Re: Ada and Automotive Industry

["Norman H. Cohen" <ncohen@watson.ibm.com>]

James Thiele wrote:

> I've never seen Ada for Intel 8051 or Motorola 6800
> series microcontrollers, and these are common in the
> auto industry.
> 
> >minds in compiler optimization were hired and put
> >to the task -- as a result, Ada code generators
> >often equal or exceed C or even hand-coded assembly
> >(see http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/news/1994/94018.htm).
> >So, Ada is probably more than adequate to meet the
> >performance needs of the automobile industry.
> 
> This reference refers to the speed of compiled Ada on a
> 32 bit DSP - I don't see the relevance to 8/16 micros.
> 
> Also code size is much more important to the auto
> industry than to aerospace.  If GM, Ford, or Honda
> have to use a larger PROM in a product they'll have to
> buy a million of them in a cost sensitive market.
> Aerospace industry products rarely have production runs
> larger than a few thousand, and are often rather
> cost insensitive.

This information about the microprocessors used in the automotive
industry, like much of James Thiele's information about Ada, is
outdated.  In particular, Ford is experimenting with the use of 32-bit
and 64-bit embedded PowerPC processors.

From http://ghs.com/ghs/html/press/01jul93.html:

> Last year Ford used a rigorous evaluation process to become the first major embedded
> processor user to select the Motorola PowerPC architecture for its next generation
> control microprocessor.

(They mean, of course, the "IBM/Motorola PowerPC architecture, which is
based almost entirely on the IBM POWER architecture developed at the
T.J. Watson Research Center," but that's another issue for another
forum. :-) )

From
http://www.mot.com/SPS/PowerPC/library/press_releases/603_Motorola_Tools.html:

> Companies that have
> committed to developing PowerPC-based systems include Apple Computer, Groupe
> Bull, IBM Advanced Workstations and Systems, IBM Power Personal Systems,
> Harris, Ford Motor Co., THOMSON-CSF and Scientific-Atlanta.

From http://www.rcc.ryerson.ca/rta/brd038/papers/1996/powerpc1.htm:

> The PowerPC chip has also been a major tool in a commitment by the Ford Motor
> Company and Motorola to test the applicability of microprocessors in automobiles.
> The two companies are currently researching the possibility of using the PowerPC
> chip in creating zero-emission electric automobiles and advanced navigation systems,
> including radar. The team is exploring how vehicle dynamics and driver interaction
> systems can aid in the development of user friendly automobiles. By using the 32 and
> 64 bit microprocessors, the companies hope to create an internal network that will
> allow for interaction and communications to occur between the various different
> systems in the automobile.

From http://www.chipanalyst.com/report/editorials/edit9_11.html:

> Motorola began work on an 88300 line of
> embedded processors, and even had a design win at Ford, but these chips never
> reached the market. The Ford win was converted to a PowerPC core.

-- 
Norman H. Cohen
mailto:ncohen@watson.ibm.com
http://www.research.ibm.com/people/n/ncohen