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When looking into using PCMCIA PC Cards in the avionics market, three areas must be researched. The first is what are the applications and benefits of using the PC Cards while in flight, followed by the applications and benefits on the ground, and thirdly on how to make a PC Card that would stand up to the rugged avionics environment. PCMCIA PC Cards can be used in all aspects of flight. Three possible applications on the ground are; paperless documentation, modifications, flightline changes. Once airborne, PC Cards can be removed and a different functionality card can be inserted. One PC card socket can be used for many different functions during one flight. Some of the possible applications for PC Cards inflight are; flight plan changes, backup Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), and solid state data collection.

Intel has been a major supplier of EPROMs since pioneering them in 1970. The EPROM, not intended for use in read/write applications, proved useful in research and development for prototyping. The EPROM market consisted almost exclusively of development labs in the mid- 70's. As the fabrication process matured and volumes increased, EPROMs' lower prices became attractive even for medium-volume production applications. Today, with new packaging technologies and continued improvements in processing, the EPROM fulfills high-volume manufacturers' needs for dedicated firmware. This paper discusses the role of plastic, one-time-programmable (OTP), EPROMs. It will cover the reliability aspects, cost advantages and compatibility with Intel's Quick-Pulse Programming™ algorithm that is being offered with Intel's OTP™ EPROMs. The paper concludes with a few comments on future trends including surface-mount technology and CMOS EPROMs.

Automotive applications of microprocessor technology can benefit from using high technology solutions. Advanced silicon processing technology allows lower manufacturing cost for components, while improving reliability. Highly integrated single-chip microcontrollers provide cost-effective systems through the minimizing of chip count and packaging. Proper software and hardware support minimizes the system development cost and time to market.

The use of microcomputers in automotive applications has placed new requirements on programmers. Programmers must protect their software against flaws in the hardware system in which it is operating. Various techniques for writing “fail-safe software” have been developed, and are discussed in this paper.