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Conference mvblab::alphaserver_4100

Title:AlphaServer 4100
Moderator:MOVMON::DAVISS
Created:Tue Apr 16 1996
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:648
Total number of notes:3158

593.0. "Are there byte instructions in EV5/6 chips?" by NEWVAX::DSMITH () Thu May 08 1997 12:05

    Maybe the wrong place to ask but...
    
    Does the 466MHz Alpha chip contain byte and 16 bit fetch/put
    instructions?  If so, where can I get a C compiler which uses
    these new Alpha instructions.
    
    The Alpha Architecture Handbook I have says these instruction don't
    exist but I've heard that the EV5/6 chips have this support and that
    there is a C compiler available somewhere.  Maybe I live in a cave
    cause I don't know this already.  :-)
    
    Thanks,
    
    Dave S
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
593.1NEWVAX::DSMITHThu May 08 1997 13:245
    I got a reply in the alphanotes conference.
    
    note 101.1
    
    Dave S
593.2MAY21::CUMMINSThu May 08 1997 13:5826
    EV5 does not support byte/word. EV56 does, however.
    
    Please note, that the 4100/4000 platform ships both EV5- and EV56-based
    CPUs. In fact, mixing of EV5 and EV56-based CPUs is supported/allowed,
    if same speed. There are some configuration rules which apply here...
    For instance, the primary must be an EV5-based CPU, if mixed EV5 and
    EV56 in the same system (e.g. 300 MHz)..
    
    Both the SRM and AlphaBIOS consoles turn off byte/word support in
    all EV56-based CPUs in the system if any CPUs are EV5-based - due to 
    operating system issues/requirements.
    
    All CPUs that run at 400MHz or above are always EV56-based only.
    Therefore, you should be able to compile with byte/word enabled (to
    memory) on the 4100/4000 platform (since you apparently have 466MHz
    CPUs).
    
    Console turns byte/word on by default if no EV5 CPUs in the system. 
    
    Note that byte/word to I/O space is separately enableable, and it has
    never been qualified on Rawhide (though it theoretically should work
    should SW attempt to  use I/O byte/word).
    
    Were you thinking byte/word to memory only or I/O as well? The Rawhide
    I/O and system bus architectures were designed to support I/O space
    byte/word, but to my knowledge, this capability has never been tested.
593.3Alpha IMPLVER and AMASK ToolXDELTA::HOFFMANSteve, OpenVMS EngineeringMon May 12 1997 17:089
   See NOTED::HACKERS note 1422.* for a C program (OpenVMS and UNIX) that
   reads the Alpha IMPLVER and AMASK settings.

   This program is also available to customers via DIGITAL's web site:

http://www.partner.digital.com/www-swdev/
http://www.partner.digital.com/www-swdev/pages/Home/TECH/faqs/ovms/ovms.html