- Lilith (computer)
Lilith is the name of custom built
workstation using theAMD 2901 bit-slice processor by the group ofNiklaus Wirth atETH Zürich . The project started in1977 and by1984 several hundred workstations were in use. It had a high resolution full page display, a mouse, alaser printer interface, and a network interface. Its software was written completely inModula-2 and included arelational database program called Lidas.Citing from Sven Erik Knudsen's contribution to "The Art of Simplicity (see References): "Lilith's clock speed was 7 MHz and enabled the Lilith to execute between 1 and 2 MIPS (M-Code instructions). (...) Initially, the main memory was planned to have 65,536 16-bit words memory, but soon after the first version, it was enlarged to twice that capacity. For regular
Modula-2 programs, however, only the initial 65,536 words were usable for storage of variables."History
The development of Lilith was influenced by the Xerox Alto from the
Xerox PARC (1973 ) whereWirth worked from1976 to 1977. Unable to bring back one of the Alto to Europe, Wirth decided to build a new system from scratch [http://www.modulaware.com/mdlt52.htm] .Notes
There was also a Soviet clone of the Lilith called Kronos.
External links & References
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/eth/lilith/LilithHandbook_Aug82.pdf Geissman, L et al. (August 1982) Lilith Handbook] (PDF file)
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/eth/lilith/eth7346_Medos-2_1983.pdf Knudsen, S (1983) Medos-2: A Modula-2 Oriented Operating System for the Personal Computer Lilith] (PDF file)
* [http://cfbsoftware.com/files/Lilith.pdf Wirth, N (1981) The Personal Computer Lilith] (PDF file)
* [http://www.modulaware.com/mdlt52.htm A Brief History of Modula and Lilith]
* [http://cfbsoftware.com/modula2 Lilith and Modula-2]
* [http://www.ethistory.ethz.ch/rueckblicke/departemente/dinfk/weitere_seiten/lilith/index_EN ETHistory - Lilith Workstation]
* [http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/2901/AMD-AM2901DC.html AMD AM2901DC entry on CPU World]* The School of Niklaus Wirth "The Art of Simplicity" by László Böszörményi, Jürg Gutknecht, Gustav Pomberger (Ed.), 2000, Morgan Kaufmann ISBN 1-55860-723-4 & dpunkt, ISBN 3-932588-85-1
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