Subject:
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RE: Re: legOS
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Tue, 1 Dec 1998 15:14:03 GMT
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Original-From:
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Vaan, Howard <howard.vaan@csfp.co.ukIHATESPAM>
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Viewed:
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8351 times
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I agree with Russel Nelson:
This thread has gone too far. It's a Lego Robotics mailing list, not a
systems fundamentals course . . . verging on a semantics fest.
Howard Vaan
Global NT Server Engineering
CREDIT | FIRST
SUISSE | BOSTON
Phone: +44 (0) 171 888 6627
Fax: +44 (0) 171 516 4958
Mobile: 07771 715337
E-mail: howard.vaan@csfp.co.uk
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl G. Schaefer, Jr. [SMTP:cgschaef@futurelinkinc.com]
> Sent: 01 December 1998 15:07
> To: Lego-Robotics; Jim West
> Subject: RE: Re: legOS
>
> Jim,
>
> Actually, I never thought about SEI -- I've taken one of their courses on
> open systems. I think they might have some good info to contribute to
> this
> thread (have we beaten the dead horse yet?).
>
> After some more research I was actually thinking about the Software
> Publishers Association (http://www.spa.org). They actually have some
> publications on the discussion people are having on Lugnet. See
> http://www.spa.org/publications/catalog/pg16.htm as an example.
>
> Take care.
>
> Carl
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim West [mailto:jwest@frii.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 1998 9:43 AM
> To: cgschaef@futurelinkinc.com
> Subject: RE: Re: legOS
>
>
> Carl,
>
> Are you possibly refering to SEI (Software Engineering Institute) ?
>
> The Software Engineering Institute is a federally funded research and
> development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and
> operated by Carnegie Mellon University. They develop models, frameworks,
> diagnostics, methods, standards, techniques, and architectures that help
> our customers to make measured
> improvements in their software engineering capability.
>
> At 09:34 12/01/1998 -0500, you wrote:
> > Jim,
> >
> > What is the source of the definitions you've provided? Also, has anyone
> > investigated the definitions of these terms as defined by the Software
> > Industry Alliance? (I believe that is the name of the organization).
> >
> > Carl
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jim West [mailto:jwest@frii.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 1998 9:11 AM
> > To: lego-robotics@crynwr.com
> > Subject: Fwd: Re: legOS
> >
> >
> > Here are some official defintions:
> >
> > MICROCODE: A sequence of microinstructions that is fixed in
> > storage that is not program-addressable, and that
> > performs specific processing functions.
> >
> > 1) The lowest-level instructions that directly control a
> > microprocessor. A single machine-language
> > instruction typically translates into several microcode
> > instructions.
> >
> > In modern PC microprocessors, the microcode is
> > hard-wired and can't be modified. Some RISC
> > designs go one step further by completely eliminating
> > the microcode level so that machine instructions
> > directly control the processor. At the other end of the
> > spectrum, some mainframe and minicomputer
> > architectures utilize programmable microcode. In this
> > case, the microcode is stored in EEPROM, which
> > can be modified. This is called microprogramming.
> >
> > 2) Some people use microcode as a synonym of firmware.
> >
> > FIRMWARE: Software that is embedded in a hardware device that
> > allows reading and executing the software, but does
> > not allow modification, e.g., writing or deleting data
> > by an end user. (188) Note 1: An example of firmware
> > is a computer program in a read-only memory (ROM)
> > integrated circuit chip. A hardware configuration is
> > usually used to represent the software. Note 2: Another
> > example of firmware is a program embedded in an erasable
> > programmable read-only memory (EPROM) chip, which • program
> > may be modified by special external hardware, but not by
> > an application program.
> >
> > SOFTWARE: 1. A set of computer programs, procedures, and • associated
> > documentation concerned with the operation of a data
> > processing system; e.g. , compilers, library routines,
> > manuals, and circuit diagrams. [JP1] 2. Information
> > (generally copyrightable) that may provide instructions • for
> > computers; data for documentation; and voice, video, and
> > music for entertainment or education.
> >
> > VAPORWARE: A sarcastic term used to designate software and hardware
> > products that have been announced and
> > advertised but are not yet available.
> >
> > DRIBBLEWARE: Software characterized by frequent updates, fixes,
> > and patches. The term is somewhat derogatory,
> > indicating software that was released without sufficient
> > testing or before all features could be added. With the
> > intense market pressure to release software products
> > as soon as possible, and with the increased ease of
> > updating software via Internet downloads,
> > dribbleware is becoming the norm rather than the
> > exception.
> >
> > BLOATWARE: A sarcastic term that refers to software that has lots
> > of features and requires considerable disk space and
> > RAM. As the cost of RAM and disk storage has
> > decreased, there has been a growing trend among
> > software developers to disregard the size of
> > applications. Some people refer to this trend as
> > creeping featuritis. If creeping featuritis is the
> > symptom, bloatware is the disease.
> >
> >
> > > At 07:09 12/01/1998 +0000, Brett Carver wrote:
> > > > Paul Speed wrote:
> > > > > ... where is the line between firmware and microcode drawn?
> > > > > Or is microcode also considered firmware?
> > > >
> > > > I'm not going to touch the legal issues being talked about, but let me
> > > > try to address the technical ones.
> > > >
> > > > A micro-processor (CPU) is composed of a bunch of registers, adders,
> > > > buffers, memory I/O locations, etc. In order for anything to take
> > > > place, bit patterns (representing data) needs to be moved around thru
> > > > these parts. A data value must be moved from memory (whos address must
> > > > be computed) and into a register. This must be repeated for a second
> > > > value. Then they must be sent thru the adder and back into a third
> > > > memory location. Thus you have A = B + C.
> > > >
> > > > It is the responsibility of the microcode to handle all that.
> > > >
> > > > The next level up would be the firmware. This is software written in • an
> > > > assembled or compiled language (compiled into microcode instructions)
> > > > that do the work of talking to the keyboard, display, disk drive etc.
> > > > When you turn a machine on, it's the firmware (in the form of a
> > > > bootstrap program) that gets things going so that the machine will
> > > > respond.
> > > >
> > > > At some point the firmware will load some kind of an operating system
> > > > (OS). On some simple machines the firmware and OS may be the same
> > > > thing. But for something like a PC the OS is the environment in which
> > > > software can be run to do useful work (DOS, Windows '95, etc).
> > > >
> > > > The final (for this discussion) level is the software application. • This
> > > > is your Doom game or spreadsheet or whatever.
> > > >
> > > > It's ALL software. The difference is what level of abstraction from • the
> > > > underlying hardware each operates in, and what media it resides on.
> > > >
> > > > I could go on, but I've probably already put half of you to sleep...
> > > >
> > > > :-)
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Brett Carver
> > > > brett@sr.hp.com
> > > > (707) 577-4344
> >
> > Jim West
> > NIC Team Lead
> > MCI Worldcom
> > Jim.West@mci.com
>
> Jim West
> NIC Team Lead
> MCI Worldcom
> Jim.West@mci.com
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: legOS
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| (...) I think that perhaps the most ironic thing about your message is that you posted a "me, too" ... and included the entire massive thread at the end. (I'll shut up now). --Ken (28 years ago, 1-Dec-98, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | RE: Re: legOS
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| (...) I agree. Sorry to be the party pooper, but 10-20 emails a day on the distinction between storage devices is unnecessary. I do agree that the legOS copyright issue is important- but that seems to have been lost. If you gentlemen wish to (...) (28 years ago, 1-Dec-98, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Re: legOS
|
| I am in agreement. Without just making this a "me too" I suggest that the discussion move to Lugnet.off-topic.debate. I know that the thread is not really a debate, but more of a discussion, but this group would serve the purpose. I think the (...) (28 years ago, 1-Dec-98, to lugnet.robotics)
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