Semiconductor & Computer Engineering
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{{novix title|NC4016}} | {{novix title|NC4016}} | ||
| − | {{mpu}} | + | {{mpu |
| + | |name=NC4016 | ||
| + | |no image=No | ||
| + | |designer=Novix | ||
| + | |model number=NC4016 | ||
| + | |market=Embedded | ||
| + | |first announced=1984 | ||
| + | |first launched=June, 1985 | ||
| + | |frequency=7.5 MHz | ||
| + | |process=3 μm | ||
| + | |transistors=16,000 | ||
| + | |technology=CMOS | ||
| + | |word size=16 bit | ||
| + | |core count=1 | ||
| + | |thread count=1 | ||
| + | }} | ||
'''NC4016''' (formerly '''NC4000''') was a 16-bit [[stack machine]] [[microprocessor]] designed by Novix in 1985 primarily for the [[Forth programming language]]. The NC4016 directly executes the primitives of the high-level Forth programming language. The NC4016 was capable of executing typical Forth programs as much as 20 times faster than the [[Motorola 68000]]. Novix also offered the NC4000 Small C Compiler which was compatible with the NC4016 microprocessor. | '''NC4016''' (formerly '''NC4000''') was a 16-bit [[stack machine]] [[microprocessor]] designed by Novix in 1985 primarily for the [[Forth programming language]]. The NC4016 directly executes the primitives of the high-level Forth programming language. The NC4016 was capable of executing typical Forth programs as much as 20 times faster than the [[Motorola 68000]]. Novix also offered the NC4000 Small C Compiler which was compatible with the NC4016 microprocessor. | ||
Revision as of 06:26, 10 September 2017
Template:mpu NC4016 (formerly NC4000) was a 16-bit stack machine microprocessor designed by Novix in 1985 primarily for the Forth programming language. The NC4016 directly executes the primitives of the high-level Forth programming language. The NC4016 was capable of executing typical Forth programs as much as 20 times faster than the Motorola 68000. Novix also offered the NC4000 Small C Compiler which was compatible with the NC4016 microprocessor.
In 1988, the NC4016 design was licensed and improved by Harris Semiconductor which later rebranded the chip as the RTX2000, a radiation hardened version suitable for spacecrafts use.
The NC4016 was later replaced by the NC5016 and later by the NC6016.
History
In 1983 Charles H. Moore founded Novix, Inc, a company with the goal of designing a microprocessor that would execute FORTH programs optimally. The chip, which was originally named NC4000, was released as the NC4016 in June of 1985. The NC4016 was a complete stack machine. The opcodes manipulated the stack directly.
The microprocessor, which was fabricated using 3 μm HCMOS process technology, has a 7.5MHz clock capable of 10MIPS.
Implementation
Due to the limitations in the gate array technology of the time, the chip did not have any on-chip memory. Three separate modules were required: for the return stack, data stack, and program and data stack.