From: utzoo!watmath!vlsi
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Title: Re: properly designed peripherals
Article-I.D.: watmath.3153
Posted: Fri Jul 30 19:30:53 1982
Received: Sat Jul 31 00:10:04 1982
References: sri-unix.2301

I think that the problem with designing "good" peripherals is that the "good"
designers do not do it.  I have watched with various degrees of horror and
amusement as the major hardware manufacturers carefully assemble experienced
design teams for their major processors, and then hire a bunch of summer
students to do their disk drive controllers (you know who I am talking about,
don't you, out there!).  I suppose that it is a good training ground for
designers, in that they usually don't screw up too catastrophically, and that
not too many people are ruined (I mean hurt!).  Another problem is that there
are no good "style manuals" for peripheral design.  Any major company
or design group wanting to publish style guides and good repeat good
examples of advanced design is welcomed, although I personally think they
are nuts...
Patrick Powell
CCNG, U.Waterloo