Abstract
A report on the status of microcomputer Technology must consider two categories of microprocessor systems. The Hardware and Software for these categories are developed in different ways.The first category of microcomputers has been created by the requirements for dedicated, mass-produced applications. The technological advance here is to integrate more and more functions (memory, digital I/O, analog-digital-converter, communications adapter) on to one Silicon-chip. Specialized microcomputer-versions adapted to the requirements of high-volume-applications are already available. Software support includes machine-oriented and high-level languages; to aid the non-computer-experts, problem-oriented languages (e.g. block-diagram languages for control applications) are on the way. Small real time operating systems are available, sometimes in form of on-chip-Firmware. The fact that usually multiple microcomputers of this category are tied together in one system, requires standardized communication protocols as well as very efficient diagnostic tools.The second category of microcomputers is characterized by the fact that they start to invade the classical domain of mini-or even midi-computers. The technology is used here to produce devices with higher speed and better architecture: It is defined by the require-ments of the software technology where e.g. it is essential to execute intermediate code as efficiently as possible - the first symptoms for a substitution of today's machine languages by intermediate languages may be observed: The required control constructs, data types, memory assignment etc. will be supported by hardware. Since systems as well as applications software demands more code-and data-memory, large address spaces and suitable addressing modes are very important. Since multitasking is essential for process control applications, operating systems primitives are already provided by hardware. To enhance the computer systems performance further and to allow the construction of redundant systems, the architecture of today's microcomputers also provides aids for multiprocessor-operations.Sixteen-bit-single-chip-microprocessors with the performance of upper-class-minicomputers are already available. Even more powerful systems may be designed with bit-slice-processors since microprogramming is a very efficient way to implement special architectural features. However, microprogrammable single-chip-microprocessors (with internal or external - writeable - control store), which will be available in the near future, will replace the bit-slice-approach.High-level languages are mandatory for these high-performance micro-processors. PASCAL, with some extensions (allowing concurrency), or PASCAL-derivatives seem to have become a defacto-standard. A trend may be observed to use the same high level language for applications and systems programming - an important step away from machine-oriented languagesFinally the new operating systems provide - supported by hardware-means for multitasking as well as for multiprocessing. Since in process control applications microcomputers will interact in computer networks, network control functions like message switching, network monitoring and downloading will be added to the software catalogue in the near future.
Published Version
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