Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hpfcso!rjn
From: rjn@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: HP Code Names
Message-ID: <7370231@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Date: 10 Oct 90 19:57:47 GMT
References: <14408@teda.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard/FSY Ft.Collins,CO,USA
Lines: 51

re: >>> Amigo	HP 300 (a big flop!)

>> **NOT** to be confused with the (highly successful) HP9000 series 300
>> (actually, series 3xx - numbers have ranged from 310 to 375).

> So this is where the term "Amigo Protocol" came from?

Yup.  The original 1978-vintage HP300 was codenamed "AMIGO".  Amigo was also
the name of its operating system.  There are still a few HP-IB peripherals
that use Amigo command sets, and a great many peripherals that use some
other command set on top of Amigo protocol (HP-unique secondary commands on
top of IEEE-488).

> (the 300 may have been 
> a flop but it gave us the IEEE-488 bus, no?)

No, HP-IB pre-date the AMIGO project by at least five years, but the AMIGO
was the first computer to use high-speed HP-IB as its primary I/O channel.
AMIGO protocol was developed to ensure polite behaviour among the various
devices (disks, printers, tapes, etc.) sharing the bus.

> BTW, any idea as to where to get details about the Amigo protocol and CS80?

Not anymore.  The CS/80 and SS/80 manuals are out of print, and there never
was a published AMIGO manual.  The service manuals for some peripherals
document their command sets.

It's unfortunate, in a way, as HP's use of HP-IB for peripherals is
conceptually identical to SCSI.  Had we made high-speed bus chips available,
boosted the clock rate and promoted CS/80 as a standard, the whole industry
might have had SCSI-like functionality and performance years ago.  Alas,
HP-IB is an industry standard only for instruments, and HP is now rapidly
converting systems and peripherals to SCSI.

Incidentally, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of code names that have
been used inside HP.  A summary is posted monthly on an internal notes
group.  I have high confidence that this discussion in comp.sys.hp will be
able to thrive for months or years to come, as people add one or two names
at a time.

Of course, we could spoil the fun by posting the whole list, but since many
code names are derived from copyrighted and/or trademarked names owned by
other enterprises, HP does not like to publicize them.  Sorry.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: rjn@hpfcrjn.FC.HP.COM       3404 East Harmony Road
                UUCP: [hplabs|hpfcse]!hpfcrjn!rjn     Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

This response does not represent the official position of, or statement by,
the Hewlett-Packard Company.  The above data is provided for informational
purposes only.  It is supplied without warranty of any kind.