LIN@Mit-Mc@sri-unix (11/20/82)
From: Herb Lin <LIN@Mit-Mc> I'm looking for certain information on GODBOUT/COMPUPRO systems... (1) is there error-correcting circuitry available? (or parity checking?) (2) they market an 8086/8087 board, but they claim that the 8086 is restricted to running at 5 MHz "with the 8087", vs. a 10 MHz speed without it. (a) how come? (b) does this mean that the simple existence of the 8087 inhibits 10 Mhz operation, regardless of whether the 8087 is actually in use, or can the 8086 run in 10 Mhz mode while the 8087 is either not in use or somewho disabled? can it be disabled at all? (3) can the 8087 be accessed while running 8 bit software? For example, if I had a fortran program wanting to do number crunchingwhich was running on another card (e.g., their CPU Z card), could I get at the 8087? Or is the 8087 a 16 bit job? (4) how does the 8087 work anyway? does the cpu see it as an I/O device, or what? (5) can anyone recommend a good hard disk (preferably with an integrated tape back-up) which runs well with Godbout/Compupro controllers? (6) I've seen a few ads specifying particlar all-Godbout/Compupro configurations, but for my needs, none of these are just what I need. Does anyone do custom integration by mail? if so, are they reliable, etc...? I will share all replies... many thanks.
BILLW@Sri-Kl@sri-unix (11/20/82)
From: BILLW at Sri-Kl The 8087 is a co-processor. When the 8086 want to do floating point operations, it uses the various ESC opcodes. The 8087 reads this from the bus, and by watching the status lines of the 8086, is able to determine when tey are executed. It then can read an operand from the bus (which the 8086 fetches and discards durring the ESC operation). I dont know wgether the 8087 can also control the bus itself, but I assume it must (otherwise it would take several ESC instructions to load a full floating point number...) All this means that there is little chance of getting at the 8087 from another processor. Presumably, the 8087 will only run at 5MHz because is is not as far along the learning curve as the 8086. The first 8086s were 5Mhz too. Due to the above outlined tight coupling between the 86 and 87, they must both run at the same clock speed. BillW
UCBARPA.dag@Ucb-C70@sri-unix (11/21/82)
From: UCBARPA.dag at Ucb-C70 (David Allen Gewirtz) Received: from UCBARPA.BERKELEY.ARPA by UCBVAX.BERKELEY.ARPA (3.227 [10/22/82]) id A19732; 21-Nov-82 00:57:14-PST (Sun) To: LIN at Mit-Mc, info-cpm at BRL, info-micro at BRL Via: Ucb-C70; 21 Nov 82 4:05-EST Via: Brl; 21 Nov 82 4:12-EST Via: Brl-Bmd; 21 Nov 82 4:27-EST Via: Brl; 21 Nov 82 2:48-PST As far as I can tell, G & G Engineering is the best Godbout integration house around. They seem to know there stuff when it comes to system integration. Since they have Compupros stamp of approval for integration work, it seems that they may be what you want. I spoke with them once and was impressed by their knowledge. (however, they have grown considerably in the half year since then). For your information they are in San Leandro and San Francisco CA, in the 415 area. I believe that their ads are in a number of the trade mags. I also believe they will do stuff by mail. Be forwarned however, they are not cheap. Good Luck, David