I really think it depends on how effecient and at what level your source
code is written in.
At work we have a computer control system that uses a old Zilog Z8000 16-bit
micro processor
and the source code is written in assembly language.
1. It handles over a hundred PID temperature control loops.
2. Multiple profile control loops of the plastic material being extruded,
which involve controlling (1) or more
flexible slot die lips using multiple scanning beta gauges (usually Kr-85)
as the measuring tools.
3. Multiple speed and pressure control loops.
All the while sending the data to the Graphics Controller Chip to display
about 10 pages of color graphics
including some 3D displays if the material being produced.
Another Engineering group needed a high level P3 computer just to handle the
graphics user interface using an off the shelf
SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software package.
Why all this fixation on color??? I could see if it bought you something. If
a monochrome display had better
resolution and was easier to see in the dark/sunlight what's the problem. I
would not buy a color Palm computer
just to have color. Its not like I am going to be watching video on my Orion
between contests. ;>)
Of course this is just my opinion !!
73 de Bill N2WF
----- Original Message -----
From: "George, W5YR" <w5yr@att.net>
To: "Dave McClafferty" <ve1adh@accesswave.ca>
Cc: "Duane Grotophorst" <n9dg@yahoo.com>; <W8JI@contesting.com>;
<cyr999@extremezone.com>; "tentec" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] KB7OEX: a big plus favoring ORION
> This gets back to the notion and misinformation of "software-defined"
> radios. You can never get the rig's processor(s) to do more than a certain
> amount of work in a given time. If the designer did his job right and met
> his price point goals, he used "just enough" processing capability to meet
> his assigned specs. Done right, there is precious little capacity left for
> getting more operations out of the processor. So much for the never-ending
> series of upgrading rig capabilities through the magic of "firmware
> updates." The firmware can never cause the processor(s) to do more than so
> much, nor can it do all that some "upgrades" night demand of the
> accompanying analog support circuitry.
>
> When radios contain the equivalent of a Pentium IV with half a gig of RAM
> and large mass storage, then we will start to see integrated functions in
> the "radio" - or should we call it a computer with some r-f circuitry
> tacked on?
>
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