From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,971598a9377a949a X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Marin Condic Subject: Re: CPU recommendations from an Ada perspective? Date: 1999/11/05 Message-ID: <38233231.BE751CE1@pwfl.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 544930283 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: condicma@bogon.pwfl.com References: X-Accept-Language: en Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Organization: Pratt & Whitney Mime-Version: 1.0 Reply-To: condicma@pwflcom Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1999-11-05T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Mike Silva wrote: > I'm reluctant to ask this question because it's so vague at this point, but > my curiosity has won out. I'd like to hear any recommendations for (or > against) those 32 bit CPU families which are supported by good Ada tools. > The project would be a large engine controller, with control loops running > at 5 mS, 20 mS and 2 sec (don't yet know the details on the calculations > involved). Rough industrial setting (temperature extremes, electrical > noise, etc). We'd probably by COTS hardware, but that's not entirely > decided. Any opinions / experiences? > FWIW, we've built engine controllers out of M680x0's and Mil-Std-1750a's and had no real hardware problems with them. Ada support has been mostly with the XD-Ada compiler for both targets. We plan on doing the next generation of control using the PowerPC chip. Of course, all the electronics are custom built for the harsh environment and we're not using the dime-store cheapo chips either. (It used to be all Mil-Spec hardware until the Mil decided to stop Spec-ing it.) We've also mucked about with a computer built for the Dodge Neon which was encased in jello and would have been expected to drive a rocket engine. (Due to cutbacks and the fact that all us software guys are quitting, it will never drive a real engine so we probably won't find out if chilling it down and heating it up would make it break. ;-) Of course it was entirely too small to do much of anything besides turn some valves on and off and hit the igniter. You couldn't do much in the way of any real serious control laws with this box. {No Ada, either :-( } The 1750a just barely had enough room to do "real" control laws for a rocket engine and I don't think we could get the rad-hard versions of the chip anyway, so its pretty dead. For us (or, more realistically, those who will follow after me) the future looks to be PowerPC with the Aonix compiler. You never get everything you want, but the setup looks pretty good! MDC -- Marin David Condic If you hurry, you may still find me for a while at....... Real Time & Embedded Systems, Propulsion Systems Analysis United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Large Military Engines M/S 731-95, P.O.B. 109600, West Palm Beach, FL, 33410-9600 ***To reply, remove "bogon" from the domain name.*** Visit my web page at: http://www.mcondic.com/