AMD licenses 64-bit chip design from MIPS

From...

By Sumner Lemon

(IDG) -- Expanding its future chip offerings for handheld computers and other non-PC devices, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has signed an agreement to license a 64-bit microprocessor design from MIPS Technologies, the companies announced Monday.

AMD plans to use the MIPS 64-bit processor design in future processors that will complement the company's existing line of Alchemy embedded processors, which are based on a 32-bit MIPS processor design.

The 64-bit processors will be used in high-performance handhelds based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows CE.Net operating system for running multimedia applications, AMD said in a joint statement.

Visit an IDG site Choose a site: IDG.net CIO Computerworld Darwin Dummies.com GamePro.com The Industry Standard ITWorld.com InfoWorld.com JavaWorld LinuxWorld Macworld Online Network World Fusion PC World Publish.com UnixInsider IDG.net search

Earlier this month, AMD began sampling the latest addition to its Alchemy processor line, the Au1100.

The Au1100, which can run at speeds ranging from 333MHz to 500MHz, includes a MIPS32 processor core, an on-chip LCD (liquid crystal display) controller, a 10/100 Ethernet controller and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device and host controller. The embedded processor supports several handheld operating systems, including Windows CE, Linux and Wind River Systems Inc.'s VxWorks.