| • |
Due to project-related constraints,
the maximum baud rate was limited 19.2Kbps. |
| • |
The programs which communicated over the network
were compiled with an outdated compiler, causing pauses in network
communication due to the slowness of the programs. |
| • |
The original CEMA allocated too many contention
slots (pauses) to allow other devices connected to the network to
request communication time. |
| • |
The list of devices waiting to communicate over
the network could grow without bounds. Since this list is broadcast
over the network every time it is changed, this waiting list consumed
a considerable amount of bandwidth. |
| • |
CEMA did not utilize data compression |
Programmers rewrote the communications driver for the Motorola 68000
processor in C. Applied Sciences Group used the Microtec optimizing C
compiler to speed up the execution of the communication software. The
number of contention slots and the size of the reservation list were
limited. A data compression algorithm was also added.