Topic : Chips 'n Chips Author : Michael Ruge Version : chips_x.hyp (01/05/2001) Subject : Dokumentation/Hardware Nodes : 1505 Index Size : 35662 HCP-Version : 3 Compiled on : Atari @charset : atarist @lang : @default : @help : @options : -i -s +zz -t4 @width : 75 View Ref-File Der BLOSSOM Chip der ATW800 Blossom is a 15,000 gate array implemented on 1.5 micron CMOS. It is designed to be a single chip solution to all the logic functions of the Atari Transputer Workstation (ATW). Blossom performs the following functions: Dynamic memory control and Memory Refresh Interrupts Video timing generation and Graphics processing IO control and Bus arbitration One of the design goals was to implement a general purpose, 32 bit processor interface chip, with video and graphics support. Blossom has a powerful memory and processor interface which should support most 32 bit CPUs with minimal external logic. The graphics processor will perform line draw, trapezium fill, block or stipple fill with bit planar or linear functions of source, des- tination and mask areas. The tiled mask allows fast font rendering whilst the 'sideways' access to video RAM can plot stipple patterns at 128 million pixels a second. The variety of functions coupled with an optimised software interface provide a graphics subsystem to rival most dedicated graphics processors. The reason Blossom can achieve such performance is that the entire memory controller, arbi- tration and graphics control are implemented on one chip. Memory interfaces +----------------------------------------+ | ^ | +--|------------------|-------------------+ | | | ^ | | | v v | | v v +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ | | | | | | | |<--------| | | | | DRAM | | Blossom | | Video | | |<--------| | | RAM | | | | |--------->| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |---+----->| | +----------+ +----------+ | +----------+ | ^ | || | | | | | || | | Data | | | || | +----------+ | | | || +----->| | | | | || | Bus | | | | |+------------>| Buffers | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------------|-|---+-+------------| | | | | | | | | | +----------+ | | | +-----------+ | | | CPU | | | +-----------+ Kapitel Der BLOSSOM Chip der ATW800, Seite 1