21 Sep
2001
21 Sep
'01
9:43 a.m.
There is a book by Mick & Brick about the 29xx bit slice processors.
It is basically a reprint of the application note booklets. I have
both, but they are very near the bottom of the 'to-scan' pile.
I just bought a pair of Sun Netra T105s, so I am about 8 years
away from classic hardware right now... Sigh...
OTOH, I am re-designing a small (30K gates) DSP core that is use to
control the servo system for DVD drives. If you'd like to discuss
how to implement instructions, drop me a line. No, I can't give out
the VHDL for the DSP, Cirrus would fire me, sue me, or make me
work late...
Clint
On Fri, 21 Sep 2001, Alan Pearson wrote:
Tony Duell wrote:
I've not come across it, but if it stops with
registers and
the ALU, I don't think I'd call it a 'good book'.
A CPU can be divided into 2 parts. The Data Path (registers, ALU, the
multiplexers between them, etc) and the Control (instruction decoder,
microcode + sequencer, condition logic, etc)
True, I don't recall covering much in the way of control logic - only
very basic stuff like telling the ALU whether to add or subtract, plus
implementing a few flags like zero and carry. Once we got to that stage
they threw us at the 29xx series to look at microcoding, which was all
the rage at the time.
Unfortunately I've lost most of my college notes now, I guess I've moved
too many times :-/ I've been looking for a replacement for the Thewlis
book - can you recommend any which cover CPU logic from the basics of
how to build registers out of gates up to instruction fetching & decoding?
I'm also very keen to get hold of a book covering the bitslice processors
(29xx), any ideas? I can't imagine there's anything left in print now, but
with an author/title or ISBN I might be able to track down a second-hand
copy.
-al