Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!oberon!cit-vax!elroy!ames!lll-lcc!lll-tis!oodis01!uplherc!utah-gr!utah-cs!thomson
From: thomson@utah-cs.UUCP (Richard A Thomson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: SDP
Message-ID: <5505@utah-cs.UUCP>
Date: 19 May 88 21:45:48 GMT
References: <1953@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> <5992@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: thomson@cs.utah.edu.UUCP (Richard A Thomson)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Lines: 55

In article <5992@well.UUCP> perry@well.UUCP (Perry S. Kivolowitz) writes:
>Twin-X allows you  to  install  any  two of hundreds of IEEE-959
>daughter boards already available on your A2000. A to D,  D to A
>Serial Ports, Parallel Ports, Servo Motor Controllers, SCSI, QIC
>02, GPIB - litterally any  I/O  function  now plugs and plays on
>the A2000. We're looking for software developers who see vertic-
>al market opportunities with this board. Contact us,  we'll pro-
>vide the board and help you locate the right daughter board.

I'd be interested in this software developer deal that you're talking about.
I've been trying to find some vendor who'll offer IEEE 488 boards for the
Amiga so that the Amiga could enter the laboratory control marketplace.

I've worked on Apple II systems designed to control HPLC pumps and do
what's called gradient control.  I worked on this system through Gilson
Medical Electronics, which was the first company to offer a microcomputer
based solution to gradient control of HPLC systems.

Currently here at U of U I'm working on my PhD in computer science.  I already
have a BS in electrical engineering which I would like to use to apply hard-
ware skills towards problems in improving the interface between the scientist
and the computer as a modelling and experimental tool.

Please tell me more about your product and how I can get on board as a
developer.  I think a product like this could make real inroads in markets
targetting laboratory control.  The big complaint I've heard from many
scientists is that they can't use their computer to do word processing
while they are running an experiment.  Althought the performance of exp.
control has increased with IBM PC based systems versus Apple IIe based
systems, this is still a major gripe for them.  Many of these experiments
do not demand continuous real-time response, so it is feasible that a good
adjustment of task priorities between the exp. controller and the word
processor would solve the problem.  Of course, with an Amiga 2000, they
could get full multi-tasking by dedicating the IBM side to control the
experiment if it demanded enough attention.  This applies for current
customers who would like to upgrade their computers or do something while
their comptuer monitors the experiment.  Some of these experiments take
days to complete, so the time the computer is tied up is significant.

By the way, I am impressed with the track record of ASDG so far, including
the story with the SDP.  Even though you can't market the SDP as you've
described in your article, the fact that you were honest enough to announce
the problems and explain your difficulties shows me the commitment that
you have to excellence, quality and more importantly a lack of bullshit.

I'm looking forward to upgrading my 1000 with the 2000-n-1 box when it
becomes available.

					Regards,
						Rich Thomson

-- 
Rich Thomson, Oasis Technologies, 3190 MEB, U of U, Salt Lake City, Utah  84112
(801) 584-4555  thomson@cs.utah.edu  {bellcore,ihnp4,ut-sally}!utah-cs!thomson
			Science: the modern mythology