Exponential Technology
Encyclopedia
Exponential Technology was a vendor of PowerPC
microprocessor
s. The company was founded by George Taylor
and Jim Blomgren in 1993. The company's plan was to use BiCMOS
technology to produce very fast processors for the Apple Computer
market. Logic used 3-level ECL circuits (single-ended for control logic, and differential for datapaths) while RAM structures used CMOS. The company was originally named Renaissance Microsystems. Rick Shriner was the CEO.
Their chips were manufactured by Hitachi
.
Their product, the Exponential X704
, was advertised to run at 533 MHz, but the first version of the device only ran at about 400 MHz. This lower frequency along with small level-one caches
, produced systems which had good but not stellar performance. This allowed Motorola
(Apple's traditional processor vendor), to convince the computer maker that Motorola's future roadmap would produce processors with similar performance, hence making it less attractive for Apple to rely on the small startup company
for critical technology.
Due to Apple's financial problems at the time, Exponential starting marketing the device
to Apple Macintosh clone makers such as Power Computing
and UMAX
.
In order to diversify into other markets, a second design team was started under Paul Nixon in Austin, TX to build a BiCMOS Intel x86 processor.
Due to Apple's decision to close off the Macintosh clone market, Exponential ran out of possible customers for their chips.
The company closed in 1997, though the Texas design team run by Paul Nixon continued on as EVSX. (EVSX changed its
name to Intrinsity, Inc.
in 2000.)
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
s. The company was founded by George Taylor
George Taylor
George Taylor may refer to:*George Taylor , soldier in Texas army, died in the Battle of the Alamo*George Taylor , see List of Sydney Swans players...
and Jim Blomgren in 1993. The company's plan was to use BiCMOS
BiCMOS
BiCMOS is an evolved semiconductor technology that integrates two formerly separate semiconductor technologies - those of the analog bipolar junction transistor and the digital CMOS transistor - in a single integrated circuit device....
technology to produce very fast processors for the Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
market. Logic used 3-level ECL circuits (single-ended for control logic, and differential for datapaths) while RAM structures used CMOS. The company was originally named Renaissance Microsystems. Rick Shriner was the CEO.
Their chips were manufactured by Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd.
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
.
Their product, the Exponential X704
X704
The x704 is a microprocessor that implements the 32-bit version of the PowerPC instruction set architecture developed by Exponential Technology...
, was advertised to run at 533 MHz, but the first version of the device only ran at about 400 MHz. This lower frequency along with small level-one caches
CPU cache
A CPU cache is a cache used by the central processing unit of a computer to reduce the average time to access memory. The cache is a smaller, faster memory which stores copies of the data from the most frequently used main memory locations...
, produced systems which had good but not stellar performance. This allowed Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
(Apple's traditional processor vendor), to convince the computer maker that Motorola's future roadmap would produce processors with similar performance, hence making it less attractive for Apple to rely on the small startup company
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
for critical technology.
Due to Apple's financial problems at the time, Exponential starting marketing the device
to Apple Macintosh clone makers such as Power Computing
Power Computing
Power Computing Corporation was the first company selected by Apple Inc to create Macintosh-compatible computers . Stephen “Steve” Kahng, a computer engineer best known for his design of the Leading Edge Model D, founded the company in November 1993...
and UMAX
Umax
UMAX Technologies is a manufacturer of computer products, including scanners, mice, and flash drives, based in Taiwan. The company also uses the Yamada and Vaova brand names.-History:...
.
In order to diversify into other markets, a second design team was started under Paul Nixon in Austin, TX to build a BiCMOS Intel x86 processor.
Due to Apple's decision to close off the Macintosh clone market, Exponential ran out of possible customers for their chips.
The company closed in 1997, though the Texas design team run by Paul Nixon continued on as EVSX. (EVSX changed its
name to Intrinsity, Inc.
Intrinsity
Intrinsity was a privately held Austin, Texas based fabless semiconductor company; it was founded in 1997 as EVSX on the remnants of Exponential Technology and changed its name to Intrinsity in 2000...
in 2000.)