Am2900 is a family of integrated circuits (ICs) created in 1975 by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). They were constructed with bipolar devices, in a bit-slice topology, and were designed to be used as modular components each representing a different aspect of a computer control unit (CCU). By using the bit slicing technique, the Am2900 family was able to implement a CCU with data, addresses, and instructions to be any multiple of 4 bits by multiplying the number of ICs. One major problem with this modular technique was that it required a larger number of ICs to implement what could be done on a single CPU IC. The Am2901 chip included an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and 16 4-bit processor register slices, and was the "core" of the series. It could count using 4 bits and implement binary operations as well as various bit-shifting operations. The Am2909 was a 4-bit-slice address sequencer that could generate 4-bit addresses on a single chip, and by using n of them, it was able to generate 4n-bit addresses. It had a stack that could store a microprogram counter up to 4 nest levels, as well as a stack pointer.
5-622: The 2901 and some other chips in the family were second sourced by an unusually large number of other manufacturers, starting with Motorola and then Raytheon – both in 1975 – and also Cypress Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, NEC, Thomson, and Signetics. In the Soviet Union and later Russia the Am2900 family was manufactured as the 1804 series (with e.g. the Am2901 designated as KR1804VS1 / Russian : КР1804ВС1 ) which
10-438: Is common for engineers and purchasers to avoid components that are only available from a single source, to avoid the risk that a problem with the supplier would prevent a popular and profitable product from being manufactured. For simple components such as resistors and transistors, this is not usually an issue, but for complex integrated circuits , vendors often react by licensing one or more other companies to manufacture and sell
15-415: The 8086 and its related support components. This second-source agreement is particularly famous for leading to much litigation between the two parties . The agreement gave AMD the rights to second-source later Intel parts, but Intel refused to provide the masks for the 386 to AMD. AMD reverse-engineered the 386, and Intel then claimed that AMD's license to the 386 microcode only allowed AMD to "use"
20-426: The same parts as second sources. While the details of such licenses are usually confidential, they often involve cross-licensing , so that each company also obtains the right to manufacture and sell parts designed by the other. MOS Technology licensed Rockwell and Synertek to second-source the 6502 microprocessor and its support components. Intel licensed AMD to second-source Intel microprocessors such as
25-450: Was known to be in production in 2016. There are probably many more, but here are some known machines using these parts: The Am2900 Family Data Book lists: Many of these chips also have 7400 series numbers such as the 74F2960 / Am2960. Second source In the electronics industry , a second source is a company that is licensed to manufacture and sell components originally designed by another company (the first source). It
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