Technology '89: telecommunications

The demonstration in late 1988 of an experimental broadband ISDN (integrated-services digital network) in Japan, which conforms to the draft international standards recommended by the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) is discussed. Other 1988 developments discussed are the commercial operation of TAT-8, the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable between the US and UK; wavelength-division multiplexing of up to 10 channels on a single fiber, using tunable semiconductor lasers; the push for digital cellular phones; deregulation in the US of very-low-power radio transmission; and progress in gateways and faxphones     

Technology 1991: software

Noteworthy software developments during 1990 are recounted. Amid rapid change, the overall direction seems clear: an ongoing battle among personal computer operating systems, the rise of object-oriented programming (OOP), the spread of computer-aided software engineering (CASE), and the proliferation of frameworks. In the area of operating systems, there are three strong candidates from which to choose-OSF/1, Unix System V Release 4, and DOS with Windows 3.0-and a fourth whose future is not yet clear-OS/2. Meanwhile, the major computer companies have lined up behind OOP, an approach that views a program as being built of objects composed of data and processes, with a child object inheriting characteristics from parent objects: the CASE market is growing far faster than business in the rest of the software industry, and the push is on for standard frameworks that provide multiplatform, multivendor support across the entire computer-aided engineering process     

Technology 1991: transportation

Significant developments during 1990 are discussed. In particular, western European nations launched a project to unify and upgrade their air traffic systems in three stages from 1990 through 2005. The crash of an Indian Airlines Airbus A-320 was attributed to pilot error, a consequence of inadequate training. A new commercial aircraft, the MD-11 entered the market, while developments in rail technology, notably an underwater link up between France and the UK, made some gains     

Technology 1991: data communications

Significant developments during 1990 are examined, and future trends are delineated. Two major events were the rapid acceptance by end users of the 10BASE-T standard for Ethernet interconnections using unshielded twisted-pair wiring and the widespread acceptance of the fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) by corporate planners and MIS (management information system) people, as well as government planners, as the way to wire the corporate backbone. 1990 also saw commercialization begin of the FDDI interface by which data is transmitted on an optical-fiber network at 100 Mb/s rates. The development of twisted-pair wiring for Ethernet and FDDI will lead to integration of Ethernet. Token Ring, and FDDI local networks in one concentrator in one wiring closet, while the pace of growth of the LAN market continues to accelerate. The seven layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol received a big boost last year from the US government, and it is likely to become the routine way of organizing data networks worldwide     

Technology 1991: industrial electronics

Progress in industrial electronics during 1990 is reviewed. Fuzzy logic, intelligent control, and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) are improving manufacturing flexibility and reducing costs. At the same time, advanced computer numerical control (CNC) based on a reduced-instruction-set computer (RISC) chip is expected to sharpen precision in high-speed machining. There were notable advances toward an open system architecture for programmable controllers and machine vision systems. An X-ray laminography system for inspecting the solder joints on printed-circuit boards, particularly those of surface-mounted components, with 25 μm resolution became available     

Technology 1991: consumer electronics

Significant events and issues during 1990 are examined. US advances in digital high-definition TV were announced, with FCC laboratory testing of all proposed systems set to begin in April 1991. Meanwhile, Japan and Europe are launching satellite delivery of analog advanced television signals. In the consumer electronics marketplace, the home theater concept, which combines large-screen video displays with precise reproduction of movie sound tracks, is gathering momentum. Neural networks and fuzzy logic technology made an impact on such consumer products as camcorders, room air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines     

Technology 1991: solid state

Developments during 1990 and future trends in solid-state devices are discussed. 1990 saw the commercial introduction of microprocessor chips containing more than 1 million transistors, and 1991 will probably see microprocessor chips with well over 2 million transistors. Processor speeds are keeping pace; 50-60 MHz chips can be expected in the next generation. Digital signal processor chips are adding enormous functionality to desktop computers and workstations, and a low-cost multimedia chip, which can provide video images and high-quality graphics on the screen and, simultaneously, high-quality sound, has been announced. Memory chips are getting bigger and faster, and flash memories are growing in popularity. Gate arrays, programmable-logic devices (PLDs) and so forth are growing steadily in their numbers of cells. Lithographic techniques made major advances, 1990 was also marked by a number of alliances, some of which ended unhappily     

Technology 1991: medical electronics

1990 saw major advances in medical technology. A combination of technological advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unveiling new horizons for brain surgery, providing real-time feedback in the operating room. Computer-based stereotaxic techniques are being used experimentally in surgery, and experiments with robotic surgery are underway. In other developments, a variation on MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was shown to diagnose coronary artery disease accurately, ultrasonic imaging of blood flow received renewed attention, interest in biomagnetic imaging continued to grow and research cast further doubt on the efficacy of gallstone lithotripsy     

Technology 1991: aerospace/military

Significant events of 1990 are recounted. During the year the Cold War all but concluded, raising the prospect of cuts in military budgets and motivating defense contractors to look for commercial ventures. Arms-control pacts notwithstanding, turmoil in the Persian Gulf dominated the military realm in 1990. Two technology developments of the 1980s-night-combat capabilities and better control of electromagnetic signatures-may be critical to Gulf combat. Another ongoing trend, distancing humans from battle to reduce casualties, is expected to result in one of the few significant growth areas in the 1990s: unmanned vehicles. Space, also a robust area, saw the debut of an inexpensive launch vehicle called pegasus, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In civilian aerospace, the Hubble Space Telescope debacle cast a long shadow, although some bright stellar images proved salvageable by computer reconstruction. Officials at NASA hope the next one of their four orbiting observatories, the US $550 million Gamma Ray Observatory, will be lofted without glitches in the first half of 1991. Commercial space ventures took off and are changing the landscape for launching. Japan and Europe achieved notable successes with some spacecraft     

Technology 1991: test and measurement

Developments during 1990 are highlighted. Boundary scan, a method for designing testability into microelectronics and printed-circuit boards, came to market in 1990 in an array or products ranging from application-specific ICs (ASICs) to logic analyzers. The field of communications testing was marked in 1990 by the bid of a new analysis technique, modulation domain analysis, for mainstream applications inside and outside communications, including disk-drive testing. The adoption a few years ago of a standard for the VXI (VME extensions for instrumentation) modular instrumentation bus is finally bearing fruit in a cornucopia of new products. A smart tester, incorporating artificial intelligence techniques, came on the market     

Technology 1991: minis and mainframes

Developments in microcomputers and mainframes during 1990 are highlighted. The resurgence of the mainframe, with many new product introductions, was noteworthy. Advances in superconductor power were made. The superminicomputer arena saw a downturn, and the industry's response was a migration away from proprietary systems toward more standard (or open) architectures and operating systems-RISC and Intel microprocessors, on the one hand, and Unix and MS DOS on the other. NCR corporation's thrust into open systems, with a family of general-purpose computers based on Intel microprocessors, prompted a hostile takeover bid by AT&T. In Europe, the trend among computer makers was consolidation. Advances in massively parallel computation continued     

Technology 1991: PCs and workstations

Significant developments during 1990 in the areas of personal computers and workstations are discussed. Laptops and notebook-size machines composed the fastest growing segment of the personal computer marketplace. Other notable announcements including a broad range of engineering workstations, with RISC computers breaking the US $5000 barrier. Peripherals also spurred great activity. Hard-disk drives continued to get smaller while growing in capacity, floppy disks jumped up to the superfloppy arena with an order-of-magnitude boost in storage capacity, and IC memory cards were on the verge of making their mark as replacements for rotating magnetic-disk memory     

Technology 1991: power and energy

Import developments during 1990 are recounted. In the US the Clean Air Act was amended, a development that could cost industry US $22 billion over the next decade or so as provisions of the legislation are phased in. Mounting environmental pressures prompted major announcements related to electric vehicles last year. The big three auto makers have electric vehicle programs underway and have agreed on the need to jointly develop advanced batteries suitable for powering them. Also examined are the effect of the Persian Gulf crisis on oil markets, privatization of utilities in the UK, developments on the European continent, the placing of New Hampshire's Seabrook nuclear power station in full operation, and electrical fires in US substations     

Technology literacy: A model for identifying abilities in telecommunications

To function well in the Information Age, one needs to understand the importance of being literate in telecommunications technology. Although academic programs concerned with telecommunications must address this need, rapid technical developments and applications make it difficult to identify abilities associated with technology literacy. This study created and tested a model with potential for generating an index of knowledge, skills, and attitudes perceived as important to the understanding of telecommunications technologies. The model's use is demonstrated in a survey of industry professionals, educators, and students. The results provide a potential basis for curriculum planning and reveal a pattern of relationships among the three profiles (industry, educator, student).     

Technology 1991: the main event 64 Mb RAM

The development of the first working 64 Mb RAM is discussed. Electron-beam lithography was used to define the 0.3 μm CMOS circuits needed. The size of the multilayer capacitor memory cells was shrunk to 1.3 μm² by using tantalum oxide as the dielectric instead of the usual silicon dioxide. Some of the problems solved in developing these RAMs are examined     

Technology 1991: the media event Hubble Space Telescope

The unexpected problems suffered by the Hubble Space Telescope are discussed. A loop of cable on one of the two high-grain communications antennas turned out to be improperly tied to the antenna's mast, limiting the time during which the antenna could transmit data back to Earth. The solar panels vibrated for 3-6 min each time the spacecraft passed into or out of sunlight, throwing off the sensors fixing the telescope on a guide star and disrupting the observation in progress. Worst of all, the telescope's 2.4 m diameter (94 in) main mirror was found to have been ground and polished to the wrong shape and thus is unable to focus an image. The solutions to the cable and mirror problems are described. Approaches being taken to damp the solar panel vibrators are examined     

Applications '90: telecommunications

Significant and ongoing developments during 1989 are summarized. Satellites are moving into an era of multiple beams and high-gain spot beams, supplementing global communications coverage and permitting the use of very small antennas. Commercial ISDN services have begun. Cellular radio systems around the world are testing digital systems to replace their analog FM equipment. Cordless telephones are moving outside the home and may merge with cellular systems, enabling users to carry their phones with them. In the US, the seven Bell regional operating companies, created when AT&T Co. was dismantled six years ago, are still fighting to be freed from court-mandated restrictions against entering long-distance, manufacturing, or information services markets     

Reindustrialization: A telecommunications perspective

There is a convergence of opinion that there is need for the United States to reindustrialize. But there is a divergence of opinion concerning how such reindustrialization should be accomplished. This article examines the concept of reindustrialization, with particular emphasis upon telecommunications and institutional frameworks.     

US telecommunications: Industries in transition

Telecommunications in the US is undergoing a revolution. Corporations are attempting to leverage their competencies in the deregulated environment in order to enhance their competitive position. While the eventual results of this flurry of partnerships that has recently occurred are uncertain, there are certain trends that are becoming increasingly apparent. This paper represents an essay on the telecommunications industry (or its converging associated industries) and describes its history and evolving structure. Fifty-four partnerships are examined in an attempt to systematically examine an industry in transition. Key implications of these partnerships are also discussed.     

Indonesian telecommunications development: An overview

Indonesian Telecommunications Development is a part of the “National Development,” which carried out, through a series of “Five Year Development Plans” (FYDP), its efforts towards raising the standard of living and well-being of the people. In its development perspective, Indonesia has been pursuing the “Trilogy of Development” which reflects the notion of even development, a sufficiently high rate of economic growth and the dynamic as well as healthy national stability.