Lilith (computer)
Encyclopedia
Lilith is the name of custom built workstation
using the AMD 2901
bit-slice processor
by the group of Niklaus Wirth
at ETH Zürich
. The project started in 1977 and by 1984 several hundred workstations were in use. It had a high resolution full page display
, a mouse
, a laser printer
interface, and a network interface. Its software was written completely in Modula-2
and included a relational database
program called Lidas.
Citing from Sven Erik Knudsen's contribution to "The Art of Simplicity": "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."
from the Xerox PARC
(1973) where Niklaus Wirth
spent a sabbatical from 1976 to 1977. Unable to bring back one of the Alto systems to Europe, Wirth decided to build a new system from scratch. In 1985 he had a second sabbatical leave to PARC, which led to the design of the Oberon System. Ceres
, the follow-up to Lilith, was also released in 1985.
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
using the AMD 2901
AMD Am2900
Am2900 is a family of integrated circuits created in 1975 by Advanced Micro Devices . They were constructed with bipolar devices, in a bit-slice topology, and were designed to be used as modular components each representing a different aspect of a computer control unit...
bit-slice processor
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
by the group of Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Emil Wirth is a Swiss computer scientist, best known for designing several programming languages, including Pascal, and for pioneering several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984 he won the Turing Award for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages.-Biography:Wirth...
at ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
. The project started in 1977 and by 1984 several hundred workstations were in use. It had a high resolution full page display
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
, a mouse
Mouse (computing)
In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons...
, a laser printer
Laser printer
A laser printer is a common type of computer printer that rapidly produces high quality text and graphics on plain paper. As with digital photocopiers and multifunction printers , laser printers employ a xerographic printing process, but differ from analog photocopiers in that the image is produced...
interface, and a network interface. Its software was written completely in Modula-2
Modula-2
Modula-2 is a computer programming language designed and developed between 1977 and 1980 by Niklaus Wirth at ETH Zurich as a revision of Pascal to serve as the sole programming language for the operating system and application software for the personal workstation Lilith...
and included a relational database
Relational database
A relational database is a database that conforms to relational model theory. The software used in a relational database is called a relational database management system . Colloquial use of the term "relational database" may refer to the RDBMS software, or the relational database itself...
program called Lidas.
Citing from Sven Erik Knudsen's contribution to "The Art of Simplicity": "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
Modula-2
Modula-2 is a computer programming language designed and developed between 1977 and 1980 by Niklaus Wirth at ETH Zurich as a revision of Pascal to serve as the sole programming language for the operating system and application software for the personal workstation Lilith...
programs, however, only the initial 65,536 words were usable for storage of variables."
History
The development of Lilith was influenced by the Xerox AltoXerox Alto
The Xerox Alto was one of the first computers designed for individual use , making it arguably what is now called a personal computer. It was developed at Xerox PARC in 1973...
from the Xerox PARC
Xerox PARC
PARC , formerly Xerox PARC, is a research and co-development company in Palo Alto, California, with a distinguished reputation for its contributions to information technology and hardware systems....
(1973) where Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Emil Wirth is a Swiss computer scientist, best known for designing several programming languages, including Pascal, and for pioneering several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984 he won the Turing Award for developing a sequence of innovative computer languages.-Biography:Wirth...
spent a sabbatical from 1976 to 1977. Unable to bring back one of the Alto systems to Europe, Wirth decided to build a new system from scratch. In 1985 he had a second sabbatical leave to PARC, which led to the design of the Oberon System. Ceres
Ceres (workstation)
-Ceres Workstation:As a followup project to the Lilith, a machine based on bit-slice technology and the programming language Modula-2, Niklaus Wirth's group started around 1985 another workstation project based on the NS320xx CPU by National Semiconductor...
, the follow-up to Lilith, was also released in 1985.
External links & References
- Documentation on BitSavers
- Geissman, L et al. (August 1982) Lilith Handbook
- Knudsen, S (1983) Medos-2: A Modula-2 Oriented Operating System for the Personal Computer Lilith
- Wirth, N (1981) The Personal Computer Lilith
- [ftp://jdreesen.dyndns.org/ftp/Emulith An Emulator for the Lilith] and its [ftp://jdreesen.dyndns.org/ftp/Emulith/Emulith_Manual.pdf documentation]
- Lilith and Modula-2
- ETHistory - Lilith Workstation
- AMD AM2901DC entry on CPU World