Tektronix 6132 workstations

From: Jeff Kaneko <Jeff.Kaneko_at_ifrsys.com>
Date: Thu Jan 8 09:08:02 1998

> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 17:51:36 -0800
> Reply-to: classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu
> From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh_at_ix.netcom.com>
> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Re[2]: Tektronix 6132 workstations

> >I've seen a few Tektronix workstations, and they seem to be based (in
> >general) on 68k CPUs, often the 68020.
>
> It took some _SERIOUS_ manipulating of the web engines today during lunch,
> but I finally found something out.
>
> It seems there were three distinct 'families' running Tektronix UTek
> (UNIX). The first, which it sounds like I'll be getting, had a rather
> obscure processor I've heard of before, something like a '32k'. The second
                                                           ^^^^^
Do you mean a National Semi 32000 class cpu? Kewl. Boy, those were
hot, hot, hot when they hit the market in the early 80's. National
did everything right on this one: Full object code compatibility
between the 8,16 and 32 bit versions of the device; truly orthogonal
instruction set, and so on. Mondo cool. It also was THE FIRST true
32-bit cpu on the market (according to an EDN magazine article).

Did I say National did everything right? Yes. Well, depends on how
you look at it. You couldn't run dos or CP/M on it. This, I
suppose, was it's fatal 'flaw' (although I am of the opinion that
that such compatibility would be a major DEFECT, but never mind).

That and National didn't market the device very well, although
it was used in alot of embedded applications. I wonder how much
further it would have gone, had the free Unices we have today been
available back then . . . .

Zane, I have the NS-32000 programmers guide somewhere in my library
if you're interested.

<snip>

Jeff
Received on Thu Jan 08 1998 - 09:08:02 GMT