SV: Re: [sdiy] Roland DCOs

[Eric Brombaugh]

Veronica Merryfield wrote:
> I once worked with some early Transputer T405s that had the halt and 
> catch fire bug. One of the lesser, thankfully, used instructions would 
> turn on a transistor that had a missing resistor thus would short the 
> power to ground, halting the cpu as the power level dropped and would 
> get so hot the plastic dip would flame. I had a special cut of the 
> compiler and assembler to avoid using the instruction. We later got new 
> versions and I had the fun of executing a very short program and 
> watching :)
> 
> That is a fun silicon bug :)

Transputers... That brings back the memories - an outfit I used to work 
for did a system based on Transputers & FPGAs for real-time signals 
analysis. I've still got a rail of T801s from that project. Neat 
processors, but probably not worth much anymore. I believe there is a 
fairly active underground of folks still playing with them though.

Apparently some of the designers of those parts now have a new company 
doing similar stuff with up-to-date silicon technology:

http://www.xmos.com/

Wonder what you could with those in a synthesizer? :)

Eric