neighorn@qiclab.UUCP (Steve Neighorn) (01/01/89)
In article <5881@saturn.ucsc.edu> haynes@saturn.ucsc.edu (Jim Haynes - Computer Center) writes: >While we're at it, what is the 80960, anyway? I would be glad to fill you in on a few 80960 details: The 80960 is a 32-bit CPU from Intel. The 80960KA (base architecture) includes 16 32-bit global registers, and 4 sets of 16 32-bit local registers that are made available for a routine invoked with "call." These local register sets are cached on-chip. Additional sets are flushed to memory. The KA also has a 256 programmable vector interrupt controller, a 512-byte instruction cache, a 32-bit multiplexed burst bus (burst can load 4 words at a time), register scoreboarding, and a rich instruction set. The 80960KB adds an IEEE-754 compliant FPU, with single, double, and extended (80-bit) precision operations. It has four 80-bit floating point registers, and is clocked at around 4 megawhetstones. The 80960MC adds memory management capabilities. I know this is a quickie description, and I (or others) would be glad to answer more specific questions if you have them. -- Steven C. Neighorn !tektronix!{psu-cs,reed,ogccse}!qiclab!neighorn Intel Corporation "Where we BUILD the Star Fighters that defend the Development Tools Operation frontier against Xur and the Ko-dan Armada" 80960 Language Group work: (503) 696-7264 / home: (503) 645-7015
joeb@hpdstma.HP.COM (Joe Borgia) (01/04/89)
Glen Myers was at Intel for a few years. I suppose he was the architect for the 80960. He seems to have left Intel in 1987 or so to found this Radix start-up in Oregon. I believe he took some of his Intel buddies with him and he is the Chairman & CEO of Radix! I was surprised that you never heard of the 80960. Boy, am I glad that I'm no longer an 80960 Product Manager! What have these guys been doing for the last couple of years?