Comment Assembler (Score 1) 168
Started in mid sixties as hardware tech learning (company trained) on various hardware - mainframe and mini. Example was Collin's Radio C8401 mainframe. It was all transistor system - and it was a micro coded system. The micro code memory was called 'biax memory'. Biax was loaded (rarely needed - core memory kept contents) by a 9600 baud mylar tape reader, that emitted tape so fast it streamed about six feet before falling to ground. - Ahh the good old days! As an aside - biax memory unit was made by a division of Ford Motor Company. Also rumour had it that 'another' reason Collins' chose microcode was the ability to be able to emulate in microcode other mainframe vendors codeset. The C8401 was used as message switch for primarily Baudot networks (octal code) and as such had the ability to address a sixteen bit word in full - say Load #0addr - loaded sixteen bit fullword, Load #1addr, Load#2addr, Load#3addr to get five bits from first, second and third five bit 'chunks' from 'addr'. As more hardware was brought online - C8501. DEC and DGen minis, Philips mainframe, as a hardware techie I was trained to the gate level on all systems, all devices and basic assembler coding on all systems. Those days are long gone! I eventually went into programming - Mainly assembler, C, and smattering of other high level languages as needed.
