15 Sep
2016
15 Sep
'16
11:28 a.m.
And, to 'put a nail in it', the bitsavers file for the MC68000 is
'68000_16-Bit_Microprocessor_Apr83.pdf'.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2016 11:24:11 AM
Subject: Re: 68K Macs with MacOS 7.5 still in production use...
On 09/15/2016 11:03 AM, Peter Corlett wrote:
My 68K manual, as handed to me by the Moto sales guy at Wescon back in
the day says "MC68000 16-BIT MICROPROCESSOR User's Manual". Page 1-1
reiterates essentially the same sentiment:
"The MC68000...combines state-of-the-art technology and advanced circuit
design techniques with computer sciences to achieve an architecturally
advanced 16-bit microprocessor."
Call it anything you want, but we know what Motorola called it.
--Chuck
On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 01:40:56PM -0700, Chris Hanson
wrote:
No, the 68000
was a 32-bit CPU, as defined by the register width
and programming model. The fact that it was implemented with a
16-bit ALU and had a 16-bit data path to memory is immaterial.
By that logic, the Z80 is a 16 bit processor because ADC HL, BC and
the like exist. It even has a 4 bit ALU and passes data through
twice, but this is an invisible implementation detail and it's
generally considered to be an 8 bit CPU. Likewise, the existence of
zmm0-zmm31 registers don't mean that contemporary x86 is 512 bit.