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From: jfox@netcom.com (Jeff Fox)
Subject: alternate technology
Message-ID: <jfoxCyK786.A4t@netcom.com>
Summary: cheap Forth hardware now available
Sender: jfox@netcom.com (Jeff Fox) 
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 1994 22:45:41 GMT
Lines: 77

                           Technology Update

In 1986 Novix demonstrated that it was possible to implement a state of the
art performance microprocessor with only a few thousand transistors by
modeling the silicon architecture on the processor after the simple virtual
machine in Forth using a gate array.

Custom VLSI offers an order of magnitude improvement in performance over gate
array technology and an order of magnitude improvement in cost of manufacture
over designs implemented on general purpose gate arrays because individual
transistors size and placement can be adjusted and only the minimal number
of components need be fabricated.

In 1994 a custom VLSI microprocessor modeled on the Forth virtual machine
was produced.  The MuP21 was a "proof of concept chip" showing several
interesting things:

1. VLSI CAD can be done with a computer costing hundreds of times less than
   those normaly used.

2. VLSI CAD can be done with software thousands of times smaller than the
   software normaly used.

3. 100 mips has been demonstrated at .1 watt from an MuP21 chip with only 7k
   transistors, 40 pins, and retailing for $20 in single units.

4. 10ns Forth instruction execution and 40ns i/o times are possible on
   1.2 micron technology with only 7k transistors.

5. Multiple custom processors can be integrated into a single chip at
   very low development cost and negligable manufacturing cost.  (MuP21
   includes a composite video output generator on the microprocessor.)

This much is now history.

This VLSI CAD development environment has been upgraded for .8 micron
fabrication.  This will permit 4ns Forth instruction exectution time, and
gigahertz i/o processor operation.  .6 micron fabrication is also available
and will permit another doubling of speed.

The next custom VLSI chip, F21, will include five processors on a 250mip,
64pin chip.  This chip will contain multiple a/d-d/a for multimedia, and
a high speed serial network interface for parallel processing.  It is
designed to implement inexpensive multimedia products, or state of the art
parallel processing systems at thousands of times lower costs than those
of more conventional designs.

A 100mip, 8 bit chip has been demonstrated that is so small that it could
retail for ten cents.  An effort has been made to make the internal and
external bus width of designs scalable so that virtually any size of chip
may be specified.

A "Menu" of architectural features and coprocessor types can be selected,
details can be specified and the rights to new custom VLSI designs can
be acquired.

This means there are now more choices.  To get high performance there
are now alternatives to CPU chips that draw 7 to 40 watts, that cost
hundreds or thousands of dollars even in large quantity, and require
expensive high-power support chips to complete a system.

To get low cost there are now alternatives to using designs offering
low cost at the expense of low computing power.

It is also very signifigant that in addition to having access to these
alternative chips, low cost/high performace fully custom design
services are available for products with maximum performance and 
minimal manufacturing costs.

For more information contact:

Jeff Fox
Ultra Technology
2510 10th St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 848-0565
jfox@netcom.com
