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From: dave@dtg.nsc.com (David Hawley)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Future Bus
Summary: Futurebus+ summary
Keywords: Future Bus Standard
Message-ID: <391@blenheim.nsc.com>
Date: 8 Dec 89 18:13:00 GMT
References: <2913@trantor.harris-atd.com>
Reply-To: dave@dtg.nsc.com (David Hawley)
Distribution: comp.arch
Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara
Lines: 31

BTL (Backplane Transceiver Logic) bus transceivers are available from
National Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, and Signetics.  For more
detailed information about current product developments, a non-
disclosure agreement is usually required.

The state of the Futurebus standard probably needs clarification.
Futurebus was approved by the IEEE as 896.1 in 1987.  Futurebus+ is a
wholesale revision to and extension of that standard, including wider
address and data paths and faster data transfer protocols.  P896.1
(soon to be released for public comment) contains specifications of
arbitration, data transfer, caching, message passing, and basic control
and initialization.  P896.2 (to follow shortly thereafter) specifies
board sizes, pinouts, and live insertion, among other things.  P896.3 is
a guide describing how to use Futurebus+ in secure, high-reliability,
and real-time applications.  The BTL interface is described in an
independent standard, P1194; the new Metral connector in P1101.x.

The U.S.Navy has selected Futurebus+ as the standard for future mission-
critical computers.  It now has prototype contracts out to Raytheon
(subs are Nanotek, BICC-Vero, and Ferranti), Litton (sub is Force), and
Cable Computer Technology (subs are Prime and Unisys).  Tektronix is
currently selling products using the old 896.1 standard.  I am unable
to discuss any other commerical developments based on Futurebus+.

Information about Futurebus+ is currently easily available only to
active P896 working group members.  To find out the schedule for the
next meeting, call the VME International Trade Association (VITA) at
(602)951-8866, and they can FAX it to you.

Dave Hawley                                 National Semiconductor Corp.
dave@dtg.nsc.com                                           (408)721-6742