Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!umd5!uvaarpa!virginia!kesmai!dca
From: dca@kesmai.COM (David C. Albrecht)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: RISC 68K? (Was Re: Byte is rubbish - the Archimedes sure ain't !)
Message-ID: <169@kesmai.COM>
Date: 9 Jun 88 19:59:25 GMT
References: <2398@csvax.liv.ac.uk> <3940@cbmvax.UUCP> <489@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Organization: Kesmai Corporation, Charlottesville, VA
Lines: 14

> >I heard about a RISC chip that is (source? machine?) code compatible with
> >the 68000. [No that is not the 88000]. What is the low down on that?
> 	If it's code compatible with the 68000 then it would have to
> implement the 68000 instruction set, no?  So, that's not very reduced is it?
Well when you get right down to it most so called 'RISC' processors aren't
really RISC either.  I haven't heard of any 'chips' that are 68000
compatible.  I have heard of a company (I think it was called Edge) which
re-implemented the 68000 instruction set in high speed CMOS gate arrays.
They produced the RISC-like concept of every instruction executing in
one cycle.  The sucker really flys but I don't remember the exact numbers
(I thought it was in the 10Mips+ range).  This is not a low cost solution
however, but rather an expensive substitute for high-line machines which
need to exceed the performance of the 68020/30.

David Albrecht