Re: Intel vs 6502

[et472@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Black)]

"Kelli Halliburton" (kelli217@crosswinds.not) writes:
>[stuff deleted] 
> 
> While the various floating point chips were designed to work best with their
> companions, it is theoretically possible for any CPU to use any FPU, given
> the right software and interface logic.
> 
And of course, some people were trying for floating point hardware almost
as soon as there were home computers.  There was an article about 1978
in BYTE that described a pair of floating point math processors, I forget
their numbers or manufacturers.  And someone described a floating point
math processor for the KIM-1, using a Commodore IC; it was never clear
if it was designed for such interfacing or was just a calculator IC.

The issue of mixing math processors with CPUs that they weren't designed
for is not new.  Remember DTACK Grounded?  I remember the ads for the
company talking about using a National math co-processor with the 68000
CPU.

The earlier math co-processors are probably easier to deal with, since
there was less integration.  It's been years since I read about it,
but I thought the 8087 was more standalone than the 80287.

   Michael