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Transmeta Webcast Today at Nine PST, Noon EST
Almost everybody in the world wrote in with something like "Transmeta's big Crusoe announcement is today, and it'll be Webcast live on ZDTV starting at 9 a.m. PST." Later, after all the hoopla is over, we'll have a follow-up story on the proceedings as viewed through the eyes of several people who are there.
For those who can't get the webcast, here's a quick summary of what I've seen sofar: The guy onscreen (don't know him, didn't catch the beginning) keeps promoting a 'software' solution for solving some cpu problems, including the ability to tune itself to the applications, for performance and power reasons. They also keep stressing low-power, and mobile applications Big announcement! The instruction set is entirely in software (his words) -- Yep boys and girls, we can run anyone's instructions -- VL instruction set, 128 bit instructions.... 3/4 functionality of the cpu is in software... more to come...
Yes this is my real UID. No, it was not bought from EBay.
- Transmeta corporation ______________
- Transmeta hired a new CEO - Mark Allen of Netscape fame.
- Transmeta has 200+ people on staff.
- Manufacturing is overseas in Taiwan
- IBM partnership!
- Paul Allen invested in them.
- Buzzword Alert: "technology innovator"
- Transmeta will not sell directly to end-users. It is OEM only.
- Transmeta has modified the linux codebase with their code morphing tech
End part II. Opening to Q&A(( Missed part of the webcast due to work ))
End part III, on to tech details
3120
Targeted for internet mobile device.
400Mhz, L1 Cache
Integrated NorthBridge.
5400
Runs Windows/Applications.
700 Mhz, L1 128k, l2 256k
DDR Memory Controller.
Morphs x86 into VLIW instru.
Registers and other X86 Tech is done in software.
Simple fast, low power processor..
code morphin'
Translates x86 pc apps to vliw instructions
Generates x86 to vliw, optimizes, puts in translation cache that is hidden and only the processor knows of it.
only what is used is translated, done on the fly.. keeps programs in translation cache to aid in morphing on the fly.
learn and optimize.
Analyzing the x86 app that is running and optimizes the top code.
register renaming, reordering.
software can optimize like in the compiler
20 X86 Instructions--> 10 vliw instructions
removes useless code to get better preformance and lower power.
benchmarked on a windowing environment.
shows video with fast windowing environment.. translation doesn't get in the way.
P3 Playing DVD
105.5 C
Crusoe Playing DVD with Translation.
48.2 C
Thermal solutions are draining the Mobile battery, and crusoe puts out less heat, less thermal solution == less battery..
LongRun Technology in Code Morphing adjusts power consumption to match needs of the application and uses the lowest power required.
700 Mhz at 1.6V bumps down the MHZ then the V's
Can make the analysis on a frame by frame basis ( example used is playing a DVD ).
700 Mhz uses 1.65V is 100% then the processor goes to 400 Mhz using 1.4 Vs then down to 333Mhz
at 1.2v. Thats only using 25% of the processor.
Introduced new Benchmark Methodolgy:
1. Benchmark on a real APPLICATION
2. Measure battery AFTER the app is run
3. Combine the two for the score.
Demo Crusoe on Linux with Linus.. be back in 30mins.
' god damn this is one wacky game show ' ~ jay in mallrats
Anyone else notice that? Their questions are all along the lines of "this must suck somehow, can you tell us how?"
The Slashdot/Red Herring/Etc type reporters are the only ones asking intelligent questions about the products!
"Hi, I'm a total bitch. I came in late and didn't really listen. This isn't really a new idea, is it? Isn't everyone doing this? Can you explain?"
Sheesh. Someone must be training those people to be clueless and annoying, unless they are actually clueless and annoying and just don't know any better.
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
I'm not one to make corrections, but with mistakes this fundamental, I feel that I have to or people will have the entirely wrong idea.
:)
The Crusoe processor is not a RISC processor; the presenter was involved in the development of the RISC processor ~1980. The Crusoe family (there are two being presented, with more to be announced) is a small processor that does not have any instructions on the chip itself; it has a software couterpart that translates standard x86 instruction calls to the chip itself. It is completely x86 compatable and the two that were demonstrated operate at 1 watt, making it ideal for mobile computing platforms. To summarize, Transmeta has created a brand new processor family that uses software to handle many of the functionality that is traditionally embedded on the CPU itself.
Oh, and the "marketing geek" is David Ditzel, CEO and president of Transmeta, one of the architects of the Sun SPARC microprocessor and longtime advocate of the RISC architecture; I highly recommend checking out some of the books and articles that he has written over the past 25 or so years working with microprocessors, as they are quite interesting. I will admit that he did abuse the "Internet" line a bit much, especially since he was introducing a bloody processor.
Deosyne