Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!nsc!taux01!amos From: amos@taux01.UUCP (Amos Shapir) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Why DEC doesn't need an ABI Summary: They don't want to Message-ID: <782@taux01.UUCP> Date: 27 Jun 88 05:07:38 GMT References: <8185@ncoast.UUCP> Organization: National Semiconductor (Israel) Ltd. Home of the 32532 Lines: 17 Hdate: 12 Tamuz 5748 VAX is the only successful architecture that has no clones. Tahoe (CCI Power 6/32) is a close imitation, but certain changes were made to make sure it was *not* compatible with a VAX - if you have a Tahoe to hack on, look at the opcodes - they are mostly the VAX's opcodes, with the hex digits reversed! I participated in the original design team of the Tahoe; if there was an ABI for the VAX at the time (1982) CCI would probably use it. But DEC's attitude made it clear that they intend to make money selling iron, and would not favor cloning - the old 'software is what makes the hardware work' approach. (Rather than the other way round, which is more common nowadays). -- Amos Shapir (My other cpu is a NS32532) National Semiconductor (Israel) 6 Maskit st. P.O.B. 3007, Herzlia 46104, Israel Tel. +972 52 522261 amos%taux01@nsc.com 34 48 E / 32 10 N