srm@nsc.UUCP (Richard Mateosian) (02/10/85)
In article <5025@utzoo.UUCP> henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes: >Don't slam National too hard until you try to get Motorola to admit >that there is a non-empty bug list for the 68020. Yes, there *is* >a 68020 bug list. I'm sorry Henry, but you're dead wrong. There is no bug list for the 68020 -- only a list of CORRIGENDA. Of course, I always thought that corrigenda included corrections. These "corrigenda" seem to consist only of errors, but then, the print is so fine I might be missing an occasional correction. There's even a helpful program included. My favorite part is BEQ NORECOVER . . . NORECOVER: WE CANNOT RECOVER FROM THIS FAULT I'm a little weak on 68k assembler syntax, and I can't seem to find those instructions in my 68020 handbook. Perhaps someone can post an explanation. :-) :-) :-) No flames, please. After all the snide remarks from Austin about our bug lists back when we were where they are now, it's nice to be out of the woods and in a position to laugh at them for a while. -- Richard Mateosian {allegra,cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!srm nsc!srm@decwrl.ARPA
davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel) (02/13/85)
In article <2342@nsc.UUCP> srm@nsc.UUCP (Richard Mateosian) writes: > >There's even a helpful program included. My favorite part is > > BEQ NORECOVER > . > >NORECOVER: WE CANNOT RECOVER FROM THIS FAULT > >I'm a little weak on 68k assembler syntax, and I can't seem to find those >instructions in my 68020 handbook. Perhaps someone can post an explanation. > >No flames, please. After all the snide remarks from Austin about our bug >lists back when we were where they are now, it's nice to be out of the woods >and in a position to laugh at them for a while. There is something Richard is not telling you. This is one of the bugs found on first silicon and has long since been corrected. (I use the word "long" poetically since the MC68020 has only been out about 7 months.) It would be of historical interest to find out how many NS16000 masks were produced before the chip could execute any instructions at all. Here is the current "bug" list for the current mask set A45J. We will number them for Richard's convenience: 1) The LINK #size,An instruction which performs frame management will not produce the exact same results as earlier M68000 family members if the stack pointer SP (A7) is specified as the frame register. Note that specifying the stack pointer is an erroneous thing to do in the first place. Well, that terminates the bug list for the current MC68020 chip. Yes, you read that correctly. We know of no other errors on the part and we could have fixed that one on this latest mask but didn't feel it necessary since we expect no program to ever do such a thing to begin with. Of course we don't think the '020 is 100 percent bug free but for us to be working on such trivial corrections should indicate just how sound the chip is. Now, Richard, your remark about Motorola's being where National "was?" Roy Druian here after reading your posting had an interesting response. He thought it odd that you would refer to Motorola being back where you were a couple of years ago when you are still there. I challenge you to post the bug list for the NS320xx family. And please, number the items for my convenience. I have a National bug list from a year ago and if you like I'll post it and you can comment on which bugs are now gone. Actually, I understand that this is a bad time to post something to you since National is forcing its employees to take a no-pay week long leave of absence. So if you don't respond right away, I'll understand. And no, we don't happen to need someone of your expertise at the moment. (I would put a smiley face here, but I am not sure just how severe the situation is at National. Hopefully this is just a temporary measure.) Responses, of course, welcome. It is probably appropriate to move this to net.flame. I just can't see letting someone badmouth the excellent work the '020 team has been doing here at Motorola. Motorola Semiconductor Inc. Dave Trissel Austin, Texas {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax,gatech}!ut-sally!oakhill!davet
henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (02/21/85)
> Here is the current "bug" list for the current mask set A45J.... > [there follows a trivial bug list] What's customer availability like on the A45J mask set? If it exists only within Motorola, then please don't bother telling us how good it is; we don't care. -- Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry