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The American fast-food industry, the world's first and largest, pioneered the drive-through format in the 1940s and is often viewed as being a symbol of U.S. marketing dominance. American companies such as McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Domino's Pizza, among many others, have numerous outlets around the world.
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The most popular spectator sports in the U.S. are American football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and ice hockey. While most major U.S. sports such as baseball and American football have evolved out of European practices, basketball, volleyball, skateboarding, and snowboarding are American inventions, many of which have become popular worldwide. Lacrosse and surfing arose from Native American and Native Hawaiian activities that predate European contact. The market for professional sports in the United States was approximately $69 billion in July 2013, roughly 50% larger than that of all of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa combined.
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American football is by several measures the most popular spectator sport in the United States; the National Football League has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world, and the Super Bowl is watched by tens of millions globally. However, baseball has been regarded as the U.S. "national sport" since the late 19th century. After American football, the next four most popular professional team sports are basketball, baseball, soccer, and ice hockey. Their premier leagues are, respectively, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and the National Hockey League. The most-watched individual sports in the U.S. are golf and auto racing, particularly NASCAR and IndyCar.
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On the collegiate level, earnings for the member institutions exceed $1 billion annually, and college football and basketball attract large audiences, as the NCAA March Madness tournament and the College Football Playoff are some of the most watched national sporting events. In the U.S., the intercollegiate sports level serves as a feeder system for professional sports. This differs greatly from practices in nearly all other countries, where publicly and privately funded sports organizations serve this function.
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Eight Olympic Games have taken place in the United States. The 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, were the first-ever Olympic Games held outside of Europe. The Olympic Games will be held in the U.S. for a ninth time when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics. U.S. athletes have won a total of 2,959 medals at the Olympic Games, the most of any country.
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In international competition, the U.S. men's national soccer team has qualified for eleven World Cups, while the women's national team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic soccer tournament four times each. The United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup and will co-host, along with Canada and Mexico, the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was also hosted by the United States. Its final match was watched by 90,185, setting the world record for most-attended women's sporting event.
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Key Development Forecasts for the United States from International Futures
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WikiMiniAtlas40°N 100°W / 40°N 100°W / 40; -100
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National curriculum assessment generally means testing of students as to whether they meet the national standards.
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Notable national curricula are:
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The United States notably does not have one. The establishment of a national curriculum was explicitly banned in 1965, in Section 604 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act . This act provided federal funding for primary and secondary education as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. However, most states in the United States voluntarily abide by the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which provides certain uniform standards. See Education in the United States.
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The A-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational authorities of British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1951 to replace the Higher School Certificate. The A-level permits students to have potential access to a chosen university they applied to with UCAS points. They could be accepted into it should they meet the requirements of the university.
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A number of Commonwealth countries have developed qualifications with the same name as and a similar format to the British A-levels. Obtaining an A-level, or equivalent qualifications, is generally required across the board for university entrance, with universities granting offers based on grades achieved. Particularly in Singapore, its A-level examinations have been regarded as being much more challenging than those in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
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A-levels are typically worked towards over two years. Normally, students take three or four A-level courses in their first year of sixth form, and most taking four cut back to three in their second year. This is because university offers are normally based on three A-level grades, and taking a fourth can have an impact on grades. Unlike other level-3 qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate, A-levels have no specific subject requirements, so students have the opportunity to combine any subjects they wish to take. However, students normally pick their courses based on the degree they wish to pursue at university: most degrees require specific A-levels for entry.
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In legacy modular courses , A-levels are split into two parts, with students within their first year of study pursuing an Advanced Subsidiary qualification, commonly referred to as an AS or AS-level, which can either serve as an independent qualification or contribute 40% of the marks towards a full A-level award. The second part is known as an A2 or A2-level, which is generally more in-depth and academically rigorous than the AS. The AS and A2 marks are combined for a full A-level award. The A2-level is not a qualification on its own and must be accompanied by an AS-level in the same subject for certification.
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In September 2023, it was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that the A-level would be scrapped in England and merged with T-levels to form the Advanced British Standard. This would incorporate compulsory English and mathematics studies. There are no plans to scrap A-levels in Wales.
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Several countries use A-levels as a school-leaving qualification. The A-levels taken by students in other countries may differ from the A-levels taken in the United Kingdom.
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In Bangladesh, the GCE AS and A-level are offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education and Pearson Edexcel after completion of GCE O-level or IGCSE , and is conducted by the British Council. GCE Advanced Level qualifications are offered by some of the private, public, and international schools as an alternative to HSC offered by the Government Board of Education. It has become a popular choice among students, but due to financial implications, its reach is limited to the middle and upper classes in major cities such as Dhaka and Chittagong.
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In Brunei, the A-level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations . Some subjects are unique to Brunei or have a format, curriculum, or syllabus that is unique to Brunei.
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The Advanced Level of Cameroon is based on the Cambridge International Examinations and similarly, conducted by the government of Cameroon in collaboration with Cambridge University. All the courses taken are related to what the candidate is willing to pursue a career in university and these courses are on a recognizable international standard for university entrance; as they are major relevant courses. You can select between 3 and 5 courses during your advanced level studies, prior to taking your advanced level examination on which.
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The British A-level qualifications such as GCE A-level and International A-level are widely accepted in Hong Kong as an alternative to the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education for both admission and employment purposes. It is one of the most popular qualifications used for university admission via the non-JUPAS channel. For example, average non-JUPAS offers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology require one to three A*s . Since the introduction of the high distinction grade in 2010, the British A-level examination has regained its power to differentiate the very top levels of ability. According to the British Department for Education, in the academic year 2014/15, approximately 7.3%, 2.7%, 1.0%, and 0.3% of all the candidates from the GCSE cohort achieved one to four A*s or a better result in the GCE A-level examination. This percentile rank is one important input for equating the levels in both examinations. On the sole basis of percentile ranks and the grade statistics from HKEAA in 2017, a score of 29/35 from the best five subjects in Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education is comparable to 1A*2A in the best three British A-levels, 32/35 to 2A*1A, 33/35 to 3A* and 34/35 to 4A*. In deriving inferences from these statistics, it is important to note that slightly more than a third of the GCSE candidates can go on to study in the sixth form before applying to universities via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service while almost all Hong Kong students can study Form 6 before sitting the HKDSE examination.
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Relevant authorities such as the Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority and UCAS also sought to connect the results from both exam systems to open doors for the holders of these qualifications who wish to study locally or overseas. Officially, the top distinction levels, A* in A-level and 5** in HKDSE, are currently recognized as broadly equivalent. In particular, in the light of statistical evidence, the 1% cut-off line is often set by admission offices at 2A*1A as compared to a score of 43/45 in the International Baccalaureate Diploma but the Uniform Mark Scale instead of the letter grades would be used in many cases to offer a much more subtle view of the candidate's academic potential. Typical offers from Cambridge Medical School require 2A*1A and Oxford University Medical School require 1A*2A whereas those from the medical and dentistry schools of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong require 4A* and 3A* respectively in A-level due to fierce competition.
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In India, Cambridge International Examinations , and Learning Resource Network GCE Advanced Level qualifications are offered at private and international schools as an alternative to the conventional Higher Secondary Certificate .
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In Malaysia, the A-level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations . Some subjects are unique to Malaysia or have a format, curriculum, or syllabus that is unique to Malaysia. For instance, there are two types of A-level in Malaysia, Cambridge A-level and Edexcel International Advanced Level .
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In Mauritius, A/AS-level qualifications are taken as part of the Higher School Certificate, awarded upon successful completion of secondary school after passing of examinations jointly administered by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate . Some exam papers offered, such as French, are customized to support the national educational standards. Additionally, International A-level qualifications from Edexcel are available, for which exams may be registered through the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate.
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In Nepal, A-level offered from Cambridge International Examinations is the most popular and is presented by several public, private, and international institutions as an alternative to the National Examination Board 's 10+2 curriculum. A-level has become a popular choice for many students in Nepal. Besides A-level, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement are also offered at this level. In Nepali, students generally appear for 4 subjects at A-level and 5 at AS-level.
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A-levels are offered in Pakistan by non-governmental, private institutions, along with International Baccalaureate and other international examinations like the Advanced Placement. Examinations are handled by international British boards and the program is equivalent to Higher Secondary School Certificate. Cram Schools are established all around the country which prepares the students to take the examinations as private candidates.
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In Seychelles, the A-level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations . Some subjects are unique to Seychelles or have a format, curriculum, or syllabus that is unique to Seychelles.
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In Singapore, H1/H2/H3 level qualifications are awarded upon successful completion of examinations jointly administered by Singapore Ministry of Education , Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate . Singaporean A-levels are notably much more difficult than the British A-levels but a little bit easier than the Hong Kong A-level Examination in terms of the proportion of students achieving the highest grades, as part of the country's wider robust educational policy.
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In Sri Lanka, A-level qualifications are offered by governmental and non-governmental schools . The qualifications are awarded upon successful completion of examinations called Local A-levels while most of the private schools award them upon London A-levels. Local GCE Advanced Level qualifications are offered by the Department of Examinations. Private Schools in Sri Lanka provide A-level qualifications which are offered by:
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Passing A-levels is a major requirement for applying to local universities and for private universities in Sri Lanka. In the recent past, Universities in Sri Lanka have given the opportunity to apply for their foundation courses which only require O-level results.
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A-level is an education structure after the completion of 11 years of Universal Primary Education . Universal Primary Education consists of two levels, the primary school level of seven years and ordinarily secondary level, of four years.
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Students are then required to sit for the National Examination which is done on a specific month in a certain year. The exams are done throughout the country on the same date provided by the examination board. Examinations will depend on the cluster and core subjects in which a student shall take. There are three major clusters, namely science, business, and liberal arts plus core subjects of which are seven in total or more. Students who will then pass according to the National Examination Standards shall be selected to join Advanced Secondary Education and are selected according to the subjects they passed the most and by their will to pursue certain subjects.
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There are only three core subjects to study in Advanced Level and one or more optional subjects to sit for the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination . Then students are awarded Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education only if they have passed. The pass marks are arranged according to grades and the grades will determine whether a student will qualify to join tertiary education.
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A-level education is a two years education which is offered by the government and non-government schools. It is regulated by the Ministry of Education which assures both qualitative and quantitative subject matters and there is a special independent council that is responsible in composing the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination namely The National Examination Council of Tanzania .
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In Uganda, a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education is awarded to students who have passed their national examinations that are set and marked by the Uganda National Examination Board . It is among the requirements requirements for one to join a university in Uganda. The advanced level takes two years for one to complete.
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A-levels are a college or sixth form leaving qualification offered in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These are not compulsory, unlike GCSEs. In Scotland, A-levels are also offered by some schools as an alternative school-leaving qualification in place of the Scottish Advanced Higher. The main examination boards which administer British A-levels in the UK are:
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Oxford AQA, Edexcel, Cambridge International Examinations , and Learning Resource Network also offer international versions of the British A-levels in the United Kingdom and worldwide.
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The British variant of A/AS-levels is also taken in many Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries, as well as in examination centers worldwide. British international schools in foreign countries generally offer the British A-levels as offered through Edexcel or Cambridge International Examinations. At select examination centers, the British A-level exams may also be available to private candidates.
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A wide variety of subjects are offered at A-level by the five exam boards. Although exam boards often alter their curricula, this table shows the majority of subjects that are consistently available for study.
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Between 2015 and 2018 , A-levels in England were reformed, transitioning from a modular to linear structure . This means all A-level exams are taken in one sitting as a set of terminal exams , and there is no coursework set for many subjects. For A-levels that retain a coursework element, the percentage of the final grade determined by coursework has been reduced. An example of this can be seen in Edexcel's new English Literature A-level, reformed in 2015, which reduces the amount of coursework to 20% . A-levels are no longer separated into units, and students must resit all of their exams if they wish to resit the qualification. While these reforms were expected to be complete for first teaching in 2017, this was extended to 2018 to include the reforms of less common languages such as Modern Hebrew and Bengali.
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The AS-level is now a separate qualification and is not required for an A-level award, although it still encompasses the first year of the full A-level content. However, unlike AS-levels in the old modular courses, they are now worth only 40% as many UCAS points as a full A-level , as content from the second year of A-level is considered more academically challenging than that of the first year.
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As these reforms took place in stages, many students took a combination of modular and linear courses before all reforms were complete, with AS-levels still being part of an A-level in older modular courses.
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These reforms look to combat grade inflation, where the proportion of students achieving the highest grades increases year upon year, causing the value of those grades to be eroded. The modular system has also been criticised for nurturing a 'resit culture', while new linear courses give no opportunity to resit individual units.
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Controversially, some A-level course subjects have been abolished since 2017 as part of these reforms. These include archaeology, anthropology, creative writing, critical thinking, general studies, and home economics. Many universities criticized the scrapping of exams taken at the end of AS-level, which used to be worth 50% of the overall A-level grade. This is because the universities used the grades achieved at AS-level as an indication of a student's ability and thus whether to give said student an offer.
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Opposition to these reforms in Wales and Northern Ireland has resulted in maintaining the modular structure of their qualification.
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The GCE Advanced Level qualification is offered by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council . Before, this qualification was jointly offered by Cambridge International Examinations and the Council in Zimbabwe.
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In 2002, there has been a move away from the GCE Advanced Level to the CXC CAPE examinations, making them a de facto university entrance examination. Some universities also require applicants to take separate entrance examinations. The International Baccalaureate and European Baccalaureate are also accepted.
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Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency: A Level resources
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University of Cambridge: International A & AS levels
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The Guardian 2005 A Level results
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2005 A Level results
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CIE O level and A level Timetable 2018
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The O-Level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It began in the United Kingdom and has been adopted, often with modifications, in several other countries.
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In the United Kingdom, it was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth and academically rigorous A-Level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Those three jurisdictions replaced O-Level gradually with General Certificate of Secondary Education completely by 1988 and, the International General Certificate of Secondary Education over time. The Scottish equivalent was the O-grade .
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The AO-Level was formerly available in most subject areas. Sometimes incorrectly known as the Advanced Ordinary Level, the AO-Level syllabus and examination both assumed a higher degree of maturity on the part of candidates, and employed teaching methods more commonly associated with A-Level study. The AO Level was discontinued, with final qualifications awarded in 1988.
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The O-Level qualification is still awarded by CIE Cambridge International Examinations, the international counterpart of the British examination Board OCR , in select locations, instead of or alongside the International General Certificate of Secondary Education qualifications. Both CIE and OCR have Cambridge Assessment as their parent organisation. The Cambridge O-Level has already been phased out and is no longer available in certain administrative regions.
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In Bangladesh, the International GCSE qualification is offered, which is colloquially known as O-Levels, with examinations conducted by Cambridge Assessment International Examinations and Pearson Edexcel both under the board of British Council. Both Pearson Edexcel and CAIE offer International GCSE qualifications. O-Level qualification has become a replacement for the matriculation qualification offered by the Government boards of education. However, due to the high costs associated with IGCSE qualifications, their reach is limited to middle to elite class families.
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In Brunei, the O-Level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge Assessment International Examinations .
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A number of subjects: English Language, English Literature, Bahasa Melayu , Malay Literature, Islamic Religious Knowledge, Ulum al-Quran, Hafaz al-Quran, Tafsir al-Quran , History, Geography, Pure sciences , Arabic, Art and Design offer exam papers and syllabuses unique to Brunei. Additionally, the Mathematics subject previously offered an exam paper and a syllabus unique to Brunei, but this has since been retired and the regular syllabus used worldwide is offered. This is equivalent to secondary education now.
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In India, Cambridge International Examinations GCE Ordinary-Level qualifications are offered at private and international schools as an alternative to the conventional Indian School Certificate .
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In Malaysia, the O-Level qualification is offered as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia , with examinations conducted by the Malaysian Examination Syndicate . The examinations were formerly conducted by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate , which still advises the national examination board on standards.
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The English Language subject was previously offered with an exam paper and a syllabus unique to Malaysia, but this Malaysia-specific qualification has since expired, and the regular English Language exam paper and syllabus used worldwide is now used within the country. The English paper is separately graded by the national examination board and UCLES, and both grades are displayed on the result slip.
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In Mauritius, the O-Level qualification is awarded as part of the School Certificate, which is awarded upon successful completion of Form V in secondary school. The O-Level examinations are jointly conducted by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate . The International General Certificate of Secondary Education from Edexcel is also offered as an equivalent alternative qualification, for which exam registration may be done through the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate.
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A number of subjects, including English Language, English Language , History, Mathematics , Mathematics , offer exam papers and syllabuses unique to Mauritius. Additionally, the subject of Art and Design, the offering of which is restricted to a limited geographic region, is available in Mauritius.
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The GCE O-Level qualification is offered in Pakistan by the CIE and conducted by the British Council. Due to the high costs associated with O Level Schooling, it is mostly opted by privileged citizens.
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In Seychelles, the O-Level qualification is offered, with examinations conducted by Cambridge International Examinations . Some subjects are unique to Seychelles or have a format, curriculum, or syllabus that is unique to Seychelles.
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In Singapore, the O-Level qualification is offered jointly by Cambridge International Examinations and the Singapore Ministry of Education. The examinations are mainly conducted by CIE, with select subject examinations conducted by the Singapore Ministry of Education, including select mother tongue subjects, such as Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, and humanities subject of Social Studies.
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A number of subjects previously offered exam papers and syllabuses unique to Singapore, but these have since been retired or planned to be phased out. After taking O-levels, some Singapore students go on to GCE Advanced Level exams, which are also marked by Cambridge International Examinations. In 2027, the O levels as well as the N levels will be phased out for a new local examination known as the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate .
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The GCE Ordinary-Level qualification is offered by the British council of Sri Lanka School . Before, this qualification was jointly offered by Cambridge International Examinations and the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka.
the examinations in Sri Lanka are taken very seriously and the exam is considered a starting point to ones higher education
this is the reason multiple "top in the world" prize students are from Sri Lanka however the amount is still less than India's 200
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The GCE Ordinary-Level qualification is offered by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council . Before, this qualification was jointly offered by Cambridge International Examinations and the Ministry of Education in Zimbabwe.
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The O-Level qualification was previously awarded in the Caribbean. However, many Caribbean countries have now switched to awarding Caribbean Secondary Education Certification qualifications based on successful completion of examinations administered by the Caribbean Examinations Council .
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The O-Level qualification was previously awarded in Hong Kong, along with the Hong Kong version of the A-Level qualification. However, this was replaced with the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination which was then replaced with the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education . The HKCEE was previously benchmarked against the O Levels for comparable subjects, but with the introduction of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education qualification the Hong Kong equivalent qualification was then benchmarked against the IGCSE.
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The GCE O-Level qualification originated in the United Kingdom, where it was awarded as the secondary school-leaving qualification. It was primarily an examinations-based qualification, with a grading system that changed over the years. In the United Kingdom, the O-Level qualifications were replaced in 1988 with the General Certificate of Secondary Education and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education .
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Econet software was later mostly superseded by Acorn Universal Networking , though some suppliers were still offering bridging kits to interconnect old and new networks. AUN was in turn superseded by the Acorn Access+ software.
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Econet was specified in 1980, and first developed for the Acorn Atom and Acorn System 2/3/4 computers in 1981. Also in that year the BBC Micro was released, initially with provision for floppy disc and Econet interface ports, but without the necessary supporting ICs fitted, optionally to be added in a post sale upgrade.
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In 1982, the Tasmania Department of Education requested a tender for the supply of personal computers to their schools. Earlier that year Barson Computers, Acorn's Australian computer distributor, had released the BBC Microcomputer with floppy disc storage as part of a bundle. Acorn's Hermann Hauser and Chris Curry agreed to allow it to be also offered with Econet fitted, as they had previously done with the disc interface. As previously with the Disc Filing System, they stipulated that Barson would need to adapt the network filing system from the System 2 without assistance from Acorn. Barson's engineers applied a few modifications to fix bugs on the early BBC Micro motherboards, which were adopted by Acorn in later releases. With both floppy disc and networking available, the BBC Micro was approved for use in schools by all state and territory education authorities in Australia and New Zealand, and quickly overtook the Apple II as the computer of choice in private schools.
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With no other supporting documentation available, the head of Barson's Acorn division, Rob Napier, published Networking with the BBC Microcomputer, the first reference documentation for Econet.
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Econet was officially released for the BBC Micro in the UK in 1984, and it later became popular as a networking system for the Acorn Archimedes. Econet was eventually officially supported on all post-Atom Acorn machines, apart from the Electron , along with 3rd party ISA cards for the IBM PC. The "Ecolink" ISA interface card for IBM-compatible PCs was available. It used Microsoft's MS-NET Redirector for MS-DOS to provide file and printer sharing via the NET USE command.
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File, Print and Tape servers, for the architecture were also supplied by 3rd party vendors such as S J Research.
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Econet was supported by Acorn MOS, RISC OS, RISC iX, FreeBSD and Linux operating systems.
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Acorn once received an offer from Commodore International to license the technology, which it refused.
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With the falling prices and widespread adoption of IP networking in the early 1990s, Acorn Universal Networking , an implementation of Econet protocols and addressing over TCP/IP , was developed to provide legacy support for Econet on Ethernet-connected machines.
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Support for the Econet protocol and AUN was removed from the Linux kernel in 2012 from version 3.5, due to lack of use and privilege escalation vulnerabilities.
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Econet was supported by a large number of different computer and server systems, produced both by Acorn and by other companies. As well as Acorn's MOS and RISC OS these also used other operating systems such as CP/M, DR-DOS, Unix, Linux or Microsoft Windows.
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The Econet API includes an Econet_MachinePeek command, which can be used by software to determine if a machine is present on the network and its hardware platform. The machine-type codes which can be returned by that command
are a useful indication of the range of hardware that offered Econet as their primary networking function or as an option:
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The manual includes an assembly language program to report a machine type, software version and release numbers.
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An update to the list in volume 5A of the PRM
lists the following additions to the table above:
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Econet is a five-wire bus network composed of one or more segments , where each segment may be up to 500 m long. One pair of wires is used for the clock signal to synchronise devices on the network, one pair for data, and one wire as a common ground. In many but not all implementations, a dedicated external board is required to supply the clock signal known as the "clock box", usually positioned in the middle of the network. Some Econet devices have an internal capability to generate the clock signal. Signalling used the RS-422 5-volt differential standard, with one bit transferred per clock cycle. Unshielded cable was used for short lengths, and shielded cable for longer networks. The cable was terminated at each end to prevent reflections and to guarantee high logic levels when the bus was undriven.
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The original connectors were five-pin circular 180° DIN types. On later 32-bit machines , the Econet connection was made via five of the pins on their 15-pin D-type Network port, which could also accept MAUs to allow other types of network to be connected via the same socket. This port looks similar to an AUI port, but is not compatible. The Acorn A4 laptop used another implementation, in the form of a 5 pin mini-DIN.
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Each Econet interface was controlled by a Motorola MC68B54 Advanced Data Link Controller chip, which handled electrical transmission/reception, frame checksumming and collision detection.
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Econet used a connectionless transmission model, similar to UDP, with no checksumming or error correction at this layer. Each packet had a four byte header consisting of:
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A single data transmission consisted of four frames, each with a header as above:
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Each device on a network segment is identified by a "station ID" number which serves a similar purpose to a MAC address. The address is not set at time of manufacture but is set manually and a network administrator must ensure addresses do not collide when new machines are installed. In the BBC Micro the station ID is set using jumper pins on the motherboard. Conventionally a file server would be assigned station ID 254 but there is no specific requirement for this to be the case.
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There was provision for broadcast transmissions, a single frame sent with its destination station and network numbers set to 255. There was also provision for promiscuous mode reception, termed wild receive
in the PRM, requested by listening for station and network numbers both being zero.
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Technical details of packets and frames, the Econet API, and worked examples in ARM assembler and BBC BASIC
are given in the RISC OS Programmer's Reference Manual.
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6,397
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At the time and in the markets for which Econet was developed, the main purpose of computer networking was to provide local area shared access to expensive hardware such as disc storage and printers. Acorn provided software for the BBC Micro to implement a file server, and optionally a printer server also. The original file server was very basic, essentially allowing limited access to a floppy disc over the network. The server software was further developed over many years, and Acorn and other manufacturers also produced dedicated Econet servers based on various technologies. So the servers available fell into roughly three categories:
|
6,398
|
The machine type numbers listed in the "Supported systems" section above are an indication of the range of hardware that was available or planned.
|
6,399
|
Additional services could be implemented, using the network API provided. Short utilities such as network chat programs were often published in magazines or distributed by sharing among users; these made use of the Econet protocols to work alongside the basic file and print services. Larger software packages were available that provided services such as Teletext and modem drivers.
|
6,400
|
Acorn emphasised the Filestore in the late 1980s as a solution for small workgroups, offering a base unit with optional hard disk storage modules. The device was similar in concept to what is now termed Network Attached Storage, being a standalone unit dedicated to serving files over a network.
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