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XEROX
-BUSINESS SYSTElVIS
Systems Development Department
To: Bill Lynch Date: February 23, 1979
From: Dill Kennedy Org: SDD/SSIDAM
Subject: Progress - February, DAM Filed: [Iris]
Administration
The laCS portion of IODU is now part of Communication Software. The new group is
Diagnostics and Microcode (DAM).
All members of DAIvf have invested a large effort in interviewing candidates for the group as well
as other groups. This effort will continue at least until we are at full manpower.
The first Draft of the 1979 Diagnostics, Microcode, and lacs work plans were submitted.
Bill Kennedy and Tom Chang participated ina general planning meeting for booting the DO with
present and future devices. Bill has also participated in various Teak meetings delennining
configurations, schedules, etc.
l\1icl'OCode
Carol Hankins has left the group and the company. Tom Chang and Bill Kennedy are taking over
Carol's duties with the microcode.
Tom is learning the DO microcode. He was .involved in the release of version 2.1b with Carol plus
he made a new DO boot file for the Functional Test group after finding and correcting errors in the
key translation of newly' added keys for ADUP.
Tom summarized the word lIse per page per function for microcode version 2.1 b. This summary
was lIsed by Bi1l Kennedy in preliminary planning for future microcode usage.
~rOIl1(ll1d Bill have worked out a strategy for Software Booting. I3iIl is working all a memo
describing our strategy and Tom is working on the microcode necessary to support the Sollware
Booting. Portions of the Software Booting task have been parceled out to Pilot and Don Charnley
fwm the vVorkstation Design group.
Diagnostics
Jim Peterson and Elizaheth Renlmeesters (ltlended the I\VP Symposium in I ,os Angeles. They will
be p,lIticipating ill a debriding Crosstalk Tuesday, the 27th.
Elizabet.h has continllcd to work 011 the lIser inlerHlce of Verification Diagnostics. In this function,
shc is serving as an Alpha Tesler for Star software. especia1ly the window sort ware. An initial
version of Window has been debugged (lnd rlln for the Verilication I)iagnostics.
Progress -l\lonth, DiagnosticsAndMicrocode 2
Jim Peterson has been coding the memory tests which will become part of the System Diagnostics.
1l1ese tests arc written in Mesa and will eventually run with a version of UtilityPilot
Tom Clark continues to work on version 2.0 of the Initialization Diagnostics. He has integrated the
Ethernet microcode diagnostics from Roy Ogus into 10 successfully. NAND has also been updated
to include the Ethernet diagnostics. Tom is working on a new memory testing algorithm to be used
to test DO main memory from the Initialization Diagnostics.
Bill assisted in the installation of the RDC and Shugart 4008 on the DAM DO (Bags in room 33-
227). This ROC/4000 will be used by Diagnostics to develop tests and IOCS to develop controllers
and drivers. Bill has a second RDC and has asked that Hans Schannann get another Shugart 4008
with cables shipped to us as soon as possible to serve as backup .
. Acceptance Tests
A schedule for availability of the Acceptance Tests for the Pre-Prototype DOs has been worked out
by John Wick and Bill Kennedy. Bill is working on the microcode tests which comprise Phase 1 of
the tests.
Miscellaneous
Tom Chang has been trouble-shooting the problems in the DO Misc board update files. All known
problems have been fixed. He has also assisted the Workstation group in finding the proper board
and Sil macros to use in Workstation design. Tom has finished and verified the MultiWire board-
characteristics for Ron Rider's Decompress board.
Bill and Jim have taken possession of Altos in their offices.
Bill has been assisting Jim White in the assumption of IOCS. Some transfer of information is still
taking place.
Bill has been managing the upgrade of Palo Alto Engineering Model DOs to a Pre-Prototype level.
This upgrade effort has gone slower than planned. All stumbling blocks should be passed now and
progress accelerate. One EM DO in building 33 has been upgraded successfully and is heing used
to develop the microcode for the Pre-Prototype level machines. '111i5 DO is in Rich Johnsson's
office.
Problems
Star?.l software requires a double-disk, wide-body Alto to nw. DAM does not presently have any
wide-body Altos although chips are on order to make one.
- New people in DAM are having' difficulty acquiring the "big picture" of the basic system and an
available support features and documentation. Tutorials would help on Mesa, Debugger, Pilot, and
Star for all new employees of SDD.
DAiv1 is short on necessary people for Microcode and Diagnostics. Location of people in DAM is
and will he a problem with the separation between buildings.