL

BANDWIDTH

• Flat faceplate

• 900 lines at center 650 lines at comers

• Operates from 12VDCat1.4amp

• Vertical input is 47 to 63 Hz

• Horizontal frequency: 15 Khz (adjustable)

$29.95

MODEL DJ7NKZ

4 for $99.00 For split video (TTL inputs) operation. Not composite video.

VGA COLOR GRAPHICS

PACKAGE

POSSIBLE DISPLAY MODES VGA GRAPHICS:

800x560x16 colors 320 x 200 x 256 colors

UPGRADE YOUR

XT/AT TO VGA GRAPHICS!

ALSO:

640x480x16 colors

640x350x16 colors

640x200x16 colors

640 x 200 black & white

320 x 200 x 4 colors

Hercules Graphics

40 and 80 column character mode

INCREDIBLE!

The manufacturer of this monitor SET THE STANDARD FOR COLOR GRAPHICS. The card is an ATI improved VIP CARD. The package comes with user friendly manual and step-by-step instructions. One year warranty on the monitor, two year warranty on the card.

CALL FOR QUANTITY DISCOUNTS.

13" color screen

Max resolution (800x560)

Bandwidth: 17 Mhz

Software selectable to VGA, EGA,

CGA, MDA, HGA

Anti-reflective, coated non-interlaced

flicker free screen

.31 dot pitch

El

1490 W. ARTESIA BLVD, GARDENA, CA 90247

Continental U.S.A.

(800) 872-8878

Inside California B^^^H i ^m^^ LA" Area & Technical Info

(800)223-9977 7Jl¥' \ fflB (213)217-8912 15% Restocking fee for returned orders.

NO SURCHARGE FOR CREDIT CARD ORDERS!

Minimum Order $25.00. Shipping & handling charges via UPS Ground: $.50/lb. UPS Air: $1.00/lb. Minimum Charge: $4.00. We accept cashiers checks, MC or VISA. No personal check COD's. California residents add 6'/2% sales tax. We are not responsible for typographical errors. All merchandise subject to prior sale. Phone orders welcome. Foreign Orders require special handling. Prices subject to change without notice.

Circle 280 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 345

(0

5

j

3 03

4// /terns /n Stock 100% Guaranteed

NIC, VISA, COD Accepted

24 Hour Shipment

C&// For Our Monthly Specials

3.5" DS/OD

■ MAXELL 1-25

■ SONY 1.17

■ DATASAFE 1-09

5.25" DS/HD

■ TDK 1-29

■ DATASAFE -89

5.25" DS/DD

■ MAXELL -64

■ VERBATIM .59

■ 3M -57

■ DATASAFE -39

Prices based on ZOO Disks

Includes Labels, Sleeves S Tabs

Smaller Quantities Available

inNJ 800-426-0247 fax

201-892-5655 201-892-6186

PRINCETON \\\ DISKETTE

Circle 209 on Reader Service Card

DYNAMIC RAMS

1MBIT 51258 41464 41256 41256 41256 41264

4164 150ns

* For high-speed. Zip, PIcc, Sj

100ns 100ns 150ns 100ns 120ns 150ns 150ns

$39.00 $12.25 $10.75 $12.75 $11.75

$14.75 ******

■ PBQCESSORS

80387-16 16mHz 80287-10 lOmHz

■ S. RAMS

I.C. EXPRESS

ORDER TOLL FREE (Mt*t-Fri 8-5 PST)

892-8889 • (800) 882-8181

jtj cairforma insido California

CAU FOR CURRENT PRICES 1 VOLUME DISCOUNTS.

Price 5'ij.vnr(ir r;i--:i r.r.i:i:..■ rC:-.ffJ:"1/i-i:i;%'.!i 1.?. ■. s:r-■■-■.:. .■•■■; wiSv.-cl io ch,.n,j,;

l.'„rvm'.;m ,:.;:,:( Sim:;] :;f.ij;(:iiifiSH.-;in:.;!.-t u'K: ^;,i.i;;1 Si..0U. An S,-.c-i)(l I!')

1 MERCHANDISE IS 100% GUAT1ANTEED WITH PROMPT DEUVEriY.

Circle 124 on Reader Service Card

HARD DISK CONTROLLERS

ADAPTEC

PC/XT Controller ST506/412 $45

2070Controller PC/XT to ST 506/412 RLL $69

2071 PC/XT to ST506 RLL (1 drive) $59

2072 PC/XT RLL $79

2370 PC/AT to ST506 RLL $99

3530 SCSI to Tape QIC 36 $78

4000 SCSI to ST506/412 ""

4520 SCSI to ESDI $98

5500 SCSI to ST506/412 $125

5580 SCSI to SMD $175

S1410 SASI Controller $89

S1420 SASI to 5V<" Floppy & Hard Disk Controller $29

II, II+, IE Host Adapter $29

OTHERS

DTC 510A SASI Controller $99

WD 1002-SHD Xebec Compatible SASI Controller $109

Konan DJ-210 35" SASI to ST506/412 (Xebec 1410 clone). .$89 • Call for cable prices. • Controller manuals $8 each.

L,

,(JX\ Computer Surplus Store "WE

tV>^, Phone 408-434-1060 BUY

FAX 408-434-0931 AND

Y^SfrS Telex 1561447 SELL"

fe\>^J MC/VISA/Discover/COD's

TurboFlow $69

Flowchart drawing for IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2

$89 with Logitech mouse!

Pop-up icon menus Variable size symbols Paper size to 34" x44" Hercules mono, CGA, EGA HP-GL, DM/PL, SweetP Plotters Automatic PANning to scan drawing quickly IBM/EPSON, NEC, OKIDATA, HP LaserJet Daylron Electronics Inc. 610 S. Sherman #104, Richardson, Tx 75081 Add B&ti ($4 USA, $2t) foreign), Texas residents add 8% sales

Order Today! 1-214-669-2137

Money-back guarantee

Circle 76 on Reader Service Card

"D" SEE PLOTTER

$2295°° RETAIL

n695»°

INTRODUCTORY OFFER

Model PC 3600 Repeatability .001" Speed at 7" Per Second Vacuum Paper Hold Down

High Resolution Circles: Suitable for PCB Artwork

(415)490-8380 zefiicon stevenson business park box 1669, fremont, ca 94538

Circle 299 on Reader Service Card

HD64180 Single Board

Protyping / Control Computer Get your 64180 project going quickly!

The SBC 100 is a complete computer powered by a wall transformer. Available C compiler, assembler, linker and debugger run on a PC. Has battery-backed RAM, battery-backed clock, power fail interrupt, SBX bus connectors, serial and parallel I/O, prototype area for up to 20 IC's. Only $295 including serial cable, power supply, 32k of battery backed RAM and schematics.

Z-World

1772A Picasso Avenue

Davis, CA 95616 (916) 753-3722 "Z80 Family Specialists' In Germany: iSysiem 0X131/1687

Sure Ws insured?

SAFEWARE® Insurance provides full replacement of hardware, media and

purchased software. As little as $39/yr. covers: • Fire • Theft • Power Surges

• Earthquake • Water Damage • Auto Accident

For information or immediate coverage call:

1-800-848-3469

In Ohio call 1-614-262-0559

SAFEWARE, The Insurance Agency Inc.

Circle 238 on Reader Service Card

ZSTEM

4*" VT240 y

TERMINAL EMULATION

KEA SYSTEMS LTD.

#412 - 2150 West Broadway

Vancouver, B.C. CANADA, V6K 4L9

Tel: 604-732-7411 Telex: 04-352848 VCR

FAX: 604-732-0715

Order Toll Free (800) 663-8702

Circle 142 on Reader Service Card

"C"forZ80and

HD64180 Microprocessor

Programming.

Source level debugging on a remote target system!

Investigate our powerful PC-based, C compiler for embedded Z80 and HD64180 microprocessors. A compiler written for microprocessor engineers. Excellent for the new Hitachi single chip HD647180X microprocessor. $495.00 for the compiler. Remote source debugger $195.00. We have many other products: assemblers, linkers, prototyping SBC's, etc.

Z-World

1772A Picasso Ave. Davis, CA 95616 (916)753-3722

"Z80 Specialists"

In Germany: iSystem Tel: 08131/1687

Circle 54 on Reader Service Card

Circle 301 on Reader Service Card

Circle 302 on Reader Service Card

Priority One

■■

his full featured computer is built from the : , chips up by one of Korea's biggest firms (they

also build cars). But because the price is so i H low, they made us promise not to print their

; name in this ad.

These hot new systems come with everything you could want or need—the things the other guys charge you extra for. This means you get a full 640K RAM memory as a standard feature, instead of a measly 256K that most other systems sold today offer.

At today's chip prices, the memory you need to run programs on their system means a $200 upgrade—with ours, it's already installed.

Each system is thoroughly tested and backed by a full one year warranty and the assistance of our Toll-Free Technical Support Hotline.

Features:

• 4.77/8MHZ Turbo Processing Speed

• 640 Kbytes of RAM memory

• Serial and parallel ports

• 4 Slots for system expansion

• Hercules compatible video

• Clock calendar w/battery backup

• MS-DOS/GW Basic version 3.2

• One year warrant}' * Integrated Software Package Included

with Svstem FREE!

Single Floppy System

without Monitor

20 Mbyte System

with Monochrome Monitor

$591

30

$879

30

QUANTUM 427 Mbyte , Hard Disk pl/y

NEC MultiSync II NEC MultiSync GS NEC MultiSync+ NEC MultiSync XL Taxan 770 Plus

■MORE SPECTACULAR SPECIALS — $599.99 Paradise EGA 480

$199.99

$899.99

$1954.99

$499.99

No-Slot Clock

$29

99

KfaFT

Kraft Mouse

w/Telepaint & Pops-Menu

$39

99

Orchid Tiny Turbo Orchid Designer VGA Video 7 VRAM VGA Video 7 VEGA VGA

$169.99 $279.99 $299.99 $554.99 $298.99

Proud member of

abed

The Microcomputer Industry Association

MMC

PRIORITY

ELECTRONICS

ffl -ffi

PRODUCT AND PRICING MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN RETAIL STORES

21622 PlummerSt., Chatsworth, CA 91311

(800) 423-5922

FAX (818) 709-4362

Same Day Shipping • Money Back Guarantee (call for details} • No credit card surcharge - limited to stock on hand

Circle 211 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 347

IC'sP Parts, Components...Shipped Fast!

West Coast's Largest Selection...Call for More

RAM Upgrades!

...priced in sets of 9

• 64K/120ns CALL

• 64K/150ns CALL

• 256K/100ns CALL

• 256K/120ns CALL

• 256K/150ns CALL

DYNAMIC RANIS

41167200ns ....

Call 44647150ns

Gall

MK4332/200ns .

Call 412567100ns

Call

4164/200ns . ..

Call 412567120ns

Call

41647150ns ....

Call 412567150ns ....

Call

41647120ns

Call 412647150ns ....

Hall

4164/PIN ONE .

Call 4128/150ns

Call

44167200ns

Call 8118/4517

Call

44167150ns ....

Call 1 MEG/100ns

Call

44647120ns ....

Call TMS4161/150ns ,

Call

STATIC RAMS

2102LP7450ns

.. $.99 61167120ns

S2.95

21017450ns ....

.. 1.79 6116LP/150ns ..

2.45

21127450ns...

,, 2.69 6264LP/120ns .,

4.95

21147450ns ....

.. .89 6264LP/150ns .

4.4b

21142

. 1.19 62647150ns

425

2114L72 ...

.. 1.99 622567120ns ....

12 85

61167150ns

. 2.45 622567100ns....

19.95

74 HCT SERIES

74HCT00 S.25

74HCT02 .25

74HCT04

74HCT08

74HCT10

74HCT27

74HCT74

74HCT138

74HCT157

74HCT160 .65

LINEAR

CA3086 51 19 1.19 1.19 1.49 1.49 1.99 169 .30 1.00 295 1.75 1.15 .95

74HCT161 $.65

74HCT163 .65

74HCT164 .65

74HCT175 .65

74HCT240 1.29

74HCT241 1.29

74HCT244 1.29

74HCT245 1.29

74HCT257 .65

74HCT259 1.10

74HL IMUil.yy

74HCT541 1.99

74HCT563 2.99

74HCT564 2.99

74HCT573 1.99

74HCT574 1.99

74HCT640 1.99

74HCT646 2.99

74HCT563 2.99

74HCT564 2.99

CA3089

CA3403

LF347N

LF348N

LF356H

LF441

LM301

LM309K

LM317K

LM317T

LM318

LM319

LM320T-XX 60

LM320K-XX 1 35

LM566

LM567

LM723

LM733

LM741

LM747

LM748

LM1414

LM1B86

LM1330

LM1350

LM1358

LM1372

S1.10 .75 .30 30 .30 .60 .65 1.49 3.29 1.95 1.25 1.95 2.25

LM1408L8 2.50

LM3900

45

LM3909

1.25

LM3911

1.95

LM3914

275

LM3915

2.75

LM391G

2.75

LM4024

3.95

LM4044

3.95

LM4136

1.50

LM4558

.75

LM7555

2.50

LM7556

2.50

LM7660

2.95

LM7663

2.95

LM323K 4.25 LM324 .35

LM335D2 1.19 LM336D2 1 19 LM337H LM337K LM338K LM340T-XX 60 LM340K-XX 1.35 LM358 .45

249 4.95 6.95

LM376 LM380 LM386 LM393 LM497 LM565 LM556 LM558 LM564 LM565

1.69 .95 .95 .65

2.50 .30 .45 .85

2.75

1.50

LM1458 LM1488

LM1489 LM1889 LM2003 LM2206 LM2111 LM2211 LM2240 LM2900 LM2901 LM2917 LM3045 LM3054 LM3079 LM3130 LM3140 LM3160 LM3161 LM3162 LM3852

.40 .60 .60 2.50 .75 3.75 1.19 2.75 175 1 19 1.19 1.29 1.19 1.99 1.49 .95 .95 195 195 1.95 1.49

LM78H05 695

LM78H12 6.95

LM8038 3 75

MC3423 1.49

MC3459 2 69

MC3470 2.99

MC3480 6.99

MC3486 1.69

MC3487

LM3524

TDA1170

TDA1180

TL074

TL081

TL082

TL084

ULN2003

ULN2064

ULN2074

ULN2081

ULN2981

74HC SERIES

74HC00. S.25 74HC125

74HC02 25 74HC132

74HC04 25 74HC133

74HC08 ....25 74HC138

74HC09 25 74HC139

74HC10 25 74HC148

74HC11 25 74HC151

74HC14 25 74HC153

74HC20 25 74HC154

74HC32 25 74HC157

74HC74 35 74HC161

74HC85 65 74HC166

74HC112 . .65 74HC173

$.50 74HC174

.50 74HC175

.50 74HC240

.55 74HC244

.55 74HC245

75 74HC368

.65 74HC373

.65 74HC374

3.75 74HC4020 74HC4060 74HC4066

1.15 74HC4075

.65 74HC4078 1.49

.65

.65

S.65 .65 1.29

1.29 1.29 .65

1-.29 129 .99 99 .99

7400 SERIES

7400 . 7402 . 7404 . 7405.

7406 .

7407 .

7408 . 7410 . 7414 . 7420 .

7426 .

7427 . 7430 . 7432 . 7438 . 7442 .

7446 .

7447 .

S.18 7474 . . .

.18 7475 ...

.18 7476...

.18 7485 ...

.35 7486...

.35 7490 . . .

,25 7493 . ..

.25 7495 . . .

.35 74121 ..

.25 74123 ..

.25 74125 ..

.25 74126 ..

,25 74148 ..

.25 74150 . .

.25 74151 ..

.30 74153 ..

.85 74154 . . .95

$.35 74157 .

.35 74158 .

.35 74173 .

.35 74174 .

.35 74175 .

.35 74176 .

.35 74181 .

.35 74189 .

.35 74193 .

.45 74195 .

.45 74198 .

.45 74221 .

.65 74273 .

1.20 74365 .

.65 74366 .

.65 74367 .

1.20 74368 .

S.65 65 .65 .65 .65 .65

1.75

2.95 .65 .65

1.65 .75

1.75 .50 .50 .50 .50

74C CHIPS

74C0O .. S .25 74C154 $2.85 74C374 51.69

74C02.

74C04 .

74C08

74C10

74C14

74C32

74C90

.25 74C173 .

.25 74C174 .

.35 74C175 .

.35 74C221 .

.49 74C240 .

.35 74C244 .

1.19 74C373 .

74C903 74C906 74C912 74C922 74C923 74C929 74C932

1.19 1.19 6.95 3.95 3.95 4.89 14.89

Partial Listing Only!!! Call us for components..

74LS SERIES

74LS00 . 74LS02 . 74LS03 . 74LS04 . 74LS05. 74LS08 . 74LS09 . 74LS10 . 74LS14 . 74LS27 . 74LS30 . 74LS32 . 74LS47 . 74LS73 . 74LS74 , 74LS75 . 74LS76 . 74LS85 . 74LS86 . 74LS90 . 74LS93 . 74LS107 74LS109 74IS123

74LS125 74LS126 74LS138 74LS139 74LS153 74LS154 74LS157 74LS158 35 74LS161 28 74LS163 25 74LS164 28 74LS165 99 74LS166 35 74LS173 35 74LS174 35 74LS175 35 74LS189 49 74LS190 28 74LS191 45 74LS192 45 74LS193 45 74LS195 45 74LS221 49 74LS240

S.45 74I.S241

49 74LS242

.45 74LS243

.45 74LS244

,59 74LS245

1.29 74LS257

.40 74LS258

.40 74LS259

.49 74LS273

.49 74LS322

.49 74LS323

.49 74LS365

.99 74LS366

,49 74LS367

.49 74LS368

49 74LS373

3.95 74LS374

49 74LS393

49 74LS624

49 74LS629

49 74LS640

49 74LS641

.65 74LS670

99 74LS688

.99

1.69

74F SERIES

74F00 . 74F02 . 74F04 . 74F08 . 74F10 . 74F11 . 74F20 . 74F32 . 74F64 . 74F74 . 74F86 . 74F109 74F139 74F151

$

35 74F153 .

35 74F157 .

35 74F158 .

35 74F160 .

35 74F161 .

35 74F163 .

35 74F174 .

35 74F175 .

49 74F181 .

49 74F189 .

49 74F219 .

49 74F240 .

49 74F241 .

59

S.59 74F243

.59 74F244 .

.59 74F245 .

.59 74F251 .

.59 74F258 .

.59 74F280 .

.69 74F373 .

.69 74F374 .

1.99 74F379 .

2.99 74F399 .

4.99 74F521 .

1.29 74F533 .

1.29 74F534 .

S129

1.29

. 1.29

.79

.79

289 . 1.49 . 1.49

1.99 . 2.99

2.99 . 2.99 . 2.99

IC SOCKETS

SDLDERTAIL

8PINL/P . 5.10

14PINL/P

16PINL/P

18PINL/P

20PINL/P

22PINL/P

24PINL/P

28PINL/P

40PINL/P

48PINL/P

64PINL/P 2.49

HIRES

HR8S/T.. $.39

HR14S/T....49

HR16S/T

HR18S/T

HR20S/T

HR22S/T

HR24S7T

HR28S7T

HR40S/T

HR64S/T

WIBEWRAP

8PINW/W $.59

14PINW/W .59

16PINW/W .69

18PINW/W .99

20PINW7W1.19

..69 ..79 .89 ..99 1.19 1.49 499

22PINW/W1.29 24PINW/W1.29 28PINW/W1.59 40PINW/W1.99 1III1ESW/W HR8W7W $.79 HR14W/W 1.19 HR16W/W 1.29 HR18W7W 1.39 HR20W7W 1.69 HR22W/W 1.79 HR24W/W 1.99 HR28W/W 2.29 HR40W/W 3.49

SPECIAL FUNCTION

VOICE RECOGNITION 16450-16 8IT

CHIPSET S49.95 USART $16.95

YAMAHA DXY 8250 - 8 BIT

CHIPSET 29.95 USART 6.95

TMS6100 5832-CLOCK 3.95

SPEECH CHIP. 9.95 58167-CLOCK 8.95

TMS 5200 SPEECH CHIP . 7.95

[itflllffl

CD4001 .

S.18 CD4017

$.59 CO4047 .

S.65 CD4069 .

S.29 CD4510 .. $.69 CD4543 . S.89

C04002

.18 CD4018

.59 C04048

75 CD4070

. .29 CD4511 .. .69 CD4555 .99

CD4007 .

.59 CD4020 .

.59 CD4049

.29 C04071 .

. .29 CD4512 .. .69 CD4556 .. .99

CO4O08

.59 CD4024

.49 CD4050

39 CD4072

.29 CD4518 .. 79 CD4584 . .69

CO4O09

,59 CD4025

.59 CD4051 .

.39 CD4073 .

.79 CD4519 .. .79 CD14409 6.95

CD4010 .

.29 C04027

.35 CD4052 .

59 CD4076 .

. .65 CD4520 . 79 C014410 7.95

CD4011 .

.29 CD4030 .

.29 CD4053 .

.59 CO4081

. .29 CD4522 .. .79 CD14411 8.95

CD4012 .

.29 CD4040

.65 CD4060 .

1.49 CD4082

. .29 CD4538 .. .79 CD14412 8.95

CD4013 CD4016

.29 CD4042 . .59 CD4046 .

.65 CD4063 . .65 CD4066

1.49 CD4093 .29 CD40103

,| Call Us For Morel!

CO-PROCESSORS V20/30 ■ SIMM RAM MODULES

808715MHz) ....$105. 8028710(10MHz) 365.

8087-2 (8 MHz).. . 160. V20-5 (5 MHz) ...$9.95

80287 (5 MHz) .... 185. V20-8 (8 MHz) ,,. 12.95

80287-8 (8 MHz) .. 265. V30-8 (8 MHz) 17.95

MOS EPROMS |

1702A- 1ms ...

. S5.95

27128 - 450ns .

.. $4.95

2532 - 450ns ...

. 4.50

27256 - 200ns .

.. 7.95

2564 - 450ns ...

. 9.95

27C256 - 250ns

.. 7.95

2708 - 450ns ...

. 4.25

27512 - 250ns .

.. 13.75

2716

. 4.95

8741

24.95

2716-1

. 5.95

8742

.. 24.95

27C16

5.95

8748 .

. 16.95

TMS2716-450ns

8749

19.95

|3v)

. 8.49

8751

49.95

2732 - 450ns ...

. 3.95

8755

., 19.95

2732 - 250ns ...

. 4.95

68764

. 19.95

27C32

6.95

68766

.. 19.95

2764 - 450ns

. 3.95

68701

.. 24.95

2764 - 250ns .

. 4.95

68705P

19.95

27C64 - 450ns.

. 6.95

2816-EE

.. 7.95

27128 - 250ns .

. 5.95

2864-EE

19.95

Z80 SERIES

Z80CPU

51.49

Z80AS10/0....

. 54.95

Z80CTC

. 1.49

Z80ASI0/1.

.. 4.95

Z80DART

. 4.49

Z80ASIO72.

.. 4.95

Z80PIO

. 1.49

Z80ADART

.. 4.99

Z80ACPU

. 1.99

Z80BCPU

.. 2.99

Z80ACTC

. 1.99

Z80BCTC

.. 3.99

Z80APIO

1.99

Z80BPIO

3.99

DIPOLAR PROMS/PALS

82S123

$ 1.29

74S189

.. 51.69

82S126

. 1.29 1.99 2.99 7.99

. 11.99

74S287 74S288 74S471 74S472 PAL16L8

.. 1.99

82S129

.. 1.99

82S137

.. 4.99

82S181

.. 6.99

82S191

.. 4.99

74S188

1.29

PAL 20L8

9.95

8000 SERIES

8031

> 2.95

8212

.. S1.95

8035/39

2.95

8216

.. 1.95

8080A

3.95

8224

.. 1.95

8085A

2.95

8237A7S

.. 5.95

8086

7.50

8250

.. 6.95

8088

7.95 9.95

8251A7S

.. 1.95

8088-2

8253-S

.. 1.95

80186-6 (5MHz)

14.95

8255-S

.. 2.95

80186-3 (8MHz)

24,95

8257-5

.. 2.95

80286-6 (5MHz)

19.95

8259-5

.. 2.95

80286-8 (8MHz)

34.95

8272/765

.. 4.25

80386 (16MHz).

525.00

8275

. 24.95

8202

11.95

8279

., 4.95

8203

14.95

8284

4.95

68000 SERIES

68000/8MHZ.

$12.95

68020/16MHZ .

$249.95

6801078MHz . .

19.95

68450

49.95

64K x 9(150ns) 256K x 9(120ns) 1Mb x 9(120ns) 256Kx8(120ns) 1Mbx8(120ns)

CALL CALL CALL CALL CALL

BJMZ3B

1000MHz S3 25

1 8432MHz 3 25 2.000MHz. . 225

2 097152MHz 2 25 2 4576MHz. 2 25 3.000MHz 3.2768MHz 3579MHz . 4.000MHz

4 032MHz

5 000MHz

. 2.25 .2.25 2.25 .225 .2.25 .2 25

5 0688MHz 6000MHz

6 14JMHZ 65536MHz

8 000MHz

9 000MHz 10000MHz 11000MHz

12 000MHz

13 000MHz

S2 25 15 000MHz 2 25 16 000MHz 2 25 18.000MHz 2 25 18 432MHz 2 25 20 OOOMHz 225 22 1184MHz

. 2 25 24.000MHz 2 25 36 OOOMHz 2 25 48 OOOMHz 2 25 32 766KHZ

S2 25 .225 .225 . 225 .225

2.25 .2.25 .2 25 .2.25

150

OSCILLATORS

1 OOOMHz .. 18432 MHz

2 OOOMHz 2 J576MHZ

2 500MHz .

3 6864MHz

4 OOOMHz

4 91520MHz 5.000MHz . 5.0688MHz 6000MHz 6 1<MMHz

S5 50 6 500MHz 5 50 7 168MHz 5 50 8 OOOMHz 5 50 9 OOOMHz 5 50 10 OOOMHz 5.50 11000MHz 5 50 12000MHz 550 12.500MHz 5 50 14 318MHz 5 50 15 000MHz 5 50 15.360MHz 5 50 15 758MHz

S550 16 5 50 10 5 50 18 550 18 550 19 5 50 20 550 22 . 550 24 . 5.50 24 . 5 50 37 5 50 43 550

OOOMHz . 550 257MHz . 5.50 OOOMHz 5 50 432MHz . 5 50 6608MHz 550 OOOMHz.. 550 OOOMHz OOOMHz 576MHz 250MHz 200MHz .

550 5.50 .5,50 .5.50 550

CONNECTORS

62PIN ST (PC/XT) 51.95 50PIN W/W (Apple) 4.50 50PIN ST (Apple) 2.50 62PIN ST (AT) 4.95

EXTENDER CARDS

APPLE S100.

514.95 IBM PC S24.95

. 24.95 IBM AT 34.95

PROTO CARDS

APPLE 512.95 IBM PC S24.95

S100 19.95 IBM AT 34.95

DIP SWITCH

1 POSITION S.49 7POSTION

2P0STION 59 8P0STI0N

3POSTI0N 69 9P0STI0N

4P0STI0N 69 10POSTI0N

$.89 . .89 . 1.29

1.29

5P0STI0N 79 12POSTION 1.49

5P0STI0N 79

ECONO ZIFS

16PINZIF 24 PINZIF

68010710MHz .. 39.95 68881/12MHz . 179.95 68020712MHz .. 149.95 68881716MHz.. 219.95

. 53.50 40 PINZIF S6.95

. 3.95 64 PINZIF 9.95

TEXTOOL ZIFS

6502 SERIES

6502 65C02 6502A 6502B. 6510 ...

52.95 6520 $2.95

1195 6522 4.95

4.95 6532 4.95

6.95 6545 9.95

9.95 6551 4.95

16 PINZIF S4.50 40 PINZIF $9.95

24 PINZIF 5.95 64 PINZIF 17.95

28 PINZIF 8.95

IC TEST CLIPS

6800 SERIES

14 PIN S3.95 40 PIN 519.95

16 PIN 3.95 64 PIN 39.95

24 PIN 12.95 68PLCC 69.95

LCC SOCKETS

S2 95 6821 S2 95

495 6845 4^95 68 PIN S14.95 100 PIN S22.95

2.95 6850 4.95 84 PIN 19.95 Cell lor Mare...

Since 1976...The Nation's TOP Computer Supplier

mk Advanced Computer Products, Inc.

Mail Order: P.O. Box 17329 Irvine. CA 92713 Retail: 1310-B E. Edinger. Santa Ana, CA 92705

for Fast Service Order by Phone!

NEW PHONE FOR ALL USA

800-FONE ACP

800-366-3227 • 714-558-8813

• $25.00 Minimum MAIL ORDER OUR POLICY

• No Surcharge tor VISA or Mastercard

• Volume purchasing agreements available • Orders subjecl to availability

• Pricing subjecl to change willioul notice • Supply limlited on cerlain items

• ACP Retail store pricing may vary. Not responsible lor lypos.

• Limited warranties and'olher conditions may apply

Call for our NEW 1988 Catalog...

348 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 8 on Reader Service Card

ACP's Break thru Prices!!

Since 1976...The Nation's TOP Computer Supplier

Quantum Theory!

We made a (ruckload purchase from (he factory and while (he supply lasts we are ottering (hem a( this unbelievable price...

Quantum

Q540 42.6Mb

Unformatted, 40ms. perfect lor 286 & 386 AT's

ACP... famous since 1976 lor

delivering the Best Deals!!

SPECIAL!!

AST® Internal

1200 Baud Modem

software included...

Factory Direct! Amdek® TTL Amber Monitor

12", Model 310A, Lis! $240.

While Supply Lasts.

88.

New! RAY-O-VAC©

AT Replacement Battery

placement for real-lime clocks, AT/286/386

PC COMPATIBLE CARDS

ACP Advanced Cards/IBM Monographics/HGAw/ptint port . 55. Colorgraphics w/prmter port. . 55. SuperEGA.Genoa compatible . 169. SuperVGA.1024x768. 339.

Diamond Multi l/0.2s,p,g,c/XT.. 139.

XT Six-Pak compatible/OK 89.

XT 286 Accelerator card 269.

XT Multi I/O wffioppy contr 69.

XT dual Floppy controller .. 29.

XT Serial I/O 29.

XT/AT Parallel I/O caro 29.

AT Serial I/O card 39.

XT/AT Game adapter port 29.

XT/AT EPROM programmer 149. AT3.5M6w/Mulfil/O.QK 199.

AT SuperMULTn/Ow/lloppy 119.

PS/2 Multi I/O 99.

PS/2 Floppy controller! 4Mb 89.

HP Laseriet 1Mb Ram cirri 399.

MOTHERBOARDS

XT Turbo w/BIOS. 8MHz . . . 69.

XT Turbo w/BIOS, 10MHz 99.

AT 286 w/BIOS. 10MHz 289.

AT Baby w/BIOS, 12MHz 299.

AT 386 w/BIOS. 16MHz . 1499.

AST" Research Xformer/286.512K. 10MHz Advantage 2/386,mod.80.1 Mb Advantage 2/285,PS/2,0K Advantage Premium 286.512K. Rampage 2'286.PS/2,512K... Rampage 286, 512K AST Sixpakplus. OK ATI Technologies EGA Wonder 800

VGA/VIP .

2400etc ml. Modem w/MNP-5

GENOA

Super EGA.

SuperVGA .

GULFSTREAM

EZ-FAX Board w/software

HERCULES

Color Card/CGA

Graphics Card Plus

INTEL

Inboard 386/PC to 386

Inboard 386/AT to 386

Above Board 2.PS/2 mod50/60

Above Board 2B6,AT,512K .

Above Board PS/286 model 30 .

8087 (5MHz)

8087-1 (10MHz) PS/2

8087-2 (8MHz) .

60287-6 (6MHz) .

802B7-8 (8MHz)

8Q287-W (10MHz)

8038MS[16MHz)

80387-20 120MHz) ORCHID Technology Tiny Turbo 286 -REDUCED! Designer VGA Board RAMQUEST 50/PS/2. 2Mb.. PARADISE

Auioswilcb 480

VGA Plus

OUADRAM

0uad386XT

Pmsync(640x480,752x410)... Microfibril buffer w/64K .... QuadsprinlXTaccelleralor ... Liberty EMS XT card, OK Silver Quadboard, Sixpak comp. VIDEO 7 VEGA Deluxe Vega VGA

Advanced PC Keyboards 5160 84keyXT/ATswilcrtable 5161101 key XT/ATswitchable ... CH Products

Macll II Joystick-IBM

Mach II Joystick-Apple

699. 725. 349. 389.

499.

1059. 299. 329, 349.

Mach III Joystick-IBM . Mach III Joystick-Apple ..

Gamecard III

KEYTRONICS KBI01 101key/AT(Generic)

KB515184keydeluxe

KRAFT

IBM PC/XT/AT Joystick

Mouse PC/XT/AT serial ..

LIGHTGATE

Felix for PC/XT/AT

LOGITECH

Bus Mouse PC/XT/AT .,.

Serial Mouse PC/XT/AT .

Serial Mouse PS/2

MICROSOFT

Bus Mouse w/PC Paintbrush

Serial Mouse w/PC Paintbrush

Serial PS/2 w/PC Paintbrush

MSC Technologies

PC Mouse serial PC/XT/AT

PS/2 Mouse serial

PC Mouse bus PC/XT/AT..,

SUMMAGRAPHICS

SummaSketch

FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

sowy

S1/2"M!cro Floppy 1.44M6... TEAC

55BV 360K Floppy/PC/XT/AT TOSHIBA AMERICA FDD4J03 31/2' Micro 760K 31/2 Micro 1.44Mb v//kil ... MD04D 3(>0K lloppyPC/XT . NB04E-G360K Floppy AT gray ND09DE-G 1 2Mb AT gray

HARD DISK DRIVES

MICROPOLIS

1333A 53Mb Full lit., 30ms. .

1335 85Mb Full ht..65ms. .

MINISCRIBE

3650 43Mb Half tit.,6lms.

6053 53Mb Full bt.,28ms.

6085 85Mb Full ht.,28ms.

8438 38Mb Half ht..65ms,RLL

PLUS Development

Plus20Hardcard,20Mb.49ms..

Plus40Hardcard,40Mb,39ms.

SEAGATE

ST225 25Mb.65ms w/WDconi 299

309.

Advanced 386 Clones

Advanced386/16bnse system

1795.

Advanced386/16w/40Mb

2195.

Advanced386/16w/80Mb

2495.

Advanced 286 Clones

Advanced286/I0base system

849.

Advanced266/10 w/20Mb

1099.

Advanced286/10w/40Mb

1299,

Advanced XT Clones

AdvancedXT base system

489.

Advanced M/XTw/mono/20Mb

999.

call lor options A details

AST Research

Prenuum286Model1<10.40Mb

2995.

Premium Workstation

2195.

Premium386Mcdel340 40Mb

4699.

call tor all AST models

COMPAQ

Portable III Model20

call.

Deskpro286 Model20

call.

Deskpro386 Model40

call.

Portable386 Model40 .

call.

EPSON

Equity It

call.

Equity II*

call.

Equity IIU

call.

HYUNDAI

Hyunda.1286 ,. .

call.

HyundaiXT

call.

Hvundai PC LAN Terminal

call.

NEC

MultispeedELbacklitLCD

call.

MultispeerJ HD. 20Mb

call.

SHARP

4501 Laptop single floppy

699.

4502 dual (loppy, 64QK

1295.

4520 Laptop 20Mb

2195.

PC710Q Portable. 20Mb

PC7221 Porlable286, 20Mb

2895.

TOSHIBA

T1000 Laptop single floppy T1200 Laptop, 20Mb . T3100Laptop286 20Mb T3200 286 full keybd.40Mb T5I00 386. EGA.J0MI)

2395. 2995. 3995. 4995.

. 549. 719.

.255.

309. 549. 799.

289. 299. 699.

199. .299.

747.

269. 239.

ST138 38Mb New'31/2 call.

ST238 3BMb,G5ms.wATO RLL 398.

ST251 51Mb,40ms 419.

ST251-1 51Mb.28ms 499.

ST4038 38Mb,40ms-neoucED/ 469.

ST4096 96Mb.28ms-HEDucEP.' 799. WESTERN DIGITAL

FilecardPS30 PS/2mod. 25/30 389.

Filecard30 449.

10D6RAH Conlr. 1:1 interleave... 199.

1003RAH Controller RLL/AT 187.

1003WA2 Floppy/Hard/AT 149.

10Q2-27X Controller RLL/XT 98.

1002-WX1 Conlroller/XT 89,

BACKUP DEVICES

ALPHAMICRO

VCR Video tape backup card 349.

IOMEGA

Bernoulli 20Mb 51/4 internal . 945.

Bernoulli dual20Mb51/4'ext 1699.

Bernoulli dual20Mb8"ext ... 1695.

Tri-pak20Mbcartridqe,51/4" ... 189.

Tri-pak 20Mb cartridge, 8" 2 5 5.

PC3B Adapter card PC/XT/AT 189.

PS4 AdapterPS/2mod.50.60.80 299.

IRWIN

1100 XT/AT 10Mb backup(mt),. 199.

120DXT20Mbbackup(int) 369.

145CAT40Mbbackup(int].... 499. 245P PS/2 40Mb backup .. 479. TALLGRASS Technologies 1020iAT20Mbbackup(mt). 338.

1020iXT20Mbbackup(int). ,. 338. 104Qi AT 40Mb backup(int). .. 599. 10401 XT40Mbbackup(int).... 599. Call lor External Pricing!

3COM

Ethernet card 399.

Eltvjmeillcard . 399. WESTERN DIGITAL

StarLan/Novell starter kil 1077. (network tor less than S400/node)

Ethernet Plus adapter board 239.

Vi3Ne! LAN software 120.

Slarhub . ., 329.

Advanced MODEMS

1200baudw/soltware(mt)

1200baud External

1200baud Pocket MODEM

2400baud w/software(intj

2400baud External . .

HAYES

Smartmodem 12008 w/sw(int)

Smartmodem 1200 External

Smartmodem 2400B w/sw(mt)

Smartmodem 2400 External

MIGENT

Pocket MODEM 1200 .. ..

PROMETHEUS

2400G External .. .

2400B'2w/software(mt)

2400PSPS/2w/sofiware(inl)

1200B/2w/soflware(inl) sale!

AMDEK

VIDEO 310A 12" amber TTL 410A 12' amber grn or white 128013"graphics[1280x800) LaserDweCDROMw/Micsofl IBM MONITORS 8503 12"Mono(640X480) 8512 14" Color analog

299. 299. 447.

447,

199. 149. 299.

799.

899.

MEMORY LOSS?

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger...

we are also suffering from loss of

memory. ACP sells more Memory Upgrade

IC's than other other mail order

supplier,,.But!...the present shortage is driving

us up a walll. We can't get them at the right

price, but we are getting them.

PLEASE BEAR WITH US...as the market

price comes down our price will come down.

SELLING Chips? Call us, we're buying.

Special jgJMDBC

Purchase EPSON c°"

QUADRAM

CL0SE0UTS!

BulkDS/DD51/4" Diskettes

box of 100

Quadram Quadsprlnt Card

each

320

upgrade PC/XT to 10 MHz Sale 98.

• Six pack Compatible qa Quadram Silver Board, OK sale 5*0.

• Liberty Card, ems. OK sale 98.

• EPSON Equity l+ sale 699.

• 1200 Baud Internal Modem no with software sale DO.

• Sharp PC5000 Portable sale 149.

• Omnltel 1200 Baud Modem qq 2 serial/parallel/game/software sale 99.

• Diablo 620 Printer sale 199.

• Mindset Personal Computer

360K/tloppy/mouse/joy/MS-DOS 2.0

219.

8513 12 EGA(640x480)

8514 16"Hi-res(1024x768) . MAGNA VOX

Mulliscan 14" mullimode EGA 14" w/gm&amber switch CGA 13'color . .

TTL Mono 12'grn or amber . NEC

Mullisyncll 13 TTL/analog .. Multisync Plus 15 VGA/EGA Multisync XL 20'( 1024x768) Monograpbsys(1024xl024) . SAMSUNG/LTI Flatscreen 12" amber TTL Mono 12" amber TTL CGA14 RGB Color ... EGA 14" EGA/CGA Color ...

sowy

CPD1302 13" Multiscan color

CPD1303 13 EGA

WYSE

WY30 14" terminal

WY50 14" terminal .

WV6Q-14'terminal ASCII

599. 399. 288.

595.

945. 2275. 1555.

99.

349. 419. 519.

DICONICS'KODAK

I50P Portable pnnter(par) . 339.

300P w/wide camagc(par).... 539.

EPSON

LXBOOBOcolumn. I80cps 199.

EX800.FX286e.FX86e.LQ850,

LG105Q.LQ100Q call.

ACP '5 full line Epson dealer HEWLETT PACKARD

Laserjet Series II 1699.

Deskjet w/laser quality 895.

Scanjet fialbed scanner 1549.

IBM PRINTERS

Propnnterll,240cps ..., 435.

Proprmter X24,240cps 24pin . 635.

PropimlerXL24,240cp5 24pin . 835.

NEC

P2200.24pin(360x360dpi) .. 399.

P565XL Color,100cpsNLQ . 1095.

P660 Pinwriter, 65cpsNLQ 599.

LC890 Silenlwnter Laser 3649.

OKIDATA

ML393,180cpsNLQ ........ 995.

ML182+, parallel 245.

ML192+. parallel 319.

ML193+. parallel 469.

Laserline6(req.lBMinl.) 1399.

PANASONIC

KX-P108O1,160cps dratt.par 185. KX-P109H. I92cps draftpai 198.

KX-P1092i.24QcpsdraH.132 339.

KX-P1524.24pm.80cpsNLO 595.

SEIKOSHA

SL80A1,24pin . ... 366.

SL130A1,24pin 749.

SBPl0A1.18pin.800cps . . 3299.

SK3000A1,9pin.300cps,s/p 399.

SK3005Al.9pin,300cps,132 499.

TOSHIBA

P321SL 24pin,216cps 499.

P341SL,24pm,216cps 699.

P351SX.{coloraddSi79) 1099. Paflelaser12, High volume . call.

HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS 0MP41 or42 2399.

0MP51 or 52 3099.

SCANCAD 2499.

DMP56A 4399.

ROLAND

DXY880. 8 pen AB size 1088.

OXY980

COMPUTER ACCESSORIES

P15 Power Director 89

P25 4 outlet stand alone . 62

F20 Print Saver . 289

A2Q0 PC Data Display Module . 888 KENSINGTON

Masterpiece Power Center ... ,98

Masterpiece Plus 108

System Saver lie .. 69.

System Saver llgs 119.

Printer Multler, BOcolumn ... 39. MICROCOMP. ACCESSORIES 51/4" Rolltop Diskette File . . 29. 31/2" Rolltop Diskette File 22.

PC Vacuum Cleaner . 39.

CRT Valet (12x12") 119.

Underdesk Keyboard Drawer. 49. FLIP n'FILE

FNFMiniXT.100 51/4".smoke . 10. FNF MicroXT,100 31/2".smoke .. 11. f NF Maxi,50 8'. smoke .. 15.

FNF Micro.25 31/2". smoke 8.

Universal Punter Stand 9.

DISKETTES-lifetime warranty 5 1/4" DS'DD Diskettes POXT360K

Maxell MD2-D ... 11.

Verbatim Dataiife DS/DD 12.

Fuji M02D .11.

Advanced Color w/plastic box 8.

5 1/4- OS/HD High Density ATI 2Mb

Maxell MD2-DD 23.

Verbatim DatalileHD 23.

Fuji MD2HO 22.

3 1/2" High Density Disksp J4Mb> Maxell 49.

Verbatim Datalile 49.

Fuji 49.

Sony 49.

PRINTER BUFFERS

Advanced 64K parallel buffer 129.

Advanced 64KAB butter 169.

SWITCH BOXES

Advanced 2-positionAB, 3636 ... 29.

Advanced 2-position AB, 2525 ... 29.

Advanced par/ser converter , . 69.

Advanced ser/par converter 69.

BuffaloSXPCshare(uplo7) 499.

Logical Connection 256K 499.

INTELLICOM

Longlink-Parallel ..... 199.

Longlink-Senal 199.

Ouicklink-Par to Ser-64K ... 149. Ouickhnk-PartoPar-64K 149.

Megalink-4prt Buff-Par & Ser 299. TRIPPLITE

lsobar4 surge suppw/4 outlets . . 59. IsobarS surge supp w/8 outlets . . 69. Line Conditioner w/4 outlets 149.

Backup Power Supply, 450w .. 399. Backup Power supply. 675w 575.

Backup Power Supply, 1000w . 999. Backup Power Supply. 2O0Ow 1299. GOLDSTAR DVM/SCOPES DM 6135-3,5 DVM .. . 49.95

DM 6235-3.5 DVM . . .52.95

DM 6335-3.5 DVM . 59.95

DM 6133-3 5 DVM . 59.95

OS-7020-20MH; Scope 419.

0S-7040-4QMHz Scope 699.

MEMORY UPGRADES 64K or 256K Upgradesjset of 9) call. IMbSIMMsorRams call.

ncp -not copy protected

cp -copy protected

ALDUS-ncp

Pagemaker/IBM .... 499.

Pagemaker/MAC .. . 379.

Freefiand/MAC .... call.

ALPHA SOFTWARE-ncp

Advanced Keyworksl.O 175.

Alpha/tlireel.O 232.

AMER. SMALL BUSINESS-ncp

Design CAD 3D 3 0 ........ 168.

ANSA

Paradox vl 1 329.

Paradox v2.0 w/EMS&EEMS 424. ASHTON TATE-ncp

dBaselll plus 1 1 422.

Rapidfile12 219.

Multimate Advantagell 1 0 275.

Applause Presentation pkg call. BORLAND-ncp

Sidekick plus 139.

Sidekick LOsale! old vers. ... 19. Turbo BASIC 1.0 . . ,69.

Turbo PASCAL 4.0 . 69.

Turbo C 1.5 69.

Reflex 1 14 99.

Ouattro 149.

Eureka , 99.

BRODERBUND-cp Print Shop 40.

Graphics Library 1 or 2 23.

Toy Shop . . .37.

Memory Mate 2.0-ncp . 45.

COMPUSERVE

Subscription kit 29.

Groilers Online Encyclopedia. . .34. COMPUTER ASSOCIATES-ncp

Supercalc4v1.1 339.

Superproject plus v3.0 339.

CROSSTALK COMM-ncp

Crosstalk XVI v3 6! 99.

Crosstalk MK4v1 01 139.

DAC SOFTWARE-ncp

DAC Easy Light vl.O 49.

DAC Easy Accounting v2.0. ., 69. DIGITAL RESEARCH-ncp

GEM Draw plus v2.01 185.

GEM Desktop Publisher ... 270. EXECUTIVE SYSTEMS-ncp XTREE v2.0 45.

XTREE Professional vl.O ... 89. FUNK SOFTWARE-ncp

Sideways v3.2 42.

InWordvl.0 59.

5th GENERATION-ncp

Fastback Plus 99.

FOX SOFTWARE

Foxbase+ single user ... 220.

GENERIC-ncp

Generic CADD 3.0 65.

LIFETREE-ncp

Volkswnter3Plus ... . . 160.

Total Wordvl.O .. 259.

LOTUS

Hal

99.

n Advanced Computer Products, Inc.

Mail Order: P.O. Box 17329 Irvine. CA 927I3 Retail: I310-B E. Edinger. Santa Ana. CA 92705

for Fast Service Order by Phone!

NEW PHONE FOR ALL USA

800-FONE ACP

800-366-3227 • 714-558-8813

Lotus 123/Hal Bundle .

Manuscript . .349,

MECA-cp

Managing your Money.Tobias . 129.

MICROLYTICS

Gofer 45.

Wordfinder 65.

MICROPRO-ncp

Wordstar Professional Rel 4 269.

Wordstar 2000 Rel 3 199.

MICRORIM-ncp

R BASE 5000 ,, 369.

R BaseSystemV 469.

MICROSOFT-ncp

Window 386 , ,139.

Windows 2.03 66.

QuickC vl.O 69.

QuickBASIC ... .69.

Wordv4.0 .. 219.

Excel V2.0/AT 319.

NORTON-ncp

Utilities 4.0 69.

Commander 49.

Guides(assem,C,bas, or pascal) 59. PAPERBACK SOFTWARE

VP Planner sale! .49.

VP Expert 69.

SURPASS SOFTWARE-ncp Surpassv! 0 .299.

SYMANTEC-ncp

0&Av2.0 219.

O & A Write 139.

Grand View 175.

TRA VELING SOFTWARE

LaplmkRus 86.

TURNER HALL-ncp

SQZ! PIUS 65.

Note-itPlus(Lolus123notes) .... 55. Cambridge Spreadsheet Anlst ... 75. 4Word(123Wordprocessing) 65.

XEROX

Ventura .499.

WORDPERFECT-ncp

WordPerfect v5.0 240.

WordPerfect Library v1.1 65.

WordPerfect Executive ., . 125. DataPerlect v2.0 . 299.

OUR POLICY

•$25 00 Minimum MAIL ORDER

• No Surcharge for VISA or Mastercard

• Volume "urcli:isi'iii .Kim-msnis awM)',:; • Orders subject to availability

• Pricing subject to change without nolice • Supply limiited on certain items

• ACP Retail store pricing may vary. No! responsible for lypos

• Limited warranties and oilier conditions may apply

Call for our NEW 1988 Catalog...

Circle 8 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 349

CKPCLOC

10-year clock/calendar IN A CHIP!

Easy plug-in ■ 10-year battery

Never set date/time again

No slot needed ■ 100% compatible

NOW WORKS WITH PS/2

CHIPCLOK w/software NOW $49.00 30-day money-back guarantee

COMPUQUEST INC.

801 Morse Ave. ■ Schaumburg, IL 60193

1-800-722-2353

1-312-529-2552 In IL

Circle 49 on Reader Service Card

DATA ACQUISITION TO GO

INTERFACE FOR ANY COMPUTER

FREE IBM SOFTWARE

Connects via RS-232. Fully IBM compatible. Built-in BASIC. Stand alone capability. Expandable. Battery Option. Basic system: 16 ch. 12 bit A/D, 2 ch. D/A, 32 bit Digital I/O. Expansion boards available. Direct Bus units for many computers.

(201) 299-1615 P.O. Box 246, Morris Plains, NJ 07950

ELEXOR

Circle 93 on Reader Service Card

16-BIT RESOLUTION ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL

CONVERTER 12,000 SAMPLES/SEC

for IBM PC, XT & AT

SINGLE PIECE PRICE

$475

We manufacture a broad line of data acquisition and control hardware and software for Apple and IBM computers.

Call for quotes on custom hardware or complete systems.

LAWSON LABS, INC.

5700 RAIBE ROAD COLUMBIA FALLS. MT 59912 800-321-5355 or 406-387-5355

m

The $595 Solution to 8051 Product Development

The P0K51 is a powerful and economical choice for the development of 8051-based systems. The PDK51 is used with an IBM-PC or equivalent and includes:

• SIBEC-II 8052 Basic Microcontroller

• SXA51 Cross Assembler

• ROM-Based Monitor/Debugger

• PROM Programmer

• Power Supplies

• Documentation, Tutorial and More

Call Now! (603) 469-3232 Binary Technology, Inc.

Main St., P.O. Box 67, Meriden, NH 03770

[J

A VOICE FOR YOUR PC!

VOXX 0n|y*7995

Unlimited vocabulary Text-to-speech software Included Speaks English text and numbers Also speaks Spanish and Italian 16 different, easy to understand voices Automatic Inflection Easy to use with DOS, BASIC, etc... Uses one PC/XT/AT type short slot Better then units costing much more Audio amplifier and speaker Included

(203)656-1806

ALPHA [PmibmSs

242- B West Avenue, Darien, CT 06820

Add 13.00 p»r ordar lor shipping. Vita, MC, chacki. i'.i.O. walcoma. CT raildantt add aalai tax.

C.O.D, add J3.00 Mr*. Canada: (hipping li SS Ovmiiit idd 10%

Circle 17 on Reader Service Card

Satellite Communication

MICR0SATII

Expansion Board

$700

• For IBM PC/XT/AT and compatible.

• Satellite data receiver - 9600 baud.

• Satellite bulletin board.

• Satellite video and audio option - Add $200

PERSONAL SPACE COMMUNICATIONS

707 Johnson Road, Blaine WA 98230 (604|597-6298 TLX 04-508306 FAX (604)597-6214

Set up a complete

graphics workstation

on your PC

for under $100!

PC-PLOT-III graphics terminal emulator soltware

package enables IBM PC's and compatibles to

appear to a mainframe as DEC VT-1007200, VT-52,

Renographies VT-640 or Tektronix 4010/4014 and

4027 terminals. The program also provides valuable

communication commands and more.

An enhanced version, PC-PLOT-IV, further allows complete Tektronix 4105 terminal emulation.

For more information call 614/882-4786

659-H Park Meadow Rd. Weslerville, OH 43081

Circle 175 on Reader Service Card

8051

FAMILY EMULATORS

MM: :>-'^*i ^ag|^

For info call:

'"" -^^R

Austria

02 22 38 76 38-0

02 654 1873

Denmark

Finland

France

Great Britain

Israel

02 65 81 11 See Sweden 01 69 412 801

01 464 2586

03 499034

02 784 7841

04 886 375 See Sweden

New Zealand

Portugal

Spain

Switzerland ... West Germany Sweden

U.S.A

01 83 56 70 03 217 2340 01 740 41 05 08 131 16 87 040 92 24 25 408 866 1820

noHau

51 E Campbell Ave . "107E Campbell. CA 95008

CORPORATION

(408) 866-1820

Circle 191 on Reader Service Card

REAL WORLD I/O

ForPC/XT/ATs

DC24 • 2-i-line digital I/O; 10 MHz 8255. $95

AD500 • 8 channel 12-hil (plus sign) integrating A/D; programmable gains of I, 10, & 100. Hi-Z inpui and 7 digital lines. $239

AD 100 • Single channel version of AD500 wilh 10 digital lines. *149

AD200 • 4 channel, 125 US. 12-bit A/D board. $239

ADA300 • 8 channel, 25 US. 8-bil A/D; single D/A; 24 TTL 1/0 lines (10 MHz 8255). $239

DA60O • Fast settling dual 12-bit D/A. $169

PD200 • Prototype/development board with address decoder, buffer; 100+ page application/project manual. $99

XB40 • External connection/prototype board with cable. $49 Ml boards include BASIC. Pascal. C. and forth drivers. 30 day return I year warranty. Call for Real World Interfacing" application notes.

Real Time Devices, Inc.

P.O. Box 906 State College, PA 16804 (814) 234-8087

Circle 145 on Reader Service Card

Circle 208 on Reader Service Card

Circle 234 on Reader Service Card

California Digital

17700 Figueroa Street • Carson, California 90248

Color Monitor

EGA

e?tm

Ideal for CAD/CAM and Desk Top publishing applications. The Roland CD/240 color monitor has a resolution ot 720 pixels by 400 lines on a .31 mm dot pitch 12" non-glare screen. VGA specifications in text made EGA in graphic mode.

Comparable monitor and card packages retail at over $1095. California Digital has made a special purchase and is able to offer the CD/240 and 132 column VGA/EGA graphic card for only S389.

2*9*239

400linRSnn a 31mm •*

20" Analog Color

'659

*m&

Ever try gathering a classroom ol students around a 12 inch monitor? This 20 nch analog RGB monitor is the ideal solution. High screen resolution of 1200 pixels by 950 lines allow extra fine detail without the dots looking like golf balls. 256 colors and VGA compatible. " Super value originally sold for over S2000. Only 350 available.

Television Terminal /

The Quick-Link 300 gives you an instant link to any d Western Union or Ihe Source. The Quick-Link has lour us the operator, with only one key stroke, to dial the data Da: information is permanently stored in non-volatile HAM Features include video output to television or monitor. 300 baud modem and 1200 baud auxiliary printer port

up data base. Such as Dow Jones, programmable log-onkeys. allowing log-in and give tho password. All this

to dial, auto-log. lull sired keyboard.

n Computer ^ £

89

Compatible with most Radio Shack Color Computer soltwarc. Manulaclurod by the Tano Corp. under license ot the Brilish Broadcasting Company.

The Dragon comos complete with 6-tK Byte ot memory, serial modem port along with aprinler interlace. This uniquo microcomputer features Motorola's advanced 6C09E microprocessor and comos standard with Microsoft Color Basic, data base manager, and a complete word processing package. The computer outputs color composite video along with R.F. video that allows the unrl to be used in conjunclion with any color television.

One Two Ten

TEC501 y2 height sgl.side 49 39 35

TANDON 65L/2 360K, Vi ht. 79 75 72

TANDON101/4fullht.96TPI. 99 89 79

FUJITSU SVa" half height 95 89 82

MITSUBISHI new 501 half ht. 119 109 105

MITSUBISHI 504A AT comp. 149 139 135

TEAC FD55BV half height 109 99 89

TEAC FD55FV 96 TPI, half ht. 119 109 105

TEACFD55GF for IBM AT 149 139 135

PANASONIC 455 Half Height 109 99 89

PANASONIC 475 1.2 Meg./96 119 115 109

Switching power supply 49

Dual enclosure for SVa" drives 59

40Meg. Tape

Back-up

3V4" DISK DRIVES SONY MP-53W 720K/Byte 129 125 119

SONY MP-73W, 2 Meg. TEAC 35FN 720 K/Byte TEAC 35HN/30, 2 Meg. SVa" form factor kit

159 149 call

129 119 115

159 149 145

20

8" DISK DRIVES QUME 842 double sided QUME 841 single sided SHUGART 851R dbl. sided REMEX RFD4000 dbl. sided OLIVETTI 851

MMC

MICROCOMPUTER

MARKETING COUNCIL

WMCT MARKETING ASSOCIATION

189 179 175 119 109 99 319 309 299 189 179 165 189 179 165

VISA

1:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time

**&

Head Crash, Power Spikes or just poor disk maintenance...

Don't loose data because you didn't back up. The All/40 is an inexpensive way to save and restore files in the event that your data has been dislroyed.

This 40 megabyte half height tape back is manufactured by North Americas largest producer of data retrieval equipment. No need to purchase a separate tape controller... the ALL/40 attaches directly to your existing floppy disk controller. Supplied software allows your computer to back up any time Day or Night. Come back in the morning and 40 megabytes of irreplacable data has been stored on one Scotch DC/2000 data cassette. Back up entire hard disk, modified files only, or by file name. Loss of data is inevitable but when you are backed up on an ALL/40 its not a catastrophe.

Hitachi ti if 17 4

Plotter m'

The Hitachi 672/XD is a four color 11 by 17 (B size) plotter with superior accuracy and repeatability (.3mm). The 672 accepts HPGL 7475 commands and is both Centronics parallel and RS232C compatible. The 672 plots at a fast eight inches per second in axial direction and eleven inches at an angle of 45 degrees. The plotter also features a self contained digitizing function that allows data to be entered into your computer from printed graphs and blue prints. Four different color pens are supplied with the plotter but a wide variety of technical pens are available.

A InxutoiT

2400 Baud Modem

2400 baud with forward error correcting make the Moxon MAX/2400 an unbelievable value at only S119.

Fully compatible with the Hayes command set and CC ITT V.22 standards. Error correcting, autobauding and "adaptive equalization" allow the MAX/2400 to maintain reliable data transmission over marginal phone lines. Manufactured by Maxon Systems, one ol the Worlds largest producers ot consumer electronics. Orginally priced at S295. While supplies last California Digital is offering the MAX/2400 at only S119

Smarteam 2400

'239

The Smarteam 2400 offers all the features ot the Hayes Smart Modem 2400 for a fraction ot the price. Now is your opportunity to purchase a 2400 baud modem for only S239. Also available: The MiniTeam 1200 at only S129.

MODEMS

Avatex 1200E external, Hayes compatible S89

CTS 1200 baud modem 89

Hayes Smartmodem 2400 baud modem 529

Smarteam 2400 Hayes Compatible 259

Smarteam 1200 Hayes Compatible, 300/1200 119

Smarteam 1200B IBM 1200 baud card 119

UltraLink 1200 data and voice, Bell 202 59

U.S. Robotics 2400 baud Direct, internal 139

U.S. Robotics 9600 bps. Courier HST 759

Signalman Mark VI, 300 baud internal PC 35

21Megabyte Gold Card

• WM$379

The Gold Card from Silicon Valley Computers features shock mounted automatic head unloading, 15 watt drive coupled with a 2K/byte sector buffer and advanced OMTI controller for maximum reliability. 30,000 hour MTBF and full 2 year warranty - the best cost per megabyte hardcard available. Also available the 30 Meg. Gold Card at only $419.

HEC/8500

Laptop

'319

*995L

The NEC PC/8500 laptop computer incorporates a 25 line liquid crystal display and modem that plugs directly into any RJ/11 wall jack. An auto log/on leature instructs the 8500 to phone the users host computer and automatically send password and log/on information. The computer also includes both serial and Centronics parallel ports packaged in this six pound laptop. This is the ideal computer for Realtors, insurance people or any individual that requires immediate access to remote inlormation. ROM based telecommunication software, spreadsheet and Wordstar also make the 8500 a great computer for students Files can be transferred from this CP/M computer to anv other including the IBM/PC.

Heath HI89 \r

40 Megabyte Hard Disk Kit

Forty megabyte internal hard disk drive, controller and cables all for only $397. The kit includes the a 40 millisecond Miniscribe 3650 drive and a half slot Western Digital controller.

#

397

179

Hard to believe... but we found astash of brand new Zenith/Heath Model H/89 computers. These computers leature the Zilog Z-80 CPU and operate under CP/M. The unit incorporates a 12 inch green screen, three serial ports and one 5W disk drive. Zenith's original price was $1895. We have 350 units available tor sale, while supplies lasl we are offering the H/89 at only $179. Word processing and communication software included.

Catalog

Best of all it's FREE... almost. California Digital's Fall catalog is now available. Rather than indiscriminately just giving them away, we are asking that a S5.00 contribution be made to one of the following charitable organizations.

□ Amnion Catut Scetttf □ America* Hiart Ami □ Amirliaa Kaa" Crcit

For your generosity, you will receive California Digital's color catalog oflering over 3000 computer related products. You will also receive a S5.00 credil certilicate that may be applied toward any merchandise olfered by Calilornia Digital See it's almost free. Please make your check (do not send cash) payable to Ihe charitable organiaztion.

Mama Aiitnt

CHf/Zia

Every year since 1973, customers from virtually every nation in the free World have chosen California Digital for their dataprocessing requirements. If its computer, Calilornia Digital has It... complete minisystem or just one microchip. California Digital offers over 10,000 unique computer products. j Regardless of how specialized your data processing requirements... California Digital is your one stop shopping solution.

TECHNICAL & CALIFORNIA

(213)217-0500

TOLL FREE ORDER LINE

(800) 421-5041

SEPTEMBER 1988 'BYTE 351

STATIC RAMS

2112

2114

2114L2

TMM2016 100

HM6116-4

HM6116 3

HM6116LP

HM6116IP

HM6116LP

HM6264LP

HM6264LP

HM43256LP 15

HM43256LP 12

HM43256LP 10

256x4

1024x4 1024x4 2048x8 2046x8 2048x8 2048x8 2048x8 2048x8 8192x8 8192x8 32768x8 32768x8 32768x8

(450ns) (450n»)

(200n»KLOW POWER) (100ns]

(200n»)(CMOS)

(150na)(CMOS)

|200n»)(CMOS)(LP|

[150n»KCMOSHiP|

(120n«)(CMOS)(LP)

[1S0n*|(CMOS)(LP)

(120ni](CMOS)[LP|

(150n*)(CMOS)(LP)

(120ns)(CMOSHLP|

(100ns)(CMOS)[LP)

1.49 1.95 3.29 3.95 4.29 ' 4.95 ' 5.49 ' 6.49 6.99

DYNAMIC RAMS

4116 250

16384x1

{250nsl

49

4116 200

16384x1

(200ns)

.19

4116-150

16384x1

(150ns)

.99

4116-120

16384x1

(120ns)

1 49

MK4332

32768x1

(200ns)

6.95

4164 150

65536x1

(150ns)

2 89

4164 120

65536x1

(120ns)

3 19

MCM6665

65536x1

(200ns)

1.95

TMS4164

65536x1

(150ns)

1.95

4164 REFRESH 65536x1

(150nsHPIN 1 REf-RESH

} 2.95

TMS4416

16384x4

(150ns)

3.75

41128 150

131072x1

|150ns|

5.95

TMS4464 15

65536x4

(150ns)

7.95

41256 150

262144x1

(150ns)

12.45

41256 120

262144x1

(120ns)

12.95

41256 100

262144x1

(100ns)

13.45

HM51258 100

262144x1

(lOOnsKCMOS)

6.95

1 MB-120

1048576x1

(120ns)

34.95

1 MB-100

1048576x1

(100ns)

37.95

EPROMS

2708

1024x8

(4S0nsH25V)

4.95

2716

2048x8

(450ns)(25V)

349

2716 1

2048x8

(350ns)(25V)

395

TMS2532

4096x8

|450ns)(2SV)

595

2732

4096x8

|450ns)(25V)

395

2732A

4096x8

(250ns)(21V)

395

2732A2

4096x8

(200ns|(21V)

4.25

27C64

8192x8

(250n»)(12.5VCMOS)

4.95

2764

8192x8

(450n*|(12.5V)

349

2764-250

8192x8

(250n»K12.5V)

3.69

2764-200

8192x8

(200ns)(12.5V)

4.25

MCM68766

8192x8

(350n*)(21V)(24 PIN)

1595

27128

16384x8

(250n>K12.5V)

425

27C256

32768x8

(250ns)(12.5V CMOS)

7.95

27256

32768x8

(250n»)(12.5V)

5.95

27512

65536x8

[250ni|(12.5V|

11.95

27C512

65536x8

|250n»)|12 5VCMOS)

12.95

xx V-Prog

am Voltage)

MEMORY PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO MARKET CONDITIONS. PLEASE CALL TO CONFIRM PRICES

SPCTUGMT

1 MB EPROMS

1128Kx 8 ORGANIZATION

ilkh;;;;;i;

<lc<l£coS53

jamMgiginizMziiiisiMsiimmiiH,

QHHHHHHHHBBSHBniir

; 8 s e i

" BOOO

8031

3 95

8035

1 49

8039

1 95

8052AH

BASIC

3495

8080

249

8085

1 95

8086

6 49

8088

599

8088-2

7 95

8155

2 49

8155-2

3.95

8741

9.95

8748

795

8749

9.95

L 8755

1495

200 NS > CMOS DESIGN FOR LOW POWER |

$34.95

8BOO

8203

14 95

8255 5

1 59

8205

3 29

8259

1 95

8212

1 49

8259 5

2 29

8216

1 49

8257

2 25

8224

2 25

8272

4 39

8228

2 25

8274

4.95

8237

3 95

8275

16 95

8237 5

4 75

8279

2.49

8243

1 95

8279 5

2.35

S250

6 95

8282

3 95

8251

1 29

8283

3 95

8251A

1 69

8284

2 25

8253

1 59

8286

395

8253-5

1 95

8287

395

18255

1 49

8288

4.95

MATH COPROCESSORS

8087 8087-2 80871 80287

5 MHz S99 95 8 MHz S159.95

10 MHz S229.95

6 MHz S179.95

80287-8 8 MHz S249.95 80287 10 10 MHz S309 95 80387-16 16 MHz S499 95 80387-20 20 MHz S799 95

ml

13

6500

I.OMHz

6502 2.25 65C02 (CMOS) 7.95

6520 165

6522 2 95 6526 13.95

6532 595

6545 295

6551 295

Z-8t)

£.5 MHz

Z80 CPU

4.0 MHz

g.OMHz

6502A 6520A 6S22A 6532A 6545A 6551A

2.69 2.95 5.95 11 95 3 95 695

Z80A Z80A Z80A Z80A Z80A Z80A Z80A Z80A

CPU

-CTC DART DMA PIO SIO 0 SIO 1

-SIO 2

Z80B Z80B Z80B Z80B Z80B Z80B Z8671

CPU CTC PIO DART SIO 0 SIO 2 2ILOG

1 29 1 69 5 95 5 95 1 89 5 95 5 95 5 95

275 4 25 4.25 695 12.95 12 95 9.95 ,

DISK

CONTROLLERS

1771

4 95

1791

9 95

1793

9 95

1795

12 95

1797

12 95

2791

19 95

2793

1995

1 2797

29 95

8272

4 39

UPD765

4 39

MB8876

12 95

MBB877

12 95

1691

6 95

2143

6 95

I 9216

6 29

rV EO SERIES

PALS

6L8

S295

6R8

S2.95

6R6

S2 95

6R4

S2 95

r 6BDO

1. a MHz

6800

1.95

6802

2 95

6803

3 95

6809

2 95

6809 E

2 95

6810

1 95

6820

2 95

6821

1 25

6840

3.95

6843

4 95

6844

6 95

6845

2 75

6847

4 75

j 6850

1 95

6883

22 95

g.OMHz

68B00

2.95

68B02

395

68B09E

5.49

68B09

5.99

68B21

1 85

68B45

4.95

68B50

175

L68000

9.95

CLOCK CIRCUITS

MM58167

MM58174

VMSM5832

9.95 995 2.95

UARTS

AY5 1013

3 95

AY3 1015

4 95

TR1602

3 95

2651

4 95

IM6402

3 95

IM6403

9 95

INS8250

6 95

NS16450

10 95

BIT RATE \BENERATORS\

1 WC1441 1 9 95

I BR1941 4 95

1 4702 9 95

L COM81 16 8 95

INTERSIL

ICL7106

9.95

ICL7107

10.95

IC 1.7660

1.99

ICL8038

3.85

ICM7207A

595

ICM7208

1595

"MISC.

ADC0804

2 99

ADC0809

3,85

DAC0800

3.29

DAC0808

1 95

DAC1022

5 95

MC1408L8

1 95

8T28

1.29

8T97

59

DP8304

2 29

9334

1.75

i 9368

2 85

1 9602

69

ULN2003

.79

MAX232

7 95

MC3470

1 95

MC3487

2.95

L AY5-3600 PRO 11.95

T CRYSTALS^

32.768 KHl

95

I.DMHi

2.95

1.8432

2.95

2.0

1.95

2.4576

1 95

3579545

1 95

4.0

1.95

5.0

1.95

5.0688

1.95

6.0

1.95

6 144

1 95

8.0

1.95

10.0

1 95

10736635

1.95

12.0

1 95

14.31818

1 95

160

1 95

180

1 95

18432

1.95

20.0

1.95

221184

1 95

24.0

1 95

32.0

1 95

OSCILLATORS

l.OMHi

5.95

1.8432

5.95

2.0

595

2.4576

595

2.5

595

4.0

4.95

5.0688

4.95

6.0

495

6.144

495

6.0

495

10.0

495

12.0

4 95

I 16.0

495

I 18.432

495

1 20.0

4.95

L240

495 ,

74F00

74F02

74F04

74F08

74F10

74F32

74F64

74F74

74F86

74F138

74F139

74F253

74F157

74F240

74S00

74S02

74S04

74S08

74S10

74S32

74S74

74S86

74S112

74S124

745138

74S153

74S157

74S158

74S163

74S175

74S195

74S240

74S241

74S244

74S280

74S287

74S288

74S299

74S373

74S374

74S471

.74S571

.39 55

2.75

79

79

.79

95 1.29

79 1.49 1 49

1 49 1.49 1.95 1.69 | 1.69 i

2 95 ' 1 69 1.69 | 4.95 2.95 j

74LS00 74LS01 74LS02 74LS03 74LS04 74LS05 74LS08 74LS09 74LS10 74LSH 74LS12 74LS13 74LS14 74LS15 74LS20 74LS21 74LS22 74LS27 74LS28

| 74LS30 74LS32 74LS33 74LS37 74LS38 74LS42 74LS47 74LS48 74LS51 74LS73 74LS74 74LS75 74LS76 74LS83 74LS85 74LS86 74LS90 74LS92 74LS93 74LS95 74LS107

,74 LSI 09

74QO

7400

7402

7404

7406

7407

7408

7410

7411

7414

7416

7417

7420

7430

7432

7438

7442

7445

7447

7473

7474

7475

74 76

7483

7485

7486

7489

7490

7493

74121

74123

74125

74150

74151

74153

74154

74157

74159

74161

74164

74166

74175

74367

1 00 89

74LSDO

74LS112 29

74LS122 45

74LS123 49

74LS124 2 75

74LS125 39

74LS126 39

74LS132 39

74LS133 49

74LS136 39

74LS138 39

74LS139 39

74LS145 99

74LS147 99

74LS148 99

74LS151 39

74LS153 39

74LS154 1 49

74LS155 59

74LS156 49

74LS157 35

74LS158 29

74LS160 2?

74LS161 39

74LS162 49

74LS163 39

74LS164 4E

74LS165 65

74LS166 95

74LS169 95

74LS173 49

74LS174 39

74LS175 39

74LS191 49

74LS192 69

74LS193 6S

74LS194 6S

74LS195 6S

74LS196 5S

74LS197 55

74LS221 5E

74LS240 6*

74LS241

74LS242

74LS243

74LS244

/4LS245

74LS251

74LS253

74LS257

74LS258

74LS259

74LS260

74LS266

74LS273

74LS279

74LS280

74LS283

74LS290

74LS293

74LS299

74LS322

74LS323

74L3365

74LS367

74LS368

74LS373

74LS374

74LS375

74LS377

74LS390

74LS393

74LS541

74LS624

74LS640

74LS645

74LS670

74LS682

74LS688

74LS783

25LS2521

26LS31

26LS32

1 49 3 95

2 49

1 49

1 95 99 99 89

3 20

2 40 22 95

2 80 1 95 1 95

LINEAR

TL071 TL072 TL074 TL082 TL084 LM301 LM309K LM311 LN131 1H LM317K LM317T LM318 LM319 LM320 set LM323K LM324 LM331 LM334 LM335 LM336 LM338K LM339 LM340 se LF353 LF356 LF357 LM358 LM380 LM383 LM386 LM393 LM394H TL494 TL497 NE555 NE556 NE558 NE564 LM565 LM566 NE590 H TO 5

59

89 3 49

69 1 49 1 25 7900 3 49

34 3 95 1 19 1 79 1 75 a 49

59 ■7800

1 95

89

45

5 95

4.20

3 25

29

49

1 49

2 50 CAN, K

LM567 NE570 NE592 LM723 LM733 LM741 LM747 MC1330 MC1350 LM1458 LM1488 LM1489 LM1496 ULN2003 XR2206 XR2211 LM2917 CA3046 CA3146 MC3373 MC3470 MC3480 MC3487 LM3900 LM3911 LM3909 LM3914 MC4024 MC4044 RC4136 RC4558 LM13600 75107 75110 75150 75154 75188 75189 75451 75452 75477 TO 3. T TO

1 69

1 19

35

85 .79 3 95 2 95 1 95 89 1 29 1 29

1 95 8 95

2 95 49

2 25 98

1 89 3.49

3 99 1 25

69

1 49

1 49

1 95

1 95

1 95

1.25

1 25

39

39

1 29

220

CMOS/HIGH SPEED CMOS

4001

19

4066

29

74HC154

1.09

4011

19

4069

19

74HC157

55

4012

.25

4070

29

74HC244

85

4013

35

4081

.22

74HC245

85

4015

29

4093

.49

74HC273

69

4016

29

14411

9 95

74HC373

69

4017

.49

14433 14.95

74HC374

69

4018

69

14497

G 95

74HCT00

25

4020

59

4503

49

74HCT02

25

4021

69

4511

69

74HCT04

27

4023

25

4518

85

74HCT08

25

4024

49

4528

79

74HCT32

27

4025

25

4538

95

74HCT74

45

4027

39

4702

9 95

74HCT138

55

4028

65

74HC00

21

74HCT139

55

, 4040

69

74HC02

21

74HCT161

79

4042

59

74HC04

.25

74HCT240

.89

4044

69

74HC08

.25

74HCT244

89

4046

69

74HC10

25

74HCT245

.99

4047

69

74HC14

35

74HCT273

99

4049

29

74HC32

35

74HCT373

.99

4050

29

74HC74

35

74HCT374

99

4051

69

74HC86

.45

74HCT393

99

4052

69

74HC138

45

74HCT4017

1.19

4053

69

74HC139

45

74HCT4040

99

I 4060

69

74HC151

.59

74HCT4060

1.49

JDR Microdevices and the JDR Microdevices logo are registered trademarks ol JDR Microdevices. IBM, AT, PS/2 are trademarks ot International Business Machines.

352 BYTE* SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 138 on Reader Service Card

CAPACITORS

TANTALUM

I.Ofji 15V

6.8 15V 42

47

100

220

1.0,/f 35V .45

2.2 35V .19

4.7 35V 39

10 35V 69

DISC

50V .05 .001,/f 50V .05

005 50V 05

01 50V .07

05 50V 07

1 12V 10

1 50V .12

15V 45 15V 99

50V .05

50V 05

50V .05

50V .05

50V 05

MONOLITHIC

.01wl 50V 14 047,yl 50V 15

■ M 50V 18

47,/t 50V 25

ELECTROLYTIC

RADIAL I 25V 14

J 50V .11 50V 11 35V .13 16V 15 35V 20 25V .30 2200 16V .70 4700 25V1.45

100 220 470

AXIAL 50V 14 50V 16 16V 14 50V .19 35V 19 50V .29 1000 16V 29 2200 16V .70 4700 16V 1-25

10

100 470

BYPASS CAPACITORS

.01 ;/f CERAMIC DISC 100 $5.00 .01 ^MONOLITHIC 100 S10.00 .1 j/f CERAMIC DISC 100 $6 50 .1 iA MONOLITHIC 100. $12 50

"SIVAPAOLE" HEADERS

CAN BE SNAPPED APART TO

MAKE ANY SIZE HEADER,

ALL WITH .1" CENTERS

1x40 STRAIGHT LEAD .99

1x40 RIGHT ANGLE LEAD ..49

2x40 2 STRAIGHT LEADS 2.49

2x40 2 RIGHT ANGLE LEADS 2.99

II if

ir m

VOLTABE REGULATORS

7805T 7808T 7812T 7815T 7905T 7908T 7912T 7915T 7805K

1.39

1.69

1.49

.49

59

.59

1.59

7812K 7905K 7912K 78L05 78L12 79L05 .69

79L12 1.49 LM323K 4.79 LM338K 6.95

DISCRETE

1N751 .15

1N414825 >1=>> 1N400410 '1°° 1N5402 .25 KBP02 .55 2N2222 25 PN2222 2N2907 2N3055 2N3904 4N26 4N27

25 .79

.69

4N28

4N33

4N37

MCT 2

MCT6

TIL-111

2N3906

2N4401

2N4402

2N4403

2N6045

TIP31

1.19 .59 1 29

25 .25

1 75 49

{resistor networks}

SIP SIP DIP DIP DIP

Ldip

10 PIN 8 PIN 16 PIN 16 PIN 14 PIN 14 PIN

9 RESISTOR

7 RESISTOR

8 RESISTOR 15 RESISTOR

7 RESISTOR 13 RESISTOR

1.09 1.09

SOLDER STATIOM

UL APPROVE0

■ ADJUSTABLE HEAT SETTING WITH TIP TEMPERATURE READOUT

■ REPLACEMENT TIPS AVAILABLE S2.95

SHORTING smt.aa tyj

BLOCKS

WHY THOUSANDS CHOOSE JOR

* QUALITY MERCHANDISE COMPETITIVE PRICES

* MOST ORDERS SHIPPED IN 24 HOURS ■ FRIENDLY, KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF

30-OAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

* TOLL FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT

* EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

CALL FOR VOLUME QUOTES

WIREWRAP PROTOTYPE CARDS

FP.-4 EPOXY GLASS LAMINATE WITH GOLD PLATED EDGE-CARD FINGERS SILK SCREENED LEGENDS. MOUNTING BRACKETS INCLUDED

FOR PSIE

JDR-PR32

32 BIT PROTOTYPE CARD

JDR-PR16

16 BIT CARD WITH I/O DECODING LAYOUT

49.95

JDR-PR16PK

PARTS KIT FOR JDR-PR16 ABOVE

JDR-PR16V

16 BIT CARD FOR VIDEO APPLICATIONS

FOR AT

39.95

JDR-PR10

16 BIT CARD WITH I/O DECODING LAYOUT

34.95

JDR-PR10PK

PARTS KIT FOR JDR-PR10 ABOVE

FOR XT

12.95

IBM-PR1

WITH +5V AND GROUND PLANE

27.95

IBM-PR2

AS ABOVE WITH I/O DECODING LAYOUT

29.95

EXTENDER CARDS

FOR PROTOTYPE DEBUGGING AND TROUBLESHOOTING

EXT-8088 FOR XT SYSTEM 29.95

EXT-80286 FOR AT SYSTEM 39.95

EXT-16 MICROCHANNEL 16-BIT 69.95

EXT-32 MICROCHANNEL 32-BIT 99.95 I

' SOLDERLESS BREADBOARDS

WBU-D 100TIEPTS. 2.95 WBU-204 1660 TIE PTS. 24.951

I WBU-T 630 TIE PTS. 6.95 WBU-206 2390 TIE PTS. 29 951

WBU-204-3 1360 TIE PTS. 17.95 WBU-208 3220 TIE PTS. 39 9s|

am

IDC CONNECTORS/RIBBON CABLE

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

CONTACTS

10

20

26

34

40

50

SOLDER HEADER

IDHxxS

.82

1.29

1.68

2.20

2.58

3.24

RIGHT ANGLE SOLDER HEADER

IDHxxSR

.85

1.35

1.76

231

2.72

339

WIREWRAP HEADER

IDHxxW

1.86

2.98

384

4.50

5.28

6.63

RIGHT ANGLE WIREWRAP HEADER

IDHxxWR

2.05

3.28

4.22

4.45

4.80

7.30

RIBBON HEADER SOCKET

IDSxx

63

.89

.95

1.29

1.49

1.69

RIBBON HEADER

IDMxx

5.50

625

7.00

7.50

850

RIBBON EDGE CARD

IDExx

.85

1.25

1 35

1.75

205

2.45

10' GREV RIBBON CABLE

RCxx

1.60

3.20

4 10

5 40

6.40

7.50

FOR ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS SE

E D-SUBMINIA

"L/flE (

:onni

CTOR

S. BEL

ow

D-SLBMINIA TLRE CONNECTORS

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

CONTACTS

9

15

19

25

37

50

SOLDER CUP

MALE

DBxxP

.45

.59

.69

.69

1 35

1.85

FEMALE

DBxxS

49

.69

.75

.75

1 39

2.29

RIGHT ANGLE PC SOLDER

MALE

DBxxPR

.49

.69

79

2.27

FEMALE

DBxxSR

.55

.75

.85

2.49

! WIREWRAP

MALE

DBxxPWW

1 69

2.55

3.89

5.60

FEMALE

DBxxSWW

276

4.27

6.84

9.95

IDC RIBBON CABLE

MALE

IDBxxP

1.39

1.99

2.25

4.25

FEMALE

IDBxxS

1.45

2.05

2.35

4,49

HOODS

METAL

MHOODxx

1.05

1.15

1.25

1.25

GREY

HOODxx

.39

.39

.39

.69

.75

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS: INSERT THE NUMBER OF CON NUMBER LISTED EXAMP

I MOl

TACTS IN TH LE A 15 PIN

JNTING

E POSITION MA TIGHT ANGLE fc

HAROW/

RKED ALE P

\RE

'XX O CSOL

59

F THE DER V,

t

OHO OULC

-RBY BE Dl

PART H5PR

IE SOCKETS/DIP CONNECTORS

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BV

CONTACTS

8

14

16

18

20

22

24

28

40

SOLDERTAIL SOCKETS

wtST

.11

.11

.12

.15

.18

.15

.20

.22

.30

WIREWRAP SOCKETS

KXWW

.59

.69

.69

.99

109

1.39

1.49

1.69

1.99

2IF SOCKETS

ZIFxjt

4.95

4.95

5.95

5.95

6.95

9.95

TOOLED SOCKETS

AUGATxxST

.62

.79

.89

1.09

1.29

1.39

1.49

1.69

2.49

TOOLED WW SOCKETS

AUGATxxWW

1.30

1.80

2.10

2.40

2.50

2.90

3.15

3.70

5.40

:OMPONENT CARRIERS

ICCx*

.49

.59

.69

.99

.99

.99

.99

1.09

1.49

DIP PLUGS (IDC)

IDPxx

.95

.49

.59

1.29

1.49

.85

1.49

1.59

3 VOLT LITHIUM BATTERY

$1.95 HOLDER $1.49

RS-B3B BREAKOUT BOX

FOR TROUBLESHOOTING SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS

T OPEN/CLOSE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUITS |

120 JUMPERS CROSS-CONNECT ANY TWO CIRCUITS

' 10 LEDS SHOW CIRCUIT ACTIVITY

GENDER-BO S34.95

GENDER CHANGERS

FOR 25 PIN D-SUBMINIATURE CONNECTORS GENDER-FF FEMALE-MALE 7.95 I GENDER-MM MALE-MALE 7.95

GENDER-MF MALE-FEMALE 7.95 GENDER-NM NULL MODEM B.95 GENDER-JB JUMPER BOX 8.95

GENDER-MT MINITESTER 14.95

FOR ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS SEE D-SUBMINIATURE CONNECTORS. ABOVE

SPECTRONICS CORPORATION EPROM ERASERS

Model

T.mer

Chip Capacity

Intensity (uW Cm')

Unit Cost

PE-140

NO

9

8.000

$89

PE 140T

YES

9

8,000

S139

PE-240T

YES

12

9,600

S189

DATARASE

• ERASES 2 EPROMS IN 10 MINUTES - VERY COMPACT. NO DRAWER ■ THIN METAL SHUTTER PREVENTS UV LIGHT FROM ESCAPING

JOYSTICK

■ SET X-Y AXIS FOR AUTO CENTER OR

FREE MOVEMENT

■ FIRE BUTTON FOR USE WITH GAME SOFTWARE

■ ADAPTOR CABLE FOR IBM, APPLE II

,^f B*#4I QC ™ ***,""*

o

JDR MICRODEVICES. 110 KNOWLES DRIVE. LOS GATOS, CA 95030 LOCAL (408) 866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 TELEX 171-110

RETAIL STORE: 1256 SOUTH BASCOM AVE., SAN JOSE, CA (408) 947-8881 HOURS: M-F 10-7 SAT. 9-5 SUH. 12-4

Terms Minimum order $10 00 For si UPS air Orders over 1 lb and foreign orders may require additional shipping charges—please contact the sales depar tmenl lor the amount CA residents must include applicable sales lax Pricr are sub|ecl to change without notice We are nol responsible lor lypographical errors We reserve right to limilquanimes and to substitute manufacturer All merchandise subject to prior sale A lull copy of our terms is available unpn lequest Items pictured may only be representative

mOROER TOLL FREE 800-538-5000

COPYRIGHT 1988 JDR MICRODEVICES

Circle 138 on Reader Service Card

CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 353

quality merchandise... providing the best values in leading edge technology.

•at

IT S TIME TO TRADE UP NOW THAT JOB 6HEAKS THE

PRICE BARRIER ON 2400 BAUD MODEMS

■ AUTO DIAL ANSWER

» SELF TEST ON POWER UP

a TOUCHTONE OR PULSE DIALING

• HAYES S BELL SYSTEMS COMPATIBLE » FULL OR HALF DUPLEX

• MIRROR II COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE INCLUDED

MCT-241

MCT-121 1200 BAUD 1/2 CARD S 69 95

BXThRMAL MODEMS

MCT-12E 1200 BAUD S 99.95

MCT-24E 2400 BAUD $169.95

COMPUTER

ATTRACTIVE, STURDY STEEL CASES FIT THE POPULAR SIZED MOTHERBOARDS AND INCLUDE SPEAKERS. FACEPLATES. EXPANSION SLOTS, FRONT PANEL KEYLOCKS. LED INDICATORS AND ALL NECESSARY HARDWARE

CASE-FLIP FOR 8088 MOTHERBOARDS S34.95

CASE-SLIDE FOR 8088 MOTHERBOARDS S39.95

CASE-286 FOR 286 MOTHERBOARDS S89.95

CASE-JR FLIP-TOP FOR MINI 286 S149.95 ■ INCLUOES 150 WATT POWER SUPPLY

POWER SUPPLIES

PS-135 135 WATT $S9.£

• UL APP, 135 WATTS

■ * 5V 15A, • 12V 4 2A

5V 5A. 12V 5A

PS-150 150W MODEL $69.95

PS-200 200 WATT $

■ 200 WATTS

■ * 5V22A. * 12V BA SV 5A, -12V 5A

DIABLO PRINTER

' LETTER QUALITY AT 20 CPS. 132 COLS

i 10. 12, 15 PITCH & PROPORTIONAL SPACING

i SERIAL & PARALLEL INTERFACE

I AUTO PAPER LOAD. FRICTION FEED

r FULL XEROX WARRANTY

CENTRONICS

PRINTER

HEAR TYPESET QUALITY AFFORDABLE AT LAST

m 8 PAGES PER MINUTE ■ 300 DPI RESOLUTION'

■ I YEAR WARRANTY ■ CHOICE OF EMULATION BOARDS

MULTI-PRINTER EMULATION BOARD:

EPSON FX-80 EMULATION-NOTHING ELSE REQUIRED

IBM PC GRAPHICS PROPRINTER & DIABLO 630

EMULATION REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FONT CARD

HP LJ+ EMULATION BOARD:

HP LASERJET EMULATION -3 RESIDENT FONTS &

2 PITCHES ADDITIONAL FONT CARD AVAILABLE

1.5MB RAM CARD EXTRA FONT CARDS TONER CARTRIDGES PFS FIRST PUBLISHER

S139.95 $199.95 S59.95 S99.95

a r-m- mr, rjnj gees mm

KEYBOARDS

FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY

MCT-5339 ENHANCED STYLE LAYOUT $79.95

■ AUTOSENSE FOR XT OR AT COMPATIBLES

■ LED INDICATORS ■ AUTO REPEAT FEATURE

■ SEPARATE CURSOR PAD

MCT-5060 STANDARD LAYOUT $59.95

■ SOFTWARE AUTOSENSE FOR XT OR AT COMPATIBLES

■ LED INDICATORS ■ AUTO REPEAT FEATURE

MAX/SWITCH KEYBOARDS

MCT-5339 ENHANCED STYLE LAYOUT

■ STANDARD ENHANCED KEYBOARD LAYOUT

■ TACTILE FEEDBACK

■ LIGHTED NUM CAPS AND SCROLL LOCK

■ NUMERIC 8 CURSOR KEYPAOS 12 F KEYS

MAX-5060 STANDARD LAYOUT

VGA

COMPATIBLE

PACKAGE

MONITOR

&CARD

TOGETHER

800 X 560 MAXIMUM RESOLUTION ■ 640X480 IN 16 COLORS 320 X 200 IN 256 COLORS IBM STYLE. ANALOG MONITOR FULLY VGA, EGA. CGA. HERCULES & MONOCHROME COMPATIBLE

NEC MULTISYNC

9539.95

• ORIGINAL CGA EGA PGA COMPATIBLE MONITOR

■ AUTO FREOUENCY ADJUSTMENT

■ RESOLUTION AS HIGH AS 800 X 560

CASPER EGA

9399.95

i 15 75 21 85 KHz SCANNING FREQUENCIES

1 640 X 200 350 RESOLUTION ■ 31 MM DOT PITCH

< 14 BLACK MATRIX SCREEN ■ 16 COLORS

CASPER RGB

9B79.95

■ COLOR GREEN AMBER SWITCH ■ 39MM DOT PITCH

• 640 X 240 RESOLUTION ■ 14 NON-GLARE SCREEN

■ RGB IBM COMPATIBLE ■ CABLE INCLUDED

SAKATA MONOCHROME

m IBM COMPATIBLE TTL INPUT

• 12 NON-GLARE SCREEN

■ CABLE FOR IBM PC INCLUDED

SAMSUNG MONOCHROME MONITOR

SG9.95

$129.95

MONITOR STANDS

MODEL MS-100 $12.95

■ TILTS AND SWIVELS

■ STURDY PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION

MODEL MS-200 $39.95

■ TILTS AND SWIVELS • BUILT IN SURGE SUPRESSOR

■ INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLS UP TO 5 AC OUTLETS

LOGITECH MOUSE

$-wr*B5

PC MAGAZINE S-EDITORS CHOICE

ALL MODELS HAVE SERIAL SUPPORT (COM1 COM2) 200

DPI RESOLUTION LOTUS 1-2-3 SHELL SELF-INSTALLING

SOFTWARE AND POINT EDITOR

SERIAL MOUSE W PC PAINTBRUSH $99.95

BUS MOUSE W PC PAINTBRUSH $99.95

BUS MOUSE W/PC PAINTBRUSH/CAD $149.95

3.5 FLOPPY

DISK DRIVE

35

yfp • ^PP

~^^

r.44 MB 3'/B DRIVE

m ULTRA HIGH DENSITY ■ ALSO WORKS WITH 720K DISKS FDD-1.44 x BLACK FACEPLATE FDD-1.44 x BEIGE FACEPLATE

7BOK 3Va FLOPPY DRIVE

FDD-3.5 * IFORXT1 FDD-3.5 x (FORAT)

$149.95 $149.95

354 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

Circle 139 on Reader Service Card

$? Seagate

f**'

<0f

THE NEWST-251-1 DRIVE IS 30% FASTER WITH AN AVERAGE ACCESS TIME OF 28 MS EASY TO INSTALL HALF-HEIGHT DRIVE. ST-251-1

lie HEIGHT DRIVES

BO MB, 65 MS, ST-gaS fSBS.OO

WITH MCT-HDC CONTROLLER S269.00

WITH MCT-AFH CONTROLLER S339.00

3D MB RLL, 65 MS, ST-g38 M49.00

WITH MCT-RLL CONTROLLER $299.00

WITH MCT-AFH-RLL CONTROLLER S389.00

40 MB, 4D MS, ST-SSt *4gg.OO

WITH MCT-HDC CONTROLLER $469 00

WITH MCT-AFH CONTROLLER $539.00

BO MB RLL, 40 MS, ST-S77 9433.00

WITH MCT-RLL CONTROLLER $549.00

WITH MCT-AFH CONTROLLER $639.00

FULL HEIGHT DRIVES

WITH MCT-HDC CONTROLLER WITH MCT-AFH CONTROLLER

$569.00 $639.00

30 MB, 40 MS, ST-4038 80 MB, 28 MS, ST-4096

$559.00 $895.00

INTERFACE CARDS FROM MODULAR CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY

DISPLAY ADAPTORS

MONOCHROME GRAPHICS CARD «S9.S5

TRUE HERCULES COMPATIBILITY SUPPORTS LOTUS 1?3 ■ PARALLEL PRINTER PORT CONFIGURES AS CPTI OR LPT2 • USES VLSI CHIPS TO ENSURE RELIABILITY MCT-MGP

LMHAMCCO GRAPHICS ADAPTOR * 149.35

IOC. IBM COMPATIBLE PASSES IBM EGA DIAGNOSTICS • 256K OF VIDEO RAM ALLOWS 640 X 350 IN 16 OF 64 COLORS ■ COMPATIBLE WITH COLOR AND MONOCHROME ADAPTORS MCT-EGA

COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTOR MS.95

COMPATIBLE WITH IBM GRAPHICS STANDARDS

■ SUPPORTS RGB COLOR & COMPOSITE MONOCHROME

■ 640 320 X 200 RESOLUTION LIGHT PEN INTERFACE MCT-CG

BBBI3BB MULTI I/O CARD 953.35

USE WITH MCT ATFH FOR MINIMUM OF SLOTS USED

■ SERIAL PARALLEL AND GAME PORTS ■ USES 16450 SERIAL SUPPORT CHIPS FOR HIGH SPEED OPS MCT-AIO

AIO-SERIAL —2ND SERIAL PORT $24.95

MEMORY CARDS

S7BK RAM CARD 953.35

A CONTIGUOUS MEMORY SOLUTION IN A SHORT SLOT

■ USER SELECTABLE CONFIGURATION UP TO 576K

■ USES 64 K & 256K RAM CHIPS (ZERO K INS TALLED) MCT-RAM

EXPANDED MEMORY CARD 91B3.35

2 MB OF LOTUS INTEL MICROSOFT COMPATIBLE MEMORY FOR AN XT ■ CONFORMS TO LOTUS INTEL EMS ■ USER EXPANDABLE TO 2 MB ■ CAN BE USED AS EXPANDED OR CONVENTIONAL MEMORY RAMDISK AND SPOOLER

MCT-EMS

MCT-AEMS 286/386 VERSION $139.95

MULTIFUNCTION CARDS DRIVE CONTROLLERS

MONOGRAPHIC* MULTI HO 9113.75

TOTAL SYSTEM CONTROL FROM A SINGLE SLOP

■ CTRL 2 FLOPPY S SERIAL PARALLEL GAME PORT CLOCK CAL ■ RUN COLOR GRAPHICS SOFTWARE ON A MONOCHROME MONITOR

MCT-MGMI0

MULTI HO FLOPPY CONTROLLER 973.35

A PERFECT COMPANION FOR OUR MOTHERBOARDS

■ SUPPORTS UP TO 2 360K FLOPPIES 720K WITH DOS 3 2

■ SERIAL PARALLEL GAME PORT CLOCK CALENDAR MCT-MIO

MIO-SERIAL—2ND SERIAL PORT $15.95

MUL Tl I/O CARD 953.35

USE WITH MCT-PH FOR A MINIMUM OF SLOTS USED

■ SERIAL PORT CLOCK CALENDAR WITH BATTERY BACK UP * PARALLEL PRINTER PORT ADDRESSABLE AS LPT I OR LPT2

MCT-IO

28BI3BB MULTIFUNCTION 9133.35

ADDS UP TO 3 MB OF RAM TO YOUR AT ■ USER EXPANDABLE TO 1 5 MB OR 3 MB WITH OPTIONAL PIGGYBACK BOARD {0 K INSTALLED) • INCLUDES SERIAL AND PARALLEL PORT

MCT-AMF-MC PIGGYBACK BOARD AMF-SERIAL

$29.95 $24.95

FLOPPY DI5K CONTROLLER 903.95

QUALITY DESIGN FOR SINGLE SLOT CONTROL OF 4 FLOPPY S ■ INTERFACES UP TO A FDD S TO AN IBM PC OR COMPATIBLE » SUPPORTS BOTH DS DD AND DS QD WITH DOS 3 2 MCT-FDC

LB MB FLOPPY CONTROLLER 969.95

ADD VERSATILITY AND CAPACITY TO YOUR XT

m SUPPORTS 2 DRIVES BOTH MAY BE 360K OR 1 2 MB

■ ALLOWS DATA TO FLOW FREELY FROM XT S TO AT S MCT-FDC-1.2

FLOPPY/HARD CONTROLLER 9139.35

XT SYSTEM STARVED FOR SLOTS^1 THIS CARD FREES ONE UP ■ INTERFACES UP TO 2 FDD S & 2 HDD S CABLING FOR 2 FDD l HDD ■ SUPPORTS BOTH DS DD & DS QD WITH DOS 3 2 MCT-FH

BB6I3BB FLOPPY/HARD CARD 9143.35

FLOPPY HARD DISK CONTROL IN A TRUE AT DESIGN

■ SUPPORTS UP TO 2 360K 720K I 2MB FDD S AS WELL AS 2 HDD S USING STANDARD CONTROL TABLES

MCT-AFH

E3GI3BB RLL CONTROLLER 9133.35

IMPROVE SPEED AND STORAGE OF YOUR AT COMPATIBLE ■ SUPPORTS UP TO 2 RLL HARD DISCS AND 2 FLOPPY DRIVES ■ SUPPORTS 360 720 I 2 MB FLOPPIES IN 5 25 & 3 5

MCT-AFH-RLL

INBOARD 38E/PC BB95.0Q

UPGRADE YOUR XT TO A 386 FOR LESS THAN SIOOO ■ 16 MHZ PROCESSOR REPLACES 8088 ■ ' MB INSTALLED ■ EXPAND TO 3MB WITH PIGGYBACK CARD • 5 YR WARRANTY

PCIB1200

1MB PIGGYBACK CARD Call

512K ABOVE BOARD $369.95

512K ABOVE BOARD PAR/SER $399.95

TEAC DISK DRIVE

3BOK 5'/« DRIVE m RELIABLE DIRECT DRIVE

MOTOR B DOUBLE-SIDED/ £

DOUBLE DENSITY FD-55B

'/* HEIGHT FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

5 V4

5V« 5'< SVi 5V4

95

TEACFD55G DS'HD 1.2M FUJITSU M2551A DS'DD 360K FUJITSU M2553K DS'HD 1.2M DSDD 360K DSHD-1.2M

3V5" MITSUBISHI DS'DD (FOR AT OR XT)

$129.95 $89.95

$119.95 $69.95

$109.95

$129.95,

ARCHIVE XL TAPE BACK-i

$Z9*rn35

BACK UP 40 MB IN 40 MINUTES • EASY TO USE MENU DRIVEN SOFTWARE

■ USES STANDARD QIC DATA FORMAT

■ FULLS INCREMENTAL BACK UP

■ PARTIAL & FULL RESTORE AR5240 FOR XT s & AT S AR5540 AT S ONLY 2X FASTER

TAPE NOT INCLUDED

TAPE CARTRIDGE—40 MB $24.95

BOMB HARD DISK ON A CARD

■ SAVES SPACE AND REDUCES POWER CONSUMPTION

■ IDEAL FOR PC S WITH FULL HEIGHT FLOPPIES

■ LEAVES ROOM FOR A HALF LENGTH CARD IN ADJACENT SLOT

7*

JUST A NOTE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MY SALESPERSON, HELEN MORSE, AT YOUR COMPANY HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL ANO COURTEOUS. THIS IS A PLEASANT CHANGE FROM MOST TELEPHONE SALESPEOPLE I DEAL WITH. PLEASE PASS MY THANKS TO HELEN. I PLAN ON DOING FREQUENT BUSINESS WITH JDR AS MY NEW COMPANY, ODEM INC, GETS GOING, AND HELEN'S ATTITUDE AND HELPFULNESS ARE A MAJOR REASON WHY I LIKE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU. ,

R.C.K. BENSALEM, PA

-teb'sc°rNEB

JDR MICR0DEVICES, 110 KNOWLES DRIVE, LOS GAT0S, CA 95030 LOCAL (408) 866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 TELEX 171-110

ORDER TOLL FREE 800-538-5000

COPYRIGHT 1988 JDR MICROOEVICES

CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

Circle 139 on Reader Service Card

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 355

BUILD YOUR OWN SYSTEM

over Ba.aaa jdr systems

HA VE ALREADY BEEN BUILT. EASY TO ASSEMBLE IX JUST g HOURS WITH A SCREWDRIVER. SAVE MONEY AND LEARN ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER AT THE SAME TIME.

IB MHZ MINI-B8G

*1W17°

a 12 MHZ BABY AT MOTHERBOARD * 256K RAM MEMORY

■ MINI AT CASE W POWER SUPPLY

■ AT STYLE KEYBOARD

■ I 2 MB FLOPPY DRIVE a FLOPPY HARD DRIVE CONTROLLER

■ MONOCHROME MONITOR

■ GRAPHICS ADAPTOR

I ■ ■ t t ■ til ii i *-M£"Y;l-f-\ jL.fr,*■*■<*■ If i- t. I' v ^Pf^f. \ IL\

tO MHZ TURBO B088

INCLUDES SERIAL PORT 7 PARALLEL

PORTS CLOCK CALENDAR AND GAME

ADAPTOR RUNS COLOR GRAPHICS ON

\ MONOCHROME MONITOR

i MOTHERBOARD

i 256K RAM MEMORV

I 135 WATT POWER SUPPLY

J FLIP TOP CASE

■ AT STYLE KEYBOARD

■ 360K FLOPPY DRIVE

a M0N0GRAPH1CS I 0 CARD * MONOCHROME MONITOR

IE MHZ 1 MB 38E

a MYLEX 386 MOTHERBOARD

a 1 MB RAM ON BOARD

a 200 WATT POWER SUPPLY

a AT STYLE CASE

a ENHANCED AT STYLE KEYBOARD

a 1 2MB FLOPPY DRIVE

a AT FLOPPY HARD CONTROLLER

a MONOCHROME MONITOR

a MONOGRAPHICS CARD

"»]£3S5

mnuausi

TURBO 4.77/B MHZ

$33.35 1B MHZ MINI BOSBB $333.35

3 2 & OPTIONAL

■ 4 77 OH 8 MHZ OPERATION WITH 8087-2 CO PROCESSOR

■ FRONT PANEL LED SPEED INDICATOR AND RESET SWITCH SET SUPPORTED

• CHOICE OF NORMAL TURBO MODE OR SOFTWARE

SELECT PROCESSOR SPEED MCT-TURBO MCT-XMB STANDARD MOTHERBOARD $87.95

»6MHz I0MH2 It) 1 WAIT STATEI 12 MHi 11 WAIT STATE!

• USES ZYMOS ASIC S FOR LESS CHIPS GREATER RELIABILITY

m SUPPORTS 256K-I024K MEMORY

• RECHARGEABLE HIGH CAPACITY Nl CAD BATTERY

• 6 16-BIT SLOTS, 2 8-BIT SLOTS

• MOUNTS IN STANDARD XT CASE MCT-M286-12

MCT-M286 10 MHZ MINI 80286 BOARD S389.95

aw»;

;:i>|r-y-»K

8DBBE BIB MHZ

■ 8 SLOT (2 EIGHT BIT 6 SIXTEEN BIT) AT MOTHERBOARD

■ .HARDWARE SELECTION OF 6 OR 8 MHZ

■ 1 WAIT STATE

• KEYLOCK SUPPORTED RESET SWITCH FRONT PANEL LED INDICATOR

■ SOCKETS FOR I MB OF RAM AND 80287

■ BATTERY BACKED CLOCK MCT-286

9373.35 IB MHz MYLEX 3BB

m 1 MB RAM ON BOARD

$1543.00

BIT

• 8 SLOTS. 2 8-BIT 6 16-S

• SUPPORTS 80287 MATH CO PROCESSOR » SUPPORTS 80387 W ADAPTOR

■ 64 KB CACHE FOR NEAR 0 WAIT STATE

■ USES AMI BIOS MCT-386 MB

MCT-386 MB-4 4 MB MEMORY INSTALLED $2649.00 MCT-386 MB-MCB MATH CO-PROCESSOR ADAPTOR BOARD $149.00

tO MHZ SINGLE CHIP

$

95

a SINGLE CHIP USES LESS POWER IMPROVES RELIABILITY

a KEY SELECTABLE SPEED A 77 MHz OR 10 MHz

a 2 3 TIMES FASTER THAN A STANDARD

a RESET SWITCH KEYLOCK AND SPEED POWER

INDICATORS SUPPORTED MCT-TURBO-10

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

EPROM PROGRAMMER

PROGRAMS 27XX & 27XXX EPROMS UP TO 27512

• SUPPORTS VARIOUS PROGRAMMING FORMATS AND VOLTAGES

• SPLIT OR COMBINE CONTENTS OF SEVERAL EPROMS OF DIFFERENT SIZES

• READ WRITE COPY ERASE CHECK AND VERIFY

• SOFTWARE FOR HEX AND INTE.L HEX FORMATS MCT-EPROM

MCT-EPROM-4 4 GANG PROGRAMMER $189.00 MCT-EPROM-10 10 GANG PROGRAMMER $299.95 MCT-PAL PAL PROGRAMMER $269.95

MCT-MP PROCESSOR PROG. $199.95

tYEAR WARRANTY ON MCTPRODUCTS 3D DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE TOLL-FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT NEXT DAY AIR SHIP AVAILABLE

Sft« JDR Microdevices

f| fj JDR MICRODEVICES. 110 KH0WLES DRIVE. LOS GATOS, CA 95030 LOCAL (408) 866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 TELEX 171-110

; :; r;Jrii f g,;,r:J: / /

U

ill 11

COPYRIGHT 1988 JDR MICRODEVICES

356 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

Circle 139 on Reader Service Card

$295

For IBM-PC's {.compatibles, menu-driven AVPROM programs EPROMsupto8x faster than seriallyconnected units (20^ sec. for 2764).

• Programs 2716 thru 27512A.

• 4- and 10 socket gang versions too. Call for prices.

For complete specs, free 32 pg. development tool catalog, call

448-8500.

or 207-236-9055

AVOCET

SYSTEMS. INC/ 120 Union St., Rockport, ME 04856

Stepping^<N ^

Motor N^^v/

Controls

4 motors

from

any computer

or terminal

no assembly required!

• All logic, drives & power supplies built in

• Stand Alone or Slave system operation

• RS-232 Interface @ up to 19.2 K baud

• Switch Inputs & Relay Outputs

• Drives any size stepping motor

• Microstep -or- Full step drives

• CNC version for Machine applications

• BASIC version for any application

Centroid Corp.

P.O. Box 739, State College, PA 16804

1-800-346-0178

3M

JVC

SONY

Prices based or

BULK

5J4TJSDD .74 ea. 31/a" DSDD1.59 ea,

51/4" DSDD .54 ea. 3M."DSDD1.49ea.

5%" DSDD .73 ea. 31/2"DSDD1.69ea.

Prices based on Min 100 Diskettes

5%" DSDD .27 ea.

Min SDO 3Vn" DSDD 1.09 ea.

Min 100

Sleeves & Labels Included Lifetime Warranty 100% Certified

Shipping at Cost - Same Day

716-298-5035

FAX # 716-297-2749

DATA DIRECT

Prices may be subject to change without notice

Circle 42 on Reader Service Card

Circle 68 on Reader Service Card

the

EPROM

PLD MICRO

GANG SET

HUSKY1

PC based PROGRAMMER $599.00*

■modules net Included,

From A Name You Can Trust

LOGICAL DEVICES, INC.

1201 N.W. 65th Place, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309

1-800-331-7766 (305) 974-0967 Telex 383142 Fax (305) 974-85 31

Circle 147 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 148)

RELAY

U % 1

kssa -i-i|

189.95

• Allows you to use your computer as a control system for environmental controls, equipment automation, experiments, robotics or other applications which require software control of external devices.

• Provides output channels to control lb relays. Expandable to 128 relays.

• Wide variety of relay and contact configurations avaliable.

• Plugs into serial port (RS-232, 1/0, printer, etc. }

• Use with IBM and compatibles, Tandy Apple and most other computers.

I 2k HOUR ORDER LINE (61*0 W-kkjQ \

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, COD |

ELECTRONIC ENERGY CONTROL, INC. 380 5. Fifth Street. Suite 60*1 Columbus, Ohio 43215

EPROM

PROGRAMMER

From

$395.00

PC BASED OR STAND-ALONE / RS-2 32

From A Name You Can Trust

LOGICAL DEVICES INC.

1201 N.W. 65th Place Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309

1-800-331-7766 (305) 974-0967 Telex 383142 Fax (305) 974-853l|

Circle 304 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 305)

SUPER K.

Electronic Products, Inc.

1633-6 Sycamore Ave.

Bohemia, NY 11716

BEST GUARANTEED QUALITY & PRICE

• AT 80286 MOTHER BOARD 6/8/12/up to 16 MHz CALL

• 4.77/10 MHz Turbo Board $59.50

• 4.77/8 MHz Turbo Board $56.00

• Multi I/O Card w/Cable $38.00

• 1.2 M & 360K Floppy Disk Controller Card w/Cable $36.00

• I/O plus card for AT $ 36.00

• Floppy Disk Controller

Quantity Discount Available

ORDER LINE NYS 1-000-842-4246

Outside NY (516) 567-6730 FAX (516) 567-6731

Card w/Cable $14.00

• Game Card $12.00

• Printer Card $12.00

• Serial Card $14.00

• Monchrome Graphic Card

w/8 pieces RAM CHIPS $42.00 or w/2 pieces RAM CHIPS $48.00

• Color Graphic Card w/printer port $42.00

• 41256-15 RAM CHIP $11.50

• 41256-12 RAM CHIP $10.65 TERMS

" $3.00 Handling Charge * Due to factors beyond our

• Shipped UPS COD control, prices are subject to " Prices are F.O.B. NY change w/o notice. *

DATA CARTRIDGES

600 A Min5 19.95 ea.

300 XLP Mh5 19.65 ea.

2000 Mins 17.50 ea.

EPSON ORIGINAL RIBBONS

MX, FX, RX 80 series. .Min4 dot. 4.49 ea. MX, FX, RX 100 series.!*4dee. 5.89 ea. LQ 1000 Min4doz. 6.29 ea.

Call for pricing on LASER CARTRIDGES COMPUTER TAPE, RIBBONS

716-298-5035 FAX # 716-297-2749

DATA DIRECT

Prices may be subject to change without notice

Circle 69 on Reader Service Card

PRINTER BUFFERS

DEI manufactures a complete line of high performance data buffers. What ever your applications, we have a buffer to meet your requirements at an affordable price.

256K-1M $295 & UP 256K-20M $495 & UP

Printer Buffers

Plotter Buffers

Remote Data Collection for PBX call records 256K-20M $495 & UP

Serial or parallel data ports, battery back-up, internal modems, data compression, special protocols, and custom programming are available on all units Call today with your data buffering requirements Our design engineers will assist you in selecting the right model for your job.

1-800-247-5419

DICKERSON ENTERPRISES, INC.

8101 North Milwaukee Ave., Niles, IL 60648 In Illinois or Dealer Inquiries: (312) 966-4884

Circle 92 on Reader Service Card

Circle 263 on Reader Service Card

Circle 82 on Reader Service Card

Editorial Index by Company

Index of companies covered in articles, columns, or news stories in this issue Each reference is to the first page of the article or section in which the company name appears

INQUIRY #

COMPANY

PAGE INQUIRY #

COMPANY

PAGE INQUIRY #

COMPANY

PAGE

961

957 768

788

752

968 923

969 940

970 883 955 959 971 941

779 787 934 958 894 972 973 974

975

976 977 852 943 924 786

978

936

770

979 980

981

763

794

982 983 984 985

751

ABACUS 11

ACCESS TECHNOLOGY 135

ACIUS 135

ADAPTEC 67

ADDISON-WESLEY 67

ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH... 67 ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS

AGENCY NETWORK 147

AMDEK 282

AMERICAN DATA

TECHNOLOGY 203

AMERICAN HOME BUSINESS

ASSOCIATION 11

AMERICAN RESEARCH 282

AMICA 103

ANALOG DEVICES 11

ANALYTICS 288

ANSA SOFTWARE 11

AOC INTERNATIONAL 282

APPLE COMPUTER 135, 164,282

APPLIED CREATIVE

TECHNOLOGY 103

ARCHIMEDES SOFTWARE 67

ASHTON-TATE 67, 123, 135

AST RESEARCH 195,282

AXTEL 282

AYDIN CONTROLS 282

BATTELLE INSTITUTE COLUMBUS

LABS 288

BBN LABORATORIES 288

BELTRON COMPUTER

SYSTEMS 282

BFA SALES 282

BLUE CHIP INTERNATIONAL ... .282 BORLAND

INTERNATIONAL 89, 103

BROOKTROUT TECHNOLOGY... .203

BSOFT SOFTWARE 67

BYTE BOOKS 303

C.ITOH ELECTRONICS 282

CADKEY 11

CANDY CABLE 103

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 67

CARNEGIE MELLON

UNIVERSITY 288

CARROLL TOUCH 282

CHUGAI INTERNATIONAL 282

CIRCUIT CELLAR INK 303

CMS ENHANCEMENTS 11

COLORGRAPHIC

COMMUNICATIONS 282

COMMUNICATIONS AUTOMATION

& CONTROL 67

COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH

GROUP 67

COMPAQ COMPUTER 143, 282

COMPUADD 282

CONRAC 282

CONTROL SYSTEMS 282

COORDINATION TECHNOLOGY ..11 CORDATA TECHNOLOGIES 67

757 CORNERSTONE TECHNOLOGY

986 67,282

987 CORVUS SYSTEMS 282

988 CTX INTERNATIONAL 282

989 DATA GENERAL 282

926 DATACOPY 203

376 DATAFOX 282

771 DATAPATH TECHNOLOGIES 67

884 DATAPRODUCTS 164

942 DATASTORM TECHNOLOGIES ... 103

927 DEST 203

797 DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

ASSOCIATES 67

DIGITAL RESEARCH 11

377 DOTRONIX 282

378 E-MACHINES 282

928 EIT 203

379 ELECTRO MECHANICAL

SYSTEMS 282

380 ELECTROHOME 282

FAR POINT ENGINEERING 11

381 4SITE TECHNOLOGIES 282

956 FOXSOFTWARE 135

FUJITSU 243

929 GAMMALINK 203

GAZELLE MICROCIRCUITS 11

885 GENERAL COMPUTER 164

784 GENERIC SOFTWARE 67

775 GENTRY SOFTWARE 67

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 288

382 GOLDSTAR ELECTRONICS

INTERNATIONAL 282

383 GREATWEST TECHNOLOGY 282

896 GRID SYSTEMS 183

753 HERTZ COMPUTER 67

HEWLETT-PACKARD 11

384 HITACHI SALES OF AMERICA... .282

762 HONEYWELL BULL ITALIA 67

773 HUNTRON INSTRUMENTS 67

385 HYUNDAI ELECTRONICS

AMERICA ...282

386 IBM 154,164,282

886

944 IGC 103

887 IMAGEN 164

387 IMC COMPUTER 282

388 INDTECH 282

389 INDUSTRIAL COMPUTER

SOURCE 282

795 INFORMATION RESEARCH 67

390 INTECOLOR 282

767 INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS .. 67

INTERSTATE ELECTRONICS 11

888 ITTQUME 164

JAPANESE BROADCASTING 288

JOHN WILEY & SONS 51

391 KAYPRO 282

392 KIMTRON 282

857 KONAN 89

393 KRAFTSYSTEMS 282

KURZWEIL APPLIED

INTELLIGENCE 288

LAHEY COMPUTER SYSTEMS .... 11

889 897 394 395

778

956 396

397 906

793 398

399 400

854 935

930 401 402

403 404

405 761

406 960

407 769

907

408 764

409 410 931 411 412

766 939 413

800 414

LASERMASTER 164

LIFETREE SOFTWARE 225

LINK COMPUTER 282

LOGITECH 67,282

MACNEAL-SCHWENDLER 11

MAGNA COMPUTER 129

MAI BASIC FOUR 282

MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC 11

MCGRAW-HILL 51

MCS 11

MEGASCAN

TECHNOLOGY 243,282

MERIDIAN SOFTWARE

SYSTEMS 213

METAWARE 11

MICRO ADVICE 67

MICRO CELLULAR

COMMUNICATIONS 282

MICRO DISPLAY SYSTEMS 282

MICROGRAPHIC IMAGES 282

MICROPRO INTERNATIONAL 11

MICROSOFT 89, 123, 143

MICROSOFT PRESS 51

MICROTEK LAB 203

MICROTOUCH SYSTEMS 282

MICROVITEC 282

MIT MEDIA LAB 288

MITSUBA 282

MITSUBISHI ELECTRONICS

AMERICA 282

MONITERM 67,282

MOTOROLA 11

NANAOUSA 282

NANTUCKET SOFTWARE 135

NASA AMES RESEARCH

CENTER 288

NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH

CENTER 288

NATIONAL CENTER FOR

ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 147

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF

HEALTH 288

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 11

NCR MICROELECTRONICS 11

NEC HOME ELECTRONICS

237,282

NETLINE 67

NHK LABORATORIES 243

NU-MEGA TECHNOLOGIES 219

ORIENTEC OF AMERICA 282

OUR BUSINESS MACHINES 67

PACKARD BELL 282

PANASONIC INDUSTRIAL.. 203, 282

PDS VIDEO TECHNOLOGY 282

PERSONAL COMPUTER

PERIPHERALS.. 282

PERSTOR SYSTEMS 67

PETER NORTON COMPUTING.... 103 PHILIPS CONSUMER

ELECTRONICS 282

PIONEER SOFTWARE 67

PLANAR SYSTEMS 243, 275, 282

358 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

INQUIRY #

COMPANY

PAGE INQUIRY #

COMPANY

PAGE INQUIRY #

COMPANY

PAGE

799 415

776

851

416 890 417 932 418 419

420 856 938 421

782 422 792 937

423 424

425 772

774 426 791

427 853 933

428

756 429 430 431 962 432

433 891 925 892

434

435

436 908 437 895 798 955

855 438

PRENTICE-HALL 51

PRIAM 143

PRIME SOLUTIONS 67

PRINCETON GRAPHIC

SYSTEMS 282

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

TECHNOLOGIES 67

PROXIMITY SOFTWARE 89

QIC RESEARCH 282

QMS 164

QUADRAM 203,282

QUBIE 282

QUIMAX SYSTEMS 282

RADIUS 89,282

REFERENCE SOFTWARE 103

RELISYS 282

ROCHE SYSTEMS 67

ROLAND DG 282

RUPP BROTHERS 67,103

SAMPO OF AMERICA 282

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

AMERICA 282

SANYO BUSINESS SYSTEMS 282

SCRIPTEL 67

SENTIENT SYSTEMS

TECHNOLOGY 288

SEQUITER SOFTWARE 67

SHARP ELECTRONICS 282

SOFTWARE PUBLISHING 11, 67

SONY MICROSYSTEMS 11

SONY OF AMERICA 282

SOTA TECHNOLOGY 89

SPECTRAFAX 203

STANFORD RESEARCH

INSTITUTE 147

STANFORD UNIVERSITY 11

SUPERMAC TECHNOLOGY 282

SWANSON ANALYSIS 11

TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES 67

TANDY/RADIO SHACK 154, 282

TATUNG 282

TAXANUSA 282

TECMAR 135

TEKTRONIX 243,282

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY 288

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

11,164,243,257,282

THE COMPLETE PC 203

THE LASER CONNECTION 164

THINKING MACHINES 288

THOMSON INFORMATION

SYSTEMS 282

3A COMPUTER 282

3COM 11

3LYNX TECHNOLOGIES 282

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES .231

TOSHIBA AMERICA 11, 183, 282

TRAVELING SOFTWARE 67, 129

TRILLIAN COMPUTER 143

TSI 89

TW CASPER 282

U.S. ARMY LABORATORY COMMAND 275

439 ULTRA-COMP 282

765 ULTRATEK 67

440 UNISYS 282

UNITED SILICON STRUCTURES ..11 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AT

GAINESVILLE 288

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PRESS 51

893 VARITYPER 164

VIDEOTEX INDUSTRY

ASSOCIATION 147

VPL RESEARCH 288

WEITEK 11

441 WELLS AMERICAN 282

WESTERN DIGITAL 143

442 WYSE TECHNOLOGY 282

443 XTRON COMPUTER

EQUIPMENT 282

783 YAKISOFT 67

YAMAHA ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DIVISION 243

444 ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS .... 129, 282 957

COMING UP IN BYTE

PRODUCTS IN PERSPECTIVE:

October will see the continuation of our new column format. This includes special pieces devoted to business applications, the Macintosh, computer communications, OS/2, and hands-on hardware and software construction projects. And don't forget Computing at Chaos Manor and Applications Plus.

A whole new class of 80386 systems can give you the performance of an 80386 for a lot less money than the high-end systems. These clones don't push for that extra bit of performance and don't offer a lot of frills. But the tradeoff is an attractive price—around $3000. October's Product Focus will compare a dozen of these clones.

System reviews: Next month, we'll give the 20-MHz 80386-based System 310 from Dell Computer a full going-over. Another review examines three portables: the Amstrad PPC640, the Epson Equity LT, and the USA Micro Laser Compact XT.

A hardware review examines five low-end scanners for the Macintosh.

Software reviews: Given the current interest in object-oriented development, you may want to take a look at our review of C-TALK from CNS. C-TALK adds object-oriented extensions to a number of C implementations. In another review, we'll look at a diagnostic facility for C on MS-DOS computers called PC-Lint from Gimpel Software. Also in for scrutiny will be Borland's Turbo Prolog 2.0.

Application reviews include D, the Data Language, a fast database manager for MS-DOS computers from CalTex; EGA Paint 2005 from RIX SoftWorks; and Borland's high-powered word processor for MS-DOS systems, Sprint.

IN DEPTH:

FEATURES:

HyperCard and hypertext embody similar techniques. Each is a tool for linking disparate facts together, even if those facts are not all initially contained in the same place. Our InDepth section will take a look at some outstanding "hyper" examples and explain the technology behind the linkages.

Mark Waller will continue his discussion on microcomputer power with an article on power backup systems. Waller, an authority on electrical power management, will provide practical advice for buying the best system for your needs. Additionally, Peter Wayner will present a piece on a structured writing program.

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 359

READER SERVICE

To get further information on the products advertised in BYTE, fill out the reader service card by circling the numbers on the card that correspond to the inquiry number listed with the advertiser. This index is provided as an additional service by the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

* Correspond directly with company

Alphabetical Index to Advertisers

Inquiry No.

Page No.

3 3LYNX TECH. CORP 253

4 A+L MEIER VOGT 317

5 A+LMEIERVOGT 319

6 ACCEL TECH 334

7 AD LIB, INC 261

308 ADOBE 168,169

8 ADV. COMPUTER PROD.. 348,349

9 ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH 8,9 10 ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH 8,9

12 AKSYSTEMS 336

13 ALADDIN 26

• ALLEN SYSTEMS 334

14 ALPHA MICRO 187

15 ALPHA MICRO 187

16 ALPHA PRODUCTS 335

17 ALPHA PRODUCTS 350

• AMER. DESIGN COMPONENTS337

18 AMER. SMALL BUS. COMPS.... 50

• AMPRO 262

19 ASC EMPLOYMENT 150

• AST RESEARCH 55

20 ASYST S/W TECHNOLOGY ... 209

21 ATI TECHNOLOGIES 263

22 ATRON 66

23 AUTODESK 81

• AVOCET 357

24 B&B ELECTRONICS 344

25 B&C MICRO 336

26 B&C MICRO 339

27 B&C MICRO 341

316 BASIS INC 254,255

28 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOC 267

• BESTWESTERN 26

• BINARY TECH 350

450 BIX 286,287

29 BLAISE 33

30 BORLAND CM

31 BORLAND CM

32 BORLAND 1

33 BORLAND 1

34 BORLAND 71

35 BORLAND 71

36 BP MICROSYSTEMS 334

36 BP MICROSYSTEMS 334

• BUYERS MART 321-330

" BYTE BACK ISSUES 364

• BYTE BACK ISSUES/SALE ... 285 312 BYTE BITS 301

• BYTEBOOKCLUB 192,193

• BYTE CIRCULATION 318

• BYTE MARKETING 320

• BYTE SUB MESSAGE 94

37 BYTEK 342

• CALIFORNIA DIGITAL 351

38 CALIF. SOFTWARE PROD. ... 334

39 CALIF. SOFTWARE PROD. ...334

40 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 144

42 CENTROID 357

• CLEO SOFTWARE 202

43 CNS 92

44 CNS 92

45 COGITATE 336

46 COGITATE 341

47 COMPACT DISK PRODS. INC. . . 98

• COMPAQCOMP.CORP. ...32A-H

48 COMPUCOM CORP 344

49 COMPUQUEST 350

50 COMPUSAVE 331

51 COMPUTER AGE 341

52 COMPUTER BOOK CLUB, THE . 97

• COMPUTER CONTINUUM .... 342

53 COMP. DISC. WAREHOUSE ..122

54 COMPUTER SURPLUS STORE. 346

55 COMPUTER WAREHOUSE . 56,57

56 COMPUTER WAREHOUSE . 56,57

58 CONTECH 339

59 CONTROL VISION 341

60 COVOX 342

61 CRESCENT SOFTWARE 301

62 CUESTA SYSTEMS 40

63 CURTIS INC 54

64 CYBER RESEARCH 336

65 C.ITOH ELECTRONICS 171

66 C.ITOH ELECTRONICS 171

Inquiry No.

Page No.

67 DATACODE INC 52

68 DATA DIRECT 357

69 DATADIRECT 357

309 DATAPRO 190

70 DATAWORLD 211

71 DATAWORLD 211

• DATRAN 41

72 DAYBREAKTECH 227

73 DAYBREAKTECH 227

74 DAYBREAKTECH 229

75 DAYBREAKTECH 229

76 DAYTRON ELECTRONIC 346

78 DCS (DIVERSIFIED COMP).... 336

79 DELL COMP. (N. AMER.).. 160-163

80 DELL COMP. (INT'L) 160,161

81 DELTA GOLD 279

82 DICKERSON ENTERPRISES . . 357

83 DIGITALK 116,117

84 DIGITALK 116,117

85 DISC INTERNATIONAL 334

86 DISKETTE CONNECTION ....341

87 DISKOTECH 344

88 DISKS TO GO 336

69 DYNAMIC ELECTRONICS .... 341

90 EASTMAN KODAK 91

91 ECOSOFT 59

92 ELEC. ENERGY CONTROL ... 357

93 ELEXOR 350

94 ELLIS 112

311 E-TECH RESEARCH 301

95 EVEREX 19

96 EVEREX 19

97 EVEREX 28,29

98 EVEREX 28,29

99 EXEC. AUDIAL REHAB SOC. 36,37

101 FLAGSTAFF 102

102 FLAGSTAFF 102

103 FOX SOFTWARE 25

104 FTGDATA 342

313 FUJITSU AMERICA 281

314 FUJITSU AMERICA 281

105 GATEWAY 2000 10

106 GENERIC SOFTWARE 199

107 GENERIC SOFTWARE 199

108 GENICOM CORP 21-23

111 GENOA 79

112 GOLDEN BOW 341

113 GRAFPOINT 336

114 GTEK, INC 108

115 GTEK, INC 10B

116 HAMMERLY COMPUTER 294

303 HENDRIKHASSE COMP. SYS. 344

117 HEWLETT-PACKARD 215

118 HEWLETT-PACKARD 217

315 HIGH RES TECHNOLOGIES .301

119 HITECH EQUIP. CORP 342

120 HOLMES MICROSYSTEMS ... 110

121 HOLMES MICROSYSTEMS ... 110

122 HOOLEON 148

123 HOOLEON 148

124 I.C. EXPRESS 346

125 IEEE 120

126 IMC 173

• INFORMIX SOFTWARE .... 48,49

• INTECTRA 342

128 INTEGRAND 200

129 INTELLIGENCEWARE 31

• INT'L PREVIEW SOC 149

130 IOTECH 234

131 IOTECH 330

132 ITRON 274

133 JADE COMPUTER 194

134 JAMECO 332,333

135 JAWIN COMPUTER 339

136 JAWIN COMPUTER 339

137 JENSEN & PARTNERS INT'I 87

138 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES .. 352,353

139 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES .. 354,355

139 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES 356

140 KADAK 58

141 KEASYSTEMS 112

142 KEA SYSTEMS 346

143 KNOWLEDGE GARDEN 115

144 LAHEY 150

Inquiry No.

Page No.

145 LAWSON LABS 350

146 LINK COMPUTER 340

147 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

148 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

304 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

305 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

149 LOGITECH 74,75

150 LOGITECH 74,75

151 LOGITECH 188

152 LOGITECH 188

153 LOGITECH 189

154 LOGITECH 189

• LOTUS DEV. CORP 100,101

* MACMILLAN BOOKCLUBS, INC. 17

156 MANNESMANN TALLY 151

157 MANNESMANN TALLY 151

158 MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS .. 93

159 MAP INFO SYSTEMS 18

160 MARKWILUAMS 30

161 MATHSOFT 69

• MAXELL DATA PRODUCTS 7

162 MCGRAW-HILL BOOKSTORE.. 266

* MCGRAW-HILL NRI 177

163 MEAD COMPUTER 343

164 MEGASOFT 339

165 MEGASOFT 339

166 MEGATEL 60

167 MENDELSON ELECTRONICS.. 111

168 MEP (MICRO ELECTR. PROD). .342

169 MERRITT COMPUTERS 54

171 MICRO COM 24

172 MICRO DATA BASE SYSTEMS. . 53

173 MICRO EXPRESS 182

174 MICRO EXPRESS 182

• MICROMINT 256

175 MICROPLOT 350

176 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD. 344

• MICROSOFT 14,15

• MICROSOFT 126

177 MICROSOFT 127

178 MICROSOFT 127

179 MICROSOFT PRESS 46

180 MICROSOFT PRESS 46

181 MICROWAY 218

* MICROWAY 302

182 MIX SOFTWARE 315

183 MONTGOMERY GRANT 119

184 M.H.I 178

185 NANAO 224

186 NANAO 224

187 NANTUCKET 142

188 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ...133

189 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ...133

* NEC HOME ELEC. DIV 42,43

* NEC INFO. SYSTEMS CMI

• NEC INFO. SYSTEMS 98

190 NITRO MICRO 137

191 NOHAUCORP 350

192 NORMEREL 140,141

193 OKIDATA 134

194 ON TARGET 339

195 ONTARGET 334

* ORACLE 77

196 ORION 64

197 OSBORNE7MCGRAW-HILL ... 230

198 PC DESIGN 121

199 PACIFIC COMPUTER 331

200 PACIFIC COMPUTER 331

201 PARASYSTEMS 61

202 PARSONS TECHNOLOGY 45

203 PATTON & PATTON 20

204 PC WORKS 340

205 PERSOFT 85

208 PERSONAL SPACE COMM.... 350

206 PERSONAL TEX 32

207 PRECISION PLUS SOFTWARE . 92

209 PRINCETON DISKETTE 346

210 PRINCETON GRAPHICS SYS.. 251

211 PRIORITYONE 347

212 PROGRAMMERS CONNECTION 39

213 PROGRAMMERS CONNECTION312

214 PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE 62,63

215 PROGRAMMER'S SHOP 105

216 P.C. PLUS 132

Inquiry No.

Page No.

217 QUA TECH 338

218 QUA TECH 338

219 QUA TECH 338

220 QUA TECH 338

221 QUA TECH 338

222 QUA TECH 338

223 QUA TECH 338

224 QUA TECH 338

225 QUA TECH 338

226 QUALSTAR 344

227 QUANTUM 175

228 QUARTERDECK 128

229 QUARTERDECK 223

230 QUELO 344

231 RADIO SHACK CIV

• RAIMA 34,35

232 RAINBOWTECH 179

233 RAINBOWTECH 179

234 REALTIME DEVICES 350

235 ROSE ELECTRONICS 340

236 ROSE ELECTRONICS 340

237 SABINA INT'L 330

238 SAFEWARE 346

239 SANTA CRUZ OPERATION ...235

240 SCHWAB 330

241 SCIENCE ACCESSORIES 95

242 SCIENCES ENGINEERING... 191

243 SEA LEVEL 340

• SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY ....259

244 SEIKO 242

245 SHAMROCK COMPUTER ...139

55 SILICON SPECIALTIES .... 56,57

56 SILICON SPECIALTIES .... 56,57

248 SIMPLE-NET SYSTEMS 146

249 SIMPLE-NET SYSTEMS 146

250 SKAN TEKNOLOGIES, INC. . . . 340

251 SN'W ELECTRONICS 138

252 SOFTRONICS 340

253 SOFTWARE DEV. SYS 221

254 SOFTWARE LINK 27

255 SOFTWARE LINK 27

256 SOFTWARE SECURITY INC. ... 13

257 SOLUTION SYSTEMS 105

258 SPECTRUM 249

259 SPSS 212

261 STSC 233

306 SUNCOAST SYSTEMS 58

307 SUNCOAST SYSTEMS 58

262 SUNTRONICS 106

263 SUPER K ELEC. PROD. INC. . . 357

264 SUPERMICRO 340

265 SUPERSOFT 96

266 SYSGEN 73

267 S.C. SYSTEMS 271

268 TALKING TECHNOLOGY 340

269 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES .47

270 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES .47

271 TANDON 180,181

272 TANDON 180,181

273 TATUNG 107

274 TATUNG 107

275 TATUNG 109

276 TATUNG 109

277 TELEBYTE TECHNOLOGY .... 60

55 TELEMART 56,57

56 TELEMART 56,57

280 TIMELINE 345

• TINNEY, ROBT. GRAPHICS .. 238,239

281 TOSHIBA AMERICA INC. . 152,153

282 TOSHIBA AMERICA INC. . 152,153

283 TOUCHBASE 186

284 TPS 252

285 TURBO POWER 104

286 UNIVERSAL DATA SYSTEMS . . 236

287 USERSOFT SYSTEMS LTD.. 82,83 11 VENTURA PERIPHERALS ...130

• VENTURA PERIPHERALS .... 131

• VERMONT CREATIVE S/W .. . 269

288 VICTORY ENTERPRISES 144

289 VIDEX 201

290 WAREHOUSE DATA PROD. ... 113

291 WHITE CRANE SYSTEMS .... 114

292 WINTEKCORP 5

293 WINTEKCORP 340

360 BYTE- SEPTEMBER 1988

READER SERVICE

Advertising Supplement included with this issue: CMO (U.S. and Canada Subscribers)

Correspond directly with company.

Inquiry No. Page No.

294 WORDCRAFT 284

296 XELTEK 339

298 ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS 99

299 ZERICON 346

300 ZORTECH 125

301 Z-WORLD 346

302 Z-WORLD 346

INTERNATIONAL SECTION 88IS1-40

No North American inquiries please.

321 ABECO 88IS-14

322 ACER 88IS-39

323 AL DOWNLOADING 88IS-36

324 ANALYTICAL ENGINES . . 88IS-36

325 BCL 88IS-34

326 BIX 88IS-24

327 BLUE CHIP TECHNOLOGY 88IS-34

* BYTE BACK ISSUES 88IS-22

359 BYTE BITS 88IS-18

* BYTE MARKETING 88IS-38

' BYTE SUB. MESSAGE . . . 88IS-30

328 CALEND 88IS-23

329 COMPUADD 88IS-29

330 CUBIX 88IS-27

331 DAIR COMPUTER SYSTEM 88IS-28

332 DATEX 88IS-35

333 ELONEX 88IS-11

334 FACITAB 88IS-4

335 GAMMA PRODUCTIONS . 88IS-20

336 GAMMA PRODUCTIONS . 88IS-20

337 GREY MATTER 88IS-21

338 GTCO CORP 88IS-37

339 ISE DATA 88IS-26

340 INES 88IS-36

341 KIRIN 88IS-33

342 LOGIC PROGRAM ASSOC. 88IS-26

Inquiry No. Page No.

343 MICRO TECHNOLOGY .. . 88IS-19

344 MICROPROC.ENGIN. ... 88IS-18

345 MITSUBISHI KASEI 88IS-25

346 NOVELL DEV. PROD. DIV. 88IS-31

347 OLIVETTI 88IS-2

348 PRECISION DATA 88IS-28

358 RHV 88IS-32

349 ROTRON 88IS-10

350 SEMI-TECH MICRO 88IS-9

* SOFTLINECORP 88IS-13

351 S-100 88IS-17

352 S-100 88IS-17

353 TASTRONIC CONTROLS . 88IS-18

354 TVM 88IS-40

355 USA SOFTWARE 88IS-7

356 VCN BBIS-15

357 WARREN POINT INT'I 88IS-34

REGIONAL SECTIONS Midwest

88MW1-12

476 ALTEX ELECTRONICS . . . 88MW-5

• BYTETIPS 88MW-2

477 COMPARE COMPUTER . . 88MW-7

478 COMPARE COMPUTER . . 88MW-7

• COMPS. FOR THE BLIND 88MW-6

479 D-DATA 88MW-11

480 HARD DRIVES INT'L .... 88MW-3

481 HARD DRIVES INT'L .... 88MW-3

482 KEITHLEY DAC 88MW-9

483 KORE 88MW-4

• MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL 88MW-8

• MICROMINT 88MW-12

• ROBT.TINNEY GRAPHICS .. 88MW-10

484 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . 88MW-1 486 Y.E.S. MULTINATIONAL. . 88MW-6

Inquiry No.

Mld-Atlantlc

Page No.

88M/AT1-8

* BYTE TIPS 88M/AT-6

491 COMPUTERLANE 88M/AT-5

492 KEN GORDON PRODS. . 88M/AT-4

• MICROCOMP. MKTG. C0UN. 88M/AT-7

* MICROMINT 88M/AT-8

493 OWL COMP. SERVICE .. 88M/AT-1

• PRINTERS PLUS 88M/AT-6

494 SF MICRO 88M/AT-3

495 SF MICRO 88M/AT-3

496 VUTEK 88M/AT-2

Northeast

88 NE 1-16

536 APPLIED PROG. ELECT. . 88NE-12.13

537 COMPARE COMPUTER.. 88NE-10

538 COMPARE COMPUTER . . 88NE-10

539 CORTEX CORP 88NE-7

540 DRESSELHAUS 88NE-3

541 D-DATA 88NE-6

542 INTERFACE GROUP ...88NE-15

543 KEN GORDON PRODS. . . . 88NE-4

544 MICROCOMP. SQUARE . . . 88NE-2

• MICROSMART 88NE-8.9

545 PC LINK CORP 88NE-11

546 PIONEER SYSTEMS .... 88NE-16

547 POWER COMPUTER . ...88NE-14

548 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . . 88NE-1

549 UNIQ TECH 88NE-5

Pacific Coast 88 PC 1-16

550 3-F ASSOCIATES 88PC-16

514 ALTEC TECH.CORP 88PC-10

• BYTE TIPS 88PC-2

515 COMPUTERLANE 88PC-3

Inquiry No. Page No.

• COMPS. FOR THE BLIND . 88PC-8

• EXPOCONSUL INT'I 88PC-13

517 KEITHLEY DAC 88PC-7

518 KNAPCO 88PC-5

520 MICROCOMP. SQUARE . . . 88PC-4

• MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL 88PC-6

• MICROMINT 88PC-12

521 MICROSYS. ENGINEERING . . 88PC-15

522 MICROSYS. ENGINEERING . . 88PC-15

523 NU-MEGA 88PC-11

• ROBT.TINNEY GRAPHICS . . . 88PC-14

524 SF MICRO 88PC-9

525 SF MICRO 88PC-9

526 TATUNG SCIENCES, TECH.88PC-1 516 VILLARREALCONSULTING88PC-8

527 VUTEK 88PC-10

Southeast 88SE1-8

• BYTETIPS 88SE-4

501 HARD DRIVES INT'L 88SE-3

502 HARD DRIVES INT'L 88SE-3

503 KNAPCO 88SE-1

504 MARLIN MICRO 88SE-5

• MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS ...88SE-7

• MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL 88SE-6

• MICROMINT 88SE-8

505 OMEGA MICRO SYSTEMS 88SE-2

Southwest

88SW1-8

512 ALTEX ELECTRONICS .. . 88SW-1

• BYTE TIPS 88SW-2

• COMPS. FOR THE BLIND 88SW-4

513 KEITHLEY DAC 88SW-8

• MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS .. 88SW-3

• MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUN. . 88SW-5

• ROBT.TINNEY GRAPHICS . . 88SW-6,7

BYTE ADVERTISING SALES STAFF:

Dennis J. Riley, Director of Sales, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, tel. (603) 924-9281

Jennifer L. Bartel, West Coast Sales Manager, 8111LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Tx 75251, tel. (214) 644-1111

NEW ENGLAND

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CANADA & EASTERN CANADA

(404)252-0626

LAS VEGAS

BYTE Publications

John C. Moon (617) 262-1160

McGraw-Hill Publications

Jack Anderson (714) 557-6292

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Scott Gagnon (603) 924-6830

McGraw-Hill Publications

4170 Ashford-Dunwoody Road

McGraw-Hill Publications

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BYTE Publications

575 Boylston Street

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3001 Red Hill Ave.

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Atlanta, GA 30319

Building #1-Suite 222 Costa Mesa, CA 92626

The Buyer's Mart (1x2) Mark Stone (603) 924-3754

Peterborough, NH 03458

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BYTE Publications

BYTE Deck Mailings

NY, NYC, CT, NJ (NORTH)

IL, MO, KS, IA, ND, SD, MN,

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National

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KY, OH, WI, NB, IN, MI, MS

McGraw-Hill Publications

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Ed Ware (603) 924-6166

McGraw-Hill Publications

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3333 Wilshire Boulevard #407

BYTE Publications

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McGraw-Hill Publications

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777 Long Ridge Road

CO,WY,OK,TX,AR,LA

Mike Kisseberth (415) 362-4600

BYTE Publications

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Karl Heinrich (713) 462-0757

McGraw-Hill Publications

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One Phoenix Mill Lane

McGraw-Hill Publications

425 Battery Street

Denise Vernier (603) 924-9281

Peterborough, NH 03458

EAST

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San Francisco, CA 94111

BYTE Publications

PA, NJ (SOUTH),

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MD, VA, W.VA, DE, D.C.

Bill McAfee (415) 349-4100

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McGraw-Hill Publications

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Three Parkway

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BYTE Publications

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International Advertising Sales Staff:

Peterborough, NH 03458

Mr. Hans Csokor

Mrs. Maria Sarmiento

Karen Lennie

Seavex Ltd.

Publimedia

Pedro Teixeira 8, Off. 320

McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.

400 Orchard Road, #10-01

McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.

Reisnerstrasse 61

Iberia Mart 1

34 Dover St.

Singapore 0923

Overseas Corp.

A-1037 Vienna, Austria

Madrid 4, Spain

London W1X4BR

Republic of Singapore Tel: 734-9790

Room 1528

222 75 76 84

145 52 891

England 01 493 1451

Kasumigaseki Bldg.

Telex: RS35539 SEAVEX

3-2-5 Kasumigaseki,

Mrs. GuritGepner

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Chiyoda-Ku

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McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.

Seavex Ltd.

Tokyo 100, Japan

PO Box 2156

Finnbodavagen

Via Flavio Baracchini 1

503 Wilson House

3 5819811

Bat Yam, 59121 Israel

S-13131 Nacka, Sweden

20123 Milan, Italy

19-27 Wyndham St.

3 866 561 321 39

8-440005

(2)89010103

Central, Hong Kong Tel: 5-260149

Mr. Ernest McCrary Empresa Internacional de

Ros Weyman

Mr. Alain Faure

Telex: 60904 SEVEX HX

Serving Germany, Austria, & Switzerland

McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.

Rua da Consolacao, 222

McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.

128 Faubourg Saint Honore

Conjunto 103

34 Dover St.

75008 Paris

01302 Sao Paulo, S.P., Brasil

London W1X4BR

France

Tel: (11) 259-3811

England 01 493 1451

(1)42-89-03-81

Telex: (100) 32122 EMBN

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 361

READER SERVICE

To get further information on the products advertised in BYTE, fill out the reader service card by circling the numbers on the card that correspond to the inquiry number listed with the advertiser. This index is provided as an additional service by the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

* Correspond directly with company

Index to Advertisers by Product Category

Inquiry No.

Page No.

HARDWARE

361 ADD INS

321 ABECO 88IS-14

16 ALPHA PRODUCTS 335

21 ATI TECHNOLOGIES 263

25 B&C MICRO 336

27 B&C MICRO 341

• BINARYTECH 350

327 BLUE CHIP TECHNOLOGY 88IS-34

40 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 144

• COMPUTER CONTINUUM .... 342 59 CONTROL VISION 341

' DATRAN 41

111 GENOA 79

338 GTCOCORP 88IS-37

340 INES 88IS-36

131 IOTECH 330

145 LAWSON LABS 350

167 MENDELSONELECTRONICS. 111

181 MICROWAY 218

• MICROWAY 302

191 NOHAU CORP 350

194 ONTARGET 339

196 ORION 64

208 PERSONAL SPACE COMM. . .350

217 QUA TECH 338

218 QUA TECH 338

219 QUA TECH 338

223 QUA TECH 338

225 QUA TECH 338

234 REALTIME DEVICES 350

235 ROSE ELECTRONICS 340

243 SEA LEVEL , 340

264 SUPERMICRO 340

268 TALKING TECHNOLOGY 340

301 Z-WORLD 346

362 DRIVES

266 SYSGEN 73

363 HARDWARE PROGRAMMERS

• AVOCET 357

26 B&C MICRO 339

36 BP MICROSYSTEMS 334

36 BP MICROSYSTEMS 334

37 BYTEK 342

115 GTEK, INC 108

114 GTEK, INC 108

483 KORE 88MW-4

146 LINK COMPUTER 340

147 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

148 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

296 XELTEK 339

364 INSTRUMENTATION

93 ELEXOR 350

130 IOTECH 234

482 KEITHLEY DAC 88MW-9

517 KEITHLEY DAC 88PC-7

513 KEITHLEY DAC 88SW-8

194 ONTARGET 339

365 KEYBOARDS/MICE

122 HOOLEON 148

123 HOOLEON 148

241 SCIENCE ACCESSORIES 95

Inquiry No. Page No.

366 MASS STORAGE

12 AK SYSTEMS 336

14 ALPHA MICRO 187

15 ALPHA MICRO 187

• MAXELL DATA PRODUCTS 7

345 MITSUBISHI KASEI 88IS-25

226 QUALSTAR 344

• SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY ....259

269 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES .47

270 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES .47

271 TANDON 180,161

272 TANDON 180,181

MISCELLANEOUS

7 AD LIB, INC 261

17 ALPHA PRODUCTS 350

42 CENTROID 357

49 COMPUQUEST 350

62 CUESTA SYSTEMS 40

90 EASTMAN KODAK 91

92 ELECT. ENERGY CONTROL .. 357

• INTECTRA 342

128 INTEGRAND 200

169 MERRITT COMPUTERS 54

201 PARA SYSTEMS 61

277 TELEBYTE TECHNOLOGY ....60 288 VICTORY ENTERPRISES 144

367 MODEMS/MULTIPLEXORS

48 COMPUCOMCORP 344

81 DELTAGOLD 279

95 EVEREX 19

96 EVEREX 19

311 E-TECH RESEARCH 301

120 HOLMES MICROSYSTEMS ... 110

121 HOLMES MICROSYSTEMS ... 110 520 MICROCOMP. SQUARE... 88PC-4 544 MICROCOMP. SQUARE . . . 88NE-2

283 TOUCHBASE 186

286 UNIVERSAL DATA SYSTEMS .236

368 MONITORS

3 3LYNX TECH. CORP 253

185 NANAO 224

186 NANAO 224

• NEC HOME ELEC. DIV 42

• NEC HOME ELEC. DIV 43

210 PRINCETON GRAPHICS SYS.. 251

244 SEIKO 242

273 TATUNG 107

274 TATUNG 107

354 TVM 88IS-40

369 NETWORK HARDWARE

45 COGITATE 336

330 CUBIX B8IS-27

540 DRESSELHAUS 88NE-3

126 IMC 173

132 ITRON 274

208 PERSONAL SPACE COMM.... 350 236 ROSE ELECTRONICS 340

306 SUNCOAST SYSTEMS 58

307 SUNCOAST SYSTEMS 58

353 TASTRONICCONTROLS. 88IS-18

370 PRINTERS/PLOTTERS

51 COMPUTERAGE 341

65 C.ITOH ELECTRONICS 171

66 C.ITOH ELECTRONICS 171

82 DICKERSON ENTERPRISES . . 357

Inquiry No. Page No.

334 FACITAB 88IS-4

313 FUJITSU AMERICA 281

314 FUJITSU AMERICA 281

108 GENICOM CORP 21-23

117 HEWLETT-PACKARD 217

118 HEWLETT-PACKARD 215

130 IOTECH 234

156 MANNESMANN TALLY 151

157 MANNESMANN TALLY 151

193 OKIDATA 134

235 ROSE ELECTRONICS 340

11 VENTURA PERIPHERALS.... 130

• VENTURA PERIPHERALS.... 131 299 ZERICON 346

371 PRINTER RIBBONS

28 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOC 267

372 SCANNERS/DIGITIZERS

101 FLAGSTAFF 102

102 FLAGSTAFF 102

119 HITECH EQUIP. CORP 342

149 LOGITECH 74,75

150 LOGITECH 74,75

284 TPS 252

496 VUTEK 88M/AT-2

527 VUTEK 88PC-10

373 SOFTWARE SECURITY

13 ALADDIN 26

60 COVOX 342

220 QUA TECH 338

221 QUA TECH 338

222 QUA TECH 338

224 QUA TECH 338

256 SOFTWARE SECURITY INC. ... 13

289 VIDEX 201

516 VILLARREAL CONSULTING B8PC-8

374 SYSTEMS

321 ABECO 88IS-14

322 ACER 88IS-39

9 ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH 8,9

10 ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH 8,9

• ALLEN SYSTEMS 334

514 ALTEC TECH. CORP 88PC-10

• AMPRO 262

• ASTRESEARCH 55

• COMPAQCOMP.CORP. ...32A-H

329 COMPUADD 88IS-29

539 CORTEX CORP 88NE-7

70 DATAWORLD 211

71 DATAWORLD 211

79 DELL COMP. (N.AMER.) . 160-163

80 DELL COMP. (INT'L) 160,161

333 ELONEX 88IS-11

97 EVEREX 28,29

98 EVEREX 28,29

105 GATEWAY 2000 10

339 ISE DATA 88IS-26

166 MEGATEL 60

173 MICRO EXPRESS 182

174 MICRO EXPRESS 182

• MICROSMART 88NE-8.9

521 MICROSYS. ENG 88PC-15

522 MICROSYS. ENG 88PC-15

• NEC INFO. SYSTEMS CHI

192 NORMEREL 140,141

347 OLIVETTI 88IS-2

505 OMEGA MICRO SYSTEMS . 88SE-2 493 OWL COMP. SERVICE . . 88M/AT-1 198 PC DESIGN 121

Inquiry No. Page No.

546 PIONEER SYSTEMS ...88NE-16

231 RADIO SHACK CIV

232 RAINBOWTECH 179

233 RAINBOW TECH 179

494 SF MICRO 88M/AT-3

495 SF MICRO 88M/AT-3

524 SF MICRO 88PC-9

525 SF MICRO 88PC-9

484 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . 88MW-1

548 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . . 88NE-1 262 SUNTRONICS 106

275 TATUNG 109

276 TATUNG 109

526 TATUNG SCIENCES TECH 88PC-1

281 TOSHIBA AMERICA INC. . 152,153

282 TOSHIBA AMERICA INC. . 152,153

549 UNIQTECH 88NE-5

298 ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS 99

301 Z-WORLD 346

375 TERMINALS

63 CURTIS INC 54

SOFTWARE

451 APPLE2/MAC APPLICATIONS

Sclentlllc/Technlcal

130 IOTECH 234

259 SPSS 212

452 APPLE2/MAC CAD

106 GENERIC SOFTWARE 199

107 GENERIC SOFTWARE 199

453 APPLE2/MAC LANGUAGES

230 QUELO 344

454 IBM/MSDOS APPLICATIONS—

Business/Office

316 BASIS INC 254,255

34 BORLAND 71

35 BORLAND 71

46 COGITATE 341

74 DAYBREAK TECH 229

75 DAYBREAK TECH 229

103 FOX SOFTWARE 25

104 FTGDATA 342

335 GAMMA PRODUCTIONS . 88IS-20

336 GAMMA PRODUCTIONS . 88IS-20 112 GOLDEN BOW 341

* INFORMIX SOFTWARE .... 48,49

* LOTUS DEV. CORP 100,101

172 MICRO DATA BASE SYSTEMS . . 53

187 NANTUCKET 142

346 NOVELL DEV. PROD. DIV. 88IS-31

* ORACLE 77

202 PARSONS TECHNOLOGY 45

205 PERSOFT 85

229 QUARTERDECK 223

349 ROTRON 88IS-10

455 IBM/MSDOS APPLICATIONS—

Scientific/Technical

20 ASYST SOFTWARE TECH. ...209

76 DAYTRON ELECTRONIC 346

91 ECOSOFT 59

161 MATHSOFT 69

188 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ...133

362 BYTE' SEPTEMBER 1988

READER SERVICE

Advertising Supplement included with this issue: CMO (U.S. and Canada Subscribers)

* Correspond directly with company.

Inquiry No. Page No.

189 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ...133

203 PATTON & PATTON 20

206 PERSONAL TEX 32

207 PRECISION PLUS SOFTWARE . 92

258 SPECTRUM 249

261 STSC 233

456 IBM/MSDOS APPLICATIONS—

Miscellaneous

159 MAP INFO. SYSTEMS 18

457 IBM/MSDOS APPLICATIONS—

Spreadsheet

331 DAIR COMPUTER SYSTEM 88IS-28

458 IBM/MSDOS—CAD

6 ACCEL TECH 334

18 AMER. SMALL BUS. COMPS. .50

23 AUTODESK 81

358 RHV 88IS-32

292 WINTEKCORP 5

463 IBM/MSDOS COMMUNICATIONS

• CLEOSOFTWARE 202

78 DCS (DIVERSIFIED COMP.)... 336

113 GRAFPOINT 336

141 KEASYSTEMS 112

142 KEA SYSTEMS 346

204 PC WORKS 340

252 SOFTRONICS 340

459 IBM/MSDOS—LAN

332 DATEX 88IS-35

236 ROSE ELECTRONICS 340

248 SIMPLE-NET SYSTEMS 146

249 SIMPLE-NET SYSTEMS 146

254 SOFTWARE LINK 27

255 SOFTWARE LINK 27

460 IBM/MSDOS—GRAPHICS

356 VCN 88IS-15

461 IBM/MSDOS—LANGUAGES

4 A + LMEIERVOGT 317

5 A + LMEIERVOGT 319

30 BORLAND Cll

31 BORLAND Cll

32 BORLAND 1

33 BORLAND 1

328 CALEND 88IS-23

43 CNS 92

44 CNS 92

83 DIGITALK 116,117

84 DIGITALK 116,117

94 ELLIS 112

116 HAMMERLY COMP. SERVICES 294

129 INTELLIGENCEWARE 31

137 JENSEN & PARTNERS INT'I 87

144 LAHEY 150

151 LOGITECH 188

152 LOGITECH 188

153 LOGITECH 189

154 LOGITECH 189

158 MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS .. 93

160 MARKWILLIAMS 30

178 MICROSOFT 127

• MICROSOFT 14,15

• MICROSOFT 126

177 MICROSOFT 127

182 MIX SOFTWARE 315

230 QUELO 344

287 USERSOFT SYSTEMS LTD.. 82,83

Inquiry No. Page No.

357 WARREN POINT INT'L IS-34

293 WINTEK CORP 340

300 ZORTECH 125

462 IBM/MSDOS—UTILITIES

4. A + LMEIERVOGT 317

5 A+LMEIERVOGT 319

22 ATRON 66

29 BLAISE 33

38 CALIF. SOFTWARE PROD. ... 334

39 CALIF. SOFTWARE PROD. ... 334

61 CRESCENT SOFTWARE 301

67 DATACODE INC 52

72 DAYBREAK TECH 227

73 DAYBREAK TECH 227

315 HIGH RES TECHNOLOGIES ..301

342 LOGIC PROGRAM ASSOC. 88IS-26

182 MIX SOFTWARE 315

523 NU-MEGA 88PC-11

228 QUARTERDECK 128

' RAIMA 34

• RAIMA 35

253 SOFTWARE DEV. SYS 221

265 SUPERSOFT 96

285 TURBO POWER 104

• VERMONT CREATIVE S/W ...269 291 WHITE CRANE SYSTEMS .... 114

464 OTHER—LANGUAGES

302 Z-WORLD 346

465 MAIL ORDER/RETAIL

550 3-F ASSOCIATES 88PC-16

8 ADV. COMPUTER PROD.. 348,349

476 ALTEX ELECTRONICS ... 88MW-5 512 ALTEX ELECTRONICS . . . 88MW-1

• AMER. DESIGN COMPONENTS337

324 ANALYTICAL ENGINES .. 88IS-36

536 APPLIED PROG. ELEC.88NE-12,13 24 B&B ELECTRONICS 344

325 BCL 88IS-34

• BUYERS MART 321-330

• CALIFORNIA DIGITAL 351

47 COMPACT DISK PRODS. INC. ..98

477 COMPARE COMPUTER . . 88MW-7

478 COMPARE COMPUTER . . 88MW-7

537 COMPARE COMPUTER.. 88NE-10

538 COMPARE COMPUTER . . 88NE-10 50 COMPUSAVE 331

53 COMP. DISC. WAREHOUSE .122

54 COMPUTER SURPLUS STORE 346

55 COMPUTER WAREHOUSE . 56,57

56 COMPUTER WAREHOUSE . 56,57

515 COMPUTERLANE 88PC-3

491 COMPUTERLANE 88M/AT-5

58 CONTECH 339

69 DATA DIRECT 357

68 DATA DIRECT 357

85 DISC INTERNATIONAL 334

86 DISKETTE CONNECTION .... 341

87 DISKOTECH 344

88 DISKS TO GO 336

89 DYNAMIC ELECTRONICS .... 341

479 D-DATA 88MW-11

541 D-DATA 88NE-6

337 GREY MATTER 88IS-21

480 HARD DRIVES INT'L .... 88MW-3

481 HARD DRIVES INT'L .... 88MW-3

501 HARD DRIVES INT'L 88SE-3

502 HARD DRIVES INT'L 88SE-3

124 IC EXPRESS 346

125 IEEE 120

Inquiry No. Page No.

" INT'L PREVIEW SOC 149

133 JADE COMPUTER 194

134 JAMECO 332,333

135 JAWIN COMPUTER 339

136 JAWIN COMPUTER 339

138 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES . . 352,353

139 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES .. 354,355

139 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES 356

341 KIRIN 88IS-33

518 KNAPCO 88PC-5

503 KNAPCO 88SE-1

504 MARLIN MICRO 88SE-5

* MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS ...88SE-7

* MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS . . 88SW-3

163 MEAD COMPUTER 343

164 MEGASOFT 339

165 MEGASOFT 339

168 MEP (MICRO ELECTR. PROD.) 342

171 MICRO COM 24

* MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUN. . 88MW-8

* MICROC0MP.MKTG.COUN. .. 88PC-6

* MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUN. 88M/AT-7

* MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUN. . . 88SE-6

* MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUN. . 88SW-5

* MICROMINT 256

* MICROMINT 88MW-12

* MICROMINT 88PC-12

* MICROMINT 88SE-8

* MICROMINT 88M/ST-8

176 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD. 344

183 MONTGOMERY GRANT 119

184 M.H.I 178

190 NITRO MICRO 137

199 PACIFIC COMPUTER 331

200 PACIFIC COMPUTER 331

545 PC LINK CORP 88NE-11

547 POWER COMPUTER .... 88NE-14

348 PRECISION DATA 88IS-28

209 PRINCETON DISKETTE 346

* PRINTERS PLUS 88M/AT-6

211 PRIORITYONE 347

212 PROG'S CONNECTION 39

213 PROG'S CONNECTION 312

214 PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE62.63

215 PROGRAMMER'S SHOP 105

216 P.C. PLUS 132

* R0BT.TINNEYGRAPHICS .. 88MW-10 " R0BT. TINNEY GRAPHICS . . . 88PC-14

* R0BT. TINNEY GRAPHICS . . 88SW-6.7

237 SABINA INT'L 330

240 SCHWAB 330

242 SCIENCE & ENGINEERING ... 191

350 SEMI-TECH MICRO 88IS-9

245 SHAMROCK COMPUTER ....139

55 SILICON SPECIALTIES .... 56,57

56 SILICON SPECIALTIES .... 56,57

250 SKAN TEKNOLOGIES, INC.... 340

251 SN'W ELECTRONICS 138

* SOFTLINECORP 88IS-13

257 SOLUTION SYSTEMS 105

263 SUPER K ELECTRONIC PROD. 357

351 S-100 88IS-17

352 S-100 88IS-17

267 S.C. SYSTEMS 271

55 TELEMART 56,57

56 TELEMART 56,57

280 TIMELINE 345

355 USA SOFTWARE 88IS-7

290 WAREHOUSE DATA PROD. ... 113

486 Y.E.S. MULTINATIONAL . . 88MW-6

466 EDUCATIONAL/ INSTRUCTIONAL

• BYTE BACK ISSUES 88IS-22

Inquiry No. Page No.

• BYTE BACK ISSUES 364

312 BYTE BITS 301

359 BYTE BITS 88IS-18

• BYTE BOOK CLUB 192,193

• BYTE CIRCULATION 318

• BYTE MARKETING 320

• BYTE MARKETING 88IS-38

• BYTE SUB. MESSAGE 94

• BYTE SUB. MESSAGE . . . 88IS-30

• BYTE TIPS 88MW-2

• BYTE TIPS 88M/AT-6

• BYTE TIPS 88PC-2

• BYTE TIPS 88SE-4

• BYTE TIPS 88SW-2

52 COMPUTER BOOK CLUB, THE. 97

• COMPS. FOR THE BLIND 88MW-6

• COMPS. FOR THE BLIND . 88PC-8

• COMPS. FOR THE BLIND 88SW-4 64 CYBER RESEARCH 336

309 DATAPRO 190

99 EXEC. AUDIAL REHAB SOC 36,37

• EXPOCONSUL INT'L .... 88PC-13

542 INTERFACE GROUP ...88NE-15 492 KEN GORDON PRODS. . 88M/AT-4

543 KEN GORDON PRODS. . . . 88NE-4 143 KNOWLEDGE GARDEN 115

304 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

305 LOGICAL DEVICES 357

• MACMILLAN BOOKCLUBS, INC.17 162 MCGRAW-HILL BOOKSTORE . 266

• MCGRAW-HILL NRI 177

344 MICROPROCESSOR ENGIN. . 88IS-18

179 MICROSOFT PRESS 46

180 MICROSOFT PRESS 46

197 OSBORNE/MCGRAW-HILL ... 230

294 WORDCRAFT 284

467

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

308 ADOBE 168,169

468

RECRUITMENT

19 ASC EMPLOYMENT 150

303 HENDRIK HASSE COMP. SYS. 344

MISCELLANEOUS

• BESTWESTERN 26

• NEC INFO. SYSTEMS 98

195 ON TARGET 334

238 SAFEWARE 346

• TINNEY, R0BT. GRAPHICS ..238,239

469 OPERATING SYSTEMS

140 KADAK 58

175 MICROPLOT 350

227 QUANTUM 175

239 SANTA CRUZ OPERATION ... 235

470 ON-LINE SERVICES

323 AL DOWNLOADING 88IS-36

450 BIX 286,287

326 BIX 88IS-24

343 MICRO TECHNOLOGY... 88IS-19

SEPTEMBER 1988 -BYTE 363

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1987

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Nov.

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Dec.

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Name

Title

Company_ Address _

City

Zip

2 3

29 30

56 57

83 84

no in

137 138

164 165

191 192

218 219

245 246

272 273

299 300

326 327

353 354

380 381

407 408

434 435

461 462

488 489

515 516

542 543

569 570

596 597

623 624

650 651

677 678

704 705

731 732

758 759

31 32 33 34

58 59 60 61

85 86 87 88

112 113 114 115

139 140 141 142

166 167 168 169

193 194 195 196

220 221 222 223

247 248 249 250

274 275 276 277

301 302 303 304

328 329 330 331

355 356 357 358

382 383 384 385

409 410 411 412

436 437 438 439

463 464 465 466

490 491 492 493

517 518 519 520

544 545 546 547

571 572 573 574

598 599 600 601

625 626 627 628

652 653 654 655

679 6B0 681 682

706 707 708 709

733 734 735 736

760 761 762 763

787 788 789 790

8 9 10 11

35 36 37 38

62 63 64 65

89 90 91 92

116 117 118 119

143 144 145 146

170 171 172 173

197 198 199 200

39

224 225

251 252

278 279

305 306

332 333

359 360

386 387

413 414

440 441

467 468

494 495

521 522

548 549

575 576

602 603

629 630 631 632

656 657 658 659

663 664 685 686

710 711 712 713

737 738 739 740

764 765 766 767

791 792 793 794

226 227

253 254

280 281

307 308

334 335

361 362

368 389

415 416

442 443

469 470

496 497

523 524

550 551

577 578

604 605

93 94 95 120 121 122 147 148 149 174 175 176 201 202 203 228 229 230 255 256 257 282 283 284 309 310 311 336 337 338 363 364 365 390 391 392 417 418 419 444 445 446 471 472 473 498 499 500 525 526 527 552 553 554 579 580 581 606 607 608 633 634 635 660 661 662 687 688 689 714 715 716 741 742 743 768 769 770 795 796 797

42 43 69 70 96 97 123 124 150 151 177 178 204 205 231 232 258 259 285 286 312 313 339 340 366 367 393 394 420 421 447 448 474 475 501 502 526 529 555 556 582 583 609 610 636 637 663 664 690 691 717 716 744 745 771 772 796 799

SEPTEMBER 489RSU

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81

98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135

152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162

179 180 181 182 183 134 185 186 187 188 189

206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216

233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243

260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270

287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297

314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324

341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351

368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378

395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405

422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432

449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459

476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486

503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513

530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540

557 556 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567

584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594

611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621

638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 646

665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675

692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702

719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729

746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756

773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783

800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810

Sta(e_

Telephone

812

813

814

815

816

817

818

819

820

821

822

823

624

825

826

827

828

829

830

331

832

833

834

835

836

837

839

840

841

842

843

844

845

846

847

848

849

850

851

852

853

854

855

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866

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B72

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880

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866

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890

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903

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90S

909

910

911

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9I8

920

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925

926

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930

931

932

933

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940

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971

97?

974

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978

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986

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9S8

989

990

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999

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POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE

READER SERVICE PO Box 298

Dalton, MA 01227-0298 USA

Information Retrieval Service

To assist you in making your evaluations, purchasing decisions, or recommendations, you can request further information directly from the manufacturer or service company on products and services advertised in this issue. There is no charge, no obligation. Just complete and mail the attached post-paid, self-addressed reply card, and we'll do the rest.

. -*' ■■

Circle numbers on reply card which correspond to numbers assigned to items of interest to you.

Check all the appropriate answers to questions "A" through "F".

_J

Print your name and address and mail.

NO POSTAGE

NECESSARY

IF MAILED

IN THE

UNITED STATES

BUSINESS REPLY MAIL

FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 176 DALTON, MA

POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE

READER SERVICE

PO Box 298

Dalton, MA 01227-0298

USA

Fill out this coupon carefully. PLEASE PRINT. Requests cannot be honored unless the zip code is included. This card is valid for 6 months from cover date.

SEPTEMBER 489RSU

A. What is your primary job function? (Check one only)

1 □ Business Owner, General

Management, Administrative

2 P MIS/DP, Programming

3 □ Engineering/Scientific, R&D

4 D Professional (law, medicine,

accounting)

5 D Other

B. How many people does your company employ?

1 0 25 or fewer

2 □ 26-99

3 □ 100-499

4 □ 500-999

5 □ 1000 or more

C Reason for request: (Check all that apply).

1 □ Business use for yourself

2 □ Business use for your

company

3 □ Personal use

55

D. Your next step after information is received:

i □ Purchase order

2 □ Evaluation

3 □ Specification/Recommendation

E. Please indicate the product categories for which you influence the selection or purchase at your (or your client's) company or organization. (Check all that apply).

1 □ Microcomputers

2 □ Peripherals

3 D Software

4 D Accessories and supplies

F. For how many microcomputers do you influence the purchase of products at your (or your client's) company or organization?

iDi 3 n 5-9

2 D 2-4 a D 10 or more

Name

Title

Company^ Address _

City

Zip

Slate_

Telephone

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222 223 224 225 249 250 251 252 276 277 278 279 303 304 305 306 330 331 332 333 357 358 359 360 384 385 386 387 411 412 413 414 438 439 440 441 465 466 467 468 492 493 494 495 519 520 521 522 546 547 548 549 573 574 575 576 600 601 602 603 627 628 629 630 654 655 656 657 681 682 683 664 708 709 710 711 735 736 737 738 762 763 764 765 789 790 791 792 816 817 818 819 843 844 845 846 870 871 872 873 897 898 899 900 924 925 926 927 951 952 953 954 978 979 980 981

226 227 228 253 254 255 280 281 282 307 308 309 334 335 336 361 362 363 388 389 390 415 416 417 442 443 444 469 470 471 496 497 498 523 524 525 550 551 552 577 578 579 604 605 606 631 632 633 658 659 660 685 686 687 712 713 714 739 740 741 766 767 768 793 794 795 820 821 822 847 848 649 874 875 876 901 902 903 928 929 930 955 956 957 982 983 9B4

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688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 70! 702

715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729

742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756

769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783

796 797 798 799 800 801 B02 803 604 805 806 807 B08 809 810

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THE DESKTOP COMPUTER FOR PEOPLE

WHOSE MMDS ARE AT WORK

EVEN WHEN THEM DODES AREN'T.

t ">-■.. X« .*.'■

Presenting the PowerMate™ Portable. Desktop power to go™

If you happen to be one of those rare individuals whose minds don't punch out at five o'clock, we have some good news for you.

It's called the PowerMate Portable. And thanks to some workaholic engineers at NEC, this nifty little dynamo is everything a desktop computer is.

Plus it's portable. Which means you can use it anywhere. At work. At home. Or on the road. It boggles the mind.

And speaking of mind boggling, check out what's under the hood: Intel 80286™ technology, full-size internal AT-compatible expansion slots, an optional internal modem, 20 or 40 MB hard disk and EGA resolution on a backlit LCD display. Call 1-800-343-4418 and find out more about PowerMate Portable from NEC. The quick pick-me-up for the 'Thank Goodness it's Monday" crowd.

NEC

For the name of the dealer nearest you, call 1-800-343-4418. In Canada, call 1-800-387-4313. NEC Information Systems, Dept. 1610,1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA 01719.

c&c—

Tandy Computers: Because there is

bTM etter value*

The New Tandy 5000 MC

0

% f i ! v

f I UN

20 MHz Intel® 80386 microprocessor

2MB RAM, expandable to 16MB

Intel 82385 Memory Cache controller

Built-in VGA graphics

pa.

Five IBM Micro Channel™ expansion slots, plus two dedicated memory slots

80387 coprocessor socket

Supports MS-DOS®, MS® OS/2 and multiuser SCO® XENIX® operating systems

Our most powerful 386™ based computer • * • macie in. /\jiiericci«

The new Tandy 5000 MC Professional System is strictly business, from the look of its 256,000-color VGA graphics to the tactile feel of its keyboard.

Inside is pure performance, from the 80386 processor operating at 20 MHz to the fast memory with cache that provides RAM-fast access to your data.

The 5000 MC comes with a built-in 1.44MB 3Vz" floppy drive. There's room inside for a second Vk" drive (or hard drive) and two 5V4" floppy, hard or tape drives. Choose from ST-506 or ESDI

and SCSI support is coming.

Expand the memory to 16MB using two dedicated expansion

slots, and you can , still add five IBM® Micro Channel compatible expansion adapters.

And the 5000 MC is a natural as the hub of a multiuser system or as a file server in a 3Com® office workgroup.

A Tandy 5000 MC with an 84MB hard disk drive is only $6999. Check out the new alternative in personal computing.

Radio /hack

Nts,

Price applies at Radio Shack Computer Centers and participating stores and dealers. Monitor sold separately. Intel/Reg. TM and 386/TM Intel Corp. IBM/Reg. TM and Micro Channel/TM IBM Ccrp. MS, MS-DOS and XENIX/Reg. TM Microsoft Corp. SCO/Reg. TM The Santa Cruz Operation. 3Com/Reg. TM 3Com Corp.

COMPUTER CENTERS

A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION

Circle 231 on Reader Service Card