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VMEbus Market Matrix-
Embedded Workstations
Ray Alderman, Executive Director, VITA
The embedded workstation market segment is characterized by the combination of disk storage devices, a high-level operating system and, most likely, a database application running on VME boards. The primary applications where this type of system is used are in statistical quality control, statistical process control, and communications controllers.
In the past, VME-based embedded workstations were a secondary market of the original UNIX workstation market. In statistical quality control, a SPARC CPU card set, Unix operating system, and some database application (like Unify or Oracle) were attached to an Ethernet network of test heads. The testing systems ran real-time OS's and collected data from the testing process. This data was then sent to the embedded workstation, logged into a database, and the statistical analysis was accomplished. Further upstream on the network, a desktop workstation exists where the histograms and statistical reports were displayed and generated for the benefit of Quality Assurance departments and manufacturing management. Similar systems are used for statistical process control applications, and in one example, are applied to "mill" precision parts in the commercial aircraft industry.
In the communications arena, the applications are similar and are statistics-oriented around the utilization of comunications paths. Other communications uses include database applications for billing information in the use of the communications paths and store-and-forward packet routers. The telecommunications industry refers to these computers as "Advanced Intelligent Nodes". Today, embedded workstations have now expanded into applications like voice messaging in the telephone switch gear.
UNIX has been the supporting technology that allowed deployment of embedded workstations in these high-end applications in the past. But, the CPU used on the VME card must have a UNIX port and applications software available to be a viable EWS technology. With the availability of Microsoft NT, this market has the potential for high growth in the future. NT has been called the "Universal Operating System" and removes the requirement that a Unix port be available for the chosen VME CPU card.
We are already seeing further deployment of VME-based embedded workstations into many unique applications past SQC, SPC, and AIN's. In the past few years, VME cards, Unix, and special "cartography" databases have been installed in forest service locations to triangulate forest fires with azimuths, dispatch equipment, and manage the process of fighting these fires. The enabling technology for these new applications is the specific database (the mapping software) that allowed the VME hardware and high-level operating systems to solve the problems of the application. Many new applications are simply dependent on the proper "database" of information for the technology to migrate and for this segment to grow rapidly. While good market research on this segment is scarce, most estimates suggest that $100 to $120 million is not an unreasonable estimate for 1996. As for growth, the availability of Microsoft NT, the increasing performance of PC technologies to workstation levels, and the demands of the telecommunications industry could create high growth rates in the next 3 to 5 years.
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