Gate array: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:22, 4 March 2022

Revision as of 00:51, 4 March 2022

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==History==

===Development===

Gate arrays had several concurrent development paths. [[Ferranti]] in the UK pioneered commercializing [[bipolar transistor|bipolar]] ULA technology,<ref name="bteng198307">{{ cite journal | url=https://archive.org/details/bte-198307/page/n19/mode/2up | title=The Use of Gate Arrays in Telecommunications | journal=British Telecommunications Engineering | last1=Grierson | first1=J. R. | date=July 1983 | access-date=26 February 2021 | volume=2 | issue=2 | pages=78-80 | issn=0262-401X | quote=In the UK, Ferranti, with their bipolar collector diffused isolation (CDI) arrays, pioneered the commercial use of gate arrays and for many years this was by far the most widely used technology. }}</ref> offering circuits of "100 to 10,000 gates and above" by 1983,.<ref name="btj198301">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/btj-198301/page/n71/mode/1up | title=Everybody's talking about Ferranti ICs. | work=British Telecom Journal | volume=3 | issue=4 | date=January 1983 | access-date=23 January 2021 }}</ref><ref name="ferranti_quickref">{{ cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/FerrantiQ.RefULA1984/page/n1/mode/1up | title=Ferranti Discrete and Integrated Circuits Quick Reference Guide | publisher=Ferranti plc. | date=1982 | access-date=23 February 2021 | pages=IC4 }}</ref> thenThe latercompany's abandoned thisearly lead in semi-custom chips., with the initial application of a ULA integrated circuit involving a camera from [[IBMRollei]] developedin proprietary1972, bipolarexpanding masterto slices"practically thatall itEuropean usedcamera inmanufacturers" mainframeas manufacturingusers inof the latetechnology, led to the company's dominance in this particular market throughout the 1970s. However, by 1982, as many as 30 companies had started to compete with Ferranti, reducing the company's market share to around 30 percent. Ferranti's "major competitors" were other British companies such as Marconi and earlyPlessey, 1980sboth of which had licensed technology from another British company, butMicro neverCircuit commercializedEngineering.<ref themname="heidelberg19821006_ics">{{ externallycite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/jprs-report_jprs-82727/page/10/mode/2up [[Fairchild| Semiconductor]]title=Great Britain Develops Semicustom and Custom ICs | magazine=Heidelberg Elektronik Industrie | date=6 October 1982 | access-date=4 March 2022 | last1=Turmaine | first1=Bradley | pages=43-46 }}</ref> A contemporary initiative, UK5000, also flirtedsought brieflyto inproduce thea lateCMOS 1960sgate array with "5,000 usable gates", with bipolarinvolvement arraysfrom [[diode–transistorBritish logicTelecom]] and transistor–transistora logicnumber calledof Micromosaicother andmajor PolycellBritish technology companies.<ref name=":0bteng198610_silicon">{{Cite webcite journal | url=httphttps://www.computerhistoryarchive.org/siliconenginedetails/applicationbte-specific-integrated-circuits-employ-computer-aided-design198610/page/n41/mode/2up | title=1967:Silicon ApplicationMicro-Electronics Specificat IntegratedBritish CircuitsTelecom employResearch Computer-AidedLaboratories Design|website journal=TheBritish SiliconTelecommunications Engineering Engine|publisher date=[[ComputerOctober History1986 Museum]]| access-date=20184 March 2022 | pages=230-01-28236 }}</ref>

[[IBM]] developed proprietary bipolar master slices that it used in mainframe manufacturing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but never commercialized them externally. [[Fairchild Semiconductor]] also flirted briefly in the late 1960s with bipolar arrays [[diode–transistor logic]] and transistor–transistor logic called Micromosaic and Polycell.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/application-specific-integrated-circuits-employ-computer-aided-design/|title=1967: Application Specific Integrated Circuits employ Computer-Aided Design|website=The Silicon Engine|publisher=[[Computer History Museum]]|access-date=2018-01-28}}</ref>

[[CMOS]] (complementary [[metal-oxide-semiconductor]]) technology opened the door to broad commercialization of gate arrays. The first CMOS gate arrays were developed by Robert Lipp<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102706880|title=Lipp, Bob oral history|website=[[Computer History Museum]]|access-date=2018-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/people/|title=People|website=The Silicon Engine|publisher=Computer History Museum|access-date=2018-01-28}}</ref> in 1974 for International Microcircuits, Inc.<ref name=":0" /> (IMI) a Sunnyvale photo-mask shop started by Frank Deverse, Jim Tuttle and Charlie Allen, ex-IBM employees. This first product line employed [[10 µm process|7.5 micron]] single-level metal CMOS technology and ranged from 50 to 400 [[metal gate|gates]]. [[Computer-aided design]] (CAD) technology at the time was very rudimentary due to the low processing power available, so the design of these first products was only partially automated.