Adaptive Micro-ware, Inc.
The Beginning - Expansion Boards and Embedded Controllers
In the early days of the personal computer, Adaptive Micro-Ware brought new products to the emerging Apple II microcomputer add-on market. These products were soon followed by standalone embedded microprocessor-based products for various industries.
Our first designs were two expansion cards for the, then new, Apple II microcomputer; a 300 baud modem card and an IEEE-488 interface card. The modem was marketed by SSM Microcomputer Products along with telecommunications software that was written in part by Mr. Kniskern. Challenging the obsolescence typical of computer products, one of the IEEE-488 cards was still in use seventeen years later in a client's engineering lab.
Adaptive followed up those successes with embedded microprocessor designs for a number of different industries, one example being embedded controllers for point of sale terminals and fuel dispensers installed in refueling stations throughout the world by two international fuel pump manufacturers.
Early 1980s - Real Time Industrial Control Systems
During the early 1980s Adaptive designed several real time industrial control systems which included custom electronics. These designs often required a thorough knowledge of analog as well as digital electronics, a skill which Adaptive Micro-Ware has maintained to this day. Two examples of the systems created by Adaptive during this time include a food production line control system for a major food company and automated production systems for an electronic component manufacturer.
Mid 1980s - A Patent, Data Storage, and Custom Silicon
In the mid-1980s Adaptive created a patented image sensing system and fiber optic control network for a startup firm called SciAgra. The patented technology enabled items traveling on a conveyor to be recognized by image and counted without having to be "singulated", that is, items could be counted even if they were grouped randomly on the conveyor belt. The count information was then used as input to a control system which operated multiple conveyor belts via a fiber optic network. With Adaptive's assistance, SciAgra has extended the application of this technology from its original single market to other industrial markets.
Also in the mid-1980s, Adaptive created digital control electronics for a major manufacturer of arc welders. Adaptive was able to apply its skills at bridging the worlds of analog and digital electronics to create these systems. The art of these designs emerged from Adaptive's true replication of basic analog processes using digital electronics. The precision and range of the final product was such that it was capable of welding anything from aluminum foil to a steel beam.
A third system developed during the mid-1980s began our continuing application focus into high speed, high capacity storage and data delivery systems. For a startup firm based in Michigan, Adaptive created a high-speed/high-capacity SCSI file server which was directed toward CAD departments and other markets requiring high speed access to large amounts of data. Adaptive also designed an RF modem for this system (very similar to today's cable modems) to enable remote access with extremely high throughput. At that time, SCSI processors were in their infancy. Adaptive found itself in the position of working closely with a semiconductor firm to finalize its pre-released SCSI chip's microcode so that we could incorporate the new part into the file server. Adaptive has since continued to integrate newly emerging specialty silicon products into first applications, working interactively with silicon manufacturers as new specialty silicon is being finalized.
Adaptive's work with programmable logic, specialty silicon, and ASICs was noticed by the Indiana Microelectronics Center (IMC), a newly founded state organization charted to promote ASIC technology in Indiana. Adaptive was asked to help guide the formation of the IMC, and in particular was asked to create several PLD and custom gate array designs for state-funded clients in order to demonstrate feasibility. Given that start, the IMC continues to operate today as a self-supporting ASIC design center.
Late 1980s and Early 1990s - Direct Broadcast Satellite
Stemming from demonstrations of its ability to design silicon, board level products, and complete real time systems, Adaptive played a major role in the design and implementation of the SkyPix digital video Direct Broadcast from Satellite (DBS) system. Adaptive's work resulted in deployment of their 80 channel DBS studio which was operated in beta test 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for several months, transferring up to 1 Gigabyte of digital video data per channel per hour. In parallel with this effort Adaptive developed a second commercial DBS system which is operated today by GE Spacenet. This work is a prime example of the breadth of Adaptive's capabilities - from silicon to systems.
At the system level, Adaptive Micro-Ware served as overall architect and technical program manager. At the component level, we specified all of the board level electronics and software used and designed most of them. At the silicon level, we co-specified and co-designed a proprietary video decompression ASIC with the algorithm's inventor, designed two companion gate arrays used in the compression engine, and specified a security encryption ASIC.
- Adaptive specified all hardware sub-systems in the DBS architecture, and personally developed the following components:
- DBS digital video settop box
- Real time CCIR-601 video compression encoder
- Video pre-processor
- High speed video file servers
- Real time data mixers
- Data Scramblers
- Universal system clocks
Adaptive also specified nearly all software in the DBS architecture and personally developed the following software systems:
- Real time program scheduling
- Electronic program guide
- Conditional access
- Security
- Electronic cash box
- Provisioning
- Network management
Electronic commerce Mid 1990s - Standards Based MPEG Video and ATM Communications
Adaptive then turned to creation of standards-based digital video products. These products led to Adaptive and its partners being awarded a contract with Bell Atlantic to provide digital video set-top boxes based on the MPEG compression standard for its ADSL trial in the District of Columbia. Adaptive designed the motherboard for the set-top unit used in this trial.
Soon after, Adaptive Micro-Ware entered into a partnership with Stellar One Corporation, a startup firm based in Seattle, to create additional products for its Stellar 1000 family of digital video set-tops with Adaptive serving as system integrator for the entire product line.
For this product line Adaptive has developed numerous network interfaces for the set-top box family including Ethernet, DS-3, OC-3, and 25.6 ATM as well as proprietary ATM implementations for major corporations across the globe.
Today - Digital Video, Network Delivery Systems, Storage Systems, Reference Designs Today, Adaptive Micro-Ware continues to work on leading-edge technology in the areas of digital video and audio. We are also applying our skills in other areas including ASIC design, high speed networking, and virtual private networking systems.