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From: markp@valid.UUCP (Mark P.)
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Re: Fairchild Clipper
Message-ID: <93@valid.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Feb-86 15:21:15 EST
Article-I.D.: valid.93
Posted: Sun Feb  2 15:21:15 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Feb-86 00:56:04 EST
References: <840@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: Valid Logic, San Jose, CA
Lines: 40

> >The RISC development to watch is the Clipper chip set from Fairchild.
> >It is more up to date technology, has on chip floating point and seperate
> >single chip cache and memory management support.
> 
> 	This chip set has been talked about for some time.  Does anyone
> 	know of its status, and is there any info on its architecture?
> 
> 	/Charlie Crabb  crabb%katie.dec@decwrl.arpa

There are two reference books now- "CLIPPER Module Product Description,"
which is a very technical reference booklet (70pp) and "CLIPPER 32-Bit
Microprocessor Module INSTRUCTION SET" (about 130pp).  You can call
Fairchild's Advanced Processor Division at 800-423-5516 (415-858-4249 in
California).  Their address is 4001 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.

They have working modules, which are currently in Beta test.  The module
consists of a CPU/FPU chip and 2 CAMMU (cache/memory management).  The
fairly interesting architecture includes separate 4KB instruction and data
caches with a 16 MW/s synchronous bus.  The chips themselves are surface
mount with 132 pins on 50mil centers.  They apparently only intend to sell
the modules at first (3" by 4.5" board with 96-pin DIN connector), and
chips by themselves next year.  Modules will go to production in June, with
samples costing about $2400, large quantities around $1400.  They also sell
a cross-support package for VAX-ULTRIX, consisting of compilers and a
simulator which gives you "in-depth analysis" of the cpu's operation during
code execution (so you can optimize code better).  That goes for $8000,
and is available off-the-shelf.  There are also supposedly interfaces to
conventional busses in the works, although my recall of this is fuzzy
(Q-Bus was included, but none of the major 32-bit busses).  There is compiler
support for C now, at least, by Greenhills.  Fortran and Pascal are promised
for June.  Again details should be considered fuzzy at best.

Mark Papamarcos
Valid Logic

..hplabs!pesnta!valid!markp

I have absolutely no affiliation with Fairchild, although I know somebody
who was going to interview with them.  All information presented is purely
from the mouths of Fairchild reps, and should be taken as is appropriate.