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amd2AdvancedMicroDevices
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"AMD"redirectshere.Forotheruses,seeAMD(disambiguation).
AdvancedMicroDevices,Inc.
TypePublic(NYSE:AMD)
Founded1969
FounderW.JerrySandersIII
EdwinJ.Turney
Additionalco-founders
HeadquartersSunnyvale,California,US
AreaservedWorldwide
KeypeopleDerrickR.Meyer
(CEO),(President)&(Director)
HéctorDeJ.Ruiz
(ExecutiveChairman)
HalSpeed
(SeniorManager,StrategicInitiatives)
IndustrySemiconductors
ProductsMicroprocessors
Motherboardchipsets
Graphicsprocessors
DTVdecoderchips
Handheldmediachipsets
MarketcapUS$3.00billion(2008)
Revenue▲US$6.013billion(2007)
Operatingincome▼US$-2.865billion(2007)
Netincome▼US$-3.379billion(2007)
Totalassets▼US$11.550billion(2007)
Totalequity▼US$2.990billion(2007)
Employees15,653(2008)
WebsiteAMD.com
AdvancedMicroDevices,Inc.(AMD)(NYSE:AMD)isanAmericanmultinationalsemiconductorcompanybasedinSunnyvale,California,thatdevelopscomputerprocessorsandrelatedtechnologiesforcommercialandconsumermarkets.Itsmainproductsincludemicroprocessors,motherboardchipsets,embeddedprocessorsandgraphicsprocessorsforservers,workstationsandpersonalcomputers,andprocessortechnologiesforhandhelddevices,digitaltelevision,andgameconsoles.
AMDisthesecond-largestglobalsupplierofmicroprocessorsbasedonthex86architectureafterIntelCorporation,andthethird-largestsupplierofgraphicsprocessingunits.Italsoowns21percentofSpansion,asupplierofnon-volatileflashmemory.In2007,AMDrankedeleventhamongsemiconductormanufacturersintermsofrevenue.[1]
Contents[hide]
1Corporatehistory
2Processormarkethistory
2.1IBMPCandthex86architecture
2.2K5,K6andAthlon
2.3Athlon64,OpteronandPhenom
2.4Fusion
3Otherplatformsandtechnologies
3.1AMDchipsets
3.2AMDLive!
3.3AMDQuadFXplatform
3.4Commercialplatform
3.5Desktopplatforms
3.6Embeddedsystems
3.7Flashtechnology
3.8Mobileplatforms
3.9Otherinitiatives
3.10Software
3.11TechnologiesfromATI
4Productionandfabrication
5Corporateaffairs
5.1Partnerships
5.2LitigationwithIntel
5.3Eventsandpublications
6Seealso
7References
8Externallinks
[edit]Corporatehistory
AMDheadquartersinSunnyvale.
AMDMarkham,formerlyATIheadquarters.AdvancedMicroDeviceswasfoundedonMay1,1969,byagroupofformerexecutivesfromFairchildSemiconductor,includingJerrySanders,III,EdTurney,JohnCarey,SvenSimonsen,JackGiffordandthreemembersfromGifford'steam,FrankBotte,JimGiles,andLarryStenger.Thecompanybeganasaproduceroflogicchips,thenenteredtheRAMchipbusinessin1975.Thatsameyear,itintroducedareverse-engineeredcloneoftheIntel8080microprocessor.Duringthisperiod,AMDalsodesignedandproducedaseriesofbit-sliceprocessorelements(Am2900,Am29116,Am293xx)whichwereusedinvariousminicomputerdesigns.
Duringthistime,AMDattemptedtoembracetheperceivedshifttowardsRISCwiththeirownAMD29Kprocessor,andtheyattemptedtodiversifyintographicsandaudiodevicesaswellasEPROMmemory.Ithadsomesuccessinthemid-80swiththeAMD7910andAMD7911"WorldChip"FSKmodem,oneofthefirstmultistandarddevicesthatcoveredbothBellandCCITTtonesatupto1200baudhalfduplexor300/300fullduplex.WhiletheAMD29KsurvivedasanembeddedprocessorandAMDspinoffSpansioncontinuestomakeindustryleadingflashmemory,AMDwasnotassuccessfulwithitsotherendeavors.AMDdecidedtoswitchgearsandconcentratesolelyonIntel-compatiblemicroprocessorsandflashmemory.ThisputthemindirectcompetitionwithIntelforx86compatibleprocessorsandtheirflashmemorysecondarymarkets.
IthasbeenreportedinDecember2006thatAMDalongwithitsmainrivalinthegraphicsindustrynVidia,receivedsubpoenasfromtheJusticeDepartmentregardingpossibleantitrustviolationsinthegraphicscardindustry,includingtheactoffixingprices.[2]
AMDannouncedamergerwithATITechnologiesonJuly24,2006.AMDpaid$4.3billionincashand58millionsharesofitsstockforatotalofUS$5.4billion.ThemergercompletedonOctober25,2006[3]andATIisnowpartofAMD.
InOctober2008,AMDstatedthatitisgoingtospinofftheirmanufacturingoperationsintheformofamultibillion-dollarjointventurewithAdvancedTechnologyInvestmentCo.,aninvestmentcompanyformedbythegovernmentofAbuDhabi.ThenewventureiscalledFoundryCo.ThiswillallowAMDtofocussolelyonchipdesign.[4]
[edit]Processormarkethistory
EarlyAMD8080Processor(AMDAM9080ADC/C8080A),1977
[edit]IBMPCandthex86architecture
Mainarticles:Am286,Am386,Am486,andAm5x86
InFebruary1982,AMDsignedacontractwithIntel,becomingalicensedsecond-sourcemanufacturerof8086and8088processors.IBMwantedtousetheIntel8088initsIBMPC,butIBM'spolicyatthetimewastorequireatleasttwosourcesforitschips.AMDlaterproducedtheAm286underthesamearrangement,butIntelcanceledtheagreementin1986andrefusedtoconveytechnicaldetailsofthei386part.AMDchallengedIntel'sdecisiontocanceltheagreementandwoninarbitration,butInteldisputedthisdecision.Alonglegaldisputefollowed,endingin1994whentheSupremeCourtofCaliforniasidedwithAMD.SubsequentlegaldisputescenteredonwhetherAMDhadlegalrightstousederivativesofIntel'smicrocode.Inthefaceofuncertainty,AMDwasforcedtodevelop"cleanroom"versionsofIntelcode.
In1991,AMDreleasedtheAm386,itscloneoftheIntel386processor.Ittooklessthanayearforthecompanytosellamillionunits.Later,theAm486wasusedbyanumberoflargeoriginalequipmentmanufacturers,includingCompaq,andprovedpopular.AnotherAm486-basedproduct,theAm5x86,continuedAMD'ssuccessasalow-pricealternative.However,asproductcyclesshortenedinthePCindustry,theprocessofreverseengineeringIntel'sproductsbecameaneverlessviablestrategyforAMD.
[edit]K5,K6andAthlon
Mainarticles:AMDK5,AMDK6,andAthlon
AMD'sfirstcompletelyin-housex86processorwastheK5whichwaslaunchedin1996.[5]The"K"wasareferenceto"Kryptonite",whichfromcomicbooklore,wastheonlysubstancethatcouldharmSuperman,withaclearreferencetoIntel,whichdominatedinthemarketatthetime,as"Superman".[6]
In1996,AMDpurchasedNexGenspecificallyfortherightstotheirNxseriesofx86-compatibleprocessors.AMDgavetheNexGendesignteamtheirownbuilding,leftthemalone,andgavethemtimeandmoneytoreworktheNx686.TheresultwastheK6processor,introducedin1997.
TheK7wasAMD'sseventhgenerationx86processor,makingitsdebutonJune23,1999,underthebrandnameAthlon.OnOctober9,2001theAthlonXPwasreleased,followedbytheAthlonXPwith512KBL2CacheonFebruary10,2003.[7]
[edit]Athlon64,OpteronandPhenom
Quad-core"Barcelona"die-shot.Mainarticles:Athlon64,Opteron,andPhenom(processor)
TheK8wasamajorrevisionoftheK7architecture,withthemostnotablefeaturesbeingtheadditionofa64-bitextensiontothex86instructionset(officiallycalledAMD64),theincorporationofanon-chipmemorycontroller,andtheimplementationofanextremelyhighperformancepoint-to-pointinterconnectcalledHyperTransport,aspartoftheDirectConnectArchitecture.ThetechnologywasinitiallylaunchedastheOpteronserver-orientedprocessor.[8]ShortlythereafteritwasincorporatedintoaproductfordesktopPCs,brandedAthlon64.[9]
AMDreleasedthefirstdualcoreOpteron,anx86-basedserverCPU,onApril21,2005.[10]Thefirstdesktop-baseddualcoreprocessorfamily—theAthlon64X2—cameamonthlater.[11]InearlyMay2007,AMDhadabandonedthestring"64"initsdual-coredesktopproductbranding,becomingAthlonX2,downplayingthesignificanceof64-bitcomputinginitsprocessorswhileupcomingupdatesinvolvessomeoftheimprovementstothemicroarchitecture,andashiftoftargetmarketfrommainstreamdesktopsystemstovaluedual-coredesktopsystems.AMDhasalsostartedtoreleasedual-coreSempronprocessorsinearly2008exclusivelyinChina,brandedasSempron2000series,withlowerHyperTransportspeedandsmallerL2cache,thusthefirmcompletesitsdual-coreproductportfolioforeachmarketsegment.
ThelatestAMDmicroprocessorarchitecture,knownasK10,becamethesuccessortotheK8microarchitecture.ThefirstprocessorsreleasedonthisarchitecturewereintroducedonSeptember10,2007consistingofninequad-coreThirdGenerationOpteronprocessors.ThiswasfollowedbythePhenomprocessorfordesktop.K10processorswillcomeindual,triple-core,[12]andquad-coreversionswithallcoresononesingledie.
[edit]Fusion
Mainarticles:AMDFusion,bulldozer(processor),andBobcat(processor)
Thissectioncontainsinformationaboutscheduledorexpectedfuturecomputerchips.
Itmaycontainpreliminaryorspeculativeinformation,andmaynotreflectthefinalspecificationoftheproduct.
AfterthemergerbetweenAMDandATI,aninitiativecodenamedFusionwasannouncedthatmergesaCPUandGPUononechip,includingaminimum16lanePCIExpresslinktoaccommodateexternalPCIExpressperipherals,therebyeliminatingtherequirementofanorthbridgechipcompletelyfromthemotherboard.AMDwillmovetoamodulardesignmethodologynamed"M-SPACE",wheretwonewprocessorcores,codenamed"Bulldozer"and"Bobcat"willbereleasedinthe2009timeframe.
WhileverylittlepreliminaryinformationexistseveninAMD'sTechnologyAnalystDay2007,bothcoresaretobebuiltfromthegroundup.TheBulldozercorefocusedon10wattto100wattproducts,withoptimizationsforperformance-per-wattratiosandHPCapplicationsandincludesnewlyannouncedSSE5instructions,whiletheBobcatcorewillfocuson1wattto10wattproducts,giventhatthecoreisasimplifiedx86coretoreducepowerdraw.BothofthecoreswillbeabletoincorporatefullDirectXcompatibleGPUcore(s)undertheFusionlabel,orasstandaloneproductsasageneralpurposeCPU.
[edit]Otherplatformsandtechnologies
[edit]AMDchipsets
Seealso:ComparisonofAMDchipsets
BeforethelaunchofAthlon64processorsin2003,AMDdesignedchipsetsfortheirprocessorsspanningtheK6andK7processorgenerations.ThechipsetsincludetheAMD-640,AMD-751andtheAMD-761chipsets.Thesituationchangedin2003withthereleaseofAthlon64processors,andAMDchosenottofurtherdesignitsownchipsetsforitsdesktopprocessorswhileopeningthedesktopplatformtoallowotherfirmstodesignchipsets.Thisisthe"OpenPlatformInitiative".Theinitiativewasproventobeasuccess,withmanyfirmssuchasNvidia,ATI,VIAandSiSdevelopingtheirownchipsetforAthlon64processorsandlaterAthlon64X2andAthlon64FXprocessors,includingtheQuadFXplatformchipsetfromNvidia.
TheinitiativewentfurtherwiththereleaseofOpteronserverprocessorsasAMDstoppedthedesignofserverchipsetsin2004afterreleasingtheAMD-8111chipset,andagainopenedtheserverplatformforfirmstodevelopchipsetsforOpteronprocessors.Asoftoday,NvidiaandBroadcomarethesoledesigningfirmsofserverchipsetsforOpteronprocessors.
AsthecompanycompletedtheacquisitionofATITechnologiesin2006,thefirmgainedtheATIdesignteamforchipsetswhichpreviouslydesignedtheRadeonXpress200andtheRadeonXpress3200chipsets.AMDthenrenamedthechipsetsforAMDprocessorsunderAMDbranding(forinstance,theCrossFireXpress3200chipsetwasrenamedasAMD580XCrossFirechipset).InFebruary2007,AMDannouncedthefirstAMD-brandedchipsetsince2004withthereleaseoftheAMD690Gchipset(previouslyunderthedevelopmentcodenameRS690),targetedatmainstreamIGPcomputing.Itwastheindustry'sfirsttoimplementaHDMI1.2portonmotherboards,shippingformorethanamillionunits.WhileATIhadaimedatreleasinganIntelIGPchipset,theplanwasscrappedandtheinventoriesofRadeonXpress1250(codenamedRS600,soldunderATIbrand)wassoldtotwoOEMs,AbitandAsRock.AlthoughAMDstatesthefirmwillstillproduceIntelchipsets,Intelhadnotgrantedthelicenseof1333MHzFSBtoATI.ConsideringtherivalrybetweenAMDandIntel,AMDislesslikelytoreleasemoreIntelchipsetdesignsintheforeseeablefuture.
OnNovember15,2007,AMDhasannouncedanewchipsetseriesportfolio,theAMD7-Serieschipsets,coveringfromenthusiastmulti-graphicssegmenttovalueIGPsegment,toreplacetheAMD480/570/580chipsetsandAMD690serieschipsets.MarkingAMD'sfirstenthusiastmulti-graphicschipset.DiscretegraphicschipsetswerelaunchedonNovember15,2007aspartofthecodenamedSpiderdesktopplatform,andIGPchipsetswerelaunchedatalatertimeinSpring2008aspartofthecodenamedCartwheelplatform.
AMDwillalsoreturntotheserverchipsetsmarketwiththenext-generationAMD800Sseriesserverchipsets,scheduledtobereleasedin2009timeframe.
[edit]AMDLive!
Mainarticle:AMDLive!
AMDLIVE!isaplatformmarketinginitiativefocusingtheconsumerelectronicssegment,witharecentlyannouncedActiveTVinitiativeforstreamingInternetvideosfromwebvideoservicessuchasYouTube,intoAMDLive!PCaswellasconnecteddigitalTVs,togetherwithaschemeforanecosystemofcertifiedperipheralsfortheeaseofcustomerstoidentifyperipheralsforAMDLive!systemsfordigitalhomeexperience,called"AMDLive!Ready".[13]
[edit]AMDQuadFXplatform
Mainarticle:AMDQuadFXplatform
TheAMDQuadFXplatform,beinganextremeenthusiastplatform,allowstwoprocessorstoconnectthroughHyperTransport,whichisasimilarsetuptodual-processor(2P)servers,excludingtheuseofbufferedmemory/registeredmemoryDIMMmodules,andaservermotherboard,thecurrentsetupincludestwoAthlon64FXFX-70seriesprocessorsandaspecialmotherboard.AMDpushedtheplatformforthesurgingdemandsforwhatAMDcalls"megatasking"fortrueenthusiasts,[14]theabilitytodomoretasksononesinglesystem.TheplatformrefresheswiththeintroductionofPhenomFXprocessorsandthenext-generationRD790chipset,codenamed"FASN8".
[edit]Commercialplatform
ThefirstAMDserver/workstationplatformafterATIacquisitionisscheduledtobereleasedon2009timeframe.CodenamedFiorano,AMD'sfirstmulti-processorserverplatformafterATIacquisitionconsistsofAMDSR5690+SP5100serverchipsets,supporting45nm,codenamedShanghaiSocketF+processorsandregisteredDDR2memory.FutureupdateincludetheMaranelloplatformsupporting45nm,codenamedIStanbul,SocketG34processorswithDDR3memory.Onsingle-processorplatform,thecodenamedCatalunyaplatformconsistsofcodenamedSuzuka45nmquad-coreprocessorwithAMDSR5580+SP5100chipsetandDDR3support.[15]
AMD'svirtualizationextensiontothe64-bitx86architectureisnamedAMDVirtualization,alsoknownbytheabbreviationAMD-V,andissometimesreferredtobythecodename"Pacifica".AMDprocessorsusingSocketAM2,SocketS1,andSocketFincludeAMDVirtualizationsupport.AMDVirtualizationisalsosupportedbyreleasetwo(8200,2200and1200series)oftheOpteronprocessors.Thethirdgeneration(8300and2300series)ofOpteronprocessorswillseeanupdateinvirtualizationtechnology,specificallytheRapidVirtualizationIndexing(alsoknownbythedevelopmentnameNestedPageTables),alongsidetheTaggedTLBandDeviceExclusionVector(DEV).
AMDalsopromotesthe"AMDI/OVirtualizationTechnology"(alsoknownasIOMMU)forI/Ovirtualization.[16]TheAMDIOMMUspecificationhasbeenupdatedtoversion1.2.[17]ThespecificationdescribestheuseofaHyperTransportarchitecture.
AMD'scommercialinitiativesincludethefollowing:
AMDTrinity,providessupportforvirtualization,securityandmanagement.KeyfeaturesincludeAMD-Vtechnology,codenamedPresidiotrustedcomputingplatformtechnology,I/OVirtualizationandOpenManagementPartition.[18]
AMDRaiden,futureclientssimilartotheJackPC[19]tobeconnectedthroughnetworktoabladeserverforcentralmanagement,toreduceclientformfactorsizeswithAMDTrinityfeatures.
Torrenza,coprocessorssupportthroughinterconnectssuchasHyperTransportasPCIExpress(thoughmorefocuswasatHyperTransportenabledcoprocessors),alsoopeningprocessorsocketarchitecturetoothermanufacturers,SunandIBMareamongthesupportingconsortium,withrumouredPOWER7processorswouldbesocket-compatibletofutureOpteronprocessors.ThemovemaderivalIntelrespondedwiththeopenofFrontSideBus(FSB)architectureaswellasGeneseo,[20]acollaborationprojectwithIBMforcoprocessorsconnectedthroughPCIExpress.NotethatAMDpositionedTorrenzaforcommercialsegment,whilstIntelpositionedGeneseoforallsegmentsincludingconsumerdesktopsegments[citationneeded].
Variouscertifiedsystemsprogramsandplatforms:AMDCommercialStableImagePlatform(CSIP),togetherwithAMDValidatedServerprogram,AMDTrueServerSolutions,AMDThermallyTestedBarebonesPlatformsandAMDValidatedServerProgram,providingcertifiedsystemsforbusinessfromAMD.
[edit]Desktopplatforms
Startingin2007,AMD,followingIntel,beganusingcodenamesforitsdesktopplatformssuchasSpider.Theplatforms,unlikeIntel'sapproach,willrefresheveryyear,puttingfocusonplatformspecialization.TheplatformincludescomponentsasAMDprocessors,chipsets,ATIgraphicsandotherfeatures,butcontinuedtotheopenplatformapproach,andwelcomecomponentsfromothervendorssuchasVIA,SiS,andNvidia,aswellaswirelessproductvendors.
UpdatestotheplatformincludestheimplemtationofIOMMUI/OVirtualizationwith45nmgenerationofprocessors,andtheAMD800chipsetseriesin2009.[21]
[edit]Embeddedsystems
Mainarticles:Alchemy(processor)andGeode(processor)
InFebruary2002,AMDacquiredAlchemySemiconductorandcontinueditslineofprocessorinMIPSarchitectureprocessors,targetsthehand-heldandPortablemediaplayermarkets.OnJune13,2006,AMDofficiallyannouncedthattheAlchemyprocessorlinewastransferredtoRazaMicroelectronicsInc.[22]
InAugust2003,AMDalsopurchasedtheGeodebusinesswhichwasoriginallytheCyrixMediaGXfromNationalSemiconductortoaugmentitsexistinglineofembeddedx86processorproducts.Duringthesecondquarterof2004,itlaunchednewlow-powerGeodeNXprocessorsbasedontheK7Thoroughbredarchitecturewithspeedsoffanlessprocessors667MHzand1GHz,and1.4GHzprocessorwithfan,ofTDP25W.Thistechnologyisusedinavarietyofembeddedsystems(Casinoslotmachinesandcustomerkiosksforinstance),severalUMPCdesignsinAsiamarkets,aswellastheOLPCXO-1computer,aninexpensivelaptopcomputerintendedtobedistributedtochildrenindevelopingcountriesaroundtheworld.
ForthepastcoupleofyearsAMDhasbeenintroducing64-bitprocessorsintoitsembeddedproductlinestartingwiththeAMDOpteronprocessor.LeveragingthehighthroughputenabledthroughHyperTransportandtheDirectConnectArchitecturetheseserverclassprocessorshavebeentargetedathighendtelecomandstorageapplications.In2006AMDaddedtheAMDAthlon,AMDTurionandMobileAMDSempronprocessorstoitsembeddedproductline.Leveragingthesame64-bitinstructionsetandDirectConnectArchitectureastheAMDOpteronbutatlowerpowerlevelsandinsmallerfootprintpackages[citationneeded],theseprocessorswerewellsuitedtoavarietyoftraditionalembeddedapplications.Throughout2007andinto2008AMDhascontinuedtoaddbothsingle-coreMobileAMDSempronandAMDAthlonprocessorsanddual-coreAMDAthlonX2andAMDTurionprocessorstoitsembeddedproductlineandnowoffersembedded64-bitsolutionsstartingwith8WTDPMobileAMDSempronandAMDAthlonprocessorsforfan-lessdesignsuptomulti-processorsystemsleveragingmulti-coreAMDOpteronprocessorsallsupportinglongerthanstandardavailability.
InApril2007,AMDannouncedthereleaseoftheM690Tintegratedgraphicschipsetforembeddeddesigns.ThisenabledAMDtooffercompleteprocessorandchipsetsolutionstargetedatembeddedapplicationsrequiringhighperformance3Dandvideosuchasemergingdigitalsignage,kioskandPointofSaleapplications.TheM690TwasfollowedbytheM690EspecificallyforembeddedapplicationswhichremovedtheTVoutput,whichrequiredMacrovisionlicensingforOEMs,andenablednativesupportfordualTMDSoutputs,enablingdualindependentDVIinterfaces.
[edit]Flashtechnology
Mainarticle:Spansion
WhilelessvisibletothegeneralpublicthanitsCPUbusiness,AMDisalsoagloballeaderinflashmemory.In1993,AMDestablisheda50-50partnershipwithFujitsucalledFASL,andmergedintoanewcompanycalledFASLLLCin2003.ThejointventurefirmwentpublicundertickersymbolSPSNinDecember2005,withAMDsharesdropto37%.
AMDnolongerdirectlyparticipatesintheFlashmemorydevicesmarketnowasAMDenteredintoanon-competitionagreement,asofDecember21,2005,withFujitsuandSpansion,pursuanttowhichitagreednottodirectlyorindirectlyengageinabusinessthatmanufacturesorsuppliesstandalonesemiconductordevices(includingsinglechip,multiplechiporsystemdevices)containingonlyFlashmemory.[23]
[edit]Mobileplatforms
Mainarticle:AMDmobileplatform
AMDstartedaplatformin2003aimedatmobilecomputing,but,withfeweradvertisementsandpromotionalschemes,verylittlewasknownabouttheplatform.TheplatformusedmobileAthlon64ormobileSempronprocessors.
Aspartofthe"Betterbydesign"initiative,theopenmobileplatform,announcedFebruary2007withannouncementofgeneralavailabilityinMay2007,comestogetherwith65nmfabricationprocessTurion64X2,andconsistsofthreemajorcomponents:anAMDprocessor,graphicsfromeitherNvidiaorATITechnologieswhichalsoincludesintegratedgraphics(IGP),andwirelessconnectivitysolutionsfromAtheros,Broadcom,Marvell,QualcommorRealtek.
ThePumaplatformandTurionUltraprocessorwasreleasedonJune4,2008.Inthefuture,AMDplansquad-coreprocessorswith3Dgraphicscapabilities(Fusion)tobelaunchedin2009astheEagleplatform.
[edit]Otherinitiatives
50x15,digitalinclusion,withtargeted50%ofworldpopulationtobeconnectedthroughInternetviaaffordablecomputersbytheyearof2015.
TheGreenGrid,[24]foundedbyAMDtogetherwithotherfounders,suchasIBM,SunandMicrosoft,toseeklowerpowerconsumptionforgrids.Intelwasnotablyabsentfromtheconsortiumwhenitwasfounded,andfinallyjoinedinearly2007.[25]
CodenamedSIMFIREinteroperabilitytestingtoolfortheDesktopandmobileArchitectureforSystemHardware(DASH)openarchitecture.
[edit]Software
Extensionsforsoftwareparallelism(xSP),aimedatspeedingupprogramstoenablemulti-threadedandmulti-coreprocessing,announcedinTechnologyAnalystDay2007.OneoftheinitiativebeingdiscussedsinceAugust2007istheLightWeightProfiling(lwp),providinginternalhardwaremonitorwithruntimes,toobserveinformationaboutexecutingprocessandhelpthere-designofsoftwaretobeoptimizedwithmulti-coreandevenmulti-threadedprograms.AnotheroneistheextensionofStreamingSIMDExtension(SSE)instructionset,theSSE5.
[edit]TechnologiesfromATI
AfterthetakeoverofATI,AMDrestructuredsomeoftheproductlineupsfrombothcompanies.SomeproductswerebeingrebrandedundertheAMDbrand,includingtheImageonformobilephonesandhandhelddevices,theXilleonforconsumerelectronics(digitalTVsets),ATIXpresschipsets(toAMDchipsets)forAMDprocessorsplatformandGPGPUcomputingline-upFireStream,previouslyknownasAMDStreamProcessor.SomeothersretainedtheuseofATIbranding,includingtheRadeonlineofgraphics,andchipsetsforIntelprocessors.
[edit]Productionandfabrication
AMDproducestheirownprocessorsinwhollyownedsemiconductorFabricationPlants,called"fabs".AMDusesa"FABx"namingconventionfortheirproductionfacilities,where"x"isthenumberofyearsthathavepassedbetweenthefoundingofAMDandthedatetheFABopened.
AttheirFabricationfacilities,AMDutilizesasystemcalledAutomatedPrecisionManufacturing(APM).APMisacollectionofmanufacturingtechnologiesAMDhasdevelopedovertheirhistory(manyofwhichAMDholdspatentsfor),whicharedesignedtoenhancethemicroprocessorproductionprocess,primarilyintermsofyield.MuchofAPMisrelatedtoremovingthe"humanequation"fromthemanufacturingprocessbyisolatingin-processwafersincontainersthatareonlyexposedtocleanroomfacilities.AMDclaimsthatthetechnologiesthatcombinetomakeAPMareuniquetotheindustryandmakeittheforemostsemiconductormanufacturerintheworld-afactwhichislentsomecredencebytheircurrentagreementwithCharteredSemiconductorManufacturingbasedinSingapore.
AMDcurrentlyhasaproductionagreementwithfoundryCharteredSemiconductorManufacturingwhichallowsCharteredaccesstoAMDAutomatedPrecisionManufacturing(APM)processtechnology,inexchangeforwhichCharteredwillactasextraproductioncapacityforAMD.
ThroughtheacquisitionofATI,AMDalsohasmanufacturingagreementswithTSMCtoproduceATI'slinesofgraphicsandchipsetprocessors.ItiscurrentlyunclearhowmuchofATI'smanufacturingneedswillbemovedtoAMD'sownfabsandhowmuchwillremainoutsourcedtootherfoundrycompanies,butAMDhasannouncedplansforfutureprocessorstobeoutsourcedtoTSMC,whilecoincidentlyTSMChadannouncedithadreceivedorderstofabricatex86processors.
AMDSaxonyinDresden,Germanyisthemajorwaferproductionsite.AMD'smainmicroprocessormanufacturinganddesignfacilitiesarelocatedinDresden,Germany.Additionally,highlyintegratedmicroprocessorsaremanufacturedinTaiwanmadebythird-partymanufacturersunderstrictlicensefromAMD.Between2003and2005,theyconstructedasecondmanufacturingplant(300mm90nmprocessSOI)inthesamecomplexinordertoincreasethenumberofchipstheycanproduce,thusbecomingmorecompetitivewithIntel.Thenewplanthasbeennamed"Fab36",inrecognitionofAMD's36yearsofoperation,andisexpectedtoreachfullproductioninmid-2007.AMDrecentlyannouncedthattheyhavejustcompletedtheconversionofFab36from90nmto65nmandhavenowshiftedtheirfocustothe45nmconversion.[26]
AMDhasplannedexpansionsintheirproductioncapacity.InadditiontothecompletionofFab36inDresden,AMDisplanningtoupgradeFab30(adjacenttoFab36)inDresdenfrom200mm90nmprocessSOItoa300mm65nmprocessSOIfacilityandrenameitFab38.Originally,Fab30wassupposedtobegin65nmproductioninlate2007butAMDrecentlyannouncedtheywouldslowdowntheupgradetoreducecapitalexpenditures.[27]
PackagingandtestingfacilitiesforitsmicroprocessorproductsarelocatedinSingapore,MalaysiaandChina.
furthermore,AMDannouncedplanstoopenanew$3.2billionfacilityattheLutherForestTechnologyCampusacrossthetownsofMaltaandStillwaterinSaratogaCounty,NewYork.ThisnewFab4xwilllikelyproduce300mm32nmprocessSOIproduction,withconstructiontakingplacefrom2009to2010.Somespeculationexistsastowhetherthisfacilitywillusehigh-K/metalgatetechnologythatAMDobtainedfromIBM.[28]
AMDhasalsoinvested$3billiontobuildachipfabricationplantinIndia.Currently,AMDismanufacturingchipsinIndiaasaresultoftheirpartnershipwithSemIndia,agroupofinvestorsaimingatbuildingawaferfab,aswellasassemblyandtestoperationcenters."AMDpondersovernewchipplantinIndia"
InJune2006,CharteredSemiconductorbeganshipmentsofmanufacturedAMDmicroprocessors,manyofwhichareshippedfromSingaporetoTaiwaneseandChineseOEM/ODMmanufacturingcompaniesthatbuildcomputersforcompanieslikeLenovoandDell.[29]
AMDmaintainsmajordesignfacilitiesinFortCollins,CO,Sunnyvale,CA,Austin,TX,Boxborough,MAandBangalore,India.WiththeacquisitionofATITechnologies,thecompanygainedownershipovermajordesignfacilitiesinMarkham,ONandSantaClara,CA.
[edit]Corporateaffairs
[edit]Partnerships
AMDutilizesstrategicindustrypartnershipstofurtheritsbusinessinterestsaswellastotackleIntel'sdominanceandresources.NotablyNvidia'snForce2chipsetgeneratedsubstantialrevenuesforNvidiaasapopularenthusiastpart.
ApartnershipbetweenAMDandAlphaProcessorInc.developedHyperTransport,apoint-to-pointinterconnectstandardwhichwasturnedovertoanindustrystandardsbodyforfinalization.ItisnowusedinmodernAMDprocessorcompatiblemotherboards.
AMDalsoformedastrategicpartnershipwithIBM,underwhichAMDgainedsilicononinsulator(SOI)manufacturingtechnology,anddetailedadviceon90nmimplementation,thepartnershipwasannouncedbyAMDtobeextendedto2011for32nmand22nmfabricationrelatedtechnologies.[30]Further,AMDislooselypartneredwithend-usercompaniessuchasHP,Compaq,ASUS,alienware,Acer,EveshamTechnology,Dellandseveralotherstofacilitateprocessordistributionandsales.
OnMay18,2006,DellannouncedthatitwouldrolloutnewserversbasedonAMD'sOpteronchipsbyyearsend,thusendinganexclusiverelationshipwithIntel.DellalsobeganofferingAMDAthlonX2chipsintheirdesktopline-upinSeptember2006.
AMDisalsoasponsoroftheScuderiaFerrariMarlboroF1Teamsince2002andtheDiscoveryChannelProCyclingTeamsince2004.
[edit]LitigationwithIntel
Seealso:AMDv.Intel
AMDhasalonghistoryoflitigationwithformerpartnerandx86creatorIntel.[31][32][33]
In1986IntelbrokeanagreementithadwithAMDtoallowthemtoproduceIntel'smicro-chipsforIBM;AMDfiledforarbitrationin1987andthearbitratordecidedinAMD'sfavorin1992.Inteldisputedthis,andthecaseendedupintheSupremeCourtofCalifornia.In1994,thatcourtupheldthearbitrator'sdecisionandawardeddamagesforbreachofcontract.
In1990,Intelbroughtacopyrightinfringementactionallegingillegaluseofits287microcode.Thecaseendedin1994withajuryfindingforAMDanditsrighttouseIntel'smicrocodeinitsmicroprocessorsthroughthe486generation.
In1997,IntelfiledsuitagainstAMDandCyrixCorp.formisuseofthetermMMX.AMDandIntelsettled,withAMDacknowledgingMMXasatrademarkownedbyIntel,andwithIntelgrantingAMDrightstomarkettheAMDK6MMXprocessor.
In2005,followinganinvestigation,theJapanFederalTradeCommissionfoundIntelguiltyonanumberofviolations.OnJune27,2005,AMDwonanantitrustsuitagainstIntelinJapan,andonthesameday,AMDfiledabroadantitrustcomplaintagainstIntelintheU.S.FederalDistrictCourtinDelaware.Thecomplaintallegessystematicuseofsecretrebates,specialdiscounts,threats,andothermeansusedbyInteltolockAMDprocessorsoutoftheglobalmarket.Sincethestartofthisaction,TheCourthasissuedsubpoenastomajorcomputermanufacturersincludingAcer,Dell,Lenovo,HPandToshiba.
[edit]Eventsandpublications
AlthoughAMDhasfrequentlystatedtheinabilityofprovidinginformationaboutupcomingproductsandplans,AMDholdsTechnologyAnalystDays(whichoftenshortenassimply"AnalystDay")annuallyorsemi-annuallytorevealandexplainkeyfuturetechnologies,aswellasofficialtechnologyroadmaps.Whiletheeventheldinmid-yearisnamedas"TechnologyAnalystDay"withmainfocusonupcomingtechnologiesandtrends[34]andtheend-of-yeareventisnamed"FinancialAnalystDay"andfocusedonthefinancialperformanceofthecompanyduringthepreviousquartersoftheyear[35]
AMDalsopublishesprintedmedia.PublicationsincludetheAMDAccelerateandthediscontinuedAMDEdge.TheAMDAcceleratemagazine,publishedthroughZiffDavisMedia,putsfocusonSMEandbusinessapplicationswhileAMDEdgefocusedonoveralltechnologiesfromAMD.AfterZiffDavisMediafiledforChapter11bankruptcyprotection,theAMDAcceleratemagazineispublishedthroughIDG.AMDalsohaselectronicnewsletterstopromoteserverOpteronprocessorsandrelatedbusinesssolutions.
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