Groups > comp.arch > #2012

History of byte addressing

From	John Levine <johnl@iecc.com>
Newsgroups	comp.arch
Subject	History of byte addressing
Date	2011-06-02 19:36 +0000
Organization	Taughannock Networks, Trumansburg NY
Message-ID	<is8ons$jiv$1@gal.iecc.com> (permalink)

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These days people think that it's practically a law of nature that computer
memory is composed of 8-bit bytes that can be addressed individually, or
in power-of-two groups up to whatever the machine's register size is.

Back in the heroic era (the 1950s), computers were either word
addressed, with kludges to extract smaller fields, or else by
character, usually with instructions to handle strings of characters,
but not to handle fixed sized groups of them.

The first machine I know of with modern byte addressing was the IBM
System/360.  Did they invent it, or did someone else do it first?
The 7030 Stretch had 64 bit words with a complicated addressing
architecture of word, halfword or bit, with variable sized bytes,
so the 360's addressing is more or less a simplified version of
Stretch.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. http://jl.ly

PS: You don't have to tell me that there are still machines that
aren't byte addressed.  But these days they're all DSPs or embedded or
otherwise special purpose.

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History of byte addressing John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> - 2011-06-02 19:36 +0000
  Re: History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-06-02 20:38 +0100
    Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-03 08:05 -0700
  Re: History of byte addressing Alex McDonald <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2011-06-03 05:26 -0700
    Re: History of byte addressing Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2011-06-03 09:48 -0400
  Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-03 07:49 -0700
    Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-03 10:56 -0700
  Re: History of byte addressing "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-06-04 10:59 -0700
    Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-04 15:01 -0700
      Re: History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-06-04 22:53 +0100
        Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-05 10:40 -0700
    Re: History of byte addressing John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> - 2011-06-05 06:10 +0000
      Re: History of byte addressing Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-06-05 10:00 -0700
        Re: History of byte addressing Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-06-05 10:04 -0700
          Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-05 10:36 -0700
            Re: History of byte addressing "Paul A. Clayton" <paaronclayton@gmail.com> - 2011-06-05 11:00 -0700
              Re: History of byte addressing Morten Reistad <first@last.name> - 2011-06-05 21:42 +0200
                Re: History of byte addressing anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2011-06-06 17:03 +0000
                Re: History of byte addressing Andrew Reilly <areilly---@bigpond.net.au> - 2011-06-06 23:55 +0000
                Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-06 18:26 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing Andrew Reilly <areilly---@bigpond.net.au> - 2011-06-07 05:08 +0000
                Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-07 03:26 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing Roberto Waltman <usenet@rwaltman.com> - 2011-07-05 20:00 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing jsavard@excxn.aNOSPAMb.cdn.invalid (John Savard) - 2011-07-06 00:15 +0000
              Re: History of byte addressing George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2011-06-05 16:18 -0400
              Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-05 22:10 -0700
              Re: History of byte addressing torbenm@diku.dk (Torben Ægidius Mogensen) - 2011-06-07 10:50 +0200
                Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 16:02 +0200
              Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 15:51 +0200
            Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-05 13:43 -0600
              Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-05 22:12 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2011-06-06 02:04 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing Stephen Fuld <SFuld@alumni.cmu.edu.invalid> - 2011-06-05 23:49 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2011-06-06 13:34 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing Stephen Fuld <SFuld@alumni.cmu.edu.invalid> - 2011-06-06 10:49 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-06-06 22:42 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2011-06-07 07:37 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing Stephen Fuld <SFuld@alumni.cmu.edu.invalid> - 2011-06-07 08:22 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-06-11 09:56 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2011-06-11 14:59 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-11 18:52 -0600
                Re: History of byte addressing "Andy \"Krazy\" Glew" <andy@SPAM.comp-arch.net> - 2011-06-12 12:40 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2011-06-11 15:05 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-06 13:10 -0600
                Re: History of byte addressing George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2011-06-06 16:41 -0400
                Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-06 18:13 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-06 23:50 -0600
                Re: History of byte addressing Jim Haynes <jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu> - 2011-06-07 10:01 -0500
                Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-07 13:09 -0600
                Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-07 14:03 -0600
                Re: History of byte addressing Louis Krupp <lkrupp@nospam.indra.com.invalid> - 2011-06-06 05:16 -0600
        Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-05 10:44 -0700
        Re: History of byte addressing John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> - 2011-06-06 05:00 +0000
          Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-05 22:11 -0700
            Re: History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-06-06 08:00 +0100
              Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-06 18:16 -0700
            Re: History of byte addressing Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2011-06-06 01:01 -0700
              Re: History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-06-06 08:30 +0100
                Re: History of byte addressing Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-06-06 10:34 +0200
                Re: History of byte addressing Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2011-06-06 03:29 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing Terje Mathisen <"terje.mathisen at tmsw.no"> - 2011-06-06 15:21 +0200
                Re: History of byte addressing Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2011-06-06 03:23 -0700
                Re: History of byte addressing MitchAlsup <MitchAlsup@aol.com> - 2011-06-07 08:01 -0700
                Re: alignment, was History of byte addressing John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> - 2011-06-06 18:33 +0000
                Re: alignment, was History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-06-06 19:30 +0100
                Re: alignment, was History of byte addressing Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2011-06-06 15:32 -0400
              Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-06 18:11 -0700
          Re: History of byte addressing Robert Myers <rbmyersusa@gmail.com> - 2011-06-06 06:48 -0700
            Re: History of byte addressing jsavard@excxn.aNOSPAMb.cdn.invalid (John Savard) - 2011-07-03 16:13 +0000
        Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-03 09:10 -0700
  Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 16:23 +0200
    Re: History of byte addressing Stephen Fuld <SFuld@alumni.cmu.edu.invalid> - 2011-06-07 08:26 -0700
  Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 16:25 +0200
    Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 16:45 +0200
      Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 16:48 +0200
      Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 16:59 +0200
        Re: History of byte addressing "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-06-07 17:05 +0200
  Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-06-18 15:43 -0700
  Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 03:14 -0700
    Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 03:40 -0700
      Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 04:28 -0700
        Re: History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-04 13:38 +0100
          Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 06:47 -0700
            Re: History of byte addressing nmm1@cam.ac.uk - 2011-07-04 14:16 +0100
        Re: History of byte addressing Bill Findlay <yaldnif.w@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2011-07-04 15:53 +0100
      Re: History of byte addressing Bill Findlay <yaldnif.w@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2011-07-04 15:36 +0100
        Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 07:50 -0700
          Re: History of byte addressing John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> - 2011-07-04 19:46 +0000
            Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 15:29 -0700
              Re: History of byte addressing Bill Findlay <yaldnif.w@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2011-07-05 00:02 +0100
      Re: History of byte addressing Bill Findlay <yaldnif.w@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2011-07-04 15:47 +0100
        Re: History of byte addressing Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-07-04 07:54 -0700

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