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‘Final’ NMOS EPROM
MicroVAX II gains board-level array proc sor Board-level array processors have been produced for Digital Equipment's MicroVAX II microsystems. US firm Sky Computers has ported its Warrior array processor, capable of accelerating both 32-bit and 64-bit floating point operations, onto the DEC machines to give what Sky claims as a 100-fold performance increase in some number-crunching applications.
'This is the first time a board-level array processor has been integrated into any VAX product,' announced John Cavill of UK distributor Data Translation; he also claimed that the result was 'the most aggressive price: performance product in the industry'. The basic Warrior configuration costs just over £I 6 000 (UK price) and includes a 15 MFLOPS (million floating point operations per second)
Surface-mount PLD programmer
Mbit CMOS EPROM
As surface mount devices (SMDs) find increasing popularity, programming devices for these components are now emerging in the market. From Stag Electronic Designs is the ZL30A logic programmer for a range of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which the company claims is the first dedicated programmer to cater for the latest packaging styles, including surface mount. Built-in ZlF sockets are provided for 20, 24 and 28-pin devices, but for SMDs an optional adaptor module is available. Functions provided with the programmer include: load and program operations; empty, verify and vector testing; input and output of data; and an editing facility. The programmer can be used as a standalone unit, in conjunction with a host computer via an RS232C link. SMD programmers that do not require socket adaptors or caps have been introduced by Data I/O. The Series 1000 EPROM gang programmers have pop-in, pop-out socket rails for SMDs, so reducing handling time the company claims. Sockets are 15-to-a-rail and can set up in a single or double rail configuration. At any one time the programmers can handle up to 30 EPROMs in PLCC packages. (Stag Electronic Designs Ltd, Stag House, Tewin Court, Welwyn Garden City, Hefts AL7 1AU, UK. Tel: (0707) 332148. Data I / 0 Europe, World Trade Center, Strawinskylaan 633, 10 77 XXAmsterdam, The Netherlands. Tek (020) 622866) []
286
Am27C1024, a 1 Mbit EPROM fabricated in 1.5 pm CMOS Claimed to be a world first, a 1 Mbit CMOS EPROM has been introduced by Advanced Micro Devices. Organized as 64k X 16bit, the Am27C1024 has a quoted access time of 200 ns. With a 16-bit-wide architecture, the EPROM can be interfaced directly to 16- and 32-bit systems. Typical applications could be in systems requiring high density storage to save board space, or in portable systems with low power consumption requirements. In active mode, power consumption is rated at 250 mW. This is reduced to 5 mW in standby more or, by deselecting the chipenable input, power dissipation can be brought down to 1 mW. Constructed in a 40-pin sidebrazed package, the device will be available in production quantities in the third quarter of 1986. (Advanced Micro Devices (UK) Ltd, AMD House, Goldsworth Road, Wokin& Surrey G U21 1JT, UK. Tel: (04862) 22121) []
array processor with 64 kbyte of cache memory, 2Mbyte of data memory and over 100 routines callable from VAX/VMS applications. This set-up uses three quad boards on the MicroVAX backplanes: two for the basic array processor and one for the dual-ported 2Mbyte memory board. Cache memory is expandable to 256 kbyte and data memory to 10 Mbyte. Software support for the MicroVAX version of Warrior is provided by enhancing the capabilities of the VAX/VMX highlevel languages through a subroutine library. The Warrior is also available with VMEbus and Versabus interfaces. (Sky Computers Inc, Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA 01852, USA. Tek (617) 454-6200. Data Translation Ltd, The Business Centre, Molly Millar's Lane, Wokingham, Berks RG11 2QZ, UK. Tel: (0734) 793838) []
'Final' NMOS EPROM Two 512 kbit EPROMs with access times of 250 ns and 300 ns have been launched by Hitachi. Designated HN27512G, the devices are the last EPROMs Hitachi intends to make using NMOS technology: all future EPROMs will be CMOS, says the company, starting with a highintegration I Mbit chip. The HN27512G devices use a programming voltage of + I 2.5 V, and may be programmed using a 'High Performance Programming Algorithm' designed to increase programming speed without voltage stress or deterioration of data reliability. Standby current is quoted as 40 mA (maximum). The chips require no clock, says Hitachi, and their inputs and outputs are TTL compatible in both Read and Program modes. The EPROMs are supplied in 28pin DIL packages. (Hitachi Lid, New Marunouchi Building No 5, l-chome Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Hitachi Electronic Components (UK) Ltd, 21 Upton Road, Watford, Herts WD1 7TB, UK. Tel: (0923) 46488) []
microprocessors and microsystems
'This is the first time a board-level array processor has been integrated into any VAX product,' announced John Cavill of UK distributor Data Translation; he also claimed that the result was 'the most aggressive price: performance product in the industry'. The basic Warrior configuration costs just over £I 6 000 (UK price) and includes a 15 MFLOPS (million floating point operations per second)
Surface-mount PLD programmer
Mbit CMOS EPROM
As surface mount devices (SMDs) find increasing popularity, programming devices for these components are now emerging in the market. From Stag Electronic Designs is the ZL30A logic programmer for a range of programmable logic devices (PLDs), which the company claims is the first dedicated programmer to cater for the latest packaging styles, including surface mount. Built-in ZlF sockets are provided for 20, 24 and 28-pin devices, but for SMDs an optional adaptor module is available. Functions provided with the programmer include: load and program operations; empty, verify and vector testing; input and output of data; and an editing facility. The programmer can be used as a standalone unit, in conjunction with a host computer via an RS232C link. SMD programmers that do not require socket adaptors or caps have been introduced by Data I/O. The Series 1000 EPROM gang programmers have pop-in, pop-out socket rails for SMDs, so reducing handling time the company claims. Sockets are 15-to-a-rail and can set up in a single or double rail configuration. At any one time the programmers can handle up to 30 EPROMs in PLCC packages. (Stag Electronic Designs Ltd, Stag House, Tewin Court, Welwyn Garden City, Hefts AL7 1AU, UK. Tel: (0707) 332148. Data I / 0 Europe, World Trade Center, Strawinskylaan 633, 10 77 XXAmsterdam, The Netherlands. Tek (020) 622866) []
286
Am27C1024, a 1 Mbit EPROM fabricated in 1.5 pm CMOS Claimed to be a world first, a 1 Mbit CMOS EPROM has been introduced by Advanced Micro Devices. Organized as 64k X 16bit, the Am27C1024 has a quoted access time of 200 ns. With a 16-bit-wide architecture, the EPROM can be interfaced directly to 16- and 32-bit systems. Typical applications could be in systems requiring high density storage to save board space, or in portable systems with low power consumption requirements. In active mode, power consumption is rated at 250 mW. This is reduced to 5 mW in standby more or, by deselecting the chipenable input, power dissipation can be brought down to 1 mW. Constructed in a 40-pin sidebrazed package, the device will be available in production quantities in the third quarter of 1986. (Advanced Micro Devices (UK) Ltd, AMD House, Goldsworth Road, Wokin& Surrey G U21 1JT, UK. Tel: (04862) 22121) []
array processor with 64 kbyte of cache memory, 2Mbyte of data memory and over 100 routines callable from VAX/VMS applications. This set-up uses three quad boards on the MicroVAX backplanes: two for the basic array processor and one for the dual-ported 2Mbyte memory board. Cache memory is expandable to 256 kbyte and data memory to 10 Mbyte. Software support for the MicroVAX version of Warrior is provided by enhancing the capabilities of the VAX/VMX highlevel languages through a subroutine library. The Warrior is also available with VMEbus and Versabus interfaces. (Sky Computers Inc, Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA 01852, USA. Tek (617) 454-6200. Data Translation Ltd, The Business Centre, Molly Millar's Lane, Wokingham, Berks RG11 2QZ, UK. Tel: (0734) 793838) []
'Final' NMOS EPROM Two 512 kbit EPROMs with access times of 250 ns and 300 ns have been launched by Hitachi. Designated HN27512G, the devices are the last EPROMs Hitachi intends to make using NMOS technology: all future EPROMs will be CMOS, says the company, starting with a highintegration I Mbit chip. The HN27512G devices use a programming voltage of + I 2.5 V, and may be programmed using a 'High Performance Programming Algorithm' designed to increase programming speed without voltage stress or deterioration of data reliability. Standby current is quoted as 40 mA (maximum). The chips require no clock, says Hitachi, and their inputs and outputs are TTL compatible in both Read and Program modes. The EPROMs are supplied in 28pin DIL packages. (Hitachi Lid, New Marunouchi Building No 5, l-chome Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Hitachi Electronic Components (UK) Ltd, 21 Upton Road, Watford, Herts WD1 7TB, UK. Tel: (0923) 46488) []
microprocessors and microsystems