Signetics 8X300

The 8X300 is a microprocessor produced and marketed by Signetics starting 1976 as a second source for the SMS 300 by Scientific Micro Systems, Inc.

Although SMS developed the SMS 300 / 8X300 products, Signetics was the sole manufacturer of this product line. In 1978 Signetics purchased the rights to the SMS300 series and renamed the SMS300 to 8X300

It was designed to be a fast microcontroller and signal processor, and because of this differs considerably from conventional NMOS logic microprocessors of the time. Perhaps the major difference was that it was implemented with bipolar Schottky transistor technology, and could fetch, decode and execute an instruction in only 250 ns. Data could be input from one device, modified, and output to another device during one instruction cycle.

In 1982, Signetics released an improved and faster version, the 8X305. This processor went on to become very popular in military applications and was second-sourced by Advanced Micro Devices as the AM29X305. Eventually, production rights were sold to Lansdale Semiconductor Inc., who still offers the 8X305 to this day.

Short Message Service

Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages.

SMS was the most widely used data application, with an estimated 3.5 billion active users, or about 80% of all mobile phone subscribers at the end of 2010. The term "SMS" is used for both the user activity and all types of short text messaging in many parts of the world. SMS is also employed in direct marketing, known as SMS marketing. As of September 2014, global SMS messaging business is said to be worth over USD 100 billion, and SMS accounts for almost 50 percent of all the revenue generated by mobile messaging.

SMS as used on modern handsets originated from radio telegraphy in radio memo pagers using standardized phone protocols. These were defined in 1985 as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) series of standards as a means of sending messages of up to 160 characters to and from GSM mobile handsets. Though most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, support for the service has expanded to include other mobile technologies, such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks.

SMS/800

SMS/800, Inc. is a company that administers the assignment of toll-free telephone numbers in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). This company is a subcontractor and service provider for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the Number Administration and Service Center (NASC), administering the Service Management System (SMS) Database for RespOrgs and service control points (SCPs), as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 52 Section 101 and stipulated in 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) Functions Tariff - FCC No. 1. Its implementation of this database is known as "SMS/800".

SMS/800, Inc. runs various Web interfaces over a VPN for RespOrgs to register toll-free telephone numbers and business information. SMS/800, Inc. admits and registers RespOrgs according to qualification criteria including a required exam. It provides training materials and fee-based classes in certain locations in the U.S. A $4000 deposit is required to access any of these and to obtain a VPN account. In spite of the company performing a public function, none of the training information is available to the public on its website.

Synchronous Meteorological Satellite

For the Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS) program, NASA developed two weather satellites which were placed into geosynchronous orbit. SMS-1 was launched May 17, 1974 a and SMS-2 was launched February 6, 1975. Both satellites were carried to orbit by Delta 2914 rockets. The program was initiated after the successes achieved by the Applications Technology Satellite research satellites, which demonstrated the feasibility of using satellites in geosynchronous orbit for meteorology. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite program, which now supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research in the United States, followed immediately after the SMS program; the GOES 1 satellite was initially designated SMS-C. SMS-1 and -2, and GOES-1, -2, and -3 were essentially identical.

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