>
>
>OK, so how many more apps are we going to devote an entire machine to? If I
>did this, there would be no room in my office for me! I already have 4 PCs
>(Linux server, 486 hackbox, W2K CADzilla, W95 print server) on/under my
>desk, 2 printers, and the usual test equipment (LA, scope, PS, etc.)! And
>they are all used each day. The areas under and behind my desk look like
>the aftermath of an explosion at a wire factory!
>
point taken and for small companies this is a problem . if i look around
here we have dedicated computers for almost anything :
Dedicated Sun Ultrasparcs to run Synopsys on , dedicated Ultrasparcs to
run digital layout
dedicated ultrasparcs to run analog layout , dedicated pc server to run
mathlab , dedicated fileservers , dedicated printservers , dedicated
machine to run simulations , dedicated CAD stations , and then
everyone's desktop PC runs all the other junk ( office , internet,
email, proect, etc ).
And guess which machines i have most trouble with ? The desktop machine
that barf up all the time all over the place because of 500 things
running at the same time. The others very rarely get into trouble , and
if they do its a hardware problem ( disk , mouse keyboard monitor ) or a
true bug in the software and not something cause by another program
interfering.with another
Since you are really cramped from what i can make out r : Here is my
optimisation : ( this is what i actually do in our cramped 2500 square
feet lab )
Dump the w95 print server and use a networkable printer or a printserver
box like made by netgear or use the linux box to serve the printers.
Cadzilla can run protel.
the hackpc remains the hackpc. ( everyone needs a pc with wires soldered
on the motherboard , believe me , i do this all the time in the lab. NO
joke ! )
Use the linuxbox to surf the web.
Use a KVM switch ( there are KVM's thatr can be controlled from the
keyboard these days by hitting scroll lock twice followed by the number
of the port you want to connect ) and get yourself a nice 18 inch LCD an
a pendulum arm so you can move it out of the way when not needed. Get a
wireless mouse and keyboard ( no more cables )
Get slim tower cases and bolt them on a bearing mounted tray underneath
the desk. They are out of the way and you can wheel them out when you
need access to them.
For the testequipment:. HP makes a real neat USB connected logic
analyser. Or get one of their Infiniium MegaZoom machines. Tenma makes a
very compact 3 channel power supply , function generator , multimeter
and frequency counter in one box. You can stash all test equipment on a
19 inch wide space on top of each other with the lcd 'floating' in front
of it. Need access to machines : push the lcd up, play with the
connections and then move the lcd back down. The PC's are hanging
underneath the table in the same spot. that leaves the rest of the desk
area wide open for whatever board you are working on.
The only machnine still on the desktop is the 'hack-pc'
This is of course an enormous investment and for small labs it might be
chaper to jst add another wing to it.
>
>I refuse to devote an entire machine to CAD only. If that's the way CAD
>software is designed, then to hell with it - that's poor design.
>
unfortunately that is the way 99 % of the software is designed ( not
only cad software) . very few software vendors test the behaviour of
their tool to when running togetehr with other programs. , and this is
an impossible task to begin with you would have to try all versions all
combination of any existing program. The problem is the Os's are leaky
and intermingle applications.
And that DOES include Unix and Linux
If we would be able to have virtual machines running that can not
intermingle then a lot of problems would disappear.
Again : It is sad to have to dedicate machines to one application , but
until everybody starts writing clean applications that is what we have
to do.
>For what it's worth, Protel 99SE running on W2K works pretty well, no
>resource limitations like in W9X. Just don't switch the focus while 99SE is
>loading! And don't select a non-existent network printer!
>
yep . the non existent printer. And who's fault is that ? protel ? No !
Windows ! . Windows should not report non existing printer to protel. (
ive seen other programs report non existing printers.) , or have a
hndler that dumps the printout to the bit-bucket and tells you to try
again to an existing printer this time.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
_____________
/____________/ Vincent Himpe
// _____ ___/ Lab Manager
/ \ \ / / / ST Microelectronics
/___\ \ / / / 5510 Six Forks Road . Suite 200
/______//_/__/ Raleigh NC 27612
Tel : (919) 850 6070
Fax : (919) 850 6689
e-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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