Introducing PMS

The PMS (Processors, Memories, and Switches) notation was developed to describe the physical structure of parts of computers, computer parts, and computer networks in terms of a small number of elementary components.¹ A primary aim was to give a uniform meaning and definition to components to facilitate better communication among professionals. PMS has been used pedagogically to focus analysis on certain structures; it has been used at lower system levels to describe register transfer and switching circuits structures; and it has been the basis of a computer-implemented data base and analysis language.