FPGA VAX update

[Allison]

>
>Subject: Re: FPGA VAX update
>   From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com>
>   Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 12:38:24 -0800
>     To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
>
>On 11/2/2005 at 2:55 PM Allison wrote:
>
>>Ego a 16bit machine September 1985.  There was another article whose
>>focus was microprogramming vs sequential machine control and that used
>>the TOY1 archetecture. There were others described in TCJ Dave Brooks
>>simplex III comes to mind.  There are others.
>
>Hmmm, my recollection is of an 8-bit machine pre-1985.  I recall that it
>was benchmarked against a 4MHz Z80A.

Not in byte or KB.  Though there was an 8080 in 2900 form that was faster
than a real 8080.

>My first attempt at building a semiconductor computer was back in the late
>1960's.  Using RTL (no DIPs, just TO-86 flat packs), I managed to get a
>12-bit ALU and accumulator done before I lost interest.   I recall using a
>lot of diodes to save on logic costs.   I think I still have a couple of
>the Fairchild 8-bit (1x8) addressable latch in a TO-100 package that were
>going to form the basis of my register file.  I believe it required a 7v
>clock.

Sounds like some of the old PMOS stuff.

The nicest one I've done in TTL was a Harvard machine 8bit instructions
and 4bit data path.  Not fast nor exotic though I wasn't trying for speed
it was likely limited the most by the 2716 eproms and 2112 mods rams. It 
was practical in that it was a fairly rich instruction set.  Harvard 
machines can really simplify the data paths.

>Anyone remember the Moto mw RTL "experimenter's pack" that was sold back
>then?  That's when electronics companies still thought that appealing to
>the hobbyist was worthwhile...
>
>Cheers,
>Chuck

Still have bits of the mW RTL from moto and also their ECL bits as well.
Did a lot of playing with those parts back when.


Allison