home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!medusa.hookup.net!news.kei.com!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!usc!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!sschecht
- From: Schechter.1@osu.edu
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.answers,news.answers,comp.sys.powerpc
- Subject: Macintosh PowerPC FAQ
- Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.hardware
- Date: 22 Oct 1993 18:31:46 GMT
- Organization: The Ohio State University
- Lines: 552
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
- Message-ID: <2a98ui$leb@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
- Reply-To: Schechter.1@osu.edu
- NNTP-Posting-Host: magnusug.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
- Summary: This posting contains a list of questions and (often speculative)
- answers about PowerPC and its relation to the Macintosh.
- Originator: sschecht@magnusug.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
- Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.sys.mac.hardware:71260 comp.sys.mac.misc:53965 comp.answers:2385 news.answers:13839 comp.sys.powerpc:2160
-
- Archive-name: macintosh/PowerPC-FAQ
- Last-modified: 1993/10/22
- Version: 1.2
- Frequency: Posted once every two weeks.
- Supersedes: <27gd2i$cts@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
-
- Finger-FAQ at - "finger sschecht@magnusug.acs.ohio-state.edu"
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Macintosh PowerPC Frequently Asked Questions
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- VERSION/DISCLAIMER
- FAQ Version 1.2 - reader beware. I do not guarentee or take any
- responsibility for the validity of this document. Remember that much of
- this information comes from corporate PR, and hence may hold very little
- relation to the truth. Remember what your mother told you about guys like
- me. etc.
- The editor of this FAQ is not an employee of Apple, IBM, or Motorola,
- but is simply an individual trying to make information easily available
- over the Internet.
-
- FOLLOW-UP INFO
- Please contribute questions, corrections, and any additional information
- relavent to this FAQ by emailing the author at `Schechter.1@osu.edu'.
- PLEASE DO NOT ADD TO NET TRAFFIC BY POSTING THIS INFORMATION!
-
- CREDIT WHERE DUE
- Much of the information in this FAQ came from MacWeek magazine, Internet
- posts, Motorola advertisements, Apple press releases, and individual
- contributors. Other information was included that was "common knowledge" or
- from the editors personal experience. Much of the information added since
- the first version of this FAQ came via email from contributors listed in
- the "acknowledgments" section at the end of this document.
-
- PURPOSE
- This FAQ was created in response to a request for a PowerPC FAQ in
- comp.sys.mac.hardware. It may eventually be used as the FAQ for the
- proposed comp.sys.mac.powerPC newsgroup.
-
- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES
- 10/9/93
- Those with no access to internet news can read the FAQ using by using
- the finger utility. Just finger "sschecht@magnusug.acs.ohio-state.edu."
- I'm hoping OSU will soon give the FAQ its own address so that this feature
- will be less confusing.
- There have been a number of requests for me to start providing a FAQ
- for comp.sys.powerPC. This FAQ was designed to eventually live in
- comp.sys.mac.powerPC, the status of which I know nothing about (hint,
- hint.) Until then, I've been providing quite a bit of chip specific
- information. If this FAQ is to be broken into two pieces to handle general
- chip information and Macintosh specific information, an additional FAQ
- maintainer will be need. Please send your thoughts about this to me at
- schechter.1@osu.edu. Any volunteers for the job of a comp.sys.powerPC faq
- who would like to use the material in this FAQ for the job should also get
- in touch.
-
-
-
- **************************Table of Contents******************************
-
- Introduction (Above)
- Headers
- Version/Disclaimer
- Follow-up Info
- Credit Where Do
- Purpose
- Administrative Notes
-
- Table of Contents
- (you are here)
-
- The Chip
-
- What makes a PowerPC microprocessor a PowerPC microprocessor?
- Who is currently developing/manufacturing PowerPC microprocessors?
- Who makes the PowerPC 601?
- What other PowerPC microprocessors are planned for the future?
-
- Operating Systems
-
- What is PowerOpen?
- What operating systems are being developed for the PowerPC and when will
- they be available?
-
- The First Machines
-
- When can I get my first PowerPC computer?
- Will the first Apple Power PC machines have AV (Audio Visual) capabilities,
- like a built in DSP chip?
- Can I upgrade my machine?
- What bus will the PowerPC Macintosh use for expansion slots?
-
- Programmers Questions
-
- How should I program now to avoid PPC porting problems later?
- With 64 bit addressing coming out with the PowerPC 620, should I start
- programming 64 bit clean?
- How do I do this?
-
- Additional Literature
-
- How can I reach Motorola for even more PowerPC info?
- What information is available?
-
- Acknowledgments
-
- Contributors
-
-
- ******************************The Chip***********************************
-
-
- -What makes a PowerPC microprocessor a PowerPC microprocessor?
-
- A PowerPC microprocessor is a RISC microprocessor written to standards
- formalized by an alliance between Apple, Motorola, and IBM. This standard
- will allow multiple manufacturers to release their own versions of PowerPC
- chips that will run the same source code. The PowerPC architecture was
- based on IBM's POWER architecture, the foundation for IBM's RS/6000 line of
- computers.
- Note, the PowerPC 601 is really a processor for transition to PowerPC.
- Maintaining POWER compatability in the architecture necessited some
- differences. A few minor operations aren't supported. The PowerPC
- specification calls for both instruction and data caches, yet the PPC 601
- has a combined cache.
-
- -Who is currently developing/manufacturing PowerPC chips?
-
- Motorola and IBM are both in the process of developing PowerPC chips.
- IBM started shipping PPC 601 chips in quantity in September 1993. Motorola
- is working on the future versions of the chip.
-
-
- -Who makes the PowerPC 601?
-
-
- IBM does the actual manufacturing of the PowerPC 601. How much each
- company contributed to the design of the chip is not clear. Motorola, which
- markets the PPC 601, is concentrating its efforts on its ULSI (Ultra Large
- Scale Integration) technology integral to future chip production. Hence, it
- is no suprise that the PPC 603, 604, and 620 will be manufactured by
- Motorola.
-
-
- -What are the specs on the PowerPC 601?
-
- The following are the speed benchmarks Motorola has released for a
- PowerPC 601 running at 66 MHz vs. the Pentium. Note that Apple has
- performed machine demonstrations using PowerPC chips running at speeds as
- fast as 80 MHz.
-
- Test PowerPC 601 @66 MHz Pentium @ 66 MHz
- SPECint92 >60 64.5
- SPECfp92 >80 56.9
- Power (worst case) 8.5w 16w
- Die Size (mm^2) 120 262
-
- Note: IBM has released an 80 MHz PPC 601, but no test results are available.
-
- Other PowerPC 601 Specifications
- Cache Size 32k (both data and instructions on one cache)
- Registers 32 general purpose (data/address)
- Size - 32 bit
- 32 floating point (IEEE compliant)
- Size - 64 bit
- Number of Execution Units 3 (Integer, Floating Point, Branch Processor)
- Data Bus Width 64 bits
- Address Bus Width 32 bits
- Virtual Address Capacity 52 bits
- Memory Protection Yes
- Cost $490 80mhz Quantity 25,000
- $450 66mhz Quantity 1
- $350 66mhz Quantity 25,000
- $275 50mhz Quantity 25,000
- Number of Transistors 2.8 million
-
-
-
- -What other PowerPC microprocessors are planned for the future?
-
- The PowerPC 603, the miser of the PowerPC line, first reached silicon in
- October. It will be the lowest power consumer and all around smallest chip
- of the PowerPC line, yet will rival the 601 in performance. Expect this
- chip to
- appear in portable computers, PDAs, and even cars. Expected to cost in the
- $50 range, this microprocessor will bring high performance computing to a
- new range of applications in devices which have yet to take full advantage
- of computing technology.
- Also due in mid 1994, the PowerPC 604 is slated to be the processor of
- choice for high end desktop computing. Many expect it to replace the
- PowerPC 601 much in the way the 68030 has replaced the 68000 in today's
- Macintosh computers.
- At the top of the line we'll see the PowerPC 620, which will handle deal
- with data and addresses as 64 bit quantities. Motorola is claiming the 620
- will run at 200 to 400 SPECmarks, serving as a high end workstation and
- server. This processor probably will not be available until late 1994. A
- 32 bit emulation mode is anticipated so that it will be able to run
- software that
- isn't 64 bit clean.
-
-
-
- ***************************Operating Systems*****************************
-
- -What is PowerOpen?
-
- The PowerOpen Association defines and promotes the PowerOpen
- Environment (POE). The POE is not an operating system, it is
- a definition containing an API specification as well as an ABI
- specification. The presence of the ABI specification in the POE
- is a factor distinguishing PowerOpen from other open systems
- (POSIX, XPG4, etc.) since it allows achieving platform independent
- binary compatibility. Outside of the POE, binary compatibility
- is typically limited to a particular hardware platform.
-
- The POE is an open standard, derived from AIX and conforming to
- industry open standards including POSIX, XPG4, Motif, etc.
- The POE specification will be publicly available to anyone wishing
- to produce either applications or hardware platforms. The PowerOpen
- Association will provide the necessary conformance testing and POE
- branding.
-
- The key features of the POE follow:
-
- * Based on the PowerPC architecture
- * Hardware bus independence
- * System implementations can range from laptops to supercomputers
- * Requires a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system
- * Networking support
- * X windows extension
- * Macintosh Application Services extension
- * Motif
- * Conformance tested and certified by an independent party
- (PowerOpen Association)
-
- The POE specification is targeted for availability in the
- first quarter of 1994. The PowerOpen association will soon have
- some of the information material available online.
-
- What operating systems are being developed for the PowerPC and when will
- they be available?
-
- System 7 (Apple)
- Apple plans to release its first PowerPC based Macintosh computers in
- early 1994 with System 7 as its native operating system. A large portion of
- the ROM and operating system code will be native, but since 68020 emulation
- will be built in, rarely used Macintosh calls may be emulated. System 7 on
- the PowerPC will run software native to both the 68000 series and the
- PowerPC.
-
- AUX (Apple)
- Apple's next UNIX release is planned to be PowerOpen compliant.
-
- AIX (IBM)
- IBM's version of UNIX will be the native operating system on the first
- PowerPCs.
-
- OS/2 (IBM)
- IBM's standard for its Intel based machines can be expected to be
- running on PowerPC's sometime in 1994.
-
- Pink (Taligent)
- Taligent (The Child of Apple & IBM) plans to release its operating
- system in 1995. This operating system will run software originally written
- for a number of different operating environments.
-
- Solaris (Sun)
- Sun announced a version of its Solaris variant of the Unix operating
- system in late March. A planned release date is not known.
-
- Windows (Insignia & Microsoft)
- Insignia licensed code from Microsoft so that they could bring
- SoftWindows to the PowerPC. SoftWindows will run on top of System 7.
- Emulation speed of SoftWindows is said to be approx. 486SX/33. FPU will not
- be emulated.
-
- Windows NT (Motorola?)
- Microsoft recently licensed the code for Windows NT to Motorola. Whether
- this code will be re-licensed to Apple or IBM has yet to be seen. Expect
- some form of Windows NT in '94.
-
- Also rumored...
- NeXTSTEP (NeXT)
- NetWare (Novell)
- Unix System V (AT&T)
-
-
- ***************************The First Machines****************************
-
-
- -When can I get my first Macintosh PowerPC computer?
-
- Apple is currently planning to release its first PowerPC during the
- first half of 1994.
- According to MacWeek, the first PowerPC Macs will appear in Centris 610
- box and have a price tag of less than $2,000 (whether this will include
- monitor and keyboard is unspecified). MacWeek also states that March will
- bring a "Centris-650-like sibling" sporting three NuBus slots.
- Portable PowerPC 603 Macintosh's are expected in late 1994, early 1995.
-
-
- -Will the first Apple PowerPC's have AV (Audio Visual) capabilities, like a
- built in DSP?
-
- PowerPC chips are fast enough so that they should be able to do Digital
- Signal Processing (DSP) without an additional chip. Many expect later
- PowerPC machines to have DSP chips to ensure that the CPU's full power can
- be utilized for other work.
-
-
- -Can I upgrade my machine?
-
- The official Apple Macintosh upgrade path will include the following
- machines:
- Macintsoh IIvx
- Macintsoh IIvi
- Centris 610
- Centris 650
- Centris 660AV
- Performa 600 series
- Quadra 800
- Quadra 840AV
- Apple Workgroup Server 80
- Apple Workgroup Server 95
-
- In addition, Apple will be licensing chips and ROM's to third parties
- (including DayStar Digital which will provide Quadra 900/950 upgrades) for
- use in upgrade cards for other Macintosh models. Remember, however, that
- these models often have a slow bus and slow memory. The result is that even
- if a third party upgrade board is provided for, say, an SE/30, it will
- still not run as fast as a new machine.
-
-
- -What bus will the PowerPC Macintosh use for expansion slots?
-
- The first few machines will probably use the same NuBus technology in
- Apple's new AV machines. Later, Intel's PCI (Peripheral Component
- Interconnect) bus standard will be used, as its speeds are far superior to
- NuBus.
-
-
- *************************Programmer's Questions**************************
-
-
- -How should I program now to avoid PPC porting problems later?
-
- 1. Program in C or C++
- (Although Pascal and other languages will eventually be released,
- C and C++ will be the first languages available.)
- 2. Don't assume variable sizes will remain the same. An 'int' in
- Think C is 16 bits, but PowerPC compilers will use 32 bits.
- 3. Make your code ANSI C compliant
- 4. Avoid programming in assembly language at all costs. If speed is an
- issue, code in C first, and then conditionally compile 680x0 code
- in as well.
- 5. If you have a great amount of assembly language code, and you want to
- start preparing to port now, consider using Echo Logic's FlashPort.
- For more information, contact Echo Logic at:
- 943 Holmdel Rd.
- Holmdel, NJ 07733
- Telephone - (908) 946-1100
- Fax - (908) 946-9146
-
-
- -With 64 bit addressing coming out with the PowerPC 620, should I start
- programming 64 bit clean?
-
- YES
-
-
- -How do I do this?
-
- This has yet to be made clear. The best advice would be to program in
- clean C or C++, without making assumptions about pointer size.
-
-
-
- ************************Additional Literature****************************
-
-
- -How can I reach Motorola for even more PowerPC info?
-
- General Information:
- 1-800-845-MOTO
-
- For Literature:
- USA: Motorola Literature Distribution
- P.O. Box 20912
- Phoenix, AZ 85036
- (phone 1-800-441-2447)
-
- EUROPE: Motorola Ltd.
- European Literature Centre
- 88 Tanners Drive
- Blakelands
- Milton Keynes, MK14 5BP, UK
-
- JAPAN: Nippon Motorola Ltd.
- 4-32-1, Nishi-Gotanda
- Shinagawa-ku
- Tokyo 141 Japan
-
- ASIA: Motorola Semiconductors H. K. Ltd.
- Silicon Harbour Center
- No. 2 Dai King Street
- Tai Po Industrial Estate
- Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong
-
- Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector Technical Responsiveness Center:
- (800) 521-6274.
-
-
- -What information is available?
-
- From Motorola (information free except where a price is listed):
-
- PowerPC Brochure (BR1135/D)
- PowerPC 601 RISC Microprocessor, Technical Summary (MPC601/D)
- PowerPC 601 Hardware Specification (MPC601EC/D)
- PowerPC Software Overview (compilers, assemblers, simulators, loaders &
- debuggers) (SDP/D)
- PowerPC C Compiler Syste, Product Review (CCOMPSTM/D)
- PowerPC Fortran compilation System, Product Review (FTRANCOMPSTM/D)
- PowerPC Architectural Simulator, Product Review (PPCARCH32/D)
- PowerPC 601 Programmer's Reference Guide (MPC601PRG/D)
- PowerPC 601, User's Manual (MPC601UM/AD) -- $6.50
- PowerPC Development Tools Catalog (MPCTOOLBK/AD) -- $4.50
-
-
- Special thanks to Yoshio Turner (yoshio@cs.ucla.edu) who has provided all
- the literature information that follows:
-
- Motorola will release the first revisions of the following documents:
-
- PowerPC 601 RISC Microprocessor Hardware Specifications (MPC601EC/D).
- Contains pertinent physical characteristics of the 601.
- Available Oct 18 1993
-
- PowerPC 601 RISC Microprocessor User's Manual (MPC601UM/AD).
- Defines the functionality of the PowerPC 601 RISC microprocessor for
- use by software and hardware developers.
- Available Nov 12 1993
-
-
- Motorola will release the following new document:
-
- PowerPC 603 RISC Microprocessor Technical Summary (MPC603/D). This
- new document provides an overview of the MPC603 PowerPC microprocessor
- and MPC603 implementation-specific features, such as power management.
- Available Oct 18 1993
-
- All three will be available from Motorola's Literature Distribution
- Center.
-
- ---
- Got this in the mail today from Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
- I'm sorry it's so commercial, but I suspect some of you will
- find it useful:
-
- "The IBM PowerPC Architecture: A New Family of RISC Processors
-
- IBM
-
- This book presents an overview of the current and forthcoming PowerPC
- processor implementations in the PowerPC family of RISC microprocessors
- from IBM and Motorola. The architecture design facilitates
- high-performance through parallel instruction execution and is scalable
- to take advantage of future technology gains. _The IBM PowerPC
- Architecture_ if the official detailed technical description of the IBM
- PwerPC architecture and its hardware conventions, making it an
- essential reference for designers of hardware and system software and
- application programmers developing products for the PowerPC family of
- RISC microprocessors. It is the first book of its kind available
- outside the Apple, IBM and Motorola PowerPC consortium. It is also a
- valuable tool for conducting in-depth evaluations of the IBM powerPC
- architecture and RISC technologies. The PowerPC family includes the
- 601,603, 604, and 620 processors for high-performance personal
- computers, workstations, servers, mobile computers and supercomputers.
-
- _The IBM PowerPC Architecture_ includes the base instruction set,
- storage model and all related facilities available to application
- programmers, the Time Base as seen by the application programmers, and
- a full description of the system instructions.
-
- Contents PowerPC User Instruction Set Architecture - introduction,
- branch processor, fixed-point processor, floating-point processor;
- PowerPC Virtual Environment Architecture - storage model, effect of
- operand placement of performance, storage control instructions, time
- base; PowerPC Operating Environmnet Architecture - intro, branch
- processor, fixed-point processor, storage control , interrupts, timer
- facilities; appendices
-
- Dec 1993; approx 600 pages; cloth; ISBN 1-55860-316-6; $49.95
-
-
- IBM Power and PowerPC: Architecture and Implementation
-
- Shlomo Weiss (Tel Aviv Univ) and James E Smith (Cray Research)
-
- Writtten from the perspective of developers and teachers of high
- performance computing, this book provides a wealth of information about
- IBM's important contributions to the development and evolution of RISC
- technology. The RS/6000 and the PowerPC 601 implmementations serve as
- in-depth case studies for hardware designers and developers, software
- engineers, and performance analysts. Assuming only minimal hardware
- background, the authors describe basic concepts such as pipelining,
- caches, and superscalar processing, before proceeding to detailed
- discussions of the POWER and PowerPC architectures and their
- implementations. As a comprehensive overview of POWER and PowerPC
- computers, it is an in-depth refrence for the practicing engineer. The
- presentation of alternative design approaches and tradeoffs taken in
- the design process, combined with comparisons to the DEC alpha
- processor make this an ideal introduction for technical managers and
- newcomers alike.
-
- Contents: Modern computer design concepts; POWER architecture; RS/6000
- implementation; pipelines, branches, and interrupts, cache memories;
- POwerPC architecture; PowerPC 601 implementation; POwerPC: Support for
- multiprocessing; System orgranziation; memory and input/output; powerpc
- and alpha 21064: A Tale of Two RISCS.
-
- Nov 1993; approx 600 pages; cloth; ISBN 1-55860-279-8; $54.95"
-
- You can get these by calling (800) 745-7323 or
- FAX (415) 578-0672.
-
-
-
- *****************************Acknowledgments*****************************
-
-
- This FAQ is the creation of its editor, Schechter.1@osu.edu (Stuart
- Schechter), and the following contributors:
- yoshio@CS.UCLA.EDU (Yoshio Turner), kelleyb@austin.ibm.com,
- root@physix.mta.ca (Stewart Walker), Chris_Pruett@notes.seagate.com (Chris
- Pruett), ddkilzer@iastate.edu (David D. Kilzer), dmorley@skate.rutgers.edu
- (Darin S. Morley), dave@humanitas.ucsb.edu (David Bosso), amm@kodak.com
- (Alan M. Mathiowetz), s.anagnostaras@um.cc.umich.edu (Stephan
- Anagnostaras), kuo@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (Andy Y.A. Kuo),
- elston@ACAVAX.LYNCHBURG.EDU (Zac Elston), zdenek@poa.poweropen.org, and
- others.
-
- Sorry if I've left anyone out!
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- There is an exception to every rule| Stuart E. Schechter (Schechter.1@osu.edu)
- and his name is... | Computer & Information Science Major
- | OSU College of Engineering Honors Program
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=>Stuart | ENG Rep - CIS Undergrad Studies Committee
- ==============================================================================
- "It is better to be a closet claustrophobic than a flaming pyromaniac."
-
-
-