dlr@daver.UU.NET (Dave Rand) (12/20/89)
Does anyone know the die size and technology used on the 80960KA and
80960KB parts?
As well, is there any public information available on the 16-bit bus
version of the 960 series parts?
Thanks in advance!
--
Dave Rand
{pyramid|hoptoad|sun|vsi1}!daver!dlr Internet: dlr%daver@uunet.uu.netdlr@daver.UU.NET (Dave Rand) (12/22/89)
In article <1989Dec20.014428.9785@daver.UU.NET> dlr@daver.UU.NET (Dave Rand) writes: >Does anyone know the die size and technology used on the 80960KA and >80960KB parts? Well - the die size is 400x400, in case anyone is interested. No one replied, so we cracked one open to have a peek. The pads are all on one corner of the die (strange, just like the pinout :-), and they appear to use a multi-layer assembly to carry the signals to the external PGA pins. The die looks packed, with features right to the edge where there are not pads. I assume that it is 1.2 micro geometry, but we haven't checked this yet. If anyone has more information, please let me know. Wonder if this voids the warranty? -- Dave Rand {pyramid|hoptoad|sun|vsi1}!daver!dlr Internet: dlr%daver@uunet.uu.net
mslater@cup.portal.com (Michael Z Slater) (12/23/89)
>>Does anyone know the die size and technology used on the 80960KA and >>80960KB parts? > >Well - the die size is 400x400, in case anyone is interested. No one >replied, so we cracked one open to have a peek. The pads are all >on one corner of the die (strange, just like the pinout :-), and they >appear to use a multi-layer assembly to carry the signals to the >external PGA pins. The die looks packed, with features right to >the edge where there are not pads. I assume that it is 1.2 micro >geometry, but we haven't checked this yet. If anyone has more >information, please let me know. My notes say 350,000 transistors. I assume this is what is actually on the chip, which is much more than it takes to implement the specified KA/KB functions. Even chips sold as KA's include not only the KB and MC functions, but also stuff for BiiN that has never been documented by Intel for their customers. The real question of interest is "how many transistors would it take to implement a 960KA" -- assuming that no FPU, MMU, etc was included. Michael Slater, Microprocessor Report mslater@cup.portal.com 550 California Ave., Suite 320, Palo Alto, CA 94306 415/494-2677 fax: 415/494-3718
friedman@col.hp.com (John Friedman) (03/07/90)
/ col:comp.sys.intel / mslater@cup.portal.com (Michael Z Slater) / 10:00 am Dec 22, 1989 / > ... Even chips sold as KA's include not only the KB and MC > functions, but also stuff for BiiN that has never been documented by Intel > for their customers. What does BiiN mean? John Friedman Hewlett Packard Colorado Springs Division friedman@col
mac@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU (Alex Colvin) (03/10/90)
> What does BiiN mean?
well, since BiiT stands for "Because it is There", BiiN must be "... Not".
Isn't it a Siemens/Intel venture to produce Ada systems?mslater@cup.portal.com (Michael Z Slater) (03/10/90)
>> ... Even chips sold as KA's include not only the KB and MC >> functions, but also stuff for BiiN that has never been documented by Intel >> for their customers. > >What does BiiN mean? > Billions invested in Nothing. (I don't know if it had a serious derivation as well) Michael Slater, Microprocessor Report mslater@cup.portal.com
jerry@donk.UUCP (jerry) (03/13/90)
In article <3430002@col.hp.com> friedman@col.hp.com (John Friedman) writes: >/ col:comp.sys.intel / mslater@cup.portal.com (Michael Z Slater) / 10:00 am Dec 22, 1989 / > >> ... Even chips sold as KA's include not only the KB and MC >> functions, but also stuff for BiiN that has never been documented by Intel >> for their customers. > >What does BiiN mean? > >John Friedman >Hewlett Packard >Colorado Springs Division >friedman@col The same thing that XEROX means. Nothing. Just a very expensive name. *************************************************************************** * Intel may own me body and soul, but these opinions are MINE. So there. * *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* * jerry@orion1.hf.intel.com You can find me either here or * * jerryg@bucket.uucp there or * * 74176.1024@compuserve.com here * *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* * Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' until you can find a rock. * ***************************************************************************
prune@myrddyn.hf.intel.com.ogi.edu (03/13/90)
In article <3430002@col.hp.com> friedman@col.hp.com (John Friedman) writes: > What does BiiN mean? BiiN corporation was a joint venture of Intel Corp. and Siemens Akt. built to finish development and exploit the technology produced by their in-house cooperative Gemini project. The P7 chip from this project is the parent of the entire i80960 microprocessor (TM) family. The Gemini project hired an independent marketing organization to find a name for this new venture. "BiiN" was chosen because it is short, distinctive, is pronounced like the first part of "binary", and incorporates a sequence that is susceptible to trademarking, the double-i. One of the jokes at the company's founding was that we would soon file suit against the 50th state. It is quite normal to ask the derivation of the name, but the BiiN upper management declined to proffer anything for which BiiN is an acronym. I and many other people warned them that if they didn't come up with one, there would be several dozen very soon, and those would not be complimentary. Upper mgt. maintained that "BiiN" didn't stand for anything. Upper mgt. lost on that one. I will not darken the reputation of an excellent state-of-the-art operating system and a well-designed chip by repeating those names here (besides, they're not quite good enough for rec.humor.funny). BiiN finally diid late last year (siigh). Requiesce in Pacem. jerry@orion1.hf.intel.com (Jerry Gaiser) replied: > The same thing that XEROX means. Nothing. Just a very expensive name. Not quite, Jerry: Xerox (TM) is derived from the word "xerography", from the Greek roots for "dry" and "writing". The process was developed in Astoria, OR (at the mouth of the Columbia River) about 50 years ago (October, 1938 ?). Many corporate names today are picked for pure marketing value (such as one of the early ones, Kodak), but "Xerox" isn't one of them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: Intel pays me well for the opinions it wants; the other stuff remains mine. Some of the latter is posted; it's worth what you paid for it. Oregon: Home of the California Raisins local backbone: tektronix myrddyn!prune@uunet.uu.net USA phone: (503) 696-4668 prune@ijf2.hf.intel.com Copyright (C) 1990, William D. Wickart. All rights reserved.
ed@braaten.doit.sub.org (Ed Braaten) (03/14/90)
In article <1080@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU> mac@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU (Alex Colvin) writes: >> What does BiiN mean? > >well, since BiiT stands for "Because it is There", BiiN must be "... Not". > >Isn't it a Siemens/Intel venture to produce Ada systems? It WAS a Siemens/Intel venture to produce fault-tolerant computer systems. It is no longer because Siemens/Intel decided that the profits were too far out in the future. As far as I know the name is NOT an acronym... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Braaten | "For the wages of sin is death, but the Work: ed@imuse.intel.com | gift of God is eternal life in Christ Home: ed@braaten.doit.sub.org | Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
peggy@pyr.gatech.EDU (Cris Simpson) (03/16/90)
In article <622@braaten.doit.sub.org> ed@braaten.doit.sub.org (Ed Braaten) writes: >In article <1080@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU> mac@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU (Alex Colvin) writes: >>> What does BiiN mean? >> >>well, since BiiT stands for "Because it is There", BiiN must be "... Not". >> >It WAS a Siemens/Intel venture to produce fault-tolerant computer >systems. Now, more than ever, "Billions invested in Nothing" seems fitting. cris
rmb@omews59.intel.com (Bob Bentley) (03/20/90)
In article <1080@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU> mac@ra.cs.Virginia.EDU (Alex Colvin) writes: >> What does BiiN mean? > >well, since BiiT stands for "Because it is There", BiiN must be "... Not". > >Isn't it a Siemens/Intel venture to produce Ada systems? BiiN *was* a joint venture between Intel and Siemens - it was terminated last October. The name itself was generated by one of those name search companies and had no meaning (though the joke at Intel was that it stood for "Billions Invested In Nothing"). Bob Bentley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Intel Corp., M/S JF1-58 UUCP: rmb@omefs3.intel.com |