Tandem Computers Inc’s Ungermann-Bass unit has abandoned its support for the latest version of the Manufacturing Automation Protocol factory networking standard, re-igniting a row over the specification of MAP. The company has repeated the claim, first made by DEC last year, that there is insufficient market interest in the token bus networking technology specified by the standard to justify the massive investment required by suppliers. Instead it intends to offer MAP over 802.3 Ethernet, which was rejected by the engineers of MAP as inappropriate for real-time factory networking because it uses a non-deterministic signalling system. General Motors Corp, originator of MAP, has responded with a boycott of Ungermann-Bass products and other members of the Map User Group are threatening to follow suit. Mike Kaminski, MAP co-ordinator at General Motors said: For real-time devices talking on a peer-to-peer basis at high speeds, MAP will not cut it and both Ungermann-Bass and DEC know it although he claimed that the Ungermann-Bass retreat would not impact the success of the standard. The announcement, made last month at a meet.cw 8 ing of the MAP/TOP User Group in Chicago, provoked a walk-out by the General Motors contingent.
