From: ernie@hpcuhe.cup.hp.com (Ernie Wakamatsu)
Newsgroups: comp.realtime
Subject: New Real-Time Systems from HP
Date: 29 Sep 92 18:38:12 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino


           HP INTRODUCES FIRST PA-RISC INDUSTRIAL WORKSTATIONS

                     AND REAL-TIME COMPUTER SYSTEMS


       PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 28, 1992 -- Hewlett-Packard
Company today introduced the first PA-RISC*-based industrial
workstations and real-time computer systems specifically designed for
factory-floor and control applications.  This announcement expands HP's
broad-range offering of HP Apollo 9000 Series 700 workstations.


       The new HP 9000 Models 745i and 747i industrial workstations
and HP 9000 Model 742rt board computer systems are based on HP's
50-MHz implementation of the PA-RISC 7100 chip.  Both the industrial
workstations and real-time computer systems are targeted at the
manufacturing, aerospace, telecommunications and commercial-
electronics industries.


       These new products allow OEMs, system integrators and users to
increase productivity through high-performance PA-RISC-based
architecture and world-class software-development tools.  The systems
give users maximum flexibility because they can be configured to meet
specific requirements such as ease of serviceability; standard rack-mount
configurations; durable design; and application-specific I/O capabilities
for factory-floor and real-time control, including VMEbus, IEEE.488 and
EISA*.


       "This is the first time that the power of PA-RISC has been
available to the industrial-automation, measurement-automation, and
real-time markets," said James G. McCabe, general manager of HP's
Measurement and Control Systems Division.  "Companies today are
focusing on the time and money they can save on the manufacturing
floor, and measurement and control are a critical part of this process.


       "HP's industrial workstations and real-time computer systems
provide manufacturing-floor personnel with an affordable,
high-performance computing environment," McCabe added.  "In addition,
we are introducing a real-time, standards-based, high-performance
operating system, HP-RT, that complements HP-UX.


       The HP 9000 Models 745i and 747i workstations run the HP-UX
9.0 operating system and are compatible with the entire Series 700
workstation family.  The systems allow users to integrate existing systems
and future configurations easily.


       The HP 9000 Model 742rt board computer system is a real-time
system running the new HP-RT 1.0 real-time POSIX-based operating
system.  The board systems also are compatible with the Series 700
workstations and HP 9000 Series 800 business servers for
cross-development purposes.


Operating Systems

       The industrial workstations support the HP-UX operating system,
Release 9.0.  HP-UX is based on and is compatible with USL's UNIX*
System V Release 3 operating system.  It also complies with X/Open's*
XPG3, POSIX 1003.1 and SVID2 interface specifications.


       HP-UX, shipping since 1981, has been tuned for the Series 700
through compiler enhancements and improvements in virtual memory.
It also is compatible across the entire family of PA-RISC workstations,
business systems and servers.


       The real-time board computer systems support a new,
standards-based operating system -- HP-RT 1.0.  HP-RT is an operating
system based on  industry standards (POSIX, SVID and BSD* 4.3) that
has fast deterministic response time (sub-100 usec), a standards-based
application programming interface (complies with POSIX. 1, and follows
.4 and .4A) and standard graphical user interface (X Window System and
Motif).  HP-RT is the first standards-based real-time operating system on
a RISC platform from a leading vendor of UNIX-system-based products.


Networking

       The complete family of industrial workstations and real-time
systems gives users an easy way to integrate their existing systems by
supporting a complete set of networking services, including TCP/IP*,
ARPA*/Berkeley services and Networked File Systems (NFS) services.
As a result, users can link into enterprisewide networking for easy
integration.


       HP's standards-based development tools, such as the SoftBench
framework, have been designed to improve product quality, manage
application complexity and increase programmer productivity.  Complete
integration of HP-RT and SoftBench is expected in 1993, which will
allow developers to use industry-standard software-development tools.


       A library of more than 3,600 software applications that exists
today for Series 700 workstations also can be used with the new industrial
workstations.


Applications

       The industrial workstations and real-time systems are targeted at
four specific industries.  Typical applications include the following:


Manufacturing (Discrete and Process)

       o      supervisor/control
       o      process monitoring
       o      factory-data collection
       o      manufacturing test
       o      quality control
       o      factory-floor control
       o      robotic control

Aerospace/Defense

       o      command, control, communication and intelligence
       o      air-traffic control
       o      transportation
       o      telemetry

Telecom

       o      switching systems
       o      operational-support systems
       o      network planning
       o      testing
       o      monitoring
       o      customer services
       o      voice messaging
       o      data transmission
       o      facsimile

Commercial Electronics

       o      research and development
       o      laboratory tests
       o      patient monitoring

Product Features

       Industrial Workstations

              Standard Features:

      o   flexible rack-mount package
      o   ease of serviceability
      o   enhanced environmental specifications
      o   EISA bus/HP-IB and/or VMEbus
      o   multihead graphics support
      o   69 SPECmark*'89, 36SPECint'92 and 72SPECfp'92
          performance
      o   Ethernet, HIL, Audio, SCSI*, dual RS-232, Centronics
      o   support for HP-UX 9.0
      o   binary compatibility with Series 700
      o   three mass-storage bays
      o   16 to 128-Mbytes SIMM* RAM
      o   14-in., 17-in. or 19-in. color monitors

Real-time Systems

      Standard Features:

      o   HP-RT operating system
      o   sub-100 usec deterministic response time
      o   sub-10 microsecond latency time
      o   IEEE POSIX.1 standard compliance
      o   VME 6U form-factor processor board
      o   software cross-development on Series 700 workstations and
          Series 800 business servers using standard software-
          development tools
      o   standards-based application programming interface (complies
          with POSIX.1 and follows .4 and .4A)
      o   standard graphical user interface (X Window System and
          Motif)
      o   X11 client services

Optional Features:

      o   backplane IP for communication between HP-RT, HP-UX and
          VxWorks systems
      o   Ada support from Channel Partners

U.S. List Prices and Availability

      HP's industrial workstations and real-time systems are expected to
be available October 1, 1992.  Entry-level pricing is listed below.

      HP 745i                                                    $13,390

      HP 747i                                                     15,990

      HP 742rt                                                     7,995


      HP's Measurement and Control Division is recognized as an
industry leader in measurement and control, factory-floor and real-time
systems.  With more than 25 years of experience in these markets, HP
is known for producing high-quality, reliable and configurable instrument
controllers and computer systems.  HP's customers include end-users,
system integrators, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the
manufacturing, aerospace, telecom and commercial-electronics industries.
These products are used in numerous measurement and control
applications on the factory floor for instrument control and in test
laboratories worldwide.


      HP (NYSE: HWP) is the third-largest computer supplier in the
United States, with computer revenue in excess of $10 billion in its 1991
fiscal year.


      Hewlett-Packard Company is an international manufacturer of
measurement and computation products and systems recognized for
excellence in quality and support.  The company's products and services
are used in industry, business, engineering, science, medicine and
education in approximately 100 countries.  HP has 90,900 employees and
had revenue of $14.5 billion in its 1991 fiscal year.


                                  # # #


PA-RISC stands for Precision Architecture-reduced-instruction-set
computing.

EISA stands for extended industry standard architecture.  A 32-bit
expansion bus design introduced by a consortium of IBM PC-compatible
computer makers to counter IBM's proprietary Micro Channel bus.

UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories Inc. in the
U.S.A. and other countries.

X/Open is a trademark of X/Open Company Limited in the UK and other
countries.

TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, a de
facto industry-standard communication service for multivendor networks
built around
OSI.

ARPA stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency.

SPEC stands for System Performance Evaluation Cooperative, an
industry-standard benchmarking group.  SPECmark is that group's
standard.

SCSI stands for small-computer system interface.  An interface standard
for peripheral devices such as hard-disk drives and laser printers.

BSD 4.3 is a version of the Berkeley Unix operating system.

SIMM stands for single, in-line memory module (for printers).

NOTE TO THE EDITOR:  Sales information may be obtained by calling
1-800-752-0900.  Please do NOT use editor-contact or corporate
telephone numbers for sales information.

Information in this release applies specifically to products available in the
United States.  Product availability and specifications may vary in
non-U.S. markets.