> > The biggest risk I remember from the 730 design (I worked in the same hardware > lab, different project: 11/74 CIS) was the extensive use of PALs. This was the > first (I believe) project at DEC to use them, and they were basically buying > all
It may well have been. Certainly the 11/730 is full of PALs, this is how (I think) they got a complete VAX CPU onto 3 hex boards using standard ICs. The only custom parts (as opposed to custom programmed parts) in there are the 2 gate arrays for the memory ECC which are the same as the ones in an 11/750. DEC were also using the 82S100 PLA at around that time. Whether it was first used before the 11/730 I don't know (I suspect it was). Don't get me wrong, I like the 11/730, and apart from the use of DRAM for the control store I think it is a very interesting and neat design. It is one of only 2 VAX families I would consider trying to run, and due to space constraints it's the only one I can run (the other being the 11/780, and no way do I have room for one of those). -tony
