Motorola 96000
A floating-point DSP family based on the Motorola 56000.
Motorola’s 96XXX family—also called the 96000 or 96K—is a line of digital signal processors that built on the earlier 56000 design. While remaining software compatible with that predecessor, the 96000 upgraded to a full single-precision (32-bit) floating-point implementation that conforms to the IEEE 754-1985 standard. Many architectural features carried over from the 56000, including a separate address space for the stack, known as “Stack Memory Space,” which is distinct from main memory. This stack, used for subroutine calls and long interrupts, is fifteen words deep. Where the 56000 had two 56-bit accumulators (each splittable into one 8-bit extension register and two 24-bit registers), the 96000 offered ten 96-bit registers, each divisible into three 32-bit sub-registers. Unlike the 56000, the 96000 family consisted of just a single model: the 96002. It saw limited commercial success and was produced only briefly; today, its role has been taken over by products based on the Motorola StarCore series. Development tools for the 96000 include an assembler and an instruction set simulator.
- Family
- Motorola 96XXX (96000, 96K)
- Based on
- Motorola 56000
- Software compatible with
- Motorola 56000
- Floating-point standard
- IEEE 754-1985 single-precision (32-bit)
- Stack memory space
- Separate address space, 15 words deep
- Registers
- Ten 96-bit registers, each partitionable into three 32-bit sub-registers
- Models in family
- Single model: 96002
Lore & Background
The Motorola 96000 family shares many design features with its predecessor, the Motorola 56000. In the 96000 architecture, the stack area is allocated in a separate address space called 'Stack Memory Space', distinct from the main memory address space. The stack, used for subroutine calls and long interrupts, is fifteen words in depth. While the 56000 has two 56-bit accumulators (each partitionable into one 8-bit extension register and two 24-bit registers), the 96000 is equipped with ten 96-bit registers, each of which can be partitioned into three 32-bit sub-registers.
Unlike the 56000, the 96000 family consisted of a single model, the 96002. It was not as successful as the 56000 and was only produced for a short period of time. The 96000 offers an Assembler and an Instruction set simulator as part of its development tools.
Reader's Guide
The Motorola 96000 represents a short-lived but technically notable step in Motorola's DSP lineage. As a single-model family (the 96002), it extended the 56000 architecture into the realm of IEEE 754-1985 single-precision floating-point processing, offering ten 96-bit registers that could be partitioned into three 32-bit sub-registers each. Its separate stack memory space and 15-word-deep stack were carried over from the 56000 design. Despite its technical capabilities, the 96000 was not as commercially successful as the 56000 and was produced only briefly. Today, its role in Motorola's product line has been filled by products based on the Motorola StarCore series. The availability of an Assembler and an Instruction set simulator as development tools indicates that it was intended for serious embedded DSP development, but market factors limited its adoption and lifespan.
Did You Know?
- It has ten 96-bit registers, each partitionable into three 32-bit sub-registers.
- The stack is allocated in a separate address space called 'Stack Memory Space' and is 15 words deep.
- The 96000 is software compatible with the earlier Motorola 56000.
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