David Boggs
Encyclopedia
David Reeves Boggs is an electrical and radio engineer from the United States
who developed early prototypes of Internet protocol
s, file server
s, gateways, network interface cards
and, along with Robert Metcalfe
and others, co-invented Ethernet
, the most popular family of technologies for local area computer network
s.
. As a young graduate he worked at Xerox PARC
, where he met Robert Metcalfe while the latter was debugging an Interface Message Processor
interface for the PARC systems group.
Since Boggs had considerable experience as an amateur radio
operator, he recognized similarities between Metcalfe's theories and radio broadcasting technologies and joined his project. According to The Economist
, "the two would co-invent Ethernet, with Mr Metcalfe generating the ideas and Mr Boggs figuring out how to build the system."
During 1973 they built several Ethernet interfaces for the Xerox Alto
pioneering personal computer. On March 31, 1975, Xerox filed a patent application listing Metcalfe, Boggs, Chuck Thacker and Butler Lampson
as inventors.
In 1976, after 18 months in the writing, they published "Ethernet: Distributed Packet Switching for Local Computer Networks", Ethernet's seminal paper.
It was reprinted in a special 25th anniversary issue of the Communications of the ACM
.
He produced a slide for a talk at the June 1976 National Computer Conference from a Metcalfe sketch of Ethernet terminology that was widely reproduced.
The original prototype circuit is now in the National Museum of American History
at the Smithsonian Institution
.
While at Xerox, Boggs also attended graduate school at Stanford University
, where he received both a master's degree in 1973 and a Ph.D. degree in 1982 in electrical engineering
.
His dissertation was "Internet Broadcasting".
The concept was extended to IP multicast
ing by Steve Deering
, also at Stanford.
He received the IEEE Computer Society
technical achievement award in 1988, and is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery
.
Boggs was involved in developing the PARC Universal Packet
protocol architecture, which was developed about the same time as TCP/IP.
After leaving Xerox, Boggs worked at the Digital Equipment Corporation
Western Research Laboratory (DECWRL), on the "Titan" project.
Boggs co-founded LAN Media Corporation (LMC) with Ron Crane and worked as a consultant in the Silicon Valley
area.
LMC was acquired by SBE Incorporated in July 2000.
SBE was acquired by Neonode
in 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who developed early prototypes of Internet protocol
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
s, file server
File server
In computing, a file server is a computer attached to a network that has the primary purpose of providing a location for shared disk access, i.e. shared storage of computer files that can be accessed by the workstations that are attached to the computer network...
s, gateways, network interface cards
and, along with Robert Metcalfe
Robert Metcalfe
Robert Melancton Metcalfe is an electrical engineer from the United States who co-invented Ethernet, founded 3Com and formulated Metcalfe's Law., he is a general partner of Polaris Venture Partners...
and others, co-invented Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
, the most popular family of technologies for local area computer network
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
s.
Biography
Boggs attended Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) and graduated in 1968. Boggs graduated from Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. As a young graduate he worked at Xerox PARC
Xerox PARC
PARC , formerly Xerox PARC, is a research and co-development company in Palo Alto, California, with a distinguished reputation for its contributions to information technology and hardware systems....
, where he met Robert Metcalfe while the latter was debugging an Interface Message Processor
Interface Message Processor
The Interface Message Processor was the packet-switching node used to interconnect participant networks to the ARPANET from the late 1960s to 1989. It was the first generation of gateways, which are known today as routers. An IMP was a ruggedized Honeywell DDP-516 minicomputer with...
interface for the PARC systems group.
Since Boggs had considerable experience as an amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operator, he recognized similarities between Metcalfe's theories and radio broadcasting technologies and joined his project. According to The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, "the two would co-invent Ethernet, with Mr Metcalfe generating the ideas and Mr Boggs figuring out how to build the system."
During 1973 they built several Ethernet interfaces for the Xerox Alto
Xerox Alto
The Xerox Alto was one of the first computers designed for individual use , making it arguably what is now called a personal computer. It was developed at Xerox PARC in 1973...
pioneering personal computer. On March 31, 1975, Xerox filed a patent application listing Metcalfe, Boggs, Chuck Thacker and Butler Lampson
Butler Lampson
Butler W. Lampson is a renowned computer scientist.After graduating from the Lawrenceville School , Lampson received his Bachelor's degree in Physics from Harvard University in 1964, and his Ph.D...
as inventors.
In 1976, after 18 months in the writing, they published "Ethernet: Distributed Packet Switching for Local Computer Networks", Ethernet's seminal paper.
It was reprinted in a special 25th anniversary issue of the Communications of the ACM
Communications of the ACM
Communications of the ACM is the flagship monthly journal of the Association for Computing Machinery . First published in 1957, CACM is sent to all ACM members, currently numbering about 80,000. The articles are intended for readers with backgrounds in all areas of computer science and information...
.
He produced a slide for a talk at the June 1976 National Computer Conference from a Metcalfe sketch of Ethernet terminology that was widely reproduced.
The original prototype circuit is now in the National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.
While at Xerox, Boggs also attended graduate school at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where he received both a master's degree in 1973 and a Ph.D. degree in 1982 in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
.
His dissertation was "Internet Broadcasting".
The concept was extended to IP multicast
IP Multicast
IP multicast is a method of sending Internet Protocol datagrams to a group of interested receivers in a single transmission. It is often employed for streaming media applications on the Internet and private networks. The method is the IP-specific version of the general concept of multicast...
ing by Steve Deering
Steve Deering
Stephen Deering is a former Technical Leader at Cisco Systems, where he worked on the development and standardization of architectural enhancements to the Internet Protocol...
, also at Stanford.
He received the IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Computer Society is a professional society of IEEE. Its purpose and scope is “to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology” and the “professional standing of its members.” The CS is the largest of 38 technical societies...
technical achievement award in 1988, and is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
.
Boggs was involved in developing the PARC Universal Packet
PARC Universal Packet
The PARC Universal Packet was one of the two earliest internetwork protocol suites; it was created by researchers at Xerox PARC in the mid-1970s...
protocol architecture, which was developed about the same time as TCP/IP.
After leaving Xerox, Boggs worked at the Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
Western Research Laboratory (DECWRL), on the "Titan" project.
Boggs co-founded LAN Media Corporation (LMC) with Ron Crane and worked as a consultant in the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
area.
LMC was acquired by SBE Incorporated in July 2000.
SBE was acquired by Neonode
Neonode
Neonode Inc. is a Swedish manufacturer of mobile phones. The company was founded in 2001 by Magnus Goertz and Thomas Eriksson. They have approximately 50 employees and have their premises at Biblioteksgatan by Stureplan in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden. The company's products have patented...
in 2007.