Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!bruce!monu1!vaxc!com259h
From: Bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Gareth Bull)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.m68k
Subject: Re: New 68k? 68025? (16-bit version of 040)y
Message-ID: <24147.26481741@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>
Date: 9 May 90 03:12:32 GMT
References: <220@dean1.usma.edu> <11269@cbmvax.commodore.com> <111512@psuecl.bitnet>
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia
Lines: 40

In article <111512@psuecl.bitnet>, peg@psuecl.bitnet (PAUL E. GANTER) writes:
> In article <11269@cbmvax.commodore.com>, valentin@cbmvax.commodore.com (Valentin Pepelea) writes:
>>>
>>>Motorola has discussions under way with computer manufacturers about
>>>the use of the newest version of the 68000 microprocessor in upcoming
>>>systems.  The device should be released in August or September in
>>>conjunction with an announcement from a major system manufacturer,
>>>said a Motorola marketing official.  An enhanced version of an
>>>existing 68000 device is scheduled to be introduced next month."
>>
>> I strongly doubt this will be a 68040 in a 16-bit package. It will probably
>> be a 16-bit 68030, hopefully pin compatible with the 68000. With the very
>> large number of 68000 out there, there are bound to be houndreds of thousands

> Seriously, could this mean what I think to the Amiga 500 and 2000 owners?
> I presume the 4x speed increase you suggest is based on a reduction of
> clock cycles/instruction and would thus work fine in a stock Amiga...?

Here's an idea, but it depends on the following conditions.
        1: The 68025 will be 68000 pin compatible.
        2: There are Atari and Mac programs which use the MOVE SR instruction
           in USER mode. This bad habit is predominantly confined to games
           software on the Amiga, but this may not be the case for the Mac and
           Atari.
        3: Motorola doesn't include some on chip logic in the '025 to neatly
           handle MOVE SR attempts from USER mode ( that's a HINT, Motorola ).
           This SHOULD have been designed into the '010 and successive chips as
           it is, IMHO.

A daughter board to fit into the cpu socket of any 68000 based system with some
glue routines to handle USER mode MOVE SR instructions. That's it in a nutshell.
I don't know enough about these matters to attempt it myself, or even if it's
feasable. Equivelent products may already be available for the Mac and Atari,
but if not, there may be a dollar or two in it for someone.

        That's my 1.5c worth ( adjusted for exchange rates 8).

           Bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au  OR  com259h@monu1.cc.monash.oz
                      Alias: Gareth Bull, The Opal Dragon
           ---------> " If I said it, then *I* said it! " <----------