Intel answers chipset challenges

Electronic News, Oct 16, 1995 by Jim DeTar

Santa Clara, Calif.--Intel is trying to stay a step ahead of smaller but oftentimes fast-growing competitors in the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) chipset market, such as OPTi, VLSI Technology, Chips & Technologies and Atmel (EN, Jan. 16, March 6), with the introduction of a Pentium chipset for the mobile computing sector.

The Intel 82430MX PCIset chipset was developed from the earlier desktop 82430FX PCI chipset but with a modified architecture. For example, the new 82430MX will include active clock throttle (ACT), an element that includes a burst timer and is designed to enable the CPU to run at full speed for a given duration for performance-sensitive applications. When the application is finished, the system automatically drops into a lower speed. It then speeds up again when the user needs to do a performance-critical task.

The 82430MX is currently sampling and uses a 3.3-volt interface with 5V core. Consisting of three components: the 82430MX System Controller, the 82430 Data Path, and the 82430 I/O and IDE Accelerator, the 82430MX chipset supports 75 and 90MHz and future Intel Pentium processors and is optimized for multimedia applications, the company said.

Commenting on the new chipset, Ronald J. Smith, VP of Intel's PCI Components Division, said: "This is the first member of Intel's mobile PCI chipset family. The 82430MX combined with the Pentium processor offers a whole new level of performance not available to notebook users running graphic-intensive and communication applications.

"We've also provided a design guide, IBIS models and applications information to help OEMs meet the demand for Pentium processors," Mr. Smith added.

Additional features include plug-and-play interface, an integrated level two cache controller, and synchronous PCI bus controller interface providing expandability by supporting up to four PCI masters. The chipset also supports newer memory technologies such as extended data out (EDO) DRAMs and pipelines burst SRAMs. It's architecture provides more than 100 megabytes/sec. PCI data streaming, enabling high performance applications.

One memory technology not included on the chipset is the emerging burst EDO (BEDO) although that may be included at a later date according to Gene Matter, application system engineer for Intel's PCI Components Division.

"Our rationale is that the chipset has been in the works for about a year. BEDO is just starting to come on the scene," Mr. Matter said. He asserted that not including BEDO is not a limiting factor at this point. "We are able to get the same performance level with conventional hyperpage," he said.

Keith Bladen, product line manager, said the company plans to include BEDO and other emerging memory technologies as they gain acceptance in the market. "We will reconcile with all memory architectures in compliance with our overall vision for memory. We have to ensure availability. That is one issue--there are a lot of issues here."

Mr. Bladen said the mobile PCIset is indicative of a coming major shift to PCI in the mobile arena. "We are trying to take it up a notch. The world in mobile is still ISA-based and starting to move toward PCI. We think there will be a major shift to PCI (in mobile computing) in 1996. We are banking on it happening and will assist it in happening."

Samples and production quantities of the 82430MX PCIset are currently available, priced at $32.50 each in 10,000-unit quantities.