Transmeta (Semiconductor) (TMTA)

[lt_tmta]

Transmeta processor to use embedded Hyp
by: tmta_playa
Long-Term Sentiment: Buy 03/10/03 01:50 am
Msg: 55114 of 55115

http://www.ebnonline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=7600015

Transmeta processor to use embedded HyperTransport
Jack Robertson

03/10/2003 12:01 AM EST

Transmeta Corp. on Monday disclosed that its next-generation TM8000 processor, code-named Astro, will have an on-die embedded HyperTransport bus interface and an on-die AGP-4X graphics interface.

It will be Transmeta's first MPU to use HyperTransport.

Mike DeNeffe, director of marketing, said AGP-4X integrated into the processor chip will allow higher performance graphics by eliminating the external South Bridge interconnection.

Like the present Crusoe processor, the TM8000 will also have an on-die North Bridge memory controller, but extended to support SDRAM speeds through DDR400. Crusoe supports memory through DDR266.

DeNeffe said the integrated memory controller consumes far less power than a separate North Bridge, which can draw up to 2 watts at peak operation. "We also get much faster DDR memory support by eliminating external connections," he added.

The three on-die interfaces also allow motherboard makers to conserve space on their boards, cutting costs and also reducing power of the overall system, the marketing official said.

The TM8000 also increases performance by using a 256-bit Very Long Instruction Word, double the 128-bit VLIW of the current Crusoe. The new processor also has eight instructions per clock cycle, double the four instructions per cycle of most other processors, DeNeffe asserted.

Benny Sin, TM800 program manager, said both advances allow the processor to perform more work per clock cycle.

The new processor is targeted for thin-and-light notebooks, tablet PCs, high density blade servers and small business servers, and quiet desktop PCs with no fan. It is sampling now and is expected to be in full production in the third quarter of this year.

The TM8000 will be made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. of Taiwan on a 0.13-micron process. DeNeffe said Crusoe uses the same process technology, "so it's a tried and proven technology."