On 4/22/24 12:31, ben via cctalk wrote:
> Classic cpu designs like the PDP-1, might
be better called RISC.
> Back then you matched the cpu word length to data you were using.
> 40 bits made a lot of sense for real computing, even if you
> had no RAM memory at the time, just drum.
I'd call the CDC 6600 a classic RISC design, at least as far as the CPU
went. Classes were given to programming staff on timing code precisely;
I spent many happy hours trying to squeeze the last few cycles out of a
loop (where the biggest bang for the buck was possible).
I think bitsavers (I haven't looked) has a document or two on how to
time code for that thing.
--Chuck