Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!philmds!nlgvax!tom
From: tom@nlgvax.UUCP (Tom van Peer)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Semaphore Questions
Keywords: Passeer, Verlaat
Message-ID: <145@nlgvax.UUCP>
Date: 20 Sep 88 10:14:36 GMT
References: <45000017@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu> <801@philmds.UUCP>
Reply-To: tom@nlgvax.UUCP (Tom van Peer)
Organization: Philips Research Geldrop
Lines: 16


    P stands for "passeer": pass by a signal and enter a block.

    V stands for "verlaat": leave a block, clear the signal.

As I remember it , this stems from train business, where tracks are
divided into blocks and only one train can be in a block at any given
time.  Nice analogy, isn't it ?  In Dutch a semaphore is a synonym for a
signal post, but I've never heard anyone working with the railways talk
about semaphores...

-- 
Tom van Peer 
Nederlands Philips Bedrijven, Dependance Nat. Lab. Building XP
Willem Alexanderlaan 7B, 5664 AN Geldrop - The Netherlands. Tel: +31-40-892334
E-mail: mcvax!philmds!nlgvax!tom  or tom@pcg.philips.nl