[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference ricks::dechips

Title:Hudson VLSI
Notice:For Digital Chip Data - CHIPBZ::PRODUCTION$:[DS_INFO...]
Moderator:RICKS::PHIPPS
Created:Wed Feb 12 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:701
Total number of notes:4658

665.0. "summary of alpha implementations?" by RDGENG::WOOD_J ([email protected]) Wed Mar 26 1997 08:49

Does a summary of Alpha implementations exist?

E.g. a table which lists Alpha implementation codenames with
product names and features, such as:


EV4     21064       First revenue Alpha systems. Dual Issue.

EV45    21064A

EV5     21164       Quad issue.

EV56    21164A      Introduces byte & word support.

PCA56   21164PC     As 21164A with addition of multimedia instructions.

(Disclaimer: information above might not be accurate; for illustrative
 purposes only)


Other information such as release date, clock speed range and list of
systems using each implementation would be useful too.

Thanks,
  John
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
665.1megahertz.ROM01::OLD_CIPOLLABruno CipollaWed Mar 26 1997 09:0911
EV4     21064   100-200Mhz First revenue Alpha systems. Dual Issue.

EV45    21064A  233-300 Mhz

EV5     21164   250-350Mhz     Quad issue.

EV56    21164A  366-622 Mhz    Introduces byte & word support.

PCA56   21164PC 433-533 Mhz    As 21164A with addition of multimedia instructions.

    EV6 21264   500-? Mhz  Six pipes, OOO etc etc. 30+specint95 
665.2RLTIME::COOKWed Mar 26 1997 09:2111
>EV5     21164   250-350Mhz     Quad issue.
>
>EV56    21164A  366-622 Mhz    Introduces byte & word support.

I thought we weren't supposed to put the a on there.  Shouldn't that be

EV5     21164   250-350Mhz     Quad issue.

EV56    21164   366-622 Mhz    Introduces byte & word support.

665.3Yep, Same But DifferentXDELTA::HOFFMANSteve, OpenVMS EngineeringWed Mar 26 1997 09:4110
:>EV5     21164   250-350Mhz     Quad issue.
:>EV56    21164A  366-622 Mhz    Introduces byte & word support.
:
:I thought we weren't supposed to put the a on there.

   Correct.  Different instructions, different features, overlapping
   MHz range, same product name.  (The customers are beginning to notice
   and ask about this, too -- differentiating these processors in the
   product documentation is basically impossible.)

665.4RDGENG::WOOD_J[email protected]Wed Mar 26 1997 10:3311
Re. .3

>   Correct.  Different instructions, different features, overlapping
>   MHz range, same product name.  (The customers are beginning to notice
>   and ask about this, too -- differentiating these processors in the
>   product documentation is basically impossible.)

Yes - this is really the reason behind my question. I.e. as compilers support
switches for EV5 and byte/word optimizations, if you don't know if
your system is an EV56 with byte/word capability, you could be wasting
your efforts...
665.5HYDRA::SCHAFERMark Schafer, SPE MROWed Mar 26 1997 12:0513
    i think that was the reason for 
    
    /*
    //  ALPHA_IMPLVER_AMASK_FEATURES.C V1.1
    //  Retrieve the Alpha microprocessor family and features
    //
    //  Author: Steve Hoffman, Digital Equipment Corporation
    //  [email protected], 3-Feb-1997.
    //
    
    On the web at:
    http://www.partner.digital.com/www-swdev
    /pages/Home/TECH/faqs/ovms/implver.html
665.6Unix knows an ev56, and will tell you if you're rootPERFOM::HENNINGWed Mar 26 1997 14:414
    also, if you're running digital unix v4 (and you are root) you can say
    
    	psrinfo -v
    
665.7Root access not neededPERFOM::HENNINGWed Mar 26 1997 21:2810
    I sit corrected.  
    
    Digital Unix V4 will tell you even if you are NOT root:
    
    /usr/sbin/psrinfo -v
    Status of processor 0 as of: 03/26/97 21:24:08
      Processor has been on-line since 03/25/97 09:31:30
      The alpha EV5.6 (21164A) processor operates at 598 MHz,
            and has an alpha internal floating point processor.
    
665.8ThanksRDGENG::WOOD_J[email protected]Thu Mar 27 1997 02:1613
re. .7:

>    /usr/sbin/psrinfo -v
>    Status of processor 0 as of: 03/26/97 21:24:08
>      Processor has been on-line since 03/25/97 09:31:30
>      The alpha EV5.6 (21164A) processor operates at 598 MHz,
>            and has an alpha internal floating point processor.

Lucky you having an EV56 @600 MHz! I get:

  The alpha EV4 (21064) processor operates at 150 MHz

  :-( :-(
665.9Correct, Though The Problem Is (Still) The Name...XDELTA::HOFFMANSteve, OpenVMS EngineeringThu Mar 27 1997 11:051
:    i think that was the reason for ...