In computing, a syllable is a unit of information that describes the size of data for some digital hardware from the 1960s and 1970s. The size of the unit varies by hardware design in much the same way that word does. The term is not used for modern hardware; standardized terms, such as byte, are used instead.
Examples:
- 3-bit: some experimental CISC designs[1][2]
- 6-bit: Burroughs B8500
- 8-bit: English Electric KDF9 (represented as syllabic octals and also called slob-octals[3][4] or slobs in this context)[5] and Burroughs B6500, B6700/B7700, and successors (see also: Burroughs B6x00-7x00 instruction set)
- 12-bit: NCR computers such as the NCR 315[6] (also called slabs in this context)[6][7][8] and Burroughs B5000, B5500, and B5700 (see also: B5000 instruction set)
- 13-bit: Saturn Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC)[9] and Gemini Spacecraft On-Board Computer (OBC)[10]
See also
- (in linguistics)
References
- ^ "A Minimal CISC". Computer Architecture On-Line Collection. Iowa City, USA: The University of Iowa, Department of Computer Science. 2016. Archived 2016-05-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
- ^ "A Minimal CISC". ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News. 16 (3): 56–63. New York, USA: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). June 1988. doi:10.1145/48675.48684. S2CID 17280173
- ^ "The KDF9 Computer — 30 Years On". Resurrection - The Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society. No. 18. Computer Conservation Society (CCS). Autumn 1997. pp. 7–15 [9, 11]. ISSN 0958-7403. Archived 2020-07-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-07-27. [1] (NB. This is an edited version of a talk given to North West Group of the Society at the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, UK on 1996-10-01. It mentions the term "slob" and "slob-octal" as equivalent to "syllabic octal".)
- ^ "Architecture of the English Electric KDF9 computer.". Version 1. Computer Conservation Society (CCS). September 2009. CCS-N4X2. Archived 2020-04-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-07-27. (NB. Refers to Beard's 1997 article.)
- ^ English Electric KDF9: Very high speed data processing system for Commerce, Industry, Science (Product flyer). English Electric. c. 1961. Publication No. DP/103. 096320WP/RP0961. Archived 2020-07-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
- ^ Datenverarbeitungs-Lexikon [Lexicon of information technology] (in German). softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH / Betriebswirtschaftlicher Verlag Dr. Th. Gabler GmbH. 2013. pp. 201, 308. doi:10.1007/978-3-663-13618-7. ISBN 978-3-409-31831-0. ISBN 3-663-13618-3 / ISBN 978-3-663-13618-7 (ebook). Retrieved 2016-05-24.
slab, Abk. aus syllable = Silbe, die kleinste adressierbare Informationseinheit für 12 bit zur Übertragung von zwei Alphazeichen oder drei numerischen Zeichen. (NCR) […] Hardware: Datenstruktur: NCR 315-100 / NCR 315-RMC; Wortlänge: Silbe; Bits: 12; Bytes: –; Dezimalziffern: 3; Zeichen: 2; Gleitkommadarstellung: fest verdrahtet; Mantisse: 4 Silben; Exponent: 1 Silbe (11 Stellen + 1 Vorzeichen)
- ^ "315 Electronic Data Processing System". NCR. November 1965. NCR MPN ST-5008-15. Archived 2016-05-24 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
- ^ "NCR 315 Seminar". Computer Usage Communique. 2 (3). 1963. Archived 2016-05-24 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Virtual AGC — AGS — LVDC — Gemini: Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC): Saturn IB and Saturn V Rockets". 2009-08-21. Archived 2016-05-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
- ^ "Gemini Spacecraft Computer (OBC): Layout of Memory Words". 2010-09-06. Archived 2016-05-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2016-05-28.