# Syllable (computing)

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{{Short description|Platform-specific data size used for some historical digital hardware}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019|cs1-dates=y}}
{{Use list-defined references|date=December 2021}}
In computing, a '''syllable''' is a [unit of information](/source/Units_of_information) that describes the size of data for some digital [hardware](/source/computer_hardware) from the 1960s and 1970s. The size of the unit varies by hardware design in much the same way that [word](/source/word_(computer_architecture)) does. The term is not used for modern hardware; standardized terms, such as [byte](/source/byte), are used instead.

Examples:

* {{anchor|3-bit}}3-bit: some experimental [CISC](/source/Complex_Instruction_Set_Computing) designs<ref name="Jones_2016_CISC"/><ref name="Jones_1988_CISC"/>
* {{anchor|6-bit}}6-bit: [Burroughs B8500](/source/Burroughs_B8500)
* {{anchor|8-bit}}[8-bit](/source/8-bit_computing): [English Electric KDF9](/source/English_Electric_KDF9) (represented as [syllabic octal](/source/syllabic_octal)s and also called [slob-octal](/source/slob-octal)s<ref name="Beard_1997"/><ref name="CCS_2009"/> or [slob](/source/slob_(KDF9))s in this context)<ref name="EE_1961"/> and [Burroughs B6500, B6700/B7700, and successors](/source/Burroughs_large_systems) (see also: [Burroughs B6x00-7x00 instruction set](/source/Burroughs_B6x00-7x00_instruction_set))
* {{anchor|12-bit}}[12-bit](/source/12-bit_computing): NCR computers such as the [NCR 315](/source/NCR_315)<ref name="Schneider_1970"/> (also called [slab](/source/slab_(unit))s in this context)<ref name="Schneider_1970"/><ref name="NCR_315_EDPS"/><ref name="Bardin_1963"/> and [Burroughs B5000, B5500, and B5700](/source/Burroughs_large_systems) (see also: [B5000 instruction set](/source/B5000_instruction_set))
* {{anchor|13-bit}}13-bit: [Saturn Launch Vehicle Digital Computer](/source/Saturn_Launch_Vehicle_Digital_Computer) (LVDC)<ref name="Burkey_2009_LVDC"/> and [Gemini Spacecraft On-Board Computer](/source/Gemini_Spacecraft_On-Board_Computer) (OBC)<ref name="Burkey_2010_Gemini"/>

==See also==
* {{Annotated link|Catena (computing)}}
* {{Annotated link|Nibble}}
* {{Annotated link|Opcode|Opcode, aka instruction syllable}}
* {{Annotated link|Parcel (computing)}}
* {{Annotated link|Syllable}} (in linguistics)

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Jones_2016_CISC">{{cite web |title=A Minimal CISC |work=Computer Architecture On-Line Collection |author-first=Douglas W. |author-last=Jones |publisher=[The University of Iowa](/source/The_University_of_Iowa), Department of Computer Science |date=2016 |orig-date=2012 |location=Iowa City, USA |url=http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/arch/cisc/ |access-date=2016-05-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528125208/http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/arch/cisc/ |archive-date=2016-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name="Jones_1988_CISC">{{cite journal |title=A Minimal CISC |author-first=Douglas W. |author-last=Jones<!-- |other=[The University of Iowa](/source/The_University_of_Iowa), Department of Computer Science, Iowa City, USA --> |journal=ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News |publisher=[Association for Computing Machinery](/source/Association_for_Computing_Machinery) (ACM) |location=New York, USA |date=June 1988 |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=56–63 |doi=10.1145/48675.48684 |s2cid=17280173 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name="Schneider_1970">{{cite book |title=Datenverarbeitungs-Lexikon |language=de |trans-title=Lexicon of information technology |author-first=Carl |author-last=Schneider |date=2013 |orig-date=1970 |publisher=[Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH](/source/Springer_Fachmedien_Wiesbaden_GmbH) / [Betriebswirtschaftlicher Verlag Dr. Th. Gabler GmbH](/source/Betriebswirtschaftlicher_Verlag_Dr._Th._Gabler_GmbH) |location=Wiesbaden, Germany |edition=softcover reprint of hardcover 1st |isbn=978-3-409-31831-0<!-- softcover reprint --> |id={{ISBN|3-663-13618-3}} / {{ISBN|978-3-663-13618-7}} (ebook)<!-- ebook --> |doi=10.1007/978-3-663-13618-7 |pages=201, 308 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3aN9BwAAQBAJ |access-date=2016-05-24 |quote-pages=201, 308 |quote=''slab'', Abk. aus ''syllable''&nbsp;= Silbe, die kleinste adressierbare Informationseinheit für 12 bit zur Übertragung von zwei Alphazeichen oder drei numerischen Zeichen. ''(NCR)'' […] Hardware: Datenstruktur: NCR 315-100&nbsp;/ NCR 315-RMC; Wortlänge: Silbe; Bits: 12; Bytes: –; Dezimalziffern: 3; Zeichen: 2; Gleitkommadarstellung: fest verdrahtet; Mantisse: 4 Silben; Exponent: 1 Silbe (11 Stellen + 1 Vorzeichen) |trans-quote=''[slab](/source/slab_(unit))'', abbr. for ''[syllable](/source/syllable_(linguistics))''&nbsp;= syllable, smallest addressable information unit for 12 bits for the transfer of two alphabetical characters or three numerical characters. ''(NCR)'' […] Hardware: Data structure: [NCR 315-100](/source/NCR_315-100)&nbsp;/ [NCR 315-RMC](/source/NCR_315-RMC); [Word length](/source/Word_length): Syllable; [Bit](/source/Bit)s: 12; [Byte](/source/Byte)s: –; [Decimal digit](/source/Decimal_digit)s: 3; Characters: 2; [Floating point format](/source/Floating_point_format): hard-wired; [Significand](/source/Significand): 4 syllables; [Exponent](/source/Exponent): 1 syllable (11 digits + 1 prefix)}}</ref>
<ref name="NCR_315_EDPS">{{cite web |url=http://www.thecorememory.com/NCR_315_EDPS.pdf |title=315 Electronic Data Processing System |publisher=[NCR](/source/NCR_Corporation) |date=November 1965 |id=NCR MPN ST-5008-15 |access-date=2015-01-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524113545/http://www.thecorememory.com/NCR_315_EDPS.pdf |archive-date=2016-05-24}}</ref>
<ref name="Bardin_1963">{{cite journal |author-last=Bardin |author-first=Hillel |date=1963 |title=NCR 315 Seminar |journal=Computer Usage Communique |volume=2 |number=3 |url=http://www.thecorememory.com/NCR_315_Seminar.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524113611/http://www.thecorememory.com/NCR_315_Seminar.pdf |archive-date=2016-05-24}}</ref>
<ref name="Burkey_2009_LVDC">{{cite web |title=Virtual AGC — AGS — LVDC — Gemini: Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC): Saturn IB and Saturn V Rockets |author-first=Ronald |author-last=Burkey |date=2009-08-21 |url=http://apollo.josefsipek.net/LVDC.html |access-date=2016-05-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528122247/http://apollo.josefsipek.net/LVDC.html |archive-date=2016-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name="Burkey_2010_Gemini">{{cite web |title=Gemini Spacecraft Computer (OBC): Layout of Memory Words |author-first=Ronald |author-last=Burkey |date=2010-09-06 |orig-date=2011 |url=http://apollo.josefsipek.net/Gemini.html<!-- http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/Gemini.htp --> |access-date=2016-05-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528122439/http://apollo.josefsipek.net/Gemini.html <!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20160528114015/http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/Gemini.htp --> |archive-date=2016-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name="EE_1961">{{cite book |title=English Electric KDF9: Very high speed data processing system for Commerce, Industry, Science |type=Product flyer |date=c. 1961 |publisher=[English Electric](/source/English_Electric) |id=Publication No. DP/103. 096320WP/RP0961 |url=http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/KDF9_Flier.pdf |access-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727143037/http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/KDF9_Flier.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-27}}</ref>
<ref name="Beard_1997">{{anchor|Beard-1997}}{{cite magazine |magazine=[Resurrection](/source/Resurrection_(magazine)) - The Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society |issn=0958-7403 |publisher=[Computer Conservation Society](/source/Computer_Conservation_Society) (CCS) |number=18 |date=Autumn 1997 |orig-date=1996-10-01 |title=The KDF9 Computer — 30 Years On |author-first=Bob |author-last=Beard |pages=7–15 [9, 11] |url=http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/Archive/Resurrection/pdf/res18.pdf |access-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727140754/http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/Archive/Resurrection/pdf/res18.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-27}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20200427075718/http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/res/res18.htm#c] (NB. This is an edited version of a talk given to North West Group of the Society at the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, UK on 1996-10-01. It mentions the term "slob"<!-- not a mere typo for "slab" as it mentioned twice in the article --> and "slob-octal" as equivalent to "syllabic octal".)</ref>
<ref name="CCS_2009">{{cite web |title=Architecture of the English Electric KDF9 computer. |version=Version 1 |date=September 2009 |publisher=[Computer Conservation Society](/source/Computer_Conservation_Society) (CCS) |id=CCS-N4X2 |url=http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/ccs-n2x2.pdf |access-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404195007/http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org/ccs-n2x2.pdf |archive-date=2020-04-04}} (NB. Refers to Beard's 1997 article.)</ref>
}}

{{Computer Storage Volumes}}

Category:Computing terminology
Category:Data unit
Category:Units of information

{{compu-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Syllable (computing)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syllable_(computing)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syllable_(computing)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.