Silicon's little miracles: once it mattered what your PC had under the hood. Now microprocessor manufacturers are serving up chips with everything

Microprocessor the workhorses of the digital era, have come long way since their invention at Fairchild Semiconductor sometime in the late 1960s. At the time they were little more than fancy controllers used in specialized electronics equipment. Few people could see them as anything else. But a number of kids from California began tinkering with the gadgets in their garages and, in the late 1970s, the microcomputer was born. The first generally available microcomputers used microprocessors from Motorola as their central processing units (CPUs), but it was IBM's selection of the 8088 microprocessor from Intel for its new "IBM Personal Computer" that really made the market take off. Since that time the status quo has been maintained. Machines that trace their lineage to the IBM PC use Intel processors, while those from the Apple Macintosh camp use processors from Motorola. Today that norm is changing. Microsoft's Windows CE operating system, for instance, runs on many different processors. But these are a different kind of processor -- next-generation, as it were: Let's call them "embedded" microprocessors because they are generally manufactured right into the device, rather than being mounted on fancy sockets that allow processor upgrades. In this world, operating systems are dispensable and manufacturing volumes become king. This is the world of the commoditized computer and the "intelligent device." But let's start with a look at what's happening in the general-purpose processor arena. INTELigence Intel, a pioneer of the personal computer revolution, is best known for its X68 line of microprocessors that date back to the original IBM PC. But Intel is in a special situation. A number of other chip manufacturers, among them IBM, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Cyrix, also manufacture Intel-compatible chips. These microprocessors reportedly provide most of the benefits of the Intel products, but at a lower cost. To stay ahead of the game Intel is now trying to migrate users toward a new line of processors dubbed Pentium II. These processors are packaged inside SEC (Single Edge Contact) cartridges which, while reportedly improving performance, mount in a fashion incompatible with other Pentium chips. Recent reports that National Semiconductor, another very large mover and shaker in the chip business, will purchase Cyrix, one of the largest Intel "clone" makers, may have something to do with Intel's direction. One of Intel's most visible initiatives these days is MMX technology -- instruction extensions designed to make Pentium processors much more capable of delivering enhanced multimedia and improved graphics processing, a strategy followed by every major microprocessor manufacturer. In another, possibly related, move Intel has agreed to buy Chips & Technologies, a company known for its expertise in designing and manufacturing video and graphics display chips. C & T reportedly holds about 40 per cent of that market and seems a great fit for Intel's "Visual Computing" initiative to make Intel-based PCs better performers in the video-game and graphics workstation environments. The move could also play well to strengthen Intel's position in the developing digital television sector. Intel has already began shipping a chip set that will reportedly quadruple the graphics speeds of the Pentium II, not a bad start. Motorola Power The other powerhouse in the general microprocessor field is Motorola, whose famous 680x0 processors were installed in well over 10 million Apple Macintosh computers and are reportedly still used in the 3Com (formerly US Robotics) PalmPilot PDA. In 1991 Motorola, IBM and Apple Computer, in direct response to Intel's success, began jointly developing the PowerPC processor. The PowerPC, a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) processor modelled after IBM's well known RS/6000 chip, was to be faster and more efficient than Intel's line. Manufactured by both Motorola and IBM, the PowerPC is now the only processor used in Macintosh computers. It is also used in many specialized products, Unix workstations and Macintosh clones. The PowerPC 604e is the current top-of-line model, running at a whopping 350 MHz. Innovation breeds innovation," notes Phil Pompa, marketing vice-president, UMAX Computer Corp., a Fremont, Calif.-based Macintosh clone maker. "From what we've experienced with the increased performance available in the new PowerPC 604e processor, UMAX will be able to dramatically extend our high-end processor Macintosh computers." Many other versions of the processor are also available. Of the new PowerPC 750/740 (designed for use in high-performance desktop and mobile computers) Linely Gwennap, editor of Microprocessor Report, notes that "IBM and Motorola achieved an excellent combination of high performance and low power with the PowerPC 750 processor. Its design advantages translate into outstanding application-level performance." Blue chip thinking IBM, always a primary force in the computer industry, deserves a special mention here. Not only is it the developer of a long list of technologies used in today's microprocessors, but it's also one of the world's largest microprocessor manufacturers itself, offering chips in every imaginable sector. Its work with Intel in the 1980s left it with certain manufacturing rights to some of Intel's designs, making IBM the second-largest manufacturer of these chips today. IBM is the world's largest user of Intel chips. Go figure. IBM's latest Pentium-compatible chip, the 6x86MX, is reportedly faster, more power efficient and cheaper than Intel's Pentium II. The fastest model currently runs at 233 MHz. The "MX" designation identifies IBM's use of Intel's MMX multimedia extension technology. According to Dr. Hank Geipel, vice-president, x86 microprocessors, IBM Microelectronics Division, "the IBM 6x86MX processor provides an advantage for PC manufacturers looking to offer high-performance personal computers at prices below the competition." As a primary partner in the PowerPC initiative, IBM owns all trademarks and shares manufacturing with Motorola. Alpha bet Another recent addition to the microprocessor marketplace, Digital Equipment Corp.'s Alpha chip, is generally known as a speed demon. It's used primarily in workstations and network servers running Microsoft Windows NT and Unix. Digital claims it has "retained the performance lead in single-chip microprocessors" since the chip's introduction in 1992. Alpha boasts other strengths. Digital's relationship with Microsoft has generated an Alpha version of Windows NT, and new software, Digital FX!32, is said to give full MS Windows application compatibility. Alpha's price/performance is also said to be favourable, with Digital promising sub-S3,000 workstations later this year -- not bad for a high-powered box. MVI (Motion Video Instruction) extensions are Digital's answer to Intel's MMX. The company claims MVI outperforms MMX by speeding both compression and decompression functions -- not just decompression. This should position it well in the developing market for MPEG 2 and other motion video and multimedia solutions, especially with digital video quickly gaining acceptance. Digital's current top-of-the line processor, the Alpha 21164, runs at speeds up to 600 MHz and is available in a special "PC-specific" version. K. Maruno, marketing manager, Mitsubishi (co-developer and second-source manufacturer of Alpha chips), says: "With Alpha's tremendous performance lead, Windows compatibility and affordability, more and more users will be able to benefit from the Alpha advantage. For example, a computer artist running a 3D animation application on Alpha, would be able to create finished film or video sequences faster, enabling the work to be completed in half to one-third of the time than on a comparable x86 system." Other players Some well-known computer manufacturers also make their own processors. Sun Microsystems uses the UltraSPARC processor, which run at speeds up to 300 MHz. Sun's VIS instruction set reportedly delivers enhanced multimedia functionality. The MIPS division of Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) manufactures MIPS "R" processors for use not only in SGI's suite of high-powered workstations but also for the Nintendo 64 video game system, numerous set-top boxes and other such devices. A MIPS version of Windows NT was available for this family of processors, but Microsoft stopped development of the OS some time ago -- ostensibly due to lack of sales. Being a leader in imaging and graphics applications, MIPS offers a number of multimedia extension schemes; MDMX is one such solution. On the future-watch front, Intel and Hewlett-Packard are co-developing a next-generation 64-bit processor code-named Merced. Microprocessor Report describes this venture as "the first 'post-RISC' architecture and Intel's biggest change since the 8086." It will, the report suggests, "dramatically alter the microprocessor landscape." Industry buzz suggests Merced is not likely to ship until early 1999. Arguably the hottest segment of the microprocessor market is embedded systems -- technologies that will finally deliver on the Dick Tracy vision of small, portable yet very powerful intelligent devices. Embedded processors are designed and manufactured to be built right into a circuit rather than mounted separately as a "part" on a circuit board. They're often found not only in printers and other computer peripherals but also in small consumer devices such as cellular telephones, calculators, watches and Dinky Dino games. Often these are implementations of older processor designs, such as Intel's 80386, which have been reengineered for imbedded applications. The Motorola processor used in the Apple 11 microcomputer (circa 1981), for instance, is the embedded processor that now runs Nintendo's popular Gameboy. This world is metamorphosing quickly, as the focus of the computer industry moves from the desktop/server product lines to the intelligent consumer products sector. Java Boxes, WebPhones, NCs, HPCs, PDAs, cellphones and many other, soon to proliferate, devices all take advantage of the compact form and low power requirements of these little beasts. Industry analysts expect processor sales in the portable computing market segment to exceed :30 million units in the next couple of years. In response, many players are moving to fill those promised orders. Intel and Motorola offer low-voltage, specially packaged versions of their mainline products for this market, but other companies are offering chips engineered specifically for this segment. Among these are Advanced RISC Machines and Philips Semiconductor. ARMed and dangerous In 1987 Acorn Computers -- one of those silent founders of the PC era introduced the world's first commercially available RISC processor: the ARM. In 1990, in partnership with Apple Computer and VLSI Technology, Acorn founded Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. to bring the ARM processor to the broad market. It may now be poised to take over the world. ARM positions itself as "the leading microprocessors and peripherals where computing, communications and consumer electronics converge." Not a bad place to be these days. Today ARM processors, in their many forms, are poised to take the embedded processor market by storm. This is in part because the company has formed strategic alliances with just about everyone instead of trying to keep everything close to home, but it also has to do with having been in the business longer than anyone else. For the first time manufacturers can use off-the-shelf core technology to develop and manufacture new microprocessor implementations in record time. Apple's Newton uses ARM processors, as do Psion organizers and 3DO video games. Canadian Marconi even uses them in its global positioning systems. Sharp, Sony, Lucent Technologies, Hyundai, Philips, Texas Instruments, NEC, Yamaha, Samsung, Alcatel, OKI, Nortel and others have all come on board. Dr. S. Watanabe, president of Sony Semiconductor Company, says Sony selected ARM's RISC technology "because its industry leading price/ performance and power efficiencies make it the ideal solution for low-power embedded applications." Building muscle The most interesting of ARM's joint ventures has to be the StrongARM processor jointly developed with and manufactured by Digital. Like Alpha, StrongARM aims to be a best-of-class processor. 233 MHz, RISC architecture, weeks of battery life, native v. 34 modem, and the best MIPS/watt rating in the industry make this processor an exciting contender in the embedded processor market. To top it off, the StrongARM SA-1100 (the latest version) reportedly delivers three to five times the performance of its nearest competitor. Some StrongARM versions are said to be almost 20 times more efficient with power. Watch for StrongARM in Nortel's new screen-phone. It'll also pop up a lot in the new network client boxes (NCs and NetPCs) now being developed by almost everyone. StrongARM is also well suited to the Windows CE environment. Monitor this Philips is another major force in the embedded processor marketplace. Its TwoChipPIC Plus processor (try spelling that three times in the dark) combines the Poseidon (PR31x00), a MIPS R3000-compliant processor, and the UCS 1x00 modem/audio analogue front-end -- a $50 two-chip solution for companies manufacturing almost any smart consumer electronics device. What you get is almost everything necessary to rule the world: eight-bit colour video display, IrDA infrared port, dual serial ports, high-speed serial interface bus, power management, communications and audio CODECs, touch screen interface, v.34 fax modem and more. If this is a sign of things to come then let it roll. The TwoChipPIC is also well suited to the Windows CE marketplace. And by the way, Philips is also an ARM licensee. Any guess why it uses a two-chip strategy? NEC Electronics Inc. is another MIPS-compliant embedded processor manufacturer, offering the VR4300 64bit, 133 MHz microprocessor that is reportedly known for Pentium-level performance at a sub-$40 price. NEC appears to be targeting this chip specifically at Windows CE. See a trend here? On the other end of the spiral are those lowly commodity devices that also long for intelligence. In 1988 (the company's founding year) this reporter predicted that Echelon would rule the world within three years by providing a solution. It didn't quite happen. Privately held Echelon Corp. is the purveyor of the Neuron chip, an embedded processor targeted at that remote sensing/control market: light switches, thermostats and machine controls. The strategy is to do away with hard-wired connections and centralized computer control by integrating advanced intelligence, networking savvy, memory, applications software, power control, etc. into each and every device -- true distributed intelligence -- but not for data mining and enterprise communication. The LONWorks environment (as it's called) is instead targeted at providing the "smart" part of smart houses, smart vehicles, smart highways and smart factories. Echelon wants Neuron chips in every controllable device. An interesting aspect of the architecture is it's inherent ability to network with other Neuron chips over almost any medium -- infrared, RF, Ethernet, TCP/IP, even house/factory electrical wiring -- an asset Star Trek's "Borg" would certainly find quite appealing. The chips are manufactured and sold exclusively by Motorola and Toshiba. In fact, Motorola, along with Apple Computer and 3COM, is a major investor, as is George Soros, a well-known investor in the world of digital innovation. Mike Markkula, ex of Intel, Grand Pubba of Apple Computer (as founding principal shareholder) and excommunicator of Steve Jobs, John Scully, Michael Spindler and others, founded the company. Keep watching. These guys will either find world dominance shortly, or bite it big time. You can't run a large corporation on the sale of 2.5 million chips over a 10-year period. So the intelligent consumer device category looks like a segment to watch over the next few years, but the core markets will remain in the traditional PC/workstation/server segments. As George Bulat, manager of PC research at IDC Canada point out, Intel, with greater than 90 percent of the 1996 PC market, will continue to call the shots for some time. "About 80 per cent of all PC shipments in 1996 were Pentium-based systems" says Bulat. "The flood news is that there continues to be a regular upgrade cycle, with the major portion of those shipments being replacements of older machines." In the high-end market, IDC Research consultant Alan Freedman suggests that, "while RISC/Unix-based systems are still far ahead in shipments in Canada, those numbers are pretty much stagnating, while the NT/Intel-based segment is growing tremendously every year." NT advantage Digital's Alpha, Freedman notes, remains a credible player, but while performance is never questioned, end-user confidence is pretty low in terms of support and application development. He says customers don't know, and should be made aware, that they can run most of their popular third-party applications, including Microsoft, on Alpha. "If Digital could convey the message that there are a lot of Alpha developers out there programming for the Alpha chip, I think they'd do better," Freedman says. "And the fact that they have some chips that can run NT is a good idea, because people are always impressed with the [speed of the] Alpha chip." If there's one loud and clear message, it's that the future will be very interesting for those in computer sales. After all, once manufacturers start building the computing power of an IBM System/360 into a light switch, you just know things are getting interesting.