Re: [9fans] Non-stack-based calling conventions

["ron minnich" <rminnich@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 8:26 PM,  <lucio@proxima.alt.za> wrote:

>  Current or obsolete architectures?  The Sperry Univac 1100 Series,
>  designed by Seymour Craye (sp?

Cray.

I had no idea he designed it. It had a great front panel -- the lights
were switches.

I operated an 1108 as a student at E.I. Dupont de Nemours et. ci. in
WIlmington, DE.

Among other things, it ran "the Freon simulation", which evidently
helped make up Dupont's mind on
the ozone.

Ours had a drum memory. The drum was about 20 feet long, two per
cabinet, moving them required
creating a hole in the side of the building and moving them with a crane.

I once slipped while emptying the card reader
and hit about 30 switches at once with my upper arm. The machine
locked up. That's where I learned
an important lesson: figure out if anyone saw you, walk away slowly,
make no eye contact,  "must be that software
bug again" ... works every time.


>  Bloody marvellous, it was.  Specially as it was the first computer I
>  ever worked on.  I have extremely fond memories of it.  I can easily
>  wax nostalgic about it.  Hm, maybe I should look for a simulator for
>  it, anyone know of one?

That would be fun, but you'd have to find Exec 8, right?

Ah, the days of lights and switches. Today's machines have no soul.

ron