[LispM] Why a FEP?

[Raymond Wiker]

Paolo Amoroso writes:
 > Why did LispMs have a FEP? Did contemporary computers of comparable
 > complexity and power also have a FEP?

        The ND 500/5000 series of 32-bit superminis had a 16-bit mini
serving as an I/O processor; this processor (from the ND 100 family)
was responsible for initalising and starting up the 500/5000 series.

        In addition, the 100 series processor was jump-started by a
dedicated processor (an 8080, I believe).

        Both the ND 100 family and the ND 500/5000 series were
microcoded, by the way, which is part of the reason for this pyramid
structure.

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