[TUHS] Encoding an ISA: Random Logic vs. Control Stores

[arnold at skeeve.com]

Can someone please explain why it's called "random" logic? Discrete
logic I understand (more or less), but I've not heard the term "random"
used in this context before now.

Thanks,

Arnold

"Ron Natalie" <ron at ronnatalie.com> wrote:

> Indeed, the early PDPs (10/15/20) had no microprogramming at all.   Even 
> the early microprogrammed ones used "random logic" to implement that.    
> It would take ten years before large scale integration took over.    The 
> PDP-11/44 in 1979 was the last of the discrete logic CPUs.
>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: pbirkel at gmail.com
> To: "'TUHS main list'" <tuhs at minnie.tuhs.org>
> Cc: "'Eugene Miya'" <eugene at soe.ucsc.edu>
> Sent: 11/30/2021 3:07:15 AM
> Subject: [TUHS] Encoding an ISA: Random Logic vs. Control Stores
>
> >I believe that the PDP-11 ISA was defined at a time when DEC was still using
> >random logic rather than a control stor
>