Cross-licencing agreements

[godman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Corporation

The only major competitor to Intel on the x86 processor market is Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), with which Intel has had full cross-licensing agreements since 1976: each partner can use the other's patented technological innovations without charge after a certain time.

-Wikipedia

Does this therefore mean that intel can use AMD's Hypertransport technology ( AMD and the hypertransport consortium's technology rather) if they wanted to. Or that AMD could use, for example the data pre fetch technologies, SSE4, macro fusion or "wide dynamic execution" etc in their CPUs? :roll:

just stumbled across it when reading about C2d on Wikipedia.

 

[Pippero]

I think that Hypertransport technology is open to anyone, not only Intel.
Concerning the rest, yes AMD can implement SSE4, like they did with SSE1-3, they could also do micro and macro op fusion, improve data prefetch, and wide dynamic execution, but this has nothing to do with the licensing agreement..
They have to implement that stuff by themselves, and that's the hard part (BTW terms like "advanced smart cache" or "wide dynamic execution" are just marketing gibberish)

 

[godman]

oh right i see so thats why intel has to make CSI (common system interface)instead of using HTT because the fsb will be easilly bottleneck future intel processors?

 

[exit2dos]

oh right i see so thats why intel has to make CSI (common system interface)instead of using HTT because the fsb will be easilly bottleneck future intel processors?

No, CSI and HT are for "interconnects" on the CPU. Hypothetically, they will allow the CPU to "talk" directly to another chip, say like a Physics chip or GPU. AMD will be using the HT to "connect" 2 CPUs on their 4x4 platform. Intel plans CSI to add socket compatability betwwen the Xeon and Itanium sockets.

It would be nice if a standard can be reached between CSI and HT, so that third parties will be able to make plug-in chips that will work on either platform. Right now CSI looks faster, but it isn't scheduled for release until 2008, so AMD might have HT running at similar speeds by then.

As far as the fsb bottleneck:
This should be resolved when Intel moves to an Integrated Memory Controller (IMC), such as AMD is using now. This is also scheduled for 2008.

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

More details (link from article):

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-257059.html

 

[godman]

so you're saying that CSi will be faster than HTT when its complete? well i guess AMD will have updated HTT to HTT 3.0 or something by then as the HTT AMD is using now wil be old technology

 

[NightlySputnik]

so you're saying that CSi will be faster than HTT when its complete? well i guess AMD will have updated HTT to HTT 3.0 or something by then as the HTT AMD is using now wil be old technology

I know Intel is really shooting for the stars with CSI. I personally think it'll be faster than even HT3.0. Remember that HT3.0 specifications are already known to Intel and everybody that know where to look, so they most probably already know this. I think they want to use CSI because they'll have control of it's developpement. That'ms intel way, developp it in-house. If you can,t, and only then, use the competition option.

Also, if Intel uses HT now like it could, it would only be this much harder for them to have mobo maker to accept the standard. But getting them to dump the fsb link won't be. It should help you understand why they are not already using it.

It's only speculations on my part tough.

 

[godman]

thanks everyone, for all your help, i think i get it now

 

[laitainion]

I think that Hypertransport technology is open to anyone, not only Intel.

As I understand it, HyperTransport is something developed by the HyperTransport Consortium (who oversee it's continued developed), of which AMD is one of the founding members. Further research has revealed that to use HT you have to be a member of the consortium, and so presumably Intel can't get HT via their agreement with Intel, since the patents are owned by the HyperTransport Consortium as a whole rather than individual members.

 

[godman]

OIC yeah i was wondering that because i thought as only nvidia and amd are the main members then amd would be allowed to allow the use of HTT to intel but it seems not, thanks for everyone who helped inh the matter

 

[NightlySputnik]

I'm a newbie.
Why is Intel putting in Crime Scene Investigation on their chip?

Funny, 30000+ post newbie. :lol:

 

[Pippero]

Ok, so i found it: HyperTransport was originally developed by AMD, and expected to be called Lightning Data Transport, then AMD decided to make it an open standard (to ease its market acceptance) and so the HyperTransport consortium was founded. (link)

 

[Lottie]

You've been spending too much time alone with WingDing!