Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!mash
From: mash@mips.com (John Mashey)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Mass produced custom chips
Message-ID: <2548@spim.mips.COM>
Date: 23 Apr 91 05:50:11 GMT
References: <12742@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <6286@optilink.UUCP>
Sender: news@mips.COM
Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Inc.
Lines: 22
Nntp-Posting-Host: winchester.mips.com

In article <6286@optilink.UUCP> manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley) writes:

>Now, maybe your question should be: Will the day ever come when we can cheaply,
>fast build custom CPUs?

If only it were so easy ....
One also needs to:
	a) Cheaply and quickly generate the corresponding set of of
	diagnostics for both design verification and production.
	I especially want to see the ones for custom new designs with
	multi-processor, 2-level cache coherency... generated quickly...
and worse:
	b) Cheaply and quickly generate the corresponding set of
	compilers, debuggers, libraries....

Now, there has been progress in both of those areas, so it's hardly
hopeless..... but not easy :-)
-- 
-john mashey	DISCLAIMER: <generic disclaimer, I speak for me only, etc>
UUCP: 	 mash@mips.com OR {ames,decwrl,prls,pyramid}!mips!mash 
DDD:  	408-524-7015, 524-8253 or (main number) 408-720-1700
USPS: 	MIPS Computer Systems MS 1/05, 930 E. Arques, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3650