Microprocessors in CRT Terminal Applications: Hardware/Software Tradeoffs

In th development of any microprocessor-based system, the optimum design will be an efficient compromise between hardware and software. In most microprocessor applications, and particularly in CRT systems, there are usually several real-time functions to be performed with timne constraints that cannot be met with a purely software solution. When microprocessors were first introduced, many potential users investigated them for possible application in new products and concluded that the microprocessor was just not fast enough to do the job. Closer examination will show, however, that most investigators only considered purely software solutions to problems, thereby missing the correct assessment of microprocessor capabilities.