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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

630.0. "Who was J. Craig Mudge" by OASS::M_HYDE (From the laboratory of Dr. Jekyll) Tue Oct 11 1988 11:56

        I've just gotten hold of a book called "Computer Engineering,
        A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design", by C. Gordon Bell,
        J. Craig Mudge and John E. McNamara, copyright 1978.
        
        Now, I know who Mr. Bell and Mr. McNamara are but, J. Craig
        Mudge is a new name to me. He apparently does not work here any
        more. Can anyone position him in DEC history and the overall
        scheme of things for me? 

        mark
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630.1A professional writer?SARAH::BUEHLERTa daaa!Tue Oct 11 1988 12:145
    Probably an author who helped them out (heavily) with the composition
    of the book.  You often see that when the story comes from a
    non-author.
    
John
630.2HYEND::JBOWKERHold still, this won't hurt a bitTue Oct 11 1988 12:4610
>   Probably an author who helped them out (heavily) with the composition
>   of the book.  You often see that when the story comes from a
>   non-author.
    
 
    No. I believe Craig Mudge was an engineer who was involved in the
    11/780. It was a long time ago so my memory of what he actually
    did is a sort of fuzzy. But I know he  wasn't a professional writer.
    
    Joe
630.3BioULTRA::PRIBORSKYAll things considered, I'd rather be rafting.Tue Oct 11 1988 12:4721
    The bio in the rear leaf of the dust jacket says:
         
         J. Craig Mudge is a Consulting Engineer with Digital
         Equipment Corporation.   On assignment to California
         Institute of Technology, he is a Visiting Associate
         Professor in the Computer Science Department.  He
         was educated at Australian National University and
         the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where
         he received his Ph.D. in Computer Science.  Dr. Mudge's
         experience includes CPU development (PDP-11 and VAX-11
         systems) and programming with International Computers
         Limited and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
         Research Organization, Canberra.  He has taught at
         Cernegie-Mellon University and California Institute
         of Technology.  His research interests are computer
         systems architecture, the design of VLSI systems,
         and the modelling of processors and workloads.  He
         is a member fo Sigma Xi, the Institute of Electrical
         and Electronic Engineers, and the Association for
         Computing Machinery.
                                                    
630.4Aha, mine has no dust cover. Thanks.OASS::M_HYDEFrom the laboratory of Dr. JekyllTue Oct 11 1988 14:551
630.5BUNYIP::QUODLINGAnything! Just play it loud!Tue Oct 11 1988 23:025
        Dr. Mudge now runs a company in South Australia called Austec
        MicroSystems, that do VLSI design work...
        
        q
        
630.6the answerBINKLY::WINSTONJeff Winston (Hudson, MA)Wed Oct 12 1988 00:1113
I believe Craig did work on the 11/780, but when I came to DEC, he was
(reasonably successfully) leading the Advanced Development effort in
CAD tools and design that was the seed effort for DEC Hudson's
Semiconductor facility.  His group designed the datapath for a
floating point accelerator (never fabricated) using tools and design
methods which subsequently matured into the tools and methods used on
the 8200 (Scorpio) project, and later, the MicroVAX II.

My memory was that he left to set up a VLSI design center for the
Australian Government, or some such, a 'golden opportunity' for
someone wanted to go back to their native country.  Although he was in
transition at the time, my impression was that his departure was
considered a loss. 
630.7Craig Who?DECEAT::BHANDARKARWed Oct 12 1988 01:245
Craig worked on the PDP-11/60 and several A/D projects, some of which led to 
such notable products as the VAX-11/730. Most of all Craig was a legend in his 
own mind!

Dileep
630.8BINKLY::WINSTONJeff Winston (Hudson, MA)Thu Oct 13 1988 00:425
I thought Stan Lackey and another guy (don't remember his name - but 
he worked on the uCode of the 780/750) built the 730 (Nebula?) - I
didn't think Craig was involved 

/j
630.9No, you guys got it all wrong...CHUCKM::MURRAYChuck MurrayThu Oct 13 1988 11:272
J. Craig Mudge:  Senator from Indiana. Changed his name after
extensive market research. Currently aspiring to higher office.
630.10730DECEAT::BHANDARKARFri Oct 14 1988 13:2914
RE:< Note 630.8 by BINKLY::WINSTON "Jeff Winston (Hudson, MA)" >


>I thought Stan Lackey and another guy (don't remember his name - but 
>he worked on the uCode of the 780/750) built the 730 (Nebula?) - I
>didn't think Craig was involved 
>
>/j

Yes, Stan Lackey and Ken Okin worked on the 730. Craig and Tom Northrup had
an A/D project that had proposed a single board CPU with a 16 bit data path.
As it became a real project, the design changed significantly.

/d
630.11Craig is Down UnderSNOC01::GOWHas my ship come in yet?Tue Oct 18 1988 02:2428
    Craig Mudge is alive and well and a director of Austek Microsystems
    located in the beautiful City of Adelaide, South Australia.  If
    you are into Formula One racing, tune in on November 13 when Adelaide
    hosts the Australian Grand Prix.
    
    Austek was founded by Craig early this decade, and today he carries
    the formidible title of Founder and Chief Scientist.  Austek designs
    custom VLSI for the military plus a number of other specialist chips
    for commercial products.
    
    One such product is the floating point chip set for the Encore
    Super-whizzo-unix-ultra-hotbox.  I understand that Gordon Bell had
    more than a little to do with that machinary as well.
    
    Austek is now the proud user of an Encore, at the expense of the
    11/785 they used to know and love.  They also recently awarded all
    of their F/S for DEC gear to a third party.  Goodnight, Austek.
    
    By the way, if you ever find yourself holidaying on a submarine,
    and you discover that your vessel is being tracked by Sonobouys,
    take comfort in the fact that chips that they use are Austek chips.

    If you desire to get in touch with Craig, I have his contact number,
    and would be happy to mail it to you.
    
    Bruce Gow
    CSS Western District
    Adelaide, South Australia