Alpha System Reference Manual

This document, the Alpha System Reference Manual (Version 5), describes the Alpha 64-bit load/store RISC architecture. The manual is divided into three parts, plus appendixes, detailing the architecture's design goals, instruction formats, instruction sets, memory architecture, and system software interactions (specifically OpenVMS and DEC OSF/1).

Key topics covered include:

• Architecture Overview: Alpha is a true 64-bit architecture designed for high-speed, multi-issue, multi-processor implementations without implementation-specific pipeline hazards.
• Instruction Set: Provides details on memory, branch, operate, floating-point operate, and PALcode instruction formats.
• System Architecture & Programming: Discusses physical memory behavior, data sharing, read/write ordering, and arithmetic traps.
• PALcode: Describes the Privileged Architecture Library, which provides subroutines specific to operating system implementations (context switching, interrupts, etc.).
• Operating System Support: Details how the architecture relates to OpenVMS Alpha and DEC OSF/1, including process structures, memory management, and internal processor registers (IPRs).
• Console and Bootstrapping: Outlines the console subsystem responsibilities, including system initialization, bootstrapping, and interprocessor communication.