microSPARC
The microSPARC (code-named Tsunami) is a discontinued microprocessor implementing the SPARC V8 instruction set architecture (ISA), developed by Sun Microsystems. It is a low-end microprocessor intended for low-end workstations and embedded systems. The microprocessor was developed by Sun, but the floating-point unit (FPU) was licensed from Meiko Scientific. It contains 800,000 transistors.
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1992 |
| Discontinued | 1994 |
| Designed by | Sun Microsystems |
| Performance | |
| Max. CPU clock rate | 40 MHz to 125 MHz |
| Architecture and classification | |
| Instruction set | SPARC V8 |
| Physical specifications | |
| Cores |
|
There are two derivatives of the microSPARC-II (code-named Swift): the microSPARC-II and microSPARC-IIep. The microSPARC-II is used in the SPARCstation 5. The microSPARC-IIep is a 100 MHz microSPARC-II with an integrated PCI controller for embedded systems. It was developed and fabricated by LSI Logic for Sun, and used in their JavaStation Network Computer.
| Name (codename) | Model | Frequency (MHz) | Arch. version | Year | Total threads[1] | Process (µm) | Transistors (millions) | Die size (mm²) | IO Pins | Power (W) | Voltage (V) | L1 Dcache (k) | L1 Icache (k) | L2 Cache (k) | L3 Cache (k) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| microSPARC I (Tsunami) | TI TMS390S10 / TMX390S10 | 40–50 | V8 | 1992 | 1×1=1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 225? | 288 | 2.5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | none | none |
| microSPARC II (Swift) | Fujitsu MB86904 / Sun STP1012 | 60–125 | V8 | 1994 | 1×1=1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 233 | 321 | 5 | 3.3 | 8 | 16 | none | none |
- Die photos
TI microSPARC I
Sun microSPARC II
References
- Threads per core × number of cores
- Sun Microsystems, Inc. (10 August 1992). "Highly Integrated SPARC Processor Implementation (Tsunami)". Hot Chips presentation.'