Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site oakhill.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!ut-sally!oakhill!davet
From: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
Newsgroups: net.micro.16k,net.micro.68k,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Corrigenda
Message-ID: <338@oakhill.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 23:11:29 EST
Article-I.D.: oakhill.338
Posted: Tue Feb 12 23:11:29 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 02:18:12 EST
References: <794@sjuvax.UUCP> <5025@utzoo.UUCP> 
Reply-To: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
Organization: Motorola Inc. Austin, Tx
Lines: 60
Xref: watmath net.micro.16k:201 net.micro.68k:582 net.nlang:2578
Summary: Facts that National's Mateosian would like to hide

In article <2342@nsc.UUCP> srm@nsc.UUCP (Richard Mateosian) writes:
>
>There's even a helpful program included.  My favorite part is
>
>              BEQ  NORECOVER
>                   .
>
>NORECOVER:    WE CANNOT RECOVER FROM THIS FAULT
>
>I'm a little weak on 68k assembler syntax, and I can't seem to find those
>instructions in my 68020 handbook.  Perhaps someone can post an explanation.
>
>No flames, please.  After all the snide remarks from Austin about our bug
>lists back when we were where they are now, it's nice to be out of the woods
>and in a position to laugh at them for a while.

There is something Richard is not telling you.  This is one of the bugs found
on first silicon and has long since been corrected. (I use the word "long"
poetically since the MC68020 has only been out about 7 months.)  It would be
of historical interest to find out how many NS16000 masks were produced before
the chip could execute any instructions at all.

Here is the current "bug" list for the current mask set A45J. We will number
them for Richard's convenience:

  1) The LINK #size,An instruction which performs frame management will not
     produce the exact same results as earlier M68000 family members if the
     stack pointer SP (A7) is specified as the frame register.  Note that
     specifying the stack pointer is an erroneous thing to do in the first
     place.

Well, that terminates the bug list for the current MC68020 chip.  Yes, you
read that correctly.  We know of no other errors on the part and we could
have fixed that one on this latest mask but didn't feel it necessary since
we expect no program to ever do such a thing to begin with.  Of course
we don't think the '020 is 100 percent bug free but for us to be working on
such trivial corrections should indicate just how sound the chip is.

Now, Richard, your remark about Motorola's being where National "was?"
Roy Druian here after reading your posting had an interesting response.
He thought it odd that you would refer to Motorola being back where you
were a couple of years ago when you are still there.

I challenge you to post the bug list for the NS320xx family. And please,
number the items for my convenience.  I have a National bug list from a year
ago and if you like I'll post it and you can comment on which bugs are now
gone. Actually, I understand that this is
a bad time to post something to you since National is forcing its employees
to take a no-pay week long leave of absence.  So if you don't
respond right away, I'll understand.  And no, we don't happen to
need someone of your expertise at the moment. (I would put a smiley face
here, but I am not sure just how severe the situation is at National.
Hopefully this is just a temporary measure.)

Responses, of course, welcome.  It is probably appropriate to move this to
net.flame.  I just can't see letting someone badmouth the excellent work
the '020 team has been doing here at Motorola.

Motorola Semiconductor Inc.                Dave Trissel
Austin, Texas           {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax,gatech}!ut-sally!oakhill!davet