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From: a36773@tansei.cc.u-tokyo.JUNET (Ken SAKAMURA)
Newsgroups: comp.std.misc,comp.arch,comp.os.misc,comp.misc
Subject: Re: TRON (a little long)
Summary: Comment on continueing discussion.
Keywords: Japan, TRON, standards, networks, operating systems
Message-ID: <3814@tansei.cc.u-tokyo.JUNET>
Date: 13 Jul 89 14:52:14 GMT
References: <382@h.cs.wvu.wvnet.edu>
Organization: Computer Center, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Lines: 101




Dear Colleagues,

I understand that Dr. Mooney's questinaire produced a flurry of
postings on the TRON project. As the leader of the project,
I am delighted to hear frank opinions on the project from
many people.

I have followed only the beginning part and then could keep up
with the network due to my teaching load at the University of Tokyo.
So what I have summarised may be a little out of date.
Please excuse me on this.

I noticed that the TRON project is not widely  known
at least in the USA. If you can spare some time, reading the
following articles/books gets you enough knowledge to discuss the
topics on the TRON project in a constructive mannner.

	Sakamura, Ken (ed).  IEEE MICRO Special issue on TRON.  
	Vol 7, No. 2, April 1987.

	Sakamura, Ken (ed.)
	TRON Project 1987: Open-Architecture Computer Systems
	(Proceedings of the Third TRON Project Symposium)
	Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, 1987

	Sakamura, Ken (ed.)  IEEE MICRO special issue on the 32-Bit
	Microprocessor in Japan.  Vol. 8, No. 2, April 1988.

	Sakamura, Ken (ed.)
	TRON Project 1988: Open-Architecture Computer Systems
	(Proceedings of the Fifth TRON Project Symposium)
	Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, 1988

	Sakamura, Ken, and Sprague, Richard.  The TRON Project.
	BYTE, Vol 14, No. 4, April 1989, pp. 292-301.

	Sakamura, Ken (ed) IEEE MICRO Special Far East issue.
	Vol. 9, No. 3, June 1989.

I understand that our efforts to publicize the result of the TRON project
leave much to be desired.
Also detailed specifications are made available only after they
reach the final stage of design.
During the design phase, the members of the TRON associations are the ones
who discusses the pros and cons of the intermediate designs.
Since there are more than 100 companies including companies from the U.S.A.,
our efforts to disseminate the information are focused to the members
of the TRON Association.

I understand that there are many opinions as to the details of the
specifications. We already have a diversity of opinions from the TRON 
association memebers.

Let me just point out that the one of the major targets of the TRON project
is to standardize computer interfaces of the electronics appliances
that have much influence on our every day life.
I can't speak for U.S.A., but at least in Japan many home appliances have
built-in microprocessors and the trend to incoporate computers
will continue.
The power of microprocessors make home appliances to perform many 
fancy things, but some of these become too difficult for ordinary
men and women to use.

The best way to solve this problem is to let the computers
offer better human-machine interface.
Of course, we don't want to use additional separate computers, but
the built-in computers should support such interface.

Such interface must handle somewhat complex  operations other than simple
turning on/off switches.
Standardization of such interface is the only way to have a comprehensive
home automation that allow us to use many computer-controlled objects
in a harmonious way.

Regarding the large number of wires in the
TRON house reported in a segment of CNN program,
I should mention that the TRON house reported is an experimental one and
we intentionally incoporated many wires that should have been invisible.
(We will use better technology to route sensor signals, and other control
signals in real TRON houses in the future.)
That is why there are so many visible wires today in the TRON house.
It is certainly shocking, isn't it?

By the way, the enhanced capability of the home appliances and
houses are not meant to improve the conditions of
people in general only.
We have already paid close attention to the way these
computer controlled objects may help the handicapped and the old.
Such considerations are very important when the birth rate
in industrialized countries have begun dropping.

My guess is that the first encounter of many people in U.S.A with
the products based on the TRON specification will be in the home
of computer-controlled home appliances.

Regards,

Ken Sakamura.