Intro

[DIRK BROER]

My name is Dirk Broer
E-mail address is OADDAB at stdvax.gsfc.nasa.gov

I'm an electrical engineer working for Fairchild Space at NASA's Goddard 
Space Flight Center - in particular I'm working with the guidance and 
control group.  In the 4 years  I've mostly done embedded 
systems - mostly programming...

My interests are to get a system - that may not necessarily control an 
engine - but that it can monitor all the aspects so that I can make better 
decisions on what changes to make...  I have future dreams about retro 
fitting a an EFI system on a large displacement - turbo charged motor - the 
goal would be maximum hp - with manners.

What I can add to the group:  Programming - you pick the language, and mild 
electrical design - I don't have much experience with specific processors 
other than intel x86 and motorola 68XXX and even the 6502.  I can desing 
and build filters, and amps etc (cookbook electronics).  I have access to, 
and know how to use, schematic CAD, layout tools, PLD tools and  people who 
have done just about anything else including packaging engineers (and I 
haven't annoyed them...yet).

As for a CPU / architecture - let me propose this:

A while ago I worked with a company called CUbit - they made, among other 
things, an 80186 based, STD Bus board.  What I particularly enjoyed about 
their set-up is that the on board ROMs would communicate with Borland's C 
Remote debugger.   That means you write the code on a PC (all Borland), 
compile and link it, and then down load it to the board - and you can step 
through the code running on the remote CPU.  A breeze to debug.  Then you 
link the code with a provided library and you can burn that code directly 
on ROM's.  The 80186 board could have as much as 32K of ram, 5 counters, 
and 8256 Muart for serial, parralel, and interrupt control.  Cost was about 
$170 for a bare board (no ROMS) and a high of $700 for a board, serial 
interface card, ROMs, Card Cage (4-5 cards), and Borland C++.  

Barring something like that, I would suggest the cost effective way to go 
is an OEM computer - that we disect.  The nice thing about an OEM computer 
is that not only is the computer pre-built but the wiring harness etc is 
almost ready to use...  Besides for those with the know how and the right 
info - you could make some money on the side reprogramming stock computers 
for local speed shops....

Dirk