The mid-1980s to mid-1990s was the golden age of computer architecture experimentation. Computer aided circuit design meant a relatively small group of engineers could design and fabricate a new CPU design.
The competition from rapidly evolving commodity CPUs ended this era. It took 3-5 years to make a new generation special purpose CPU and financially justify manufacture. By that time the commodity CPU price-performance increased an order of magnitude and caught up. Few of these designs ever produced a second generation. And I think only Convex made it to gen-3 before folding.
The competition from rapidly evolving commodity CPUs ended this era. It took 3-5 years to make a new generation special purpose CPU and financially justify manufacture. By that time the commodity CPU price-performance increased an order of magnitude and caught up. Few of these designs ever produced a second generation. And I think only Convex made it to gen-3 before folding.