Syllable (computing): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|A platform-specific data size used for some historical digital hardware}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019|cs1-dates=y}}

{{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}}

In computing, a '''syllable''' is a name for a platform-dependent '''unit''' of '''information storage'''. Depending on the target hardware, various [[bit width]]s (and sometimes internal groupings) are associated with it. Commonly used in the 1960s and 1970s, the term has mostly fallen into disuse in favour of terms like [[byte]] or [[word (computer architecture)|word]].

In computing, a '''syllable''' is a [[Units of information|unit of information]] that describes the size of data for some digital [[computer hardware|hardware]] from the 1960s and 1970s. The size of the unit varies by hardware design in much the same way that [[word (computer architecture)|word]] does. The term is not used for modern hardware; standardized terms, such as [[byte]], are used instead.

Examples:

* {{anchor|3-bit}}[[3-bit]] syllables: some experimental [[Complex Instruction Set Computing|CISC]] designs<ref name="Jones_2016_CISC"/><ref name="Jones_1988_CISC"/>

* {{anchor|8-bit}}[[8-bit computing|8-bit]] syllables: [[English Electric KDF9]] (represented as [[syllabic octal]]s and also called [[slob-octal]]s<ref name="Beard_1997"/><ref name="CCS_2009"/> or [[slob (KDF9)|slob]]s in this context)<ref name="EE_1961"/> and [[Burroughs large systems]] (see also: [[Burroughs B6x00-7x00 instruction set]])

* {{anchor|12-bit}}[[12-bit computing|12-bit]] syllables: NCR computers such as the [[NCR 315]]<ref name="Schneider_1970"/> (also called [[slab (unit)|slab]]s in this context)<ref name="Schneider_1970"/><ref name="NCR_315_EDPS"/><ref name="Bardin_1963"/> and [[Burroughs large systems]]

* {{anchor|13-bit}}[[13-bit]] syllables: [[Saturn Launch Vehicle Digital Computer]] (LVDC)<ref name="Burkey_2009_LVDC"/> and [[Gemini Spacecraft On-Board Computer]] (OBC)<ref name="Burkey_2010_Gemini"/>

==See also==

* [[{{Annotated link|Catena (computing)]]}}

* [[Byte]]

* {{Annotated link|Nibble}}

* [[Catena (computing)]]

* {{Annotated link|Opcode|Opcode, aka instruction syllable}}

* [[Instruction syllable]]

* [[{{Annotated link|Parcel (computing)]]}}

* [[Nibble]]

* [[{{Annotated link|Syllable}} (in linguistics)]]

* [[Opcode]]

* [[Opstring]]

* [[Parcel (computing)]]

* [[Syllable (linguistics)]]

* [[Word (computer architecture)]]

==References==

{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Jones_2016_CISC">{{cite web |title=A Minimal CISC |work=Computer Architecture On-Line Collection |author-first=Douglas W. |author-last=Jones |publisher=[[The University of Iowa]], Department of Computer Science |date=2016 |orig-date=2012 |___location=Iowa City, USA |url=http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/arch/cisc/ |access-date=2016-05-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528125208/http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/arch/cisc/ |archive-date=2016-05-28}}</ref>

<ref name="Jones_1988_CISC">{{cite journal |title=A Minimal CISC |author-first=Douglas W. |author-last=Jones<!-- |other=[[The University of Iowa]], Department of Computer Science, Iowa City, USA --> |journal=ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News |publisher=[[Association for Computing Machinery]] (ACM) |___location=New York, USA |date=June 1988 |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=56–63 |doi=10.1145/48675.48684 |s2cid=17280173 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name="Schneider_1970">{{cite book |title=Datenverarbeitungs-Lexikon |language=de |trans-title=Lexicon of information technology |author-first=Carl |author-last=Schneider |date=2013 |orig-date=1970 |publisher=[[Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH]] / [[Betriebswirtschaftlicher Verlag Dr. Th. Gabler GmbH]] |___location=Wiesbaden, Germany |edition=softcover reprint of hardcover 1st |isbn=978-3-409-31831-0<!-- softcover reprint --> |id={{ISBN|3-663-13618-3}} / {{ISBN|978-3-663-13618-7}} (ebook)<!-- ebook --> |doi=10.1007/978-3-663-13618-7 |pages=201, 308 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3aN9BwAAQBAJ |access-date=2016-05-24 |quote-pages=201, 308 |quote=''slab'', Abk. aus ''syllable''&nbsp;= Silbe, die kleinste adressierbare Informationseinheit für 12 bit zur Übertragung von zwei Alphazeichen oder drei numerischen Zeichen. ''(NCR)'' […] Hardware: Datenstruktur: NCR 315-100&nbsp;/ NCR 315-RMC; Wortlänge: Silbe; Bits: 12; Bytes: –; Dezimalziffern: 3; Zeichen: 2; Gleitkommadarstellung: fest verdrahtet; Mantisse: 4 Silben; Exponent: 1 Silbe (11 Stellen + 1 Vorzeichen) |trans-quote=''[[slab (unit)|slab]]'', abbr. for ''[[syllable (linguistics)|syllable]]''&nbsp;= syllable, smallest addressable information unit for 12 bits for the transfer of two alphabetical characters or three numerical characters. ''(NCR)'' […] Hardware: Data structure: [[NCR 315-100]]&nbsp;/ [[NCR 315-RMC]]; [[Word length]]: Syllable; [[Bit]]s: 12; [[Byte]]s: –; [[Decimal digit]]s: 3; Characters: 2; [[Floating point format]]: hard-wired; [[Significand]]: 4 syllables; [[Exponent]]: 1 syllable (11 digits + 1 prefix)}}</ref>

<ref name="NCR_315_EDPS">{{cite web |url=http://www.thecorememory.com/NCR_315_EDPS.pdf |title=315 Electronic Data Processing System |publisher=[[NCR Corporation|NCR]] |date=November 1965 |id=NCR MPN ST-5008-15 |access-date=2015-01-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524113545/http://www.thecorememory.com/NCR_315_EDPS.pdf |archive-date=2016-05-24}}</ref>

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<ref name="Burkey_2010_Gemini">{{cite web |title=Gemini Spacecraft Computer (OBC): Layout of Memory Words |author-first=Ronald |author-last=Burkey |date=2010-09-06 |orig-date=2011 |url=http://apollo.josefsipek.net/Gemini.html<!-- http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/Gemini.htp --> |access-date=2016-05-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528122439/http://apollo.josefsipek.net/Gemini.html <!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20160528114015/http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/Gemini.htp --> |archive-date=2016-05-28}}</ref>

<ref name="EE_1961">{{cite book |title=English Electric KDF9: Very high speed data processing system for Commerce, Industry, Science |type=Product flyer |date=c. 1961 |publisher=[[English Electric]] |id=Publication No. DP/103. 096320WP/RP0961 |url=http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/KDF9_Flier.pdf |access-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727143037/http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/KDF9_Flier.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-27}}</ref>

<ref name="Beard_1997">{{anchor|Beard-1997}}{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Resurrection (magazine)|Resurrection]] - The Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society |issn=0958-7403 |publisher=[[Computer Conservation Society]] (CCS) |volume= |number=18 |date=Autumn 1997 |orig-date=1996-10-01 |title=The KDF9 Computer — 30 Years On |author-first=Bob |author-last=Beard |pages=7–15 [9, 11] |url=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/Archive/Resurrection/pdf/res18.pdf |access-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727140754/http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/Archive/Resurrection/pdf/res18.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-27}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20200427075718/http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/res/res18.htm#c] (NB. This is an edited version of a talk given to North West Group of the Society at the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, UK on 1996-10-01. It mentions the term "slob"<!-- not a mere typo for "slab" as it mentioned twice in the article --> and "slob-octal" as equivalent to "syllabic octal".)</ref>

<ref name="CCS_2009">{{cite web |title=Architecture of the English Electric KDF9 computer. |version=Version 1 |date=September 2009 |publisher=[[Computer Conservation Society]] (CCS) |id=CCS-N4X2 |url=http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/ccs-n2x2.pdf |access-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404195007/http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/ccs-n2x2.pdf |archive-date=2020-0704-2704}} (NB. Refers to Beard's 1997 [[#Beard-1997|article]].)</ref>

}}