Newsgroups: comp.sys.transputer From: "Alan P. Burke" Reply-To: aburke@ibm.net Subject: Lazarus Projects Organization: TechnoNet Group Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 22:53:58 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: <34F34EE7.2FCE3740@ibm.net> Some of you may recall that during a panel session at WoTUG20 I expressed an affinity for Lazarus projects, hoping to launch an initiative with transputer-like technology and IEEE 1355 links in the telecomms/datacomms switching arena. Regrettably, my primary associate developed a life-threatening illness and we were forced to fold the initiative, despite its tremendous potential. I have joined Cadence Design Systems Inc. as a Solutions Architect, essentially a technical facilitator's role in a sales organization, focussing on design services. Please forgive the shameless plug for the company, but I see strong potential to advocate this technology as a solution for many existing needs. I'm unlikely to be able to attend WoTUG21, much to my regret, but look forward to corresponding with you about application of the technology. The recent discussion here about building a next generation of transputer/link technology is both encouraging and discouraging. It's encouraging because it shows that there are still many people who are passionate about the potential. It's discouraging because it looks like not many have been able to translate the passion into success. That will change. There's an emerging understanding about the need to deal with complexity, as silicon gets wider and finer. Systems on a chip will prevail within a few years (check out Cadence's involvement with project Alba in Scotland). The hardware people can't cope with the complexity. The software people are too used to allowing defects. They will come together (probably painfully) to alleviate each others' pain; the initiatives out of Oxford are bang-on. (But check out Wirth with Lola and Koza's GP stuff, too). In the communications arena, switching will undergo major changes, thanks to the pioneering work by the IEEE-1355 people, especially at CERN. You might be tempted to think that the C104 is dead. I'd agree, but the concepts will be rejuvenated. These opinions are entirely my own and are not meant to describe policies of Cadence. I'm still aburke@ibm.net but can also be reached as "alanpb" at "cadence.com". Have fun at WoTUG21, folks, I'll miss you. Alan