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 22580 invoked from network); 15 Jan 2023 19:11:40 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (50.116.15.146) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 15 Jan 2023 19:11:40 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E7F5B40EBD; Mon, 16 Jan 2023 05:11:30 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qt1-f172.google.com (mail-qt1-f172.google.com [209.85.160.172]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id BCCD440A30 for ; Mon, 16 Jan 2023 05:11:11 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qt1-f172.google.com with SMTP id fd15so13218304qtb.9 for ; Sun, 15 Jan 2023 11:11:11 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20210112; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:from:to:cc:subject :date:message-id:reply-to; bh=3jmChQ4exWBlI5jqPmcVSnvHkXdm/iL4jXbrubW/RRA=; b=XUBMgrjrsz9lN/UDdW18np2UIFOlkLDZs92F/L2y7aVXDynSvgoZcEd1PvOAiIyNWm NLf27rgj1dUoTUUCOHFLPSMNOmYZOz/IFZ9NMEJfjc+Mw6UtG6LZUxoVFHXNRTH2aMxH PqOnG8HcK+dpBYfew68D6k0BFQHyvzUIVy+6B1uvbtP1YQy6h/pQuTQS8l4i8faY8CCA 8UC6KGxq271q7m3OyG7ej7NyCfx13kvicHpsOI3jiTSGFwTjiVNGD6ZPL1myEeNL84Jz BQgmhHSChERxu5+AWE+IEFOfXpgk/qfyQvrc+RV+C93NGn5ihAXUiqo+oRQp2WAjMuRB ojdg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20210112; h=to:subject:message-id:date:from:mime-version:x-gm-message-state :from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=3jmChQ4exWBlI5jqPmcVSnvHkXdm/iL4jXbrubW/RRA=; b=LEaxFYRke1XfizxnPlKexIo0CJI7NYHARLT2xfjEgQPizrxGPaDuXuQiZ1qCf7WyT7 34nQvpIyBlT+tIFXvz3TaQMREghHgYBjJYk1VDFxsiEnLd/7gMQHuNKvi8TNVWEcJj7S TtWn4TiczUhe+FccsNeLpLHVm68Ox9K5QyhfC3nHNnfdzHUO7a5kGSwggmKmvvBSRqdF ygitQUsA/Qr2iZI3FpoFMx0yPYj7rDSS3ffKDjlxnM+y14cXlRBCfjPvGqJmSjPUEPRA StZJ+jx+M7UB1ESSK21MMv+91qB0agFRYSBySjYVqvhDTLCKl26CpDm+ICRRbBpbvejl XLMw== X-Gm-Message-State: AFqh2krBZx3/mvLJDsJeeoiMOnXvRjezXZaAJs6YOHIQCAulJ2kyEgKW HRIk3tuq/oHbboBRDEoIRN93pBEIFb6Oj7PeAd5Q529AY6kKeA== X-Google-Smtp-Source: AMrXdXs3egQ3VZFka4zeQPmIMgeU9v/xxSQlWau9FxQA+TMqTHjh/fxJRoObDNbAhe48ALq/W6nGLA+cXefzNGBgnoU= X-Received: by 2002:ac8:7143:0:b0:3a7:f5e5:66a7 with SMTP id h3-20020ac87143000000b003a7f5e566a7mr3844628qtp.371.1673809810229; Sun, 15 Jan 2023 11:10:10 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: ron minnich Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2023 11:09:59 -0800 Message-ID: To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000290dca05f2523748" Message-ID-Hash: KAQ7K52JHENVRYVY65UE453TCG26TM7Z X-Message-ID-Hash: KAQ7K52JHENVRYVY65UE453TCG26TM7Z 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] 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: --000000000000290dca05f2523748 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" 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. --000000000000290dca05f2523748 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I just stumbled across an old letter, from a VP of Burroug= hs to me and Steve Bartels, authorizing $30,000 for a port of Unix to the E= -mode stack machine. I had forgotten getting it.

Burroug= hs 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 ta= ble:

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-sha= ring system was, and how much better Unix was. At some point I guess they a= sked me to put up or shut up. I got that money, and left Burroughs a week l= ater for grad school.=C2=A0

Funny note: A15 was Mo= torola ECL (MECL), and ran at 16 Mhz., considered fast at that time.=C2=A0 = We used a technique called "stored logic" which was, believe it o= r not, using MECL RAM to map logic inputs to outputs, i.e. implement combin= ational logic with SRAM. Kind of nuts, but it worked at the time. We also u= sed 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 o= f 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 w= ith.=C2=A0

Another funny story, pointing to what w= as about to happen to Burroughs. We had an app that ran for hours on the st= ack 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 th= e 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 ... abo= ut 3 minutes. Not 8 hours.=C2=A0

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

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


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