[Home] [This version is outdated, a new version is here]
*Title...
*Search:...
*Read Me/FAQ/General Info...
**Who made the first chip set?
By the  criteria of (2.)  in  'Definition of a chip  set' many sources
state this  to be the  Chips and Technologies  NEAT chip set.  I don't
know why this is stated as it is most definitely incorrect. The CS8221
NEW   Enhanced  AT   (NEAT)  chip   set  consisting   of  the   chips;
82C211/82C212/82C215/82C206  was  as far  as  I  can establish,  first
released sometime in 1986. 

C&T itself have an earlier chip set called the CS8220 PC/AT compatible
Chip  Set,  and  consists   of  the  following  chips;  82C201/82C202/
82A203/82A204/82A205.  It was  first  available  in OCT-85.  (see:C&T>
CS8220>Notes for further info.)

That is, AFAIK, the first motherboard  chip set from C&T and AFAIK the
worlds first chip set that meets the criteria of (2.). However C&T did
already have on the market their  popular EGA chip set, but that isn't
a motherboard chip set.

By the criteria of (1.), IBM, or Intel, see IBM>PC/XT chip set.

Another pre-'86 chipset is the  Faraday FE2010. The datasheet includes
a schematic on the very last  page dated 11/22/85. This only indicates
the chip set was on paper at that date. An acutal release date has not
been found.

**Spelling errors/mistyped words...
**Info needed on:...
**A note on VESA support of 486 chipsets....
**Datasheets:...
*_IBM...
*ACC Micro...
*ALD...
*ALi...
*AMD . . . . . . . [no datasheets, some info]...
*Chips & Technologies...
*Contaq  . . . . . [no datasheets, some info]...
*Efar Microsystems [no datasheets, some info]...
*ETEQ...
*Faraday...
*Forex . . . . . . [List only, no datasheets found]...
*Intel...
**82396SX     Smart Cache                                     12/17/90
***Notes:...
***Info:...
***Versions:...
***Features:...
**82485       Turbo Cache (and 485Turbocache)                      c90...
**82489DX       Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller    10/12/92...
**82495DX/490DX DX CPU-Cache Chip Set                           <Sep91...
**82495XP/490XP Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for i860)       06/05/91...
**82496/491     Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for P5 Pentium) 03/22/93...
**82497/492   Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for P54 Pentium)    <Nov94...
**82498/493   Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for P54 Pentium)    <Nov94...
**
**Later chipsets (basic spec):
**440 series:...
**450NX  (?)            06/29/98:...
**?????  (Profusion)    c:99...
**800 series...
*Headland/G2...
**HTK340        "Shasta" 486 Chip Set                          c:Jun92
***Notes:...
***Info:...
***Configurations:...
***Features:
o   Support for 486SX/DX/DX2 CPU
o   2 - 184 pin PQFP devices
o   Local bus interface
o   16, 20, 25 and 33MHz CPU speeds
o   Fully static operation
o   Weitek 4167 supported
o   System and Video BIOS on single ROM
o   Uses 0.7 Micron HCMOS process
ISA Controller
o   AT Compatible
o   Synchronized 8MHz ISA bus
o   Posted backplane memory writes
o   10 or 16 bit l/O mapping
o   Integrated 82375, 82593 and 8254 functionality
o   Fast gate A20/Fast reset
Write Buffer
o   4 deep on-chip buffer
o   Byte gathering
o   Out of order operation
o   Full or partial write buffer hits
DRAM Controller
o   Line burst capability from DRAM to 80486
o   256K/1M/4M/16M DRAMs
o   Mixed memory types
o   EMS 4.0
o   Hidden refresh operation
o   256MB Maximum system memory
o   Staggered refresh
o   Shadowing in 16KB increments between 640KB and 1MB
o   Remapping
o   Fast paging
o   2 or 4 way interleaving

**Support Chips:
**HT44          Secondary Cache                                c:Jun92...
**Other:...
*HMC (Hulon Microelectronics)...
*Logicstar...
*Motorola...
*OPTi...
*PC CHIPS/Amptron/Atrend/ECS/Elpina/etc...
*SIS...
*Symphony...
*TI (Texas Instruments)...
*UMC...
*Unresearched:...
*VIA...
*VLSI...
*Western Digital...
*Winbond...
*ZyMOS...
*General Sources:...