Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!sun-arpa!male!pitstop!sun!kilowatt!raz
From: raz@kilowatt.uucp (Raz- Berry)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: 80860 as a math processor
Keywords: Super bit belching
Message-ID: <33739@kilowatt.uucp>
Date: 22 Apr 89 07:05:08 GMT
References: <14716@gryphon.COM> <877@savax.UUCP>
Reply-To: raz@sun.UUCP (Steve -Raz- Berry)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 71


	From bilan@morder Fri Apr 21 17:08:47 1989
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	Date: Fri, 21 Apr 89 17:02:17 PDT
	From: bilan@morder (Steve Bilan ext. 31031)
	Message-Id: <8904220002.AA04597@morder.>
	To: raz@kilowatt, rlam@neptune
	Subject: sysdiag bug with e-net pal change
	Cc: donald@dswalker, hsiegel@margo, iwerness@broadmoor, kho@ho, rwlee@onyx
	Status: R

	The test problem that you ran into (for ECO G579)
	does not really seem to be a bug.  I ran sysdiag
	on two 3/E systems (with the new pals) overnight
	and only had one problem.  When the ethernet cable
	was unplugged, sydiag generated the message:

		enet - no replies to broadcast echo packet on enet0

	But after plugging the cable back in, the devtop
	test would work again.  It is still running at
	this point; I will continue to run it over the

In article <877@savax.UUCP> thompson@savax.UUCP (thompson mark) writes:
)In article <14716@gryphon.COM> richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton) writes:
))Yes, the 80860 looks like the only decent piece of silicon to come
))out of intel since the 8051.
))
))However, I believe it would be impossible to sustain that FLOP rate
))as a math coprocessor in an Amiga.
))
))Consider the 68881/2 or the Weitek chip: when a floating point
))instruction is hit, BINGO, the hardware executes it.
))
))But since the 80860 is not a 680x0 coprocessor..[stuff about a slow interface]
)
)I didn't realize the Weitek part was so compatible with 680x0's.
)Actually, I never envisioned the i860 (Intel N10) as replacing the 68881/2

I think we are a little confused here, There is no way that the Weitek
can possibly emulate a 68881. Not without a major hardware kluge. I think 
that richard means that the Weitek chip SET (IU and FPU) together function
simalirly to the 680X0 and coprocessor series.

)but using it as a somewhat dedicated auxillary processor in some sort of
)multi-processor scheme with shared memory. The application I specifically had
)in mind was a graphics card using the i860 for display list traversal,
)3D transformations, smooth shaded solid rendering, and hidden surface removal.

God this sounds familiar. Didn't there used to be a company that did stuff like this?
You Know what else this fictional board needs... a standard graphics language.
How about PHIGS+? Call me an Amiga PHIG.

)The Amiga would simply DMA the display list into the i860's memory and off
)it would go cranking out Phong shaded unicycles in real time. (This implies
)that you put the display buffer on the i860 graphics card.) The thing to
)remember is that the i860 is processor all by itself (unlike the 68881/2),
)but I guess you knew that already.

Exactly! This would be the IDEAL application for this chip. Putting
this baby on or at the mercy of the Amiga bus would strangle it's performance.
Of course if you do the board right, you could include the Clown...

This would be neet, but I fear that it would easily cost more than the
entire machine (+Caligrapher).-- 
Steve -Raz- Berry      Disclaimer: I didn't do nutin!
UUCP: sun!kilowatt!raz                    ARPA: raz%kilowatt.EBay@sun.com
"Fate, it protects little children, old women, and ships named Enterprize"