Newsgroup: it.comp.hardware.video-3d
Titolo: Domanda sul processore G200

Ciao a tutti.
Voglio portare qui sul NG una discussione iniziata tra amici.
1. Il processore G200 e' prodotto dalla Matrox ?
2. Il processore G200 e' usato solo dalla Matrox, o ci sono altre schede ?
Cercando su vari motori ho scoperto che G200 sono sigle anche di monitor IBM
e portatili Toshiba, che non riguardano la Matrox.
Prima di fare un "piccoli omicidi tra amici", per piacere qualcuno ci
spieghi.
Grazie per l'attenzione,
        Ivano
Kill...@iol.it
        ICQ : 11766117

...


Matrox e lo monta solo sulle sue schede.
Sbagliato. Il chip G200 e' una versione custom di un chipset NEC, se non erro in
produzione dal 1995-1996, che la stessa NEC produce e modifica a seconda delle specifiche
richieste dagli OEM (in questo caso Matrox). La Matrox ha commissionato il lavoro alla
NEC, la quale produce tutti i chip delle schede Matrox, e tutte le memorie. Al massimo la
Matrox dovrebbe avere la possibilita' di assemblare i pezzi, ma i chip sono tutti della
NEC. C'era anche stata una press-release sul sito Matrox in cui dicevano di essere
orgogliosi di poter usare la tecnologia NEC (0.35micron pero' .. :-) ) , e che solo grazie
alla NEC sono in grado di arrivare sul mercato con nuove schede in cosi' breve tempo.

NEC. C'era anche stata una press-release sul sito Matrox in cui dicevano di
essere
Non sono informato ma credo che cio' sia molto strano.
A detta della Matrox, da quello che si legge nel suo sito, l'unica scheda
Matrox ad avere un chip NEC e' la M3d che monta il NEC PowerVR  pcx2.
Per i chip MGA non c'e' alcun accenno a produttori esterni.
E poi scusa perche' allora sulla serie MGA c'e' impreso il marchio e
copyright MATROX mentre sulla M3d hanno lasciato marchi e copyright NEC?
Non pensi che cio' avvalori la mia tesi?
Mi sembra una prova schiacciante......
ciao
Massimiliano
mpr...@iol.it

Mi sembra una prova schiacciante......
Sbagliato. 
La Matrox non produce chip in proprio, loro dicono di assemblare i pezzi, ma sinceramente
io ritengo che la NEC faccia proprio tutto il lavoro, su commissione. Cio' spiegherebbe il
motivo per cui i prezzi Matrox tendano a scendere, malgrado il fatto che la Matrox debba
comprare i chip dalla NEC e farseli fabbricare. 
A comprova di cio', ecco la verita' sui chip G200, che sono della NEC e non della Matrox,
la Matrox li ha solo commissionati con alcune modifiche previste dai sistemi della NEC
stessa :
Link (Funzionante alle 23:05 del 10/08/1998): 
http://www.matroxusers.com/Info/Press%20Releases/nec_g200.html
Contenuto della pagina:
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Matrox Graphics Teams With NEC Electronics on
            Next-Generation Graphics And Video Controller
         NEC's Advanced ASIC Process Technology Allows Dense and
                            Cost-Effective Design
    SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- NEC Electronics Inc. today announced that
its
    advanced ASIC process technology is providing the foundation for Matrox Graphics'
newest
    graphics and video accelerators. The MGA-G200 accelerator is an accelerated graphics
    port-enabled (AGP) 2D/3D device fabricated using NEC's 0.35-micron CMOS process
technology
    to provide better display quality, increased graphics performance and faster time to
market. Matrox
    introduced the MGA-G200 chip, its newest product, in March 1998. 
    The MGA-G200 product combines NEC's CB-C9VX process technology and custom macros
    (providing the most efficient die utilization) with Matrox's intellectual property to
deliver a highly
    integrated chip with over one million gates. The device also integrates a high-speed
RAMDAC of
    over 250 megahertz (MHz) and 266 MHz AGP phase-locked loop (PLL) and buffers. These
    features give the ASIC high-speed access to the central processing unit (CPU) and
improve the
    overall display quality of the system. 
    ``The part dramatically improves upon the existing technology by allowing a much
higher level of
    on-chip integration,'' said Alex Goldstein, product marketing manager for NEC's ASIC
Strategic
    Business Unit. ``NEC's CB-C9VX, with over one million available gates, made it
possible for
    Matrox to add the features and functionality their customers require, without slowing
time to market.
    With NEC's macros targeted specifically at the graphics market, as well as the process
technology
    necessary for successful integration, we were an ideal choice for Matrox.'' 
    Time to market is always a critical success factor. Matrox was able to leverage NEC's
gate
    methodology. With this approach, unused logic gates are available to be utilized in
the event that a
    simple logic re-spin is required. Benefits to this approach include the following:
cell-based
    prototype re-spins are accomplished with gate array-like turnaround time, and risk
production
    wafers can be built and held prior to metallization. A customer can then obtain
production units with
    gate array-like turnaround time from engineering sample approval. 
    MGA-G200 ASIC 
    The Matrox MGA-G200 chip is designed to meet the needs of high-performance corporate
and
    home users. Optimized to take full advantage of today's Intel Pentium(R) II and
next-generation
    processors, the MGA-G200 uses a unique 128- bit DualBus architecture, up to 16MB of
    high-bandwidth synchronous memory and an integrated 230/250MHz RAMDAC to deliver the
    highest level of performance. The MGA-G200 is a full AGP 2X solution with a fast,
full-featured 3D
    rendering and setup engine to accelerate demanding CAD and design applications, as
well as 3D
    games. The 128-bit DualBus is also pin-compatible with Matrox's new value leading
64-bit
    MGA-G100 chip. Maintaining a pin compatibility design for its new MGA chips enables
Matrox to
    deliver fast and cost-effective solutions for integration into various system
configurations. 
    ``Over the last five years, Matrox has benefited from working closely with NEC in
building its six
    generations of award winning MGA chip technology,'' explains Ed Dwyer, executive vice
president,
    Matrox Graphics Inc. ``With NEC's leading-edge manufacturing capabilities, Matrox
pushed the
    envelop on ASIC development to deliver the highest performance and most innovative
products at
    competitive pricing. Matrox's MGA chip technology has garnered over 300 international
awards
    and is the reason why the company is ranked number one in the graphics industry with
$690 million
    US in sales. 
    About CB-C9VX 
    NEC's CB-C9 is a 0.35-micron drawn (0.27-micron L-effective) process technology
targeted at
    high-performance, low-power designs. Operating at 3.3 volts (V), the CB-C9 family
supports from
    80,000 to 3,500,000 raw gates (56,000 to 3,400,000 usable) and is built using NEC's
three-layer
    metal CMOS process. First introduced in October 1995, the CB-C9VX is the second
generation
    CB-C9 process technology with reduced metal pitches. The family is currently NEC's
    highest-volume ASIC product in both new design starts and mass production volume. 
    CB-C9VX is also supported by NEC's OpenCAD(R) Design System, a unified
front-to-back-end
    design environment that allows designers to mix and match tools from some of the
industry's most
    popular third-party vendors, including Cadence(R), IKOS(R), Mentor Graphics(R),
Synopsys(R) and
    Viewlogic(R). This integrated collection of tools performs design functions such as
    hardware/software co-simulation, cycle-based simulation, timing-driven place and
route,
    cycle-based simulation, static timing analysis, and VITAL (VHDL Initiative Toward ASIC
Libraries)
    standard sign off support. 
    About Matrox 
    A Montreal-based graphic chip designer and board manufacturer, Matrox Graphics Inc. is
a leader
    in the graphics industry. In 1993, Matrox was the first to introduce a 64-bit graphics
engine for the
    PC market with its MGA Series and the first to introduce high quality video editing to
the consumer
    market with its breakthrough Rainbow Runner Series in 1997. Matrox's innovative
graphics and
    video technology has been recognized with an unprecedented 300 international awards
over the
    last five years. With 20 years of experience, Matrox continues to deliver leading-edge
solutions to
    the graphics and video industry at the best price/performance. 
    About NEC Electronics Inc. 
    NEC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., designs, manufactures and
markets an
    extensive line of electronic products including ASICs, microprocessors and
microcontroller,
    accelerators, digital signal processors (DSPs), memories and components, including
flat panel
    displays and lithium-ion batteries. The company operates a 709,000-square-foot
manufacturing
    facility in Roseville, Calif. NEC Electronics is an affiliate of NEC Corporation
(Nasdaq: NIPNY -
    news), a $41 billion international manufacturer of computer, communications and
semiconductor
    products. For more information about products offered by NEC Electronics Inc., please
visit the
    NEC U.S. Web site at 
http://www.nec.com
. 
    NEC Electronics Inc. is a trademark or registered trademark of NEC Corporation in the
United
    States and/or other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks belong to
their
    respective companies. 
    SOURCE: NEC Electronics Inc.
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