Samsung New Source for PC-Compatible Chipsets

Semiconductor Giant Makes it Easy to Create High-Performance 486 Desktop Systems

SAN JOSE, Calif., February XX, 1994 -- Makers of 486 desktop PCs gained a valuable new source for their core system logic today as Samsung Semiconductor announced the first of a family of PC-compatible chipsets. Already the world's leading supplier of dynamic random-access memories (DRAMs), Samsung Semiconductor now becomes the largest semiconductor manufacturer to supply these critical components.

Samsung's initial offering, the KS82C884, makes it easy to create high-performance 486 systems by offering the highest degree of integration available for a PC chipset. Using the KS82C884 with Samsung's companion KS82C887 and KS82C888 data and address bus transceivers, PC makers can build a complete 486 system using just three chips, plus CPU and memory.

"Chipsets are a PC maker's Achilles heel because unlike nearly every other product on the merchant market, there are no second sources for PC chipsets -- each vendor's is unique," said George Brecht, Samsung's new chipset marketing manager. "No other chipset supplier, however, comes close to Samsung's reputation for high-volume production quality and reliability, nor its breadth of technology."

Every PC manufactured requires a chipset. According to market researchers at _____________, the number of 486-based PCs manufactured is expected to increase from ___________ today to more than ___________ by 1996.

Single-Chip Solution

Fabricated using Samsung's proprietary CMOS process, the KS82C884 486 chipset offers a single-chip solution for creating high-performance, PC-compatible VESA local bus desktop computers. Samsung's KS82C884 incorporates a fully integrated system controller offering cache, DRAM and AT bus controller logic; the proven Samsung AT peripheral controller; an AT keyboard controller and all the necessary TTL "glue" logic needed to build a cost-effective 486 PC. It supports 80486SX, DX and DX/2 CPUs running at 25, 33 and 50 MHz, and provides P24T (overdrive) CPU and Weitek math coprocessor support. Cache, DRAM, AT bus, peripheral and keyboard controllers are integrated onto a single die and packaged in a 208-pin QFP package for easy, low-cost assembly.

"Although we're new to the chipset market, the major PC manufacturers are already familiar with our extensive line of CMOS memories, RAMDACs, MOSFETs and other semiconductors," said Brecht. "Now, as we expand our chipset family to support new processors, they'll have an opportunity to trim their vendor list further by buying their chipsets from us, too."

Samsung applied its extensive memory design experience in creating the KS82C884's unique cache controller. Unlike traditional cache controllers that require the CPU to wait until the cache is updated when a read miss occurs, Samsung boosts performance by supplying DRAM data directly to the CPU and to an integral line buffer simultaneously. Cache data is then written back to the DRAM and the cache is updated from the line buffer independently of the CPU, eliminating the time the CPU normally waits. The cache controller supports direct mapped and write-back cache organizations, and handles cache sizes from 64K to 1M bytes.

The DRAM controller supports up to 64 megabytes of memory running in page mode operation using two banks of 256K-, 1M-, 4M- and 16M-bit DRAM. System and video BIOS code can be copied into shadow RAM and write protected for improved performance. A DRAM write buffer releases the CPU to execute its own cycle if a write hit occurs.

Based on Samsung's proven AT peripheral controller, the KS82C884's integrated peripheral controller contains two 8237A DMA controllers with DMA address mapper, two 8259A interrupt controllers, one 8254 timer/counter, a keyboard interface controller, 114 bytes of CMOS static memory and a real-time clock. A power down mode keeps the contents of the CMOS memory intact and allows the real-time clock to continue to operate while the rest of the system components are not powered.

The KS82C884 supports up to three VESA local bus slots without the need for an external PAL, and each slot may drive either master or slave devices. It also supports AT bus mastering.

Pricing and Availability Samsung's KS82C884 486 chipset and companion transceiver bus chips (KS82C887 and KS82C888) are available now in production quantities. The KS82C884 costs $__________ (quantity ______), while the 82C887 data bus transceiver is $_________ (quantity ______) and the 82C888 address bus transceiver is $_________ (quantity _______).

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