Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site peora.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!petsd!peora!jer From: jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) Newsgroups: net.arch Subject: Re: flexible-instruction-set machines Message-ID: <1136@peora.UUCP> Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 08:18:22 EDT Article-I.D.: peora.1136 Posted: Mon Jun 24 08:18:22 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 27-Jun-85 06:21:21 EDT References: <1452@ecsvax.UUCP>, <290009@acf4.UUCP> <5694@utzoo.UUCP> Organization: Perkin-Elmer SDC, Orlando, Fl. Lines: 34 > Actually, my impression was that most everyone had been discouraged by > the B1700's flaws. This is most certainly untrue! Actually, before I got involved in my research on multiprocessor memory primitives, I was very actively involved in this area of research. It is unfortunate that the popular interest in RISC machines has so obscured the equally active (in fact, possibly more widespread) research in the CISC machines. But, if you want to see what is going on, just read the proceedings of one of the annual Conferences on Microprogramming, MICRO-n, where n is a number around 18 or so at present, I think (when I published in it it was 14). There is quite a lot of research going on. Some of the most interesting is in "vertical migration"; this involves programs which analyze the usage of instruction sequences in existing programs, and migrate portions of the programs into microcode, based on various optimization criteria. Besides, I don't see where the complaints against the B1700 come from. When I was an undergraduate, I worked with people who had been around since the days of the early IBM machines; and I recall how many of them very fondly remembered the B1700. (In fact, the manager of the DP shop at the college I attended often complained that the newer machines didn't have this or that feature of the B1700.) However, I have no experience with it, so I can hardly judge that myself. -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 "Erny vfgf qba'g hfr Xbqnpuebzr."