More thoughts on building a Z-80 (64bit!!!)

From: Arfon Gryffydd <ArfonRG_at_DIEspammerSCUM.Texas.Net>
Date: Thu Oct 22 14:19:35 1998

At 12:10 PM 10/22/98 -0700, you wrote:
>At 09:45 AM 10/22/98 -0500, it was written:
>>Since this is a dream:
>...
>>For math, a bunch of stinking fast memory locations acting as look-up
tables.
>...
>>Any ideas?
>
>Well, if you want to dream, and you have a _LOT_ of very fast memory
>available, you can build a 2Ghz Z80 as follows:
>
>Build the system with two sets of memory, one bank contains combinations of
>bank number and address, the other contains several million 64K memory
>images. Now "compile" your code by creating a directed graph of all
>possible memory states for all possible execution paths (detection when the
>graph collapses into loops of course) and load your memory. Now you can
>"execute" your code by reading the control bank and switching to the bank
>indicated and reading again. Each "execution" would cost 1 memory fetch.
>With predictive execution (that is to say when you know that you are going
>to move the next four states in sequence) you can "jump ahead" to the
>fourth state thus effectively execution 4 instructions in one memory fetch
>time. Clearly the slowest mode of execution will be all register
>manipulation/conditional jump instructions (no predictions are used
>immediately) The fastest execution will be execution that doesn't generate
>I/O (external non-memory based state) then you can go right to the end state.
>
>
>--Chuck
>

NOW YOU'RE TALKING!!!!! Anyone wanna help me solder some Diode ROM
boards!?!?!

Arfon
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build
bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce
bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." -- Rich Cook
Received on Thu Oct 22 1998 - 14:19:35 BST