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Multiprocessing Y Paker 'Multi-microprocessor systems' Academic Press, London, UK (1983) £16.50pp 204

As microprocessors become cheaper and more powerful, they are used increasingly in attempts to construct multiprocessor architectures. This trend is likely to continue as new microprocessors provide special features which aid multiprocessing. Most existing books on multiprocessing deal with the theoretical aspects of the subject or with the principles involved in concurrent programming. There seems to be a lack of well organized material on the problems of using microprocessor technology in the design and implementation of such systems.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading as most of the book is a general introduction and survey of both microprocessors and multiproces- sor systems. It fails to concentrate on the issues which are pertinent to the implementation of multiprocessor systems using microprocessors. The features which m icroprocessors possess and the control the designer has as to how to interconnect and construct multiprocessor systems are what distinguishes them from the complex and expensive multicomputers of previous decades.

We were disappointed, therefore, that - rather than discuss the field in general - the author did not put more emphasis on the suitability of various microprocessors for multiprocessor systems and the implementation problems involved in their use.

Chapter 1 surveys some of the most commonly used microprocessors. It is a good general introduction but is sadly lacking in any substantial infor- mation aboutrthe facilities provided by each microprocessor family which make them suitable for multiprocessing. The introduction of a standard set of symbols for expressing microprocessor hardware is useful and seems to have been well considered.

The subsequent chapters provide a general introduction to multiprocessor systems and their architectures. As with the introductory material in the

first chapter, this is well done. Regret- tably, not enough material relating to the use of microprocessors is presented. One of the most widely used forms of communication in multiprocessor systems is the use of common memory as a mailbox. The discussion of this technique, however, is limited to a very short note in the third chapter which deals with multimicroprocessor architectures.

It is only in chapter 4, which deals with interconnection and communica- tion, that the author moves from a general discussion of the topic and considers the use of microprocessors in constructing such systems. Even then, the only system which is discussed in any depth is one which uses Intel's bus arbiter circuit. Nevertheless, we found this chapter most interesting.

The chapter on software deals mainly with operating systems and high level languages. There is no discussion of the interaction between multimicroprocessor hardware and the software implemented on it. Once again the author seems to ignore the real problems that the design and construction of such systems pose to the engineer. The final chapter deals with the somewhat neglected and most welcome subject of fault-tolerant architectures.

The quality of the presentation is very high. The text is clearly written. The many diagrams are informative andwell laid out. The book has many references and provides a comprehen- sive bibliography. Altogether, the book has a nice feel to it.

As the author states, the book is intended to deal with the main issues involved in the design of multimicro- processor systems. As such, the book should deal more with the technical details of implementation rather than with the general concepts involved. We feel, therefore, that the book is a very good introductory text on multi- processor systems but that it is lacking as a book on multimicroprocessor systems. An engineer hoping to imple- ment a multimicroprocessor system is likely to be disappointed, but a student in need of a general text on the subject would find this book very useful.

Yigal Hoffner and Mike Smith University of Reading, UK

Micros get 3-in-1 intro M Rafiquzzaman 'Microprocessors and microcomputer de velopmen t systems: designing microprocessor-based systems' Harper and Row, New York, USA (1984) $15.75pp 679

Never before in history has a man-made object so small as the microprocessor had such a profound effect on man- kind. Today microprocessors are 'ubiquitous' and 'all pervasive'. They are affecting work and leisure alike. It is hard to think of any industrial or commercial field not affected by the 'microprocessor revolution'. In less than a decade, we have seen four generations of microprocessors - a growth rate three times faster than in the case of computers.

The book by M Rafiquzzaman is unique among the many books flood- ing the racks. In the author's words, 'the main aim of this book is to familiarize the readers with the basic concepts of typical 8-, 16- and 32-bit microprocessors, interface chips, and microcomputer development systems necessary to design and develop hard- ware and software for microprocessor- based applications'. It is a three-in-one book, covering the areas of micro- processors, microcomputer develop- ment systems, and microprocessor- based system design. The book has a wide coverage without sacrificing much of the depth.

The book has twelve chapters. The first three chapters provide the funda- mentals of microprocessors and micro- computers. Chapter 4 contains the architecture and software of typical 8-bit microprocessors and micro- computers, eg Intel 8085, Intel 8048, Zilog Z80 and Motorola 6800. The 8085 I/O techniques are .explained in chapter 5. Chapters 6 and 7 describe 16-bit and 32-bit microprocessors. The Intel 8086, Zilog Z8000, and Motorola 6800 are the popular 16-bit micro- processors considered. The only 32-bit microprocessor covered is the recently announced Intel 432. Chapter 8 provides a thorough'discussion on functional capabilities of typical microprocessor interface chips from

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