CHIP PRODUCTION: "We continue to improve our designs in ways meant to maximize the amount of work each transistor does, and to do more and more work in the same amount of space."

If you start developing a brand new chip design: What are the first major steps?

The first major step is to figure out what we need to build – this is influenced by several factors such as market requirements, API requirements, Semiconductor process available and game developer requirements. Obviously there is a schedule requirement too. Once we figure this out we go through architecture, design, verification, physical design and layout phases.

How long does the development of a graphic chip take from design to tape out?

About 12-18 months. Depending on how radically different we are going to be from the last generation.

How many people at ATI are working in the development team of a brand new graphic chip (no refresh) and how many people at ATI are part of the catalyst-crew?

I think it depends on how you define the team itself, since there are so many people involved in, for example, the development of R520, from both a central standpoint but also working on the periphery. Certainly it would be in the hundreds, that’s for sure. And we have many hundreds of software engineers working in Toronto, Santa Clara and other locations around the world.

The complexity of graphic chips has surpassed that of CPUs. How will ATI deal with the frontiers of the production process.

Raja Koduri:

There are two main ways for us to deal with design complexities and the limits of the physical realm as a fables company: The first is to design in smarter and more efficient ways. We continue to improve our designs in ways meant to maximize the amount of work each transistor does, and to do more and more work in the same amount of space.The second is to work very closely with fabrication centers such as TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), to make sure ATI both has access to the latest technologies and actually helps define what that latest technology is. We are pursuing both these paths.