[ltp] The MWave "disaster"

[Robert Atkins]

> On Sat, 28 Aug 1999, Henry J. Cobb wrote:
> > Software is the way forwards.
> 
> > Modem, Soundcard, MPEG, all are being hollowed out and are handing over
> > more and more of their processing to the central CPU... 
> 
> This is indeed happening and it is a bad thing and we should all do our
> best to fight the trend. One place where it is not happening is 3D video.

This whole concept is documented in the Jargon file: 

"cycle of reincarnation n. 

[coined in a paper by T. H. Myer and I.E. Sutherland "On the Design of
Display Processors", Comm. ACM, Vol. 11, no. 6, June 1968)] Term used
to refer to a well-known effect whereby function in a computing system
family is migrated out to special-purpose peripheral hardware for
speed, then the peripheral evolves toward more computing power as it
does its job, then somebody notices that it is inefficient to support
two asymmetrical processors in the architecture and folds the function
back into the main CPU, at which point the cycle begins again.

Several iterations of this cycle have been observed in
graphics-processor design, and at least one or two in communications
and floating-point processors. Also known as `the Wheel of Life', `the
Wheel of Samsara', and other variations of the basic Hindu/Buddhist
theological idea. See also blitter, bit bang."

It's just going to keep happening. I'm in favour of doing it in software,
myself, but some things you just can't do in software because processors
aren't fast enough. Yet. 

Cheers,
-- 
/**
 * @author Robert Atkins, ratkins@osix.com.au
 * "Robert must learn to sit still." - My kindergarten report 
 */