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Subject: Re: Hardware of the Past

Author: Brian Richardson

Date: 11:00:12 05/16/01

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On May 16, 2001 at 11:45:08, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On May 16, 2001 at 09:10:42, Joshua Lee wrote:
>
>>
>>>>>Burroughs B5500
>>>>
>>>>very slow
>>>
>>>About 1 MIPS was claimed, not sure if it was true. Very weird machine with a 47
>>>bit word, stack based. The instruction set was optimised for small code size
>>>rather than speed. The operating systems were multi-user multi-tasking, but
>>>there was no memory protection in the hardware. The compilers were supposed to
>>>generate code that never mangled other programs memory, and you weren't supposed
>>>to use assembler. I never got to use one (i'm not sure if any were even sold in
>>>my country) so i can't vouch for how well it all worked.

I have worked on a B5500.  To the best of my recollection, it was a 48 bit
machine with a stack architecture.  The instruction set was designed to optimize
Algol code (most of the operating system was written in Algol  MCP - master
control program and CANDE control and edit interface).  I also _think_ it was
the first system with virtual memory (which would imply some protection scheme).

Brian

>>>
>>>I didn't know anyone wrote a chess program for these.
>>>
>>
>>All i could find about this one so far is that COKO III was written in FORTRAN
>>IV and had been executed on IBM 7044, 360/50, 65, 91  PDP 10, UNIVAC 1108 and
>>the B5500/6500. also The Marsland Chess Program. I am sure i will end up finding
>>some other hardware to ask about so look out for my posts i will use the same
>>name. Thankyou
>
>
>Ed Kozdrowicki sent me a copy of the source code for Coko IV, about 80,000
>lines of Fortran.  It was the second source program I saw (other than mine)
>and played with.  It was lost 20+ years ago unfortunately.  I also had a
>copy of the greenblatt program source (dec assembly language) but it was also
>lost many years ago.



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