MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804782
T. D. Dennis, O. G. Johnson
{"title":"Design problems in emulating the MIX computer on the Microdata 1600","authors":"T. D. Dennis, O. G. Johnson","doi":"10.1145/800145.804782","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804782","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents an overview of an emulator for the MIX computer written in Microdata 1600 microcode. The MIX computer thus emulated is a variant of the original MIX computer as described in Volume 1 of The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth. Basic changes involve the utilization of 8 bit bytes along with the ASCII character code.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115450037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804778
M. Andrews
{"title":"A bit slice architecture for microprogrammable machines","authors":"M. Andrews","doi":"10.1145/800145.804778","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804778","url":null,"abstract":"The use of a bit slice architecture offers an attractive alternative to the design of microprogrammable computing architectures. By bit slice we mean typically a LSI chip containing either a 2 bit, 4 bit where n is very small. This paper describes these particular architectures to design in horizontal microprogramming. Hardware design implementations for both fixed point and floating point arithmetic algorithms are proposed. Experiences with these numerical hardware are discussed, along with problems encountered.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128662805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804779
A. Blikle, S. Budkowski
{"title":"Certification of microprograms by an algebraic method","authors":"A. Blikle, S. Budkowski","doi":"10.1145/800145.804779","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804779","url":null,"abstract":"This algebraic method provides a mathematical framework for proving input-output properties (such as partial and total correctness) of iterative programs. Technically it uses a calculus of binary relations extended with fixed-point equations. The method has been tested on several microprograms of a computer's arithmetical unit. One example of such a microprogram and its correctness proof is discussed in the paper.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129179317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804783
D. DeWitt
{"title":"Extensibility - a new approach for designing machine independent microprogramming languages","authors":"D. DeWitt","doi":"10.1145/800145.804783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804783","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes a new technique for designing high level machine independent microprogramming languages. In Section 1.0 we will discuss some design considerations for microprogramming languages and will review the previous efforts in the area of microprogramming languages. In Section 2.0, we will discuss extensible languages - what they are and why they are useful. Then in Section 3.0, we will show why an extensible microprogramming language resolves most of the difficulties inherent in designing a language for microprogramming. This section will also include a description of the language EMPL - our extensible microprogramming language. We will define its syntax, give some examples of how its extensible features can be used and finally will demonstrate the feasibility of constructing such a compiler.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"67 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121645063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804781
J. Demco, T. Marsland
{"title":"An insight into PDP-11 emulation","authors":"J. Demco, T. Marsland","doi":"10.1145/800145.804781","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804781","url":null,"abstract":"In order to evaluate the Nanodata QM-1 as a universal host computer, an emulator for a contemporary computer, the PDP-11, was designed and constructed. It was required that the emulator be functionally equivalent to the target, without making excessive sacrifices in emulation speed. Some properties of emulation hardware necessary to achieve these goals are identified. In addition, the paper describes a monitor designed to support different emulators concurrently on a single host machine.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"93 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122051131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804786
W. Joyner, W. Carter, George B. Leeman
{"title":"Automated proofs of microprogram correctness","authors":"W. Joyner, W. Carter, George B. Leeman","doi":"10.1145/800145.804786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804786","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a method for verifying microprograms with computer aid, and examples of its application to actual systems. The specifications for an architecture and those for the computer on which it is to be implemented are both described formally, with the microcode supplied as data to the low level description. A correspondence between the two descriptions is then formalized, and a system of programs is used to prove mathematically that the correspondence holds. This interactive, goal-directed system not only provides a proof that microcode performs as specified, but more often aids in detecting and correcting microprogram errors. Several errors in actual implementations, some of which were difficult to detect using test cases, have been discovered in this way.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128030196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804785
G. Frieder
{"title":"The FORTRAN project - a multifaceted approach to software-firmware high level language support","authors":"G. Frieder","doi":"10.1145/800145.804785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804785","url":null,"abstract":"A description of a novel approach for the support of high level languages is presented. This approach consists of different machines for different task structures, even if those tasks are written in the same high level language. At the same time, a high degree of similarity of the machines is maintained.\u0000 Preliminary results and the outline of future work are briefly summarized.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132126450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804780
R. Chattergy
{"title":"Microprogrammed implementation of a scheduler","authors":"R. Chattergy","doi":"10.1145/800145.804780","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804780","url":null,"abstract":"Application of microprogramming to enhance the performance of operating systems has been discussed in the literature in the past [7,1,5]. Two examples of such applications can be found in [4,6]. This paper discusses the philosophy behind the microprogrammed implementation of a scheduler, used in a large, time-shared computer incorporating several processors.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124351267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804784
Brian Forbes, Tom Weidner, Ron Yoder, T. Pitchford
{"title":"Realizing a virtual machine","authors":"Brian Forbes, Tom Weidner, Ron Yoder, T. Pitchford","doi":"10.1145/800145.804784","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804784","url":null,"abstract":"Historically, microprogramming has been viewed as an emulation tool or a means of extending hardware instruction sets. This usually results in a piecemeal application of microprogramming techniques. The concept of a virtual machine, in which firmware realizes the complete functional structure of an idealized computer, is often debated but infrequently attempted. This paper examines microcoded interpretation of high-level languages and microcoded support of complex algorithms in a front-end peripheral processor as implemented for a commercial computer subsystem. The virtual machine and its supporting structure are outlined and specific advantages of microprogramming are discussed. Microprogramming is presented as a generalized systems resource.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"54 60 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130541602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MICRO 9Pub Date : 1976-09-27DOI: 10.1145/800145.804787
R. Nowlin, Donald Gustafson
{"title":"A microprogrammed machine architecture for efficient matrix multiplication","authors":"R. Nowlin, Donald Gustafson","doi":"10.1145/800145.804787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800145.804787","url":null,"abstract":"In the modern world of control and estimation theory, matrix multiplications are ubiquitous. Minicomputers designed as general purpose machines do not have instruction sets designed to efficiently implement these multiplications. A microprogrammable machine may be capable of efficient matrix multiplications if it has the proper architecture. A Hewlett-Packard HP-2100 minicomputer was used to investigate architectural and efficiency problems. Algorithms were developed to calculate execution times for any n, m, and T where n and m refer to the matrix dimensions and T is the basic machine instruction time. The execution times for various size matrix operations indicated savings of up to 80% for microcoded operations.","PeriodicalId":202585,"journal":{"name":"MICRO 9","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1976-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122183329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}