Lisp, the machine language. Was Re: Hallelujah!

From: Buck Savage <hhacker_at_home.com>
Date: Sun Apr 4 01:54:41 1999

>Actually, I thought they had microcode or assmebly language. Therefore,
>they have a compiler to create the microcode or assembly language. It may
>not be well-documented (or advertised) but it's there.
>
>-- Derek

This is a mistaken impression. Actually, microcode is not compiled. For
any computer which is microprogrammed, there is a sequence of
microinstructions which implements each executable statement of the
computer. In the case of the Lisp machine (such as those built by
Symbolics - like the 3600), the machine instructions are, in fact, the
operators of Lisp. So, there is within the microcode of a List machine
a sequence of microinstructions which implements directly the function
of a Lisp operator, such as CAR.

As it happens, it is easily possible for any of use to obtaine the so-called
MacIvory, which is a Lisp machine that operates within the MacIntosh
computer. It is a co-processor much like the i860 based board that I
bought several years back from MicroWay. The i860 is a single chip
implementation of the Cray-1, (you know, Harvard archetecture, and the
like), and provides just about the same throughput as the Cray-1.

An old high-school buddy of mine worked for Symbolics, and today
does Lisp programming at Moffett Field for NASA Ames. He is quite
well acquainted with the microcode of the 3600, and it is upon his
instruction that I became equally familiar.

William R. Buckley
Received on Sun Apr 04 1999 - 01:54:41 BST