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From: theFox@UltraTechnology.com (Jeff Fox)

>>F21 chips that
>>nobody really wants to buy because there ill suited to the market.  With
>>them being as usefull as a backside scratcher.

>Can you explain what market you were refering to?


A hypothetical situation that might happen to a Misc processor that is not 
as cutting edge as it's origional planned release date and with not much 
marketing focuss, not refering specifically to the F 21 of course.

The more I look at the F21 the more cool it looks, if you can attach other 
chiups to it to do extra things.  Of course 20 bit interfaces make using 
32-bit devices (and memory) a bit more costly to interface to and   pdram is 
a bit slow for it's speed.  Of course a p32 with twin sdram P133 ports (or 
ddr 100, giving 200Mhz equivalent) would solve everything, leave tongues on 
the ground etc ad, not quiet, infinitum ad nauseum (actually I think I am 
just having the same effecrt) but at this stage way to 
expensive(unrealistic).  Why dual port, well as chuck stated sdram has a 1-2 
cycle hit for sdram so unless you cache video data the video processor would 
drag the memory interface down to around 43mhz.

What market?  Any market that allows you ship lots of 10, 000 chips and 
become well off for your efforts.  The embedded market might be good for 
1000 lots or with a deal 10,000 lots.  The set top box market was a good 
idea when it was suggested a year por so before ITV was formed.  Starting 
out quickly, rapid developement with gate arrays and  standard parts to ship 
within 1-2 years would have provided proof of concept, marketable products 
(little competition) and cash for custom silicon research (to replace those 
gate array parts).  What else maybe make it ussuable as a cell in cell 
libaries for other designs.  Pick a niche (say under performing handheld 
games systems that can't pack in the normal power circuitry, the Atari 
Jagura handheld system had a 10 mintue batrtery life).  Anything that is 
going to add performance, convience and save money, that has little 
competition (management saves, engineers enjoy, and marketability).

Origionally the piont was about us needing the discussion on volume markets 
here because a limited hobbyist market can't support it.

>>7. work out your own new designs in FPGA or VLSI

Hey didn't somebody mention a 500Mhz prograqmmable part here before.  Would 
that make a good basis for a cheap hobbyist version of the F21 (trying not 
to say 32) until custom silicon comes.

I still think it is an excellent job though, and commend you for it.

Thanks.

Wayne.


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