Bobcat is now open!

[Olikan]

In short, AMD is opening the IP up in a way similar to ARM, but not quite.

The implications are huge, and while AMD is unlikely to license out cores and GPUs like ARM cores, they will give companies enough to reach the same goal. You can now design an accelerator, co-processor, or anything else, and have it made in an x86 core with cutting edge DX11 GPUs. With FSAIL, you can even take the same IP you have in an ARM CPU and slap it in to a Bobcat with very little change

http://semiaccurate.com/2012/02/02/amd-opens-up-bobcat-to-3rd-party-ip/

 

[blckgrffn]

That's an interesting development in the x86 world.

Come on nvidia, you know you want to do something with this. Project Denver what?

 

[dma0991]

Why does Charlie butcher the slides and watermarks it as though it came from Donanimhaber and/or OBR? :|

AMD's Financial Analyst Day 2012 - Mark Papermaster, SVP & CTO Presentation

On a side note, these 2 slides seems interesting.

Much better market focus IMO.

Finally doing away with moar cores strategy?

 

[alyarb]

This is for ultramobiles and embedded consumer electronics right? If only the DRAM was depicted as on-die or POP in the block diagram.

 

[Phynaz]

Intel does the same with Atom. Not sure I've heard of any design wins.

 

[theeedude]

Intel does the same with Atom. Not sure I've heard of any design wins.

Exactly, Intel tried this, it's been a flop. ASIC companies want to license IP cores for their product, not have their IP stuck on someone else's product. If they wanted that, they'd be IP companies, not ASIC companies.

 

[pelov]

Intel does the same with Atom. Not sure I've heard of any design wins.

There's a big difference you're overlooking, though...

The atom absolutely sucked.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Intel does the same with Atom. Not sure I've heard of any design wins.

Actually, they don't.... yet. Medfield is said to be the first Atom to do it with full integration: http://realworldtech.com/page.cfm?ArticleID=RWT012312135041&p=4

Additionally, Medfield includes a bridge between IOSF and the Open Core Protocol (OCP). The latter is an open, industry standard interface for connecting IP blocks, which was also used in the Langwell hub.

The E600 embedded series Atoms let you do it too, but via the PCI Express port available from the chip.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3929/intel-announces-tunnel-creek-atom-e600-system-on-chip

 

[Idontcare]

How can AMD "open up" something that is Intel's property to license (x86)?

Something tells me the reality of what AMD is intending to do is getting lost in translation.

 

[Zstream]

How can AMD "open up" something that is Intel's property to license (x86)?

Something tells me the reality of what AMD is intending to do is getting lost in translation.

They tell AMD what to do and AMD does it under their "AMD" name? It adds capacity to GF which they own part of. They also get the brand going again?

 

[Idontcare]

They tell AMD what to do and AMD does it under their "AMD" name? It adds capacity to GF which they own part of. They also get the brand going again?

Yeah it seems more like reverse licensing of 3rd party IP to be integrated by AMD with their bobcat cores, AMD designs the SOC and coordinates with a foundry to have it produced, and then sells it back to the 3rd party for the 3rd party to then resell to board makers and so on.

 

[theeedude]

This is exactly he problem with x86. you have to go through third parties like AMD and Intel to build your tech onto their ASIC, because that's the only way to use x86. You can't just license the core and have control of your own destiny.

 

[blckgrffn]

ASIC for the bit coin mining... That'd have an audience at least

 

[Blitzvogel]

Opening Bobcat is a pretty cool idea, but with Intel basically 'owning' x86, where are they in all this?

 

[Dark Shroud]

This is exactly he problem with x86. you have to go through third parties like AMD and Intel to build your tech onto their ASIC, because that's the only way to use x86. You can't just license the core and have control of your own destiny.

x86 belongs to Intel and x64 belongs to AMD. VIA also has access to x86.