Joe R. wrote: microprogrammable b16 it cpu (includes ALU, 32 Registers, Barrel Shifter, etc.)

The PERW AGW3300 (aka PERQ 3a) uses a pair of them in the graphics processor. Unlike the classic PERQs, the AGW3300 is a 68020-based unix box, with a rather interesting microcoded graphices processor built in. The 29116 is not really a microprocessor. It would be better to call it the data path section of a 16 bit processor. You need to add the microcode sequencer, etc externally. -tony

DC suffix is hermetic DIP, commercial temperature range. the 1985 Bipolar Microprocessor Logic and Interface data book has about 30 pages of description on the chip. I have it in paperback only. Joe Heck Joe R. wrote:

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 13:58:27 -0500, you wrote: The 29116 is a 16 bit microcoded processor. It includes the following major blocks: 3 port ALU 32 word of single access RAM (the register file) 1 Accumulator register 16 bit barrel shifter 16 bit priority encoder Status logic and test structure Instruction decoder. Designed by the same people that did the 2901 and 2903 bit slice processors, this device is NOT bit slice, and could not be cascaded. Like the bit slice processors, it does require an external sequencer, such as the 2910, 29112, 29311, or 29331, as well as a microcod memory (SRAM or ROM). A significant departure from previous devices is the use of vertical rather than horizontal microcode. This lead to the microinstruction for the '116 being only 16 bits, and many systems had a total microcode width of 32 bits, the other 16 bits being for a sequencer such as the 2910, plus other control lines. The original bipolar 29116 was designed by Bill Harmon. I was the design manager for the CMOS version the 29C116 (I didn't do much, as the redesign was pretty much cut and paste). Other major players included Sunil Joshi, Deepak Mithani, Steve Stephansen, Paul Chu (my boss. His boss was Bill Harmon), Brad Kitson, Warren Miller, and many more that I can't remember. Please forgive me, it was 18 years ago. Typical applications included disk/tape/printer controllers, graphics engines, missile guidance computers, telephone switching systems (PABX/PMBX) and generally other 16 applications that previously used 4 x 2901 or 4 x 2903 type devices. The standard software tools were either AMDASM from AMD or StepASM from Step engineering. These were highly configurable meta-assemblers, with extensive macro capabilities. There were no higher level languages. Typical system cycle time was around 140 nS, the CMOS version was somewhat faster. Philip Freidin Ex Manager of Product Planning for Microprogrammable Processors at AMD ================= Philip Freidin philip at fliptronics.com