Re: [oc] Xscale, etc. and IP

[Jayaprakash Balachandran <edpc108@yahoo.com>]

Hi,

 These days, increasingly I keep hearing the name
Xscale CPU. Why is it getting so much attention? 

Iam curious to know if their IP architecture makes the
difference or their physical design? 

Thanks and regards,
Jayaprakash. 








 --- Joachim_Strömbergson
<Joachim.Strombergson@InformAsic.com> wrote: > Aloha!
> 
> kinysh asdf wrote:
> > Hi Joachim:
> > 
> > Alchemy is AMD.
> > But AMD is formed long before StrongARM?
> > Or at least I know AMD a long time ago before I
> even know ARM
> 
> Ok, here is the fast time-line (AFAIK):
> 
> (1) Digital got a license from ARM to develop their
> own version of ARM as a 
> stand alone MCU (not integrated SoC. This became the
> StrongARM. - A more 
> pipelined (thereby stronger) version of ARM, but
> with a extremely good 
> physical VLSI implementation which resulted in the
> best MIPS/W performance on 
> the market.
> 
> (2) Somewhere around 1998, Intel bought the Hudson
> fab from Digital. Included 
> with this deal (somehow) was the StrongARM design.
> In other words, Intel ended 
> up owning the design and manufacturing rights of the
> StrongARM.
> 
> (3) The design team doing the wonders in (1) didn't
> want to be Intel (shich 
> might have something to do with Intel not knowing
> what to do with StrongARM). 
> The team left and split into two teams.
> 
> (4) The two teams formed one startup each: SiByte
> and Alchemy. Alchemy was 
> also for a short while associated with
> Inventra/Mento Graphics.
> 
> (5) SiByte and Alchemy independently got the rights
> from MIPS to develop their 
> own MCUs based on the MIPS core. Both companies
> stated that they would produce 
> MIPS-based MCUs with thge best MIPS/W on the market.
> Si Byte focusing on 
> higher performance, networking apps and Alchemy on
> higher integration/SoC 
> style apps.
> 
> (6) On Embedded Processor Forum 2000, almost exactly
> 15 months after (3), both 
> SiByte and Alchemy presented their respective
> designs. Great stuff, tens of 
> thousands of clock domains and all kinds of cool
> VLSI items.
> 
> (7) Broadcom acquires SiByte and is now doing very
> fine NPUs for Broadcom, 
> see:
>
http://www.broadcom.com/cgi-bin/pr/prps.cgi?id=PR001218
> 
> (8) AMD acquires Alchemy which is now doing very
> fins PDA/embedded MCUs for 
> AMD, see: 
>
http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA195184
> 
> Before and during this time AMD itself have
> developed their own x86 based 
> CPUs. When Compaq bought Digital, a large group of
> Alpha designers left and 
> went to AMD and has been a good reason for the
> success of the Athlon CPUs. 
> Some people also went to Intel and HP to work on
> IA64.
> 
> AFAIK, when Intel bought the Alpha rights from
> Compaq about a year ago, some 
> more of what was left of the Alpha team jumped ship
> to AMD too, and have been 
> involved in the Hammer/Opteron development.
> 
> Also note that Intel basically didn't touch the
> StrongARM design for years and 
> it was made in old (0.35u I think) technology and
> yet continued to beat the 
> competitors in MIPS/W. Finally, Intel did respin and
> started development again 
> and what we now have are the very good Xscale MCUs.
> 
> 
> That's my 1 Euro version on the StrongARM/Xscale
> story. I'm sure I will get 
> tons of emails correcting this timeline. Bring 'em
> on!
> 
> -- 
> Med vänlig hälsning, Yours
> 
> Joachim Strömbergson - Alltid i harmonisk svängning.
> VP, Research & Development
>
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=====
Balachandran Jayaprakash                             
Celestijnenlaan,                                                   
3/61, 3001, Heverlee,                                           
Leuven, Belgium.                                                  
Mobile: +32-472-630120

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