Unix on BBC micro with 16032 coprocessor

[Jules Richardson]

Tony Duell wrote:
>>I don't *think* it ever saw the light of day. As others have mentioned, 
>>it was planned for the ABC 2xx / Cambridge Workstation machines, but I 
>>don't think it was anything more than vapourware.
> 
> 
> Silly random thought. IIRC, there's an empty 40 pin DIL socket on the ACW 
> coprocessor board, and I think it's on the 32016 sencond processor board 
> too (I must come and collect that from you). Wasn't that for an MMU chip?

Yep, you're right (about there being empty sockets on both versions of 
the board). I suppose it's logical it'd be an MMU chip given that 
there's no other connectors to the board (e.g. it's not for an optional 
serial chip or whatever).

I don't know offhand the number of pins on the MMU support chip for the 
32016, but I'm guessing 40 pins as that's what I remember most of the 
larger chips in the WCW MG-1 having :)

> If so, it may have been needed for unix/xenix, but not PANOS (I've never 
> seen a 32016 board with it fitted).

No, I haven't either. And interesting speculation as it perhaps implies 
that Acorn were thinking of a UNIX workstation very early on (and may 
also accout for the rumours about Xenix being available; I bet if Acorn 
were thinking along those lines it ended up in various pre-launch 
magazine articles)

>>Occasionally I see comments along the lines of most people ditching 
>>PANOS on the ACW in favour of Xenix - but I'm yet to find any evidence 
> 
> 
> Considering how few ACWs wer made, I find that unlikely. I've never seen 
> a 32016 second processor or an ACW running anything but PANOS.

No, nor me. Apart from those which are broken and don't run anything :)

cheers

Jules