Re: Byte sex confusion

[Roy Grimm <ragrimm@cca.rockwell.com>]

Nick Roberts wrote:
> Incidentally, for those readers wondering, the 'sex' in the subject line
> refers (I assume, anyway) to the old Intel "sign exchange" instruction,
> which they were going to call SEX, but got cold feet just before
> publication (and called it CBW/CWD instead - not the same!)

The first machine I know of that had reference to a "SEX" instruction
was the PDP-11.  The engineers tried to slip the instruction through but
marketing nixed it at the last minute.  The Intel 8086 came out with a
"sign extend" instruction but the marketers made them use CBW (convert
byte to word) and CWDE (convert word to double word).  Amusingly, the
Intel 8048 (used as a keyboard controller) does not have a SEX
instruction but it does have ORL (logical or) and ANL (logical and). 
The Motorola 6809 actually has a SEX instruction. (I forget exactly what
it is a mnemonic for)  The processor went into some computer sold in the
UK.  The competitor in the states was the Apple II, and its processor
didn't have the SEX instruction.  There was some implied joke that had
to do with the name of the UK system and not being able to have sex with
an apple but the real context excapes me...

-- 
Voicing my own opinion, not speaking as a company representative...

Roy A. Grimm
Rockwell Collins Avionics
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ragrimm@cca.rockwell.com