aliu@castor.usc.edu (Terminal Entry) (02/27/90)
Hi... I heard a rumor on a local board today about A500/2000s not having motorola- made 68000 chips. According to the posting, the chips are made by a company called SGS TOMPSON, and create compatibility problems, because "the vectors don't match". Is this a rumor with not truth value? (hope so!!) Can someone put it to rest? Dave? I personally think that if this is the case, and the compatibility problems because some 500/2000s and some programs out there is due to it, it is a VERY bad move by Commodore just to save a few bucks. But, I suspect it is a rumor... after all, not even commodore would... would it?? =============================================================================== | "Life's a bitch... | aliu@nunki.usc.edu | *// Amiga: while my Cray | | and she's back in heat!" | --- Forwarded. --- | \\// is in the shop.... | ===============================================================================
slfields@uokmax.uucp (Scott L Fields) (02/28/90)
In article <8368@chaph.usc.edu> aliu@castor.usc.edu (Terminal Entry) writes: >I heard a rumor on a local board today about A500/2000s not having motorola- >made 68000 chips. According to the posting, the chips are made by a company >called SGS TOMPSON, and create compatibility problems, because "the vectors >don't match". > >Is this a rumor with not truth value? (hope so!!) Can someone put it to rest? That is no rumor, my amiga has a not motorola cpu. Truth is, a lot of companies are licensed to manufacture the 68000 by MOTOROLA. To name a few: Hitachi Rockwell SGS/Thompson Mostek I have never heard of any compatibility problems with these chips. That doesn't mean that there are no problems with them but I would find it unlikely.
daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (02/28/90)
In article <8368@chaph.usc.edu> aliu@castor.usc.edu (Terminal Entry) writes: >Hi... >I heard a rumor on a local board today about A500/2000s not having motorola- >made 68000 chips. Lots of companies make 68000s. Commodore, like most vendors of 68000 machines, uses a mix -- we've definitely used Motorola parts, definitely used others. But don't get confused, there aren't compatibility problems. These are real second-source parts, made under agreements with Motorola, not something reverse engineered and quasi-compatible. It's a very common thing for a company like Motorola to trade technology with other chip companys. "You give me your peripheral chips and I'll give you my CPU", that kind of thing. Absolutely nothing to fear. Motorola has currently licensed the 68020 to several second sources, but they're hanging on to the 68030. -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Systems Engineering) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy Too much of everything is just enough
pl@etana.tut.fi (Lehtinen Pertti) (02/28/90)
From article <8368@chaph.usc.edu>, by aliu@castor.usc.edu (Terminal Entry): > > I heard a rumor on a local board today about A500/2000s not having motorola- > made 68000 chips. According to the posting, the chips are made by a company > called SGS TOMPSON, and create compatibility problems, because "the vectors > don't match". > I have been using ( a spare one ) chip made by MOSTEK, without any troubles. Today MOSTEK is owned by SGS-Thompson, but I don't have any idea if chips are made from same masks. Thompson was making 68k before it bought MOSTEK. -- pl@tut.fi ! All opinions expressed above are Pertti Lehtinen ! purely offending and in subject Tampere University of Technology ! to change without any further Software Systems Laboratory ! notice
871579l@aucs.uucp (Todd Lowe) (03/01/90)
It is true Amigas (at least mine) DO NOT have Motorola mad 68000s in them. :-( as for compatiblity problems I don't know. -todd 871579l@aucs