sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Sun and TI Team Up For UltraSPARC-I SunFLASH Vol 56 #35 August 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56.35 Sun and TI Team Up For UltraSPARC-I Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC) and Texas Instruments will work together to develop and manufacture of the first member of the UltraSPARC design family, the 64-bit UltraSPARC-I. SMCC offers UltraSPARC-I "early access"to system developers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- August 30, 1993 -- Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC) today announced two major advancements in the development of its next-generation UltraSPARC(TM) microprocessor architecture. Executing on its aggressive SPARC(R) CPU Roadmap strategy, SMCC has extended its partnership with Texas Instruments (TI) to incorporate the development and manufacture of the first member of the UltraSPARC design family, the 64-bit UltraSPARC-I. Separately, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand the open availability of SPARC technology, SMCC said its SPARC Technology Business (STB) will offer systems designers pre-production access to UltraSPARC-I core technologies, development tools and processor prototypes through its new UltraSPARC-I Early Access Program. Fabricated in an advanced TI CMOS process, CPUs based on the UltraSPARC-I design will deliver more than 200 SPECint92 and will conform to the openly available SPARC Version 9 specification from SPARC International. The UltraSPARC-I design features full 64-bit capability while maintaining complete binary compatibility with all 32-bit SPARC applications, helping to preserve end-user investment in application software based on the SPARC architecture. By participating in STB's UltraSPARC-I Early Access Program, licensees will be able to dramatically reduce time-to-market cycles by getting more than a year's jump in developing products based on the UltraSPARC-I design. To expedite the design and testing of their systems, licensees will have access to complete technical data and UltraSPARC-I prototypes as they become available over the course of UltraSPARC-I microprocessor development. "These two announcements represent significant milestones in the development of UltraSPARC as a compelling architecture for the high-performance systems of today and tomorrow," said Chet Silvestri, STB's vice president of technology sales. "First, we have signed up one of the world's premier semiconductor companies to ensure a smooth development and production process for UltraSPARC-I. And, through UltraSPARC-I Early Access, systems designers will have the chance to get a significant head start in building systems with a next-generation architecture whose stability and future is clearly defined." Advanced 64-Bit SPARC Design, Binary Compatibility The UltraSPARC-I microprocessor continues SPARC's leadership in superscalar, multiprocessing microprocessors. Each CPU is designed to execute up to four instructions at the same time -- resulting in high performance without exotic clock speeds. Several UltraSPARC-I CPUs will be able to be interconnected for even higher performance multiprocessing applications. This approach makes UltraSPARC-I both more scalable and easier to design into systems. As part of SMCC's SPARC CPU Roadmap for long-range CPU design, UltraSPARC-I continues to be the industry leader in work per clock cycle. Initial versions of UltraSPARC-I will feature well over 200 SPECint92, while only requiring clock speeds in the range of 100-170 MHz. The result is ease of system design, lower costs, greater scalability, increased manufacturability and more energy-efficient computing systems as compared with other architectures. UltraSPARC-I will offer both big endian and little endian byte order flexibility to support the migration of data from multiple architectures and operating systems -- a key element in SMCC's vision of developing architectures that are ideal for enterprise rightsizing. SMCC and TI -- Partnering for Success The UltraSPARC-I microprocessor will be fabricated in TI's advanced .5 micron, EPIC 3 CMOS process and will have the capability to scale to sub .5 micron processes. The UltraSPARC-I agreement marks the next phase in the successful relationship between SMCC and TI. "SMCC's UltraSPARC-I design will take full advantage of the world-class CMOS process capabilities that TI has to offer," said Rich Templeton, vice president, semiconductor group for Texas Instruments. "This is yet another example of how TI and SMCC are working together to leverage the strengths and synergies of each company in this successful, ongoing partnership." To date, SMCC and TI are responsible for shipping more than 300,000 SPARC microprocessors, a higher volume than any other RISC chip in the computer industry. TI and SMCC have successfully partnered to develop the microSPARC(TM) microprocessor, which set a new benchmark for low-cost workstation technology and is used in systems such as SMCC's popular SPARCclassic(TM) and SPARCstation(TM) LX workstations. The team has also developed SuperSPARC(TM), the leading microprocessor architecture in performance per clock cycle, used in SMCC's SPARCstation 10 desktop and SPARCcenter(TM) 1000 and 2000 server families. Unprecedented Early Access from SMCC The UltraSPARC-I Early Access Program represents the first time an "insider's" view will be offered on key SMCC microprocessor technology since STB was formed in April 1993 as part of SMCC's ongoing commitment to open technologies. STB's charter is to share SMCC's SPARC processor and system product designs and engineering services with outside buyers to help decrease third-party development costs and accelerate time to market. The UltraSPARC-I Early Access Program will provide licensees with the kind of access traditionally granted only to design team members. With access to UltraSPARC-I prototypes, development environments and the necessary core technologies needed to implement the UltraSPARC-I architecture in a high-performance system, third-party licensees will be able to build products around UltraSPARC-I at unprecedented speeds. UltraSPARC-I Early Access will encompass all technologies closely tied to the UltraSPARC-I CPU. Specifically, licensees will receive full design documentation, SMCC-designed development tools, simulation software and diagnostic tools. Participants will be kept apprised of design updates through regular communications and briefings conducted by STB. Systems designers will receive ongoing support via a dedicated electronic mail system and other assistance mechanisms manned by STB. Likely systems applications for UltraSPARC-I include massively parallel systems, high-performance servers and workstations, multi-processing systems and high-end telecommunications devices such as intelligent ATM hubs. The UltraSPARC-I Early Access Program will begin in November and run parallel with the UltraSPARC-I development program. SPARC -- the Leading RISC Architecture According to market research organization International Data Corp., systems based on the SPARC architecture represent 56 percent of 1992 RISC workstation/workstation server shipments. Products based on SPARC technology are available from more than 34 system vendors and seven microprocessor/chipset vendors. Over one million SPARC microprocessors have been shipped, making SPARC the most widely accepted architecture for RISC systems. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems , Inc., is the world's leading supplier of open client-server computing solutions. SMCC has its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. # # # Sun, the Sun Logo, and Sun Microsystems, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCstation, SPARCcenter, SPARCclassic, UltraSPARC and microSPARC are licensed by SPARC International exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on the architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other product or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. ********************************************************************** For information about SunFlash send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on draco.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. Send brief articles (e.g. third party announcements) and include contact information (non-800#, fax #, email, etc) to: John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909