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hcf |
2 definitions found From Jargon File (4.2.3, 23 NOV 2000) [jargon]: HCF /H-C-F/ n. Mnemonic for `Halt and Catch Fire', any of several undocumented and semi-mythical machine instructions with destructive side-effects, supposedly included for test purposes on several well-known architectures going as far back as the IBM 360. The MC6800 microprocessor was the first for which an HCF opcode became widely known This instruction caused the processor to {toggle} a subset of the bus lines as rapidly as it could in some configurations this could actually cause lines to burn up Compare {killer poke}. From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: HCF 1.{Host Command Facility}. 2. {Halt and Catch Fire}. [{Jargon File}] (1999-01-24)
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