Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!hodge!pnet06!bruceh
From: bruceh@pnet06.cts.com (Bruce Henderson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: MAC 88000
Message-ID: <261@hodge.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jul 88 00:47:28 GMT
Sender: rusty@hodge.UUCP
Organization: People-Net [pnet06], Orange, CA
Lines: 56



        The Motorola 88000 is pretty much THE processor of 
thefuture.  After going to the Motorola seminars and 
studyingthe docs on it, I feel that the power offered 
here is something that hopefully Apple won't pass up.
        I think the optimum design would be to use to 88100s. One 
for graphics only and the other for everything else. If both 
of the processor modules used 2 88200 CMMU's on the 
instruction side of the path (32K) then it would be possible 
to store 1 segment in the CMMU at all times. [ more on why 
this is importiant later ] Other system memory could be 
configured to operate in burst mode. So as the 88100 needed 
another segment, it could read it in a "BURST". [for those 
of you not so hardware intensive hacks burst mode allows the 
CPU to fetch a large amount of data from memory at the 
highest possible rate]. The 2 processor sets could be 
connected via the 88000 p bus so that the interrupts could 
occur 1 cycle. Yes, this idea doesn't have a lot of 
refinement, but I have been doing a great deal of thinking 
about ways that a 88K Mac could exist, achitecture and such.  
And I have decided to appoint myself the independent 
Mac88000 evangelist.  The power is just too great to pass 
up.

                Wait, you say. The 88000 isn't software compatible 
with the 68000!  Ah, this is where the ROM/Toolbox guys at 
Apple will have to earn thier pay.  The trick is to make the 
Mac88000 source code compatable with the rest of the Mac 
line.  If every last one of the Mac ROM calls can be 
implemented on the Mac88000, then the trick is just to allow 
MPW to generate 88000 code as well as 68000 code.  So to 
make an Mac88000  version of a current peice of software 
would only requore a recompile with the {+88000} flag set.  
This may seem like too much to ask for, but the truth of the 
matter is is that if Apple were to go ahead with this now, 
while the hardware hacks were making the box, the toolbox 
critters could be already creating the code for this things 
ROMS, thanks to the  Tektronix 88000 MacII board.  So 
really, the ROM development team doesn't have to  wait until 
the hardware guys had somthing that works.  So I know that 
all of you LightSpeed guys are howling out there.  I think 
that Apple should make sure that the major compiler writers 
are seeded as soon as they have anything that works!

                Well, there is a lot more to my Ideas, If anyone is 
really interested they can contact me, or just wait for the 
next time I feel like having  an 88000 revival meeting.....

        Bruce Henderson
        -AsmI


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