A new operating system known as MICA would support both ULTRIX and VAX/VMS interfaces on top of a common kernel, allowing software for both platforms to be easily ported to the PRISM architecture. Started in 1985, the PRISM design was continually changed during its development in response to changes in the computer market, leading to lengthy delays in its introduction.
It was not until the summer of 1987 that it was decided that it would be a 64-bit design, among the earliest such designs in a microprocessor format.
In October 1987, Sun Microsystems introduced the Sun-4, their first workstation using their new SPARC processor.
This sparked off an acrimonious debate within the company, which came to a head in a July 1988 management meeting.
PRISM appeared to be faster than the R2000, but the R2000 machines could be in the market by January 1989, a year earlier than PRISM.
Further work on this concept suggested this was a workable approach. Supnik took the resulting report to the Strategy Task Force in February 1989.
The first version, the Alpha 21064 (otherwise known as the EV4) was introduced in November 1992 running at up to 192 MHz; a slight shrink of the die (the EV4S, shrunk from 0.75 µm to 0.675 µm) ran at 200 MHz a few months later.
Also note that the benchmark and scale changed from 1992 to 1995.
These were introduced on March 1, 1994.
The last models, the Alpha VME 5/352 and Alpha VME 5/480, were based on the 21164 processor. The 21066 chip was used in the DEC Multia VX40/41/42 compact workstation and the ALPHAbook 1 laptop from Tadpole Technology. In 1994, DEC launched a new range of AlphaStation and AlphaServer systems.
In comparison, the less expensive Intel Pentium ran at 66 MHz when it was launched the following spring. The Alpha 21164 or EV5 became available in 1995 at processor frequencies of up to 333 MHz.
Also note that the benchmark and scale changed from 1992 to 1995.
In July 1996 the line was speed bumped to 500 MHz, in March 1998 to 666 MHz.
In 2003, the Alpha 21364 or EV7 Marvel was launched, essentially an EV68 core with four 1.6 GB/s inter-processor communication links for improved multiprocessor system performance, running at 1 or 1.15 GHz. In 1996, the production of Alpha chips was licensed to Samsung Electronics Company.
In July 1996 the line was speed bumped to 500 MHz, in March 1998 to 666 MHz.
Also in 1998 the Alpha 21264 (EV6) was released at 450 MHz, eventually reaching (in 2001 with the 21264C/EV68CB) 1.25 GHz.
The DEC 3000 AXP systems used the same TURBOchannel bus as the previous MIPS-based DECstation models, whereas the 4000 was based on FutureBus+ and the 7000/10000 shared an architecture with corresponding VAX models. DEC also produced a PC-like Alpha workstation with an EISA bus, the DECpc AXP 150 (codename "Jensen", also known as the DEC 2000 AXP).
Compaq, already an Intel customer, phased out Alpha in favor of the forthcoming Hewlett-Packard/Intel Itanium architecture, and sold all Alpha intellectual property to Intel in 2001, effectively killing the product.
Also in 1998 the Alpha 21264 (EV6) was released at 450 MHz, eventually reaching (in 2001 with the 21264C/EV68CB) 1.25 GHz.
In October 2001, Microway became the exclusive sales and service provider of API NetWorks' Alpha-based product line. On June 25, 2001, Compaq announced that Alpha would be phased out by 2004 in favor of Intel's Itanium, canceled the planned EV8 chip, and sold all Alpha intellectual property to Intel.
In 2003, the Alpha 21364 or EV7 Marvel was launched, essentially an EV68 core with four 1.6 GB/s inter-processor communication links for improved multiprocessor system performance, running at 1 or 1.15 GHz. In 1996, the production of Alpha chips was licensed to Samsung Electronics Company.
Includes the Alpha Architecture Handbook and various programming manuals. A Conversation with Dan Dobberpuhl (October 1, 2003) Dr.
Hewlett-Packard purchased Compaq later that same year, continuing development of the existing product line until 2004, and selling Alpha-based systems, largely to the existing customer base, until April 2007. ==History== ===PRISM=== Alpha was born out of an earlier RISC project named PRISM (Parallel Reduced Instruction Set Machine), itself the product of several earlier projects.
In October 2001, Microway became the exclusive sales and service provider of API NetWorks' Alpha-based product line. On June 25, 2001, Compaq announced that Alpha would be phased out by 2004 in favor of Intel's Itanium, canceled the planned EV8 chip, and sold all Alpha intellectual property to Intel.
Hewlett-Packard purchased Compaq later that same year, continuing development of the existing product line until 2004, and selling Alpha-based systems, largely to the existing customer base, until April 2007. ==History== ===PRISM=== Alpha was born out of an earlier RISC project named PRISM (Parallel Reduced Instruction Set Machine), itself the product of several earlier projects.
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