From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_ADSP_CUSTOM_MED, DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED,FREEMAIL_FROM,HTML_MESSAGE,LOTS_OF_MONEY, MAILING_LIST_MULTI autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 29810 invoked from network); 16 Jan 2023 00:53:21 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (50.116.15.146) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 16 Jan 2023 00:53:21 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0615D4238E; Mon, 16 Jan 2023 10:53:14 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qv1-f44.google.com (mail-qv1-f44.google.com [209.85.219.44]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 41D6641BBF for ; Mon, 16 Jan 2023 10:52:59 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qv1-f44.google.com with SMTP id h10so18711881qvq.7 for ; Sun, 15 Jan 2023 16:52:59 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20210112; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=KQHI89ufxg38yf5fJzR9usndGawvVyk81bWhFQuxtvg=; b=Fgs+F72jiyDcpmqG2Bahu4gKY7NgOOIfZ6S+5pNxCbJMwSTFZcVv/t1LqdTRnb4RJF sCXSNUNDkUGTG/j8cBQNRTQHlRGS6vSEhzaHUSMiCVjzJ/LjNR5brrMtLWNfI1HuJ64p POdqL6AqN65SdcZGgCMQ11cUIC3ztjPt+wJcBkLZvv9fSjfi/R/dxwpyoR/xMpIFKICe oKEWqO2Cof6/+AYY4LkXJzJQbd0V0e+k40qneQXl9TsKZLKZvjpqRU5uH6oU6bt+d3VF 8tb5aPbZoWjEUhhU96btW9MRJ8UG9Yq9+2UfNroeuR39Dxw4vnQbd4E42zBSktQXsAmq 8mwg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20210112; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references:mime-version :x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=KQHI89ufxg38yf5fJzR9usndGawvVyk81bWhFQuxtvg=; b=p4hsWBxY/hZp6Y8aJDmVeeZRs7FVrrxxJfqBLFHbjXz+LJ/Gq11S34tFqrnxdGdaHG r1/7AqKM7V8c5gV+ar+5g7pEW5yOG+B9hANT6GVJOYR46dtgprPh2gszpv8B9g6XDOkU ByNcJCAm/h53vu6nJN5RQGpDXNYkV42kNjRProUeOXeaklmC5IvyA9OiND39DQBHL6fK 74KI7R2HIpoRBYSL/d0sE2snQKr9d/rjsBd88VH4YCrMpUNKmbQ2ZqFDoNicgEa/irUq RpaZMjwpQtlTtioNcEz9UoacHhnZ1tZxALcf3VkxoJyCXv3OtHyoB1gNLkFpfcPAI/Jj kK5A== X-Gm-Message-State: AFqh2kpNHZ9uIY9OYh/V9tOf1rNWpYNpWazK6kl2zSOJ6+aMbHQkVFl8 sx3K436vW8+lUlhmcCuKFKt3O3qa+LTwpnCRaI/kwAbJ6r2PVg== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AMrXdXuVQzy5anZAiHj/kZioRwkUZEPSxEYSfC62ZkMve4+g1QxN9pn3LJUczWEsp9se+4VOtIQaSNHjRQYAhVgyCk4= X-Received: by 2002:a0c:e989:0:b0:534:c03b:48f3 with SMTP id z9-20020a0ce989000000b00534c03b48f3mr267693qvn.67.1673830318048; Sun, 15 Jan 2023 16:51:58 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: ron minnich Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2023 16:51:47 -0800 Message-ID: To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000858aa205f256fdc9" Message-ID-Hash: P5Z7MRL43GRHGJ55ARF63BORTB3QKF26 X-Message-ID-Hash: P5Z7MRL43GRHGJ55ARF63BORTB3QKF26 X-MailFrom: rminnich@gmail.com X-Mailman-Rule-Misses: dmarc-mitigation; no-senders; approved; emergency; loop; banned-address; member-moderation; header-match-tuhs.tuhs.org-0; nonmember-moderation; administrivia; implicit-dest; max-recipients; max-size; news-moderation; no-subject; digests; suspicious-header X-Mailman-Version: 3.3.6b1 Precedence: list Subject: [TUHS] Re: Burroughs funded $30,000 for a port to E-mode stack machine in 1983! List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list Archived-At: List-Archive: List-Help: List-Owner: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: --000000000000858aa205f256fdc9 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" https://web.archive.org/web/20130521183231/http://jack.hoa.org/hoajaa/BurrMain.html has the burroughs info. On Sun, Jan 15, 2023 at 11:09 AM ron minnich wrote: > I just stumbled across an old letter, from a VP of Burroughs to me and > Steve Bartels, authorizing $30,000 for a port of Unix to the E-mode stack > machine. I had forgotten getting it. > > Burroughs was famed for its stack machines. E-mode was a kind of last gasp > attempt to save the stack architecture, which failed as far as I know, see > this table: > http://jack.hoa.org/hoajaa/Burr126b.html > > I worked as a hardware engineer on the A15. I also had been a Unix user > for 7 years at that point and kept pointing out how awful the Burroughs > CANDE time-sharing system was, and how much better Unix was. At some point > I guess they asked me to put up or shut up. I got that money, and left > Burroughs a week later for grad school. > > Funny note: A15 was Motorola ECL (MECL), and ran at 16 Mhz., considered > fast at that time. We used a technique called "stored logic" which was, > believe it or not, using MECL RAM to map logic inputs to outputs, i.e. > implement combinational logic with SRAM. Kind of nuts, but it worked at the > time. We also used a precursor of JTAG to scan it in. Those of you who know > JTAG have some idea of how fun this had to be. > > One side effect of working with MECL is you realized just how well > designed the TI 7400 SSI/MSI parts were ... MECL always just felt like an > awkward family to design with. > > Another funny story, pointing to what was about to happen to Burroughs. We > had an app that ran for hours on the stack machine. We quick ported it to a > VAX, started it up, and headed out to lunch -- "this will take a while, > let's go eat." We got to the front door and: "Oh, wait, let me hop back > into the office,I forgot my jacket". And, noticed, the program was done in > ... about 3 minutes. Not 8 hours. > > That's when we knew it was game over for Burroughs. > > If a picture of this letter would be useful in some archive somewhere, let > me know, I can send it. > > > --000000000000858aa205f256fdc9 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
On Sun, Jan 15, 2023 at 11:09 AM ron minni= ch <rminnich@gmail.com> wro= te:
I just stumbled across an old letter, from a VP of Burroughs to me and= Steve Bartels, authorizing $30,000 for a port of Unix to the E-mode stack = machine. I had forgotten getting it.

Burroughs was famed= for its stack machines. E-mode was a kind of last gasp attempt to save the= stack architecture, which failed as far as I know, see this table:
h= ttp://jack.hoa.org/hoajaa/Burr126b.html

I = worked as a hardware engineer on the A15. I also had been a Unix user for 7= years at that point and kept pointing out how awful the Burroughs CANDE ti= me-sharing system was, and how much better Unix was. At some point I guess = they asked me to put up or shut up. I got that money, and left Burroughs a = week later for grad school.=C2=A0

Funny note: A15 = was Motorola ECL (MECL), and ran at 16 Mhz., considered fast at that time.= =C2=A0 We used a technique called "stored logic" which was, belie= ve it or not, using MECL RAM to map logic inputs to outputs, i.e. implement= combinational logic with SRAM. Kind of nuts, but it worked at the time. We= also used a precursor of JTAG to scan it in. Those of you who know JTAG ha= ve some idea of how fun this had to be.

One side e= ffect of working with MECL is you realized just how well designed the TI 74= 00 SSI/MSI parts were ... MECL always just felt like an awkward family to d= esign with.=C2=A0

Another funny story, pointing to= what was about to happen to Burroughs. We had an app that ran for hours on= the stack machine. We quick ported it to a VAX, started it up, and headed = out to lunch -- "this will take a while, let's go eat." We go= t to the front door and: "Oh, wait, let me hop back into the office,I= =C2=A0=C2=A0forgot my jacket". And, noticed, the program was done in .= .. about 3 minutes. Not 8 hours.=C2=A0

That's = when we knew it was game over for Burroughs.=C2=A0

If a picture of this letter would be useful in some archive somewhere, let= me know, I can send it.


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