Alpha Architecture

This document serves as the primary reference for the Alpha architecture, a 64-bit load/store RISC architecture. It is organized into several parts:

• Common Architecture (I): Covers the foundational RISC approach, data formats, instruction formats, instruction sets, and system-level architectural implications (such as memory management and data sharing).
• Operating System PALcode Architectures (II): Details how the Alpha architecture interacts with specific operating systems, including OpenVMS (II-A), Tru64 UNIX (II-B), and Alpha Linux (II-C).
• Console Interface Architecture (III): Describes the console firmware implementation, console-OS interface, and system bootstrapping processes.
• Appendices: Provide additional information on software considerations, IEEE floating-point conformance, instruction summaries, and system-specific implementation details.