ifarqhar@mqccsunc.mqcc.mq.OZ (Ian Farquhar) (01/22/90)
In article <17684@rpp386.cactus.org> woody@rpp386.cactus.org (Woodrow Baker) writes: >In article <100@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz>, ifarqhar@mqccsunc.mqcc.mq.OZ (Ian Farquhar) writes: >> >> It is also interesting to ponder that if you REALLY wanted to speed up >> PostScript, then it might be best to develop a processor that is >> optimized for it. Such optimizations would include: >> >> String comparison instruction >> Bit-blit operators >> Floating point instructions >> Graphics primitives etc. >> >> Such a RIP could be highly pipelined to increase throughput. It could >> JUST be done in a couple of VLSI chips with today's technology. After >> all, the Amiga already has a chipset with hardware line draw, area fill >> and a highly sophisticated bit-blitter in a low-cost machine. >> >hmmm, I wonder what a PS interpreter written to use the Amiga chipset would >do? Maybe someday someone will write a PS interpreter for the Amiga. It >would seem to be a better machine to do it for than the mac.... There is one, and it is called Pixelscript and is published by the Pixelations company. Unfortunately, the Amiga's blimmer/Copper was originally designed to handle only 512K of RAM (this is the custom chips, not the processor) and so this would limit the resolution of the image. The newer ones handle 2M, which would be quite usable. Unfortunately, the chips themselves are so tied to the hardware of the Amiga itself that to fit them into a RIP would not be terribly easy, unless you were using an Amiga as a custom RIP (which is not a bad idea at all!). Pixelscript is quite usable, and quite well written, but is is no faster than its Mac or PC cousins. However, the intel i860 chip fits the bill perfectly. RISC instruction set, 70 MFlops, rotation and matrix arithmatic, even 3D instructions. The catch is the price: AUS$1420 each. What a pity. If it were brought out at $100 in decent quantities, this chip would be a killer. All hail Saint Fubar, parton saint of computer programmers. +-----------------------------------+-------------------------------+ | Ian Farquhar | Phone : (02) 805-7420 (STD) | | Microcomputer Support | (612) 805-7420 (ISD) | | Office of Computing Services | Fax : (02) 805-7433 (STD) | | Macquarie University NSW 2109 | (612) 805-7433 (ISD) | | Australia | Also : 805-7205 | +-----------------------------------+-------------------------------+ | ACSNet ifarqhar@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz | | ifarqhar@mqccsuna.mqcc.mq.oz | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ D