High-end Sparclite MB86934 is aimed at embedded control applications from X-terminals to robots
Fujitsu Ltd has launched a top-end chip in its Sparclite series of microprocessors. The MB86934 32-bit RISC chip is designed for embedded use in multimedia devices, including printers, copiers, scanners and X-terminals and robots and communications equipment. The chip was developed from the Sparc architecture specification by Fujitsu VLSI in Aichi, Japan, and the US subsidiary Fujitsu Microelectronics Inc. Fujitsu says the Sparclite series supports direct vectorisation of the data because of its floating point unit combined with circuit control mechanisms such as First-In, First-Out buffers and DMAC Direct Memory Access Controller, and thus is suitable for games and graphic processing devices. The chip is fabricated in a 0.5 micron CMOS process. Sample shipments have begun, with volume in November this year, and Fujitsu aims to make 20,000 of the parts a year.
Fujitsu joins General Magic team with different agenda
Fujitsu Ltd has joined the alliance of companies supporting communications technology development work by General Magic Inc of Mountain View, California. Fujitsu will nominate Mikio Otsuki, an executive vice-president of Fujitsu to General Magic’s board of directors, but it would not disclose how much moneyit paid to join the alliance. Fujitsu says it wanted to join the alliance as a computer and communications company, as distinct from Sony Corp and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, which are primarily in consumer electronics: broadly, its plans include General Magic’s Telescript and Magic Cap to create a new category of interactive communication medium called Life Media. Beyond that, details were sketchy. Fujitsu seems to have been swayed by the fact that General Magic’s magicians include people such as Andy Herzfeld and Bill Atkinson, the geniuses that developed the Apple Computer Inc Macintosh, and its expectation that their new technologies will become the de facto standard. Fujitsu executives said that they hoped that revenues from technologies based on General Magic work would equal the 100m revenues from the Nifty-Serve on-line service within a few years.
Open systems rule as Fujitsu mobilises ICL’s Openframework methodology for use in bidding proposals
Fujitsu has launched a new service involving the planning and proposal of open systems. Called Scope/openframework, the service offers the possibility of building systems using the latest technology, in multi-vendor environments, at minimal cost, says Fujitsu. The department running the service will grow from 20 people to 100 over the next three years. The service is based on subsidiary ICL’s Plc Openframework methodology, which is widely used in Australia and Singapore, as well as in Europe. The Scope/openframework service is part of the Scope series of consulting services, through which Fujitsu hopes to earn $19m over the next three years.
PFU helps out with Japan’s first original Sparc-based notebook
Fujitsu Ltd and its PFU Ltd affiliate have launched Japan’s first domestically developed workstation compatible with Sun Microsystems Inc workstations. The S-4/Leia Unix notebook workstation is the size of an A4 page, has 1Gb of disk, and a 1,024 by 768 high resolution thin-film transistor colour screen; it weighs 7 lbs 12 oz and incorporates a Leia Point device instead of a mouse, as well as a palm rest. The price of the unit is about $12,300, and Fujitsu includes it in its general sales forecast for the S-series of which it hopes to sell 50,000 units in the next two years.
While sealing closer ties with Sun, Fujitsu rejects Solaris-only strategy as Unix takes over from mainframes
Fujitsu Ltd and SunSoft Inc have announced a common application binary interface for Japanese applications development on Sparc systems. This will enable programs developed on Fujitsu’s DS-Server based UXP/DS operating system to run unchanged under Solaris 2.x. Fujitsu is already using the interface on the DS/90 7000 series, while SunSoft will support the int
erface in its next release of Solaris, due this year. The common specification is in accordance with the Sparc Compliance Definition.Fujitsu and Sun Microsystems, which as reported, announced their expanded strategic relationship in Tokyo on April 26, began discussions on the matter last August, said Dr Bill Raduchel, Sun vice-president of corporate planning and development. The two companies announced the framework of a relationship under which they will extend their collaboration to a wide range of areas, including but not limited to the ones announced. Four basic agreements were signed: a master agreement that sets out the mechanics of the relationship and commits the companies to research and development collaboration in the field of Sparc chips; an interface cross-licence agreement under which the two companies have agreed to share any new interface technology (such as multimedia and Japanese language interface) and not to develop any technology that is anti-compatibility; a patent licence agreement that commits the companies to a broad and royalty-free exchange of patent rights in hardware, software and related technologies; and an extended OEM relationship under which Fujitsu hopes to expand the sale of workstations to the business as well as the engineering market. Sun says that this is the largest reseller agreement in its history. To date the two companies have had a commercial relationship that was based on Fujitsu’s role as one of the manufacturers and suppliers of the Sparc chip and its OEM purchase of the Sun workstations for sale in Japan. The S-family workstations and the DS-servers Fujitsu procures from ICL Plc form a growing part of its computer business – in which the share of mainframes will decline this year to 30% from around 40% of total information systems group revenue. The DS-series grew by a factor of 200%, while the S-family (Sun) workstations grew by 140% to 150% last financial year. Fujitsu rejected the suggestion that it might be considering standardising on Solaris Unix, saying that it planned to continue its dual operating system strategy offering its own UX-PDS on the DS-server, and Solaris on the client workstation. Mutual interoperability will be achieved through a common application programming interface, said Mikio Ohtsuki, Fujitsu senior vice-president. Other areas for potential collaboration include multiprocessor systems – or modestly parallel systems, according to Raduchek. He defines these systems as those with under 50 processors.
