Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf.edu!root From: root@cca.ucsf.edu (Systems Staff) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Asynchronous cpu Summary: Well, there were the Philco machines ... Message-ID: <2462@ucsfcca.ucsf.edu> Date: 6 Oct 89 02:03:49 GMT References: <5241@dime.cs.umass.edu> <12892@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> <35307@apple.Apple.COM> Organization: Computer Center, UCSF Lines: 35 In article <35307@apple.Apple.COM>, baum@Apple.COM (Allen J. Baum) writes: > > The only asynchronous machine that I'm aware of (outside of the recent > Caltech micro) is the Illiac II. There are probably research reports still > available. Back around 1959-61 there were the Philco machines that used asynchronous logic. I used a model 209 at the Western Development Laboratory and they had a faster machine out called the 211. They were working on a new one called the 212 which got running just about the time Ford took them over. It was a very fast machine for its time but Ford had decided in advance that they were going to scrap the computer division so it went down the tubes. There is an amusing anecdote about the first 212 installed. It was scheduled in advance for the batch processing chores it was to do for a single shift operation. Surprise, it finished all the scheduled work by lunch time and everybody took the afternoon off. It's the only case I know of where a new machine came in exceeding the predicted performance level by such a substantial factor. Thos Sumner Internet: thos@cca.ucsf.edu (The I.G.) UUCP: ...ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf!thos BITNET: thos@ucsfcca U.S. Mail: Thos Sumner, Computer Center, Rm U-76, UCSF San Francisco, CA 94143-0704 USA I hear nothing in life is certain but death and taxes -- and they're working on death. #include