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From: yrdbrd@bmcg.UUCP (Larry J. Huntley)
Newsgroups: net.arch,net.micro,net.lang.forth
Subject: Novix Forth Chip (10 MFP/S?)
Message-ID: <1713@bmcg.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Jun-85 13:13:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: bmcg.1713
Posted: Fri Jun 21 13:13:21 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Jun-85 07:10:04 EDT
Organization: Burroughs Corp. ASG, San Diego, CA.
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Xref: watmath net.arch:1457 net.micro:10853 net.lang.forth:248

>> larryh@tekcbi         > David Wolpert

>>...at
>>a rate of approximately 10 Million Forth primitives per second (at a clock
>>rate of 8 MHz).

>  Amazing!
>  (a.k.a. Unbelievable!)

>>...the
>>following must be taken with a killogram of NaCl....

>  So, I think, should the preceding.
>  Unless I am missing something, even an *extremely* complex processor
>  could execute only 8 "Million Forth primitives per second (at a clock
>  rate of 8 MHz)."

>David Wolpert
>              Hewlett-Packard Company,  Instrument Systems Lab
>              P O Box 301 - Loveland, Colorado - 80539 (USMail)
>              {*!}{hp*!}hpisla!wolpert (un*x)

Ahem.

You *are* missing something, David.  The fact is that the Novix chip can
execute a subroutine return in 0 cycles.  The implication is that the
final instruction in a subroutine can be executed as the return is being
taken and you get two instructions for the (clock) price of one.  Since
Forth programs are strings of subroutine calls (and subsequent returns)
and the return constitutes a Forth primitive (EXIT, I think), it is possible
to get 10 MFP/S from an 8-MHz machine.

The Novix NC4000P also allows simultaneous access to more than one bus
(it has 5) at a time so that operations like reading from one bus and
writing to another in one cycle are possible.

Even if you don't happen to be interested in Forth for it's own virtues,
the NC4000P represents an interesting architecture.  Call Novix and ask
for their information package (408/996-9363); it makes interesting reading.

One other thing --- the 8 Mhz engine is a gate-array prototype.  A full
custom version is in the works which is expected to perform an order of
magnitude faster.  100 Million Forth Primitives per Second, anyone?
Can you say "Like a bat out of Hell?"  I knew you could.  'Bye, boys
and girls...

'brd
-- 
Larry J. Huntley         Burroughs -(B)- Corporation
                       Advanced Systems Group   MS-703
                  10850 Via Frontera   San Diego, CA  92128
                              (619)  485-4544
       
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