10 Aug
2001
10 Aug
'01
8:50 a.m.
From: "Iggy Drougge" <optimus(a)canit.se>
What a shame, I can't find the 32100 in the
otherwise great "Great
microprocessors of the past and present"
How about an introduction?
Orginally, the We32000, but pretty qucikly moved to the We32100. This is
actually the CPU; there was a complete set of support chips. 10MHz, with a
later upgrade to 18MHz (still not very fast). Used in the AT&T 3B2, 3B5 &
3B20 machines, and also shows up in a number of other odd places (some AT&T
PBXs, 5ESS switch, etc.). CISC architecture, designed (supposedly) to
efficiently support C language compliation. There was a followon We32200
chip that I recall showed up in the 3B2/1000.
I've got the We32100 reference manual at home, if any has specific
questions.
AT&T carpet-bombed Georgia Tech with 3b2s when I was there (~1985), so I
used them quite a bit at the time. Actually really nice when used with the
5620 BLIT graphics terminals. I'd love to have one of those.
Ken