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**Why this document is not GPL or a wiki
The document is copyright,  it is NOT GPL'ed text. While  the GPL is a
fantastic  idea, I  have chosen  not to  make this  freely copied  and
modified. The reasons are as follows:

1. GPL text tends to be  copied...EVERYWHERE. For example, if you look
   up a subject  on wikipedia, then try to get  more information, or a
   different perspective on  say about.com.  There you  find the EXACT
   SAME  TEXT.  This  is what  mirrors  are for.   It's an  unintended
   consequence,  but  it  can  lead  to  misinformation  being  spread
   everywhere. A bigger problem.

2. There seems to be fewer  and fewer informative websites. It used to
   be that  if you  searched for  something you  would find  a website
   about a particular  subject. Now you tend to  find the encyclopedia
   and often nothing else (well quickly).

In addition the majority of this text is quotes.

The wiki  concept is a good  idea, but they have  problems. Because no
one "owns" the  work they seem to  go to two extremes.   Either no one
maintains them, or there are edit wars. Also anyone can edit them.

**Definition of a chip set:
In short it is a set of  chips that allow a system designer to build a
computer.  If we restrict the term  'chip' to that of a microchip then
technically any microcomputer  contains a chip set, even  one based of
7400-series logic alone.

In the context of this document, a chip set is defined as any group of
chips used to implement  an IBM or IBM-compatible PC/XT/AT/386/486/etc
system.

There are 2 main categories that these chips fall into:
1. Direct copies or re-implementations of Intel chips
2. Chip sets sold as a set of chips to implement an IBM-compatible 
   that differ in some way to those used in an IBM system, e.g. not 
   pin compatible.

An  example of  the former  would be  some early  chips built  by VLSI
Technology (at the time known as VTI, to implement a 286:
o  VL82C37A is a: 82C37A DMA controller
o  VL82C59A is a: 82C59A interrupt controller
o  VL82C54A is a: 82C54 timer
o  VL82C612 is a: 74LS612 memory mapper
o  VL82C84A is a: 82284 clock generator and ready interface
o  VL82C88  is a: 82288 bus controller

These are  all direct replacements  for the parts  used in an  IBM AT.
Many companies had compatible versions of these chips.

An early example of the latter is the Chips & Technology NEAT chip set:
o  82C211 CPU/Bus controller, 
o  82C212 Page/Interleave and EMS Memory controller, 
o  82C215 Data/Address buffer 
o  82C206 Integrated Peripherals Controller (IPC).

The description does not map directly to the parts used in the IBM AT.
Later chip sets are often even more integrated sometimes consisting of
just one chip, although two seems to be the most common.

The latter  is generally considered  the definition of a  chip set, and
the former is not generally  considered a chip set per-se. However when
looking  at   the  early  chip sets   this  distinction  can   be  very
slight. Because of this,  sets of chips  meeting the criteria  for (1.)
have been included where possible. 

**'chip set', 'chip-set' or 'chipset'?...
**What's not included:...
**Who made the first chip set?...
**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...
**82395SX     Smart Cache                                     12/17/90
***Notes:...
**82396SX     Smart Cache                                     12/17/90...
**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...
**HT21          386SX/286 Single Chip (20 MHz)                 c:Aug91
***Info:
The HT21  is an  advanced PC/AT compatible,  single-chip 80386SX/80286
design solution.   This highly  integrated single chip  allows simple,
low cost  system design options while featuring  high performance, low
power  consumption,  and minimum  board  space requirements.  Advanced
memory management features  include support for page mode,  2 or 4-way
interleaving in  both pipelined and  non-pipelined modes. The  LIM 4.0
hardware implementation  features dual sets of 32  registers with full
context support for highest performance Optimization of extended local
memory  accesses. An  advanced  EMS hardware  write-protect option  is
provided. The HT21 supports 256K and 1M DRAMs in l by 1, 1 by 4, and 1
by 9 device configurations for up  to 8MB of on-board system memory. A
flexible Shadow  RAM option for  System and Video  BIOS as well  as 8-
16-bit BIOS Options adds to overall design versatility.

A  complete PC/AT  compatible  system with  advanced  features may  be
implemented with minimal external support logic. The HT21 performs all
CPU  and peripheral support  functions in  a single  chip.  Integrated
device  functions include  DMA Controllers,  a Memory  Mapper, Timers,
Counters, Interrupt  Controllers, a Bus Controller  and all supporting
circuitry for PC  core logic requirements. The chip  also contains all
the  necessary  address buffers,  data  transceivers, memory  drivers,
parity  checking   and  supporting  circuitry  for   a  complete  high
performance computer solution. An asynchronous AT Bus clock allows for
a constant 8MHz Bus clock rate for highest bus device compatibility as
defined in  IEEE Spec P996.   In controlled bus applications  the HT21
supports up to a  12 MHz Bus Clock rate. This device  is packaged in a
208-pin Plastic Quad Flat Pack combining several external buffers into
this space saving solution.

***Configurations:...
***Features:...
**HT22          386SX/286 Single Chip (25 MHz)                 c:Sep91...
**HT25          3-volt Core Logic for 386SX                    c:Dec92...
**HT35          Single-Chip Peripheral Controller [partial info]     ?...
**HTK320        386DX Chip Set                                 c:Sep91...
**HTK340        "Shasta" 486 Chip Set                          c:Jun92...
**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:...

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