MULTIBUS® continues to evolve to meet the challenges of the VLSI revolution

MULTIBUS is the world's most popular microprocessor system architecture. The success of the MULTIBUS is attributable to its compatible evolution, always meeting the demands of new VLSI microprocessors without forsaking compatibility with existing products. New system architecture's need for the use of large amounts of high performance memory is the motivation for continued MULTIBUS evolution. This need is addressed through the introduction of the Local Bus Extention (iLBX™). Whereas the local bus under the previous definition was physically limited to on-board execution, the iLBX evolution allows the local bus to span up to five separate boards. The benefit of the LBX is the ability to achieve on-board performance when operating out of physically separate boards. Intel's iSBC(R) 286/10 single board computer combines the latest VLSI with the iLBX extension, creating a new level of microcomputer system performance. This new board vividly demonstrates that the MULTIBUS continues to evolve to meet the challenges of the VLSI revolution.