Editing Chips and Technologies

{{Short description|American semiconductor company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Chips and Technologies, Inc.
| logo = Chips and Technologies wordmark.svg
| hq_location_city = [[Milpitas, California]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = Worldwide
| industry = [[Semiconductor]]s
| products = [[System on a Chip|SoC]]s, GPUs
| foundation = {{start date and age|1984}}
| defunct = {{end date and age|1997}}
| fate = Acquired by [[Intel]]
| website={{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970708093951/http://www.chips.com/|title=chips.com}}
}}

[[File:KL CHIPS F8680 SoC.jpg|thumb|The F8680 is a [[x86]] compatible [[System-on-a-chip|SoC]].]]
'''Chips and Technologies, Inc.''' ('''C&T'''), was an early [[fabless semiconductor company]] founded in [[Milpitas, California]], in December 1984<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Cz8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34 Chips & Technologies:Driving in the Fast Lane], ''InfoWorld'', February 22, 1988</ref> by Gordon A. Campbell and [[Dado Banatao]].

Its first product, announced September 1985, was a four chip [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]] [[chipset]] that handled the functions of 19 of [[IBM]]'s proprietary chips on the [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter]].  By that November's [[COMDEX]], more than a half dozen companies had introduced EGA-compatible boards based on C&T's chipset.<ref name=EGS>[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA140 The Enhanced Graphics Standard Comes of Age], ''[[PC Magazine]]'', August 1986</ref>  This was followed by chipsets for PC [[motherboard]]s and other computer [[graphics chip]]s.

C&T was acquired by [[Intel]] in 1997, primarily for its graphics chip business.

Former members of C&T founded '''Asiliant Technologies''' in January 2000 to continue the support of the CHIPS 65545, 65550, 65555, 69000, 69030, and other notebook and LCD oriented graphics ICs.  Intel licensed the rights to build, sell, and service the C&T chips to Asiliant.  Asiliant manufactured and sold C&T components for the next few years until it closed.

==x86 products==
[[File:KL CHIPS Super386.jpg|right|thumb|180px|x86-CPU Super386]]
[[File:KL Chips J38700.jpg|180px|right|thumb|C&T SuperMath J38700DX]]
C&T SuperMath J38700DX was an [[Intel 80387|80387DX]] compatible [[Floating point unit|FPU]] [[coprocessor]].

C&T also designed a [[Intel 80386|386]]-compatible [[microprocessor]] known as the Super386 38600DX/38600SX using [[clean room design]] techniques, but this chip never enjoyed as much success as the 386 CPUs produced by [[Intel]], [[AMD]], and [[Cyrix]]. C&T 38605DX had 512 byte cache, but the 144 pin PGA package was incompatible with 386 socket.

== Motherboard chips and chipsets ==
{{see also|NEAT chipset}}
* 82C100 - IBM PS/2 Model 30 and Super XT Computer Chip<ref>{{cite book | title=82C100 IBM PS/2 Model 30 and Super XT Compatible Chip | publisher=Chips and Technologies}}</ref> - Released in 1987,<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Firm Says System Logic Chip Will Speed PS/2 Model 30 Cloning
  | newspaper = InfoWorld
  | date = 1987-07-27
  | page = 26
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6DsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26
}}</ref> compatible with [[8086]], 80C86, [[NEC V30|V30]], [[8088]], 80C88, [[NEC V20|V20]] CPUs. Compatible with all [[PC/XT]] functional units: [[Intel 8284|8284]], [[Intel 8288|8288]], [[Intel 8237|8237]], [[Intel 8259|8259]], [[Intel 8254|8254]], [[Intel 8255|8255]], [[DRAM]] controller, [[Static random access memory|SRAM]] controller, Keyboard controller, Parity Generation and Configuration registers.<ref name=Tooley>{{cite book|title=PC Based Instrumentation and Control|author=Michael H. Tooley|pages=32|publisher=Elsevier|date=2005 |isbn=9780750647168}}</ref> Additionally features [[Expanded memory|EMS]] control, dual clock and power management. It supports up to 2.5 MB RAM.
* 82C206 chip, introduced by C&amp;T in 1986 and the core of the NEAT (New Enhanced AT) chipset.  This chip, like its predecessor the 82C100, provided equivalent functionality to the TTL chips on the [[IBM PC/AT|PC/AT]]'s mainboard, namely: the [[Intel 82284|82284]] clock generator, the [[Intel 82288|82288]] bus controller, the 8254 Programmable Interval Timer, the two 8259 Programmable Interrupt Controllers, the two 8237 DMA controllers, the [[MC146818]] [[Nonvolatile BIOS memory|NVRAM]]/[[real-time clock|RTC]] chip.<ref name=Mueller>{{cite book|title=Upgrading and Repairing PCs|author=Scott Mueller|pages=[https://archive.org/details/upgradingrepair100muel/page/230 230]|publisher=Que Publishing|date=2003|isbn=9780789729743|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/upgradingrepair100muel/page/230}}</ref>
* 82C235 - Single Chip AT (SCAT)<ref>{{cite book | title=82C235 Single Chip AT | publisher=Chips and Technologies}}</ref> - Released in 1989,<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Chip Makes Cheaper AT Clones possible
  | newspaper = InfoWorld
  | date = 1989-10-09
  | page = 1
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1
}}</ref> compatible with [[PC/AT]]. Supported LIM EMS 4.0, up to 16 MB memory and Shadow RAM.
* 82C351, 82C355, 82C356 / CS82310 (PEAK DM) - A three chip successor to NEAT for 32-bit 386DX CPUs. The PEAK DM/386 chipset supports up to 128MB of RAM in eight banks (32MB in two banks most commonly implemented), and up to 256KB of direct-mapped L2 cache.
* 82C836 - Single Chip 386sx AT (SCATsx)<ref>{{cite book | title=82C836 Single Chip 386sx AT | publisher=Chips and Technologies}}</ref> - Compatible with PC/AT (bus), supported all the features of SCAT, added support for the [[Intel 386#i386SX|i386SX]] processor and [[Intel 80387SX|i387SX]] math coprocessor, and optional external L2 cache.

==Video chips==
Chips and Technologies was the first company (outside of IBM) to deliver an [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]]-compatible chipset. The Enhanced Graphics CHIPSet consisted of the four chips:
* 82C431 Graphics Controller
* 82C432 Sequencer
* 82C433 Attributes Controller
* 82C434 CRT Controller<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=a91QXlvTPHAC&pg=PA160 Anatomy of an EGA Board], ''PC Magazine'', August 1986</ref>

Later C&T announced a "Super EGA" dual-chip chipset: 82C435 Enhanced Graphics Controller and 82A436 Bus Interface with resolution up to 800×600 38MHz.

C&T was the first company (outside of IBM) to deliver a compatible [[Video Graphics Array|VGA]] chipset, the 82C451, and VGA cards were introduced the same year as VGA (1987) based on the 82C451, opening up the IBM compatible graphics display market.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6a8_AAAAQBAJ&q=82c441+chips+and+technologies&pg=PA254|title=The History of Visual Magic in Computers: How Beautiful Images are Made in CAD, 3D, VR and AR|last=Peddie|first=Jon|date=2013-06-13|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9781447149323|language=en}}</ref> This market was then entered by companies such as [[Trident Microsystems]], [[Western Digital]], [[Cirrus Logic]], [[Oak Technology]], and others, until it was saturated.

The 82C480/82C481 series is fully compatible with the IBM 8514/A graphics controller and accelerates 2D GUI operations on a 32-bit VRAM interface. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bitsavers.org/components/chipsAndTech/82C480_8214_Graphics_Controller_Rev1.6_199007.pdf|title=82C480 Series Graphics Controller|publisher=|accessdate=8 December 2024}}</ref>

Chips and Technologies provided the [[Wingine]] video card, a very high speed [[framebuffer]] that sat in a proprietary local bus slot on supported motherboards.  Epson and JCIS were two manufacturers who offered motherboards featuring the Wingine local bus slot.  The Wingine was popular with users of [[NEXTSTEP]] for Intel processors, as it was one of the highest performing video cards supported by the operating system.<ref>[http://www.bytecellar.com/2007/02/09/chips_technolog/ bytecellar.com - Chips & Technologies’ WINGINE], 2007-02-09</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070222224854/http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2F1993%2Fjan93%2F93n0110.asp&articleid=5816&guid= CHIPS And Technologies' WINGINE: Giving Windows Horsepower]</ref> Latest HiQVision architecture (65550, 65554, 65555, 68554, 69000 and 69030) was aimed at low-cost, high performance, highly integrated products with flatpanel/LCD direct drive features.

[[Apple Inc.|Apple]] used a number of C&amp;T controllers in their [[PowerBook]] line. Among others, the 65550 was used in the [[PowerBook 3400]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockhopper.dk/old/linux/hardware/powerbook-3400.html|title=RockHopper.dk: Apple Powerbook 3400 240MHz|accessdate=29 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501232130/http://www.rockhopper.dk/old/linux/hardware/powerbook-3400.html|archive-date=1 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the faster 65554 was used in the "Kanga" [[PowerBook G3]], which was derived from the 3400.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lowendmac.com/ed/moore/08cwm/powerbook-g3-press-release.html|title=PowerBook G3 Press Release|publisher=|accessdate=29 September 2014}}</ref> Early [[NuBus]] PowerBooks such as the [[PowerBook 1400]] used the less-sophisticated 65525A.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ports.ppc.nubus-pmac.users/1223|title=For users of Linux on NuBus PowerMacs|publisher=|accessdate=29 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622054501/http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ports.ppc.nubus-pmac.users/1223|archive-date=22 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

C&T eventually ended up competing in the low end of the video market, the 65555 featured an [[Low-voltage differential signaling|LVDS]] transmitter and notably won a design in early Compaq Armada laptops.

<gallery mode="traditional" style="text-align:left">
File:KL_Genoa_EGA.jpg|[[Genoa Systems|Genoa]] EGA using original C&T four-chip chipset
File:CT LEGA.jpg|Card using C&T "Super EGA" dual-chip chipset
File:CT VGA.jpg|VGA-compatible ISA card with C&T chip
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[OPTi|OPTi Inc.]], a chipset company formed by ex-employees of Chips and Technologies
* [[S3 Graphics]]
* [[List of Intel chipsets]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970708093951/http://www.chips.com/|title=Official website}}
* Paul McLellan. [https://www.semiwiki.com/forum/content/2152-brief-history-chips-technologies.html A Brief History of Chips and Technologies] SemiWiki.com
* [http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/components/chipsAndTech/82C451_VGA_Controller_Jul90.pdf Chips&Technologies 82C451 Datasheet]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chips And Technologies}}
[[Category:Defunct computer hardware companies]]
[[Category:Defunct semiconductor companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Fabless semiconductor companies]]
[[Category:Intel acquisitions]]
[[Category:Intel graphics]]
[[Category:Graphics hardware companies]]
[[Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Chipsets]]