8 debugger

Zilog chooses UNIX for office micros in UK Zilog has launched their family of UNiX-based 'supermicrocomputers' in Europe. The System 8000 family of general purpose time-sharing systems can support up to 24 users. All machines in the range use a Z8001 segmented 16-bit CPU with 16 general purpose registers, an 8 Mbyte address space and the ability to be upgraded to 32-bit operation with Zilog's planned 32-bit microprocessor. At the low end of the range, Models 10 and 11 can support eight users and cost around £10 000. Upgrading to models 21 and 31 is straightforward since all boards plug into a six-slot card cage connected to Zilog's Z-Bus. On the CPU board, the Z8OO1A processor runs at 6 MHz and supports eight serial I/O ports and a parallel I/O port. Also incorporated are three Z8010A memory management units for dynamic segment relocation and protection. This makes software addressing independent of the physical memory address thus

avoiding the need to specify the location of information in the memory, according to Zilog. High level languages supported by the System 8000 include C, FORTRAN 77, PASCAL, Microsoft and SMC BASIC. Two versions of COBOL are supported: Ryan-McFarland COBOL and Microfocus ClS-COBOL. Zeus is the name of Zilog's implementation of Bell Labs' UNIX Version 7. Full System III capabilities will be available by the end of 1982, says Zilog. Local area network communication between all System 8000 family members is possible via Zilog's Z-Net II. The bottom of the range Model I0 costs £9200, supports eight users and has 256 kbyte of parity memory expandible to I Mbyte. A 51A-in hard disc provides 18 Mbyte of memory storage and another can be added. A I Mbyte floppy disc is used as back up. Options include the substitution of I Mbyte of error-correcting memory for the parity memory.

RFsynthesizer tests future TV equipment Philips have entered the high frequency RF synthesizer market with a programmable 8085-based machine aimed at the market for testing of cable/ satellite television equipment. The PM 5390 allows both AM and FM modulation to be applied. AM can be carried out over the full 1.02 GHz frequency range of the instrument and FM operated up to 340 MHz. External video modulation is also possible over the 30-1020 MHz video band, with or without AM or FM sound. Single and continuous sweep modes are supplied, controlled internally or externally. Sweep time can be varied from 1 kHz to 50 MHz can be carried matic incrementation of frequency from 1 kHZ to 50 MHz can be carried out. Two versions of the instrument are available PM 5390 with open circuit RF amplitude variable from 0.2 #V to 200 mV (or -12-/to -7 dBm) • PM 5390S working up to 2 V (+I 3 dBm)

Stability to +1 x 10 -6 is achieved using a crystal controlled phase locked loop design. Output harmonic distortions are less than 30 dB, say Philips, and nonharmonic distortions are kept below 40 dB. Uses include generation of carrier and subcarrier frequencies, sensitivity tests and radiation measurements. The £2650 machine will be available from January 1983 in Europe only.

(Philips Test and Measuring Instruments, York Street, Cambridge CB 1 2PX, UK. Tel: (0223) 358866. Telex: 817331)

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vol 6no 9 november 1982

Programmable l GHz RF synthesizer from Philips

Z-Net connection is made with a Z80Ol-based Intelligent Communication Processor. It includes 128 kbyte of RAM, 32 kbyte of PROM and multiple channels of DMA supported serial communications circuits. This option includes network software, network transceiver and cables. Functions offered are: virtual terminal protocol, file transfer and mail transfer protocols. The network can be extended to cover other UNIX-based microcomputers, according to Zilog. (Zilog

(UK) Lt~ Zilog House, Moorbridge Road, Maidenhea~ Berks 5L6 8PL, UK. Tel." (0628) 39200. Telex:

848609)

Bus controller supports two languages An IEEE-488 bus controller programmable in BASIC and FORTH has been released by Thorn EMI Datatech. Based on the 6502 microprocessor, the SE2650 has been designed for controlling instruments such as digital voltmeters, frequency response analysers and transient recorders. Floppy disc storage is 320 kbyte and interfacing is via the I EEE-488 standard bus. Other features include a typewriter keyboard plus numeric pad entry and eight function keys, and a VDU providing an 80 x 24 display. (Thorn EMI

Datatech Ltd, Spur Road, Feltham, Middx TW14 OTD, UK. Tel: 01-890 1477. Telex: 23995)

8086/8 debugger Symbolic debugging support for Intel 8086 and 8088 software has been announced by BSO of Massachussetts, USA. The SI8086 allows a user to access and execute an assembled program immediately instead of waiting 10-20 minutes for a large program to load - sometimes the case when using an emulator. The device is available for the UNIX operating systems among others running on PDP-11 and VAX host machines. US price is $ 5 0 0 0 . U K representatives are Software Sciences

Ltd, 40 Invincible Road, Farnborough, Hants GU14 7QU, UK. Tel." (0252) 544321. Telex: 858228) 503