The Rekursiv computer

A Glasgow-based hi-fi company is representative of a growing trend towards application-specific processors. The author discusses the problems with Linn Products´ computer system and their need for object-oriented programming. The company recruited a computer scientist from Glasgow University, David Harland, and embarked on a development programme which has resulted in a highly innovative chip set which promises to overcome the traditional problem of executing object-oriented programs at an acceptable rate. The design principles underlying the new architecture, which Linn has called the Rekursiv, are diametrically opposed to those adopted for the great majority of modern processor designs. Rekursiv has a large control memory offering direct support for highly complex algorithms. In particular higher-order functions, that is functions which call other functions and recursive functions, can be written succinctly in microcode. Microcode support for arbitrary recursion is a unique feature of the new architecture, and hence its name