|
|
|
 |
home | about | pictures | reference | trade | links |
DIGITAL'S NEW ALPHA 21066A CHIP WITH PCI PUTS MORE SPEED INTO EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS, DESKTOP PCs
MAYNARD, Mass. -- November 14, 1994 -- Digital Equipment Corporation today announced a new, 0.50-micron version of its Alpha 21066 microprocessor. The Alpha 21066A chip features increased speed for faster realtime response in high-end embedded applications and higher performance in desktop applications. It is the latest of Digital Semiconductor's highly integrated microprocessors containing the industry's first on-chip implementation of the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. "The new, 233MHz Alpha 21066A chip enables us to put the power of the Alpha architecture into embedded, realtime control systems with more performance than ever," said Tim Miller, Digital Semiconductor's marketing manager for Alpha Microprocessors. "For the Windows NT desktop market, the highly integrated design with PCI greatly simplifies the task of building low-cost RISC PCs. We are well positioned for this market, with more than 750 native-mode Windows NT applications shipping for Alpha systems and over 1,400 additional committed ports." Miller added that Digital is an acknowledged leader in PCI technology, and that in addition to PCI support for all Alpha microprocessors, Digital Semiconductor offers a family of PCI peripheral products for Fast Ethernet and Ethernet networking, graphics, and PCI-to-PCI bridging. Like its predecessor, the Alpha 21066A contains an integrated on-chip memory controller and graphics accelerator in addition to the PCI interface. These features can substantially reduce the cost of system implementations based on the Alpha 21066A and provide an easy link to inexpensive, off-the-shelf memory and peripheral devices. The integrated, richly functional design makes the product especially useful for high-performance, small-form-factor applications. The new chip also features programmable, software-controlled power management, which can vastly reduce power consumption during periods of inactivity and help qualify systems for Energy Star certification.
More Power for Embedded Applications The Alpha 21066A microprocessor is the latest and most powerful in a family of highly integrated chips for high-end embedded applications. The chip has been chosen by Prime Option, Inc., as a controller for high-end print engines. It will be used by Alpha Data Parallel Systems Ltd. in PC and workstation accelerator platforms and as building blocks for parallel processing systems, as well as by Alta Technology, Inc., in board-level, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Method)-linked parallel processors. The Alpha 21066A chip also runs VxWorks for Alpha software, a realtime operating system adapted from Wind River Systems' VxWorks application development and runtime system. VxWorks software is popular for developing and running embedded applications such as network routers, RAID controllers, industrial process controllers, and telecommunication cards. The chip will be the heart of Digital's AXPvme series of VMEbus single-board computers (SBCs), used by embedded-application OEMs and system designers in control systems for many military and industrial realtime applications.
Choice for Desktop Systems Like other members of Digital's Alpha microprocessor family, the new product runs Digital's 64-bit DEC OSF/1 (UNIX) and OpenVMS operating systems in addition to increasingly popular Windows NT software. The chip will power new models of NekoTech's Mach 1 series of desktop PCs for the Windows NT market. Digital Semiconductor also announced the new EB66+ Evaluation Board, which provides a reference PCI and ISA motherboard design using the Alpha 21066A chip. The EB66+ is intended as a starting point for new designs and as a platform for parallel development of hardware and software applications. The board is packaged with a user's manual, full layout and mechanical information, design database, material lists, debug monitor, and firmware development tools.
Prices, Availability The Alpha 21066A microprocessor is offered at two clock speeds: 100MHz and 233MHz. At 233 MHz it is estimated to deliver a SPECint92 rating of 94 and a SPECfp92 rating of 110. Version 2.1 Dhrystone MIPS performance is 189.5 for the 233MHz version and 89.8 for the 100mhz version. The Alpha 21066A Chip is priced at $175 for the 100MHz version and $360 for the 233MHz version in quantities of 5,000. Samples are available now. Production of both the Alpha 21066A Chip and the EB66+ Evaluation Board is scheduled for the first quarter of 1995.
Digital Semiconductor, a Digital Equipment Corporation business headquartered in Hudson, Massachusetts, designs, manufactures and markets industry-leading semiconductor products including Alpha microprocessors and PCI-based peripheral chips. Digital Semiconductor also operates fabrication facilities in Hudson and South Queensferry, Scotland, and design centers in Hudson; Palo Alto, California; Austin, Texas; and Jerusalem, Israel. A new, $450-million semiconductor fabrication facility with sub-half-micron capability is nearing completion in Hudson. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, the industry's sixth largest semiconductor manufacturer, is the second source for Alpha microprocessors. Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software and services, together with industry- focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global marketplace.