And of course the WCS - Writable Control Store - feature of Data General
Eclipse computer starting with the S/130 system permitted dynamic creation
of your own instruction set. The microcode is downloadable while the system
is operating, so the instructions could be changed on-the-fly. The
microcode word is 56-bits long and described in several DG documents,
including a rather well written "how to program" manual. Not a high-profile
series of microprogrammed systems, but custom microcode was invaluable in
many projects.
Bruce Ray
bkr_at_SimuLogics.com
-or-
bkr_at_WildHareComputers.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Courtney" <leec_at_slip.net>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 10:58 PM
Subject: RE: HLL Computers
> APL - MCM70 from the Micro-Computer Machines. For the mid-70s this was a
> truly amazing machine.
>
> - Dimensions were about 6"x14"x24"
> - microcoded APL implementation
> - dual casette tape drives for mass storage
> - single line 20(?) character display
> - full APL implementation
>
> MCM released several hardware based APL machines in the mid-70s. It can be
> argued that a microprogrammed language implementation is not direct
hardware
> execution, but close enough for me.
>
> >From a microprogramable archiectures class I took in the late 70s here's
a
> list of microprogrammable architectures:
> B1700
> Microdata 3200
> Interdata 8/32
> Nanodata QM-1
> CDC 5600
> Digital Scientific META4
> Varian 73
> Intel 3000
> HP21MX
>
> The above list is from "Microprogrammable Computer Architectures" by
> Salisbury (1976).
>
> The IBM 5100 ran APL and BASIC, but I know it did not implement APL in
> microcode, don't know about BASIC.
>
> "Computers in the 1980s" by Turn (1974) also has a brief, but interesting,
> take on HLL hardware.
>
> Has the SYMBOL machine machine been mentioned? (There's one in on display
at
> the Computer Museum History Center in Mtn. View CA.).
>
> Lee Courtney
> President
>
> Monterey Software Group Inc.
> 1350 Pear Avenue, Suite J
> Mountain View, California 94043-1302 U.S.A.
> 650-964-7052 voice
> 650-964-6735 fax
>
> Advanced Authentication, Audit, and Access Control Tools and Consulting
for
> HP3000 Business Servers
> http://www.editcorp.com/Businesses/MontereySoftware
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> > [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Scott Guthery
> > Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 1:20 PM
> > To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> > Subject: HLL Computers
> >
> >
> > I'm making a list of the processors and computers
> > that in one way or another tried to directly execute
> > a high-level programming language. Here's what I have
> > so far.
> >
> > Algol60 - Burroughs 5500
> > Pascal P-Code - Western Digital Pascal Microengine, Perq
> > Lisp - Symbolics, Lisp Machine, and many others
> > Ada - Intel 432
> > Java - picoJava
> > Modula M-Code - Lilith
> >
> > Additions and corrections are greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Cheers, Scott
> >
> > ************************* Mobile-Mind, Inc *************************
> > Scott Guthery sguthery_at_mobile-mind.com
> > Voice:+1 617 926 6888 Mobile:+1 617 230 1346 FAX:+1 617 926 1611
> > ******************** http://www.mobile-mind.com ********************
> >
> >
Received on Tue Mar 06 2001 - 17:42:20 GMT