Difference between revisions of "Super Foonly"

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(Spinoffs were important, and made it not a failure)
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The '''Superfoonly''' was a project and computer design done at [[Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory|SAIL]].  The project goal was to make a [[PDP-10]] compatible [[Central Processing Unit|processor]] that was an order of magnitude faster than the existing [[KA10]].  The design phase was finished and projected to meet the goal, but at that point [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration|ARPA]] funding was cut.  The design was never built, but it had several ''very'' significant spin-offs.
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The '''Super Foonly''' (the original name; the form '''Superfoonly''' later came into use, and is much used now) was a project and computer design done at [[Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory|SAIL]].  The project goal was to make a [[PDP-10]] compatible [[Central Processing Unit|processor]] that was an order of magnitude faster than the existing [[KA10]].  The design phase was finished, and was projected to meet the goal, but at that point [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration|ARPA]] funding was cut.  The design was never built, but it had several ''very'' significant spin-offs.
  
In one, to help do the design, [[Stanford University Design System|SUDS]] was created; it was a pioneering [[CAD]] system that went on to have several very important descendants. In another, it also inspired [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] to build the [[KL10]]; the design was updated and somewhat simplified for the KL10.
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In one, to help do the design, [[Stanford University Design System|SUDS]] was created; it was a pioneering [[computer-aided design|CAD]] system that went on to have several very important descendants. In another, it also inspired [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] to build the [[KL10]]; the Super Foonly design was updated and somewhat simplified for the KL10.
  
The Superfoonly design was also updated and built by the newly-established [[Foonly]], with [[Information International Inc|III]] funding, to become the [[F-1]].  The F-1 was used to render some scenes in the movie TRON.
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The Super Foonly design was also updated and built by the newly-established [[Foonly]], with [[Information International Inc|III]] funding, to become the [[Foonly F-1]].  The F-1 was used to render some scenes in the movie TRON.
  
 
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* [http://pdp10.nocrew.org/cpu/f1-frontend.txt Dave Dyer on the Superfoonly]
 
* [http://pdp10.nocrew.org/cpu/f1-frontend.txt Dave Dyer on the Superfoonly]
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* [https://bitsavers.org/pdf/foonly/SuperFoonly_Overview_Aug72.pdf FOONLY.BLB[F,AK] - Text file describing Foonly]
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* [https://bitsavers.org/pdf/foonly/Poole_Super_Foonly_DECUS.pdf Dave Poole DECUS presentation - The Design of Super Foonly]
  
 
[[Category: PDP-10s]]
 
[[Category: PDP-10s]]

Latest revision as of 01:40, 9 November 2024

The Super Foonly (the original name; the form Superfoonly later came into use, and is much used now) was a project and computer design done at SAIL. The project goal was to make a PDP-10 compatible processor that was an order of magnitude faster than the existing KA10. The design phase was finished, and was projected to meet the goal, but at that point ARPA funding was cut. The design was never built, but it had several very significant spin-offs.

In one, to help do the design, SUDS was created; it was a pioneering CAD system that went on to have several very important descendants. In another, it also inspired DEC to build the KL10; the Super Foonly design was updated and somewhat simplified for the KL10.

The Super Foonly design was also updated and built by the newly-established Foonly, with III funding, to become the Foonly F-1. The F-1 was used to render some scenes in the movie TRON.

External links