New TI Chip Could Cut Costs of 34010-Based Graphics Boards
 
Microbytes Daily News Service
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
"Beyond VGA" graphics boards -- boards with VGA compatibility and
resolutions up to 1024 x 768 pixels -- are hard to come by for
less than $1000. But this situation may be about to change as
manufacturers start using Texas Instruments' new Business
Graphics Array (BGA) logic controller for TI's 34010 graphics
coprocessor.
 
TI's new 34092 logic chip replaces much of the custom glue logic
currently required on 34010-based high-resolution graphics
boards. The chip provides a memory controller and a "display
pipeline controller" that controls the resolution and color
palette on the screen. Until introduction of this chip, board
manufacturers had to implement these memory and display control
functions themselves.
 
The new chip will cut in half the required size of 34010 graphics
boards and will also significantly reduce the development and
production costs of such boards, Leslie Price of the TI Graphics
Group told Microbytes Daily. "The least expensive TIGA [TI
Graphics Architecture] boards are in the $800 to $900 range,"
she said. "Because of this chip, prices should drop to about $500
or $600 by late next year."
 
TI's 34010 graphics coprocessor is used in high-resolution
graphics boards for both Intel- and Motorola-based systems.
Hewlett-Packard, Number Nine, TrueVision, and several other
companies offer graphics boards based on the 34010. With the
new logic chip, these companies should be able to offer more
competitively priced high-res graphics boards.
 
Prototypes and specifications of the 34092 will be available
early next year, with volume production scheduled for mid-1990,
TI says. The company is working on a similar chip for its more
powerful 34020 graphics processor.
 
Contact: Texas Instruments, Semiconductor Group SC-972, PO Box
809066, Dallas, TX 73580-9066; (800) 232-3200, ext. 700.
 
                              --- Nick Baran
 
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