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UDSYS a microcode development system

Published:05 October 1982Publication History
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Abstract

This paper describes a microcode development system called UDSYS that is currently in use at Data General Corporation across several radically different micro-architectures. The system was developed to overcome some of the deficiencies of meta-assemblers, namely, one-to-one meaning of symbols vs. action, lack of rigorous syntax verification, and lack of application specific error messages. The system is explained by way of a specific example about the sequencer portion of a hypothetical microword.

Microcoding is slowly loosing its status as an artform. Many of the tools available for increasing the productivity of software engineers are now starting to become available for the generation of microcode. There is work being done on machine independent microcoding languages, microcode generators, and microcode optimizers to name but a few such tools. However, many of these tools are still in the developmental stages. At Data General, our current microcode production system took the approach of leaving the optimization in the hands of the coder, but giving him the capability of building a very friendly interface to the hardware.

The system is called UDSYS and this paper presents an overview of some of its major concepts and features.

References

  1. 1 Sint, Marleen, "A survey of High Level Microprogramming Languages", SIGMICRO newsletter (MICRO 13), pp. 141-153. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  2. 2 Berglass, Gilber R., "A META-ASSEMBLER FOR HIGHLY-PARALLEL MICROPROGRAMMABLE SYSTEMS", SIGMICRO newsletter (MICRO13), pp. 181-189 Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  3. 3 Geyer, S. and Lake, A., "DEVELOPMENT TOOLS FOR USER MICROPROGRAMMING", SIGMICRO newsletter (MICRO14), pp. 74-77 Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  4. 4 Marwedel, Peter, "A RETARGETABLE MICROCODE GENERATION SYSTEM FOR A HIGH-LEVEL MICROPROGRAMMING LANGUAGE", SIGMICRO newsletter (MICRO14), pp. 115-123 Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  5. 5 Sheraga, R. and Gieser, J., "AUTOMATIC MICROCODE GENERATION FOR HORIZONTALLY MICROPROGRAMMED PROCESSORS", SIGMICRO newsletter (MICRO14), pp. 154-168 Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library

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          cover image ACM SIGMICRO Newsletter
          ACM SIGMICRO Newsletter  Volume 13, Issue 4
          Dec. 1982
          169 pages
          ISSN:1050-916X
          DOI:10.1145/1014194
          Issue’s Table of Contents

          Copyright © 1982 Authors

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          Association for Computing Machinery

          New York, NY, United States

          Publication History

          • Published: 5 October 1982

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