Winbond PA-RISC Processors

Winbond W89K

Winbond W89K is an embedded 32-bit PA-RISC controller chip, introduced in Spring 1994 and pin-compatible with Intel 80486DX. W89K were designated embedded processors for appliances and integrated devices. To ease development, W89K could be used as a drop-in replacement for i486 CPUs in mid-1990s PCs, together with Winbond BIOS replacement.

Rationale was to allow hardware developers utilize existing i486 mainboards and components for a shorter product development process. W89K is a level 0 PA-RISC 1.1 implementation: a 32-bit PA-RISC processor without virtual addressing.

PA-RISC version 1.1 32-bit, level 0
No virtual addressing: no MMU
Five-stage pipeline
One functional unit: one 32-bit integer ALU
Cache 2 KB/2 KB L1 on-chip instruction/data
80486 Intel bus interface
33 MHz and 66 MHz clock speeds were available, with the latter apparently having been achieved with a clock-doubling also used in the Intel’s 80486DX/2
On-chip JTAG support
14.3×14.3 mm² die, 1,100,000 FETs, 0.8µ, 3-layer metal CMOS

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Winbond W90210/215

Shortly after the W89K, Winbond introduced more sophisticated PA-RISC processors in 1997 with the W90K line of embedded controllers. W90210F are 32-bit PA-RISC 1.1 implementations and integrated many external I/O components on the chip — DRAM and DMA controllers, PCI bridge and various I/O ports.

As its predecessor, Winbond W90210F implemented PA-RISC 1.1 level 0 without virtual addressing. They were used in various Internet appliances: set-top boxes, TV sets, DVD players, PDAs, photo frames, VoIP devices, and for industrial automation. W90215 were identical to W90210 but did not include license rights for the embedded operating system and thus cheaper.

PA-RISC version 1.1 32-bit
Level 0 implementation no virtual addressing: no MMU
Five-stage pipeline
One functional unit: one 32-bit integer ALU
Cache 4 KB L1 instruction, direct mapped, 32-byte blocks, 256 entries
Cache 8 KB L1 data, 2-way set-associative, 32-byte blocks, 2×64 entries, write-back
MAX-1 multimedia extensions for multimedia applications, like MPEG decoding
80486 Intel bus interface
DRAM controller
ROM/FLASH interface
DMA controller 2-channel 8-bit
PCI bridge
Two serial ports
Parallel port
33 MHz and 66 MHz clock speeds
208-pin PQF package

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Winbond W90220 and W90221

W90220F are 32-bit PA-RISC 1.1 processors without MMU but with many integrated I/O components. On-chip were DRAM and DMA controllers, PCI bridge, IDE channels, I/O ports and, on the W90221, a graphics/TV chip. Later W90221 were apparently similar chips but with higher clock speeds, integrated (S)VGA and TV controller

PA-RISC version 1.1 32-bit
Level 0 implementation, no virtual addressing: no MMU
Six-stage pipeline
Two functional units: one 32-bit integer ALU and one 32-bit multiply-accumulate MAC module, for DSP purposes, can be used as two 16-bit modules too
Cache 4 KB L1 instruction, direct mapped, 32-byte blocks, 256 entries
Cache 4 KB L1 data, 4-way set-associative, write-back or write-through
MAX-1 multimedia extensions for multimedia applications, like MPEG decoding
80486 Intel bus interface
Hardware dynamic branch prediction
256-entry branch-target-buffer BTAC
Memory controller supports DRAM, EDO-DRAM and SRAM; W90221 additionally SDRAM
ROM/FLASH interface
DMA controller 2-channel 8-bit
IDE I/O controller four 16-bit channels
W90221: VGA and TV controller W9971
PCI bridge
Two serial ports
Parallel port
Serial ICE port
Up to 150 MHz clock speed at 3.3 V/5 V I/O and 3.3 V core
W90221: 133 MHz clock speed with apparently 3.3 V at both I/O and core
0.35µ single-poly-triple-metal CMOS
208-pin PQF package

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Documentation

Chronology of Workstation Computers (1993) Ken Polsson (November 2007. Accessed November 2007)
PROgress (PA-RISC) Newsletter - comp.sys.hp Candace Doyle (October 1993: Precision Risc Organization. Accessed December 2007)
Winbond, Varian sign deal for thin-film IC process, Terho Uimonen (April 1994: Electronic News. Accessed January 2008 at findarticles.com)
PA-RISC in a PC box (was: Re: HP's vision of a low-end 3000) comp.sys.hp.mpe, Stan Sieler (Februar 1996. Accessed December 2007)
October 1993 PROgress Newsletter, USENET post, Google Archive, 11/01/1993
W90210F PA-RISC Embedded Controller datasheet, Winbond Electronics Corp. (October 1997) archive.org
W90220F PA-RISC Embedded Controller datasheet, Winbond Electronics Corp. (March 1999, version 0.84) archive.org
W90221F PA-RISC Embedded Controller datasheet, Winbond Electronics Corp. (March 2000, version 0.4) archive.org
The Forgotten Ones: RISCy Business of Winbond, CPU Shack Museum, October 2019

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