In defense of Intel (please wait a moment while I don my full body armor),
this is probably one of those things that only occurs on alternate rainy
Tuesdays when using certain specific brands of SDRAM.
Scott Lacey
-----Original Message-----
From: David Spencer [SMTP:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 12:52 PM
To: EMC-PSTC
Subject: RE: Chip noise halts Intel 820 motherboard
Filed under "Things that make you go hmmm."
Was this a major Product Verification screw up?
Or a carefully crafted marketing plan to increase demand for RDRAM?
Have a Great Day,
Dave Spencer
Oresis Communications
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul J Smith [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 7:21 AM
To: Barry Ma
Cc: EMC-PSTC
Subject: Re: Chip noise halts Intel 820 motherboard
Barry,
Thanks for the heads-up. Article was also published by AP in today's
Boston
Globe. The following excerpt is from the site you noted ....
Regards, Paul J. Smith
Teradyne, Boston
Chip maker will replace motherboards using its 820 chip set due to
noise
caused
by simultaneous switching of
signals.
Intel Corp. has acknowledged another setback for PCs using its 820
chip
set.
The company announced Wednesday morning that it will replace
motherboards
using
its 820 chip set that are exhibiting
symptoms of a problem with a related component -- called a memory
translator
hub, or MTH -- with synchronous dynamic
RAM (SDRAM).
While the hub is not part of the 820 itself, it
is
required
on a motherboard that uses SDRAM. It
enables the chip set, which was designed to
work with
Rambus dynamic RAM (RDRAM), to use
less expensive, more readily available SDRAM.
"We have found that some systems ... may be
sensitive
to
system board noise," an Intel
spokesman said.
Hangs and reboots
The MTH problem, which manifests itself by
system hangs
and
intermittent system reboots, is due
to noise caused by simultaneous switching of
signals on
the
MTH buses, Intel officials said.
Intel is working with PC and motherboard makers
to
notify
computer users of the problem and to
offer a replacement motherboard. Intel plans to replace all the 820
motherboards with SDRAM support that it sold directly
to customers with an Intel 820 chip set motherboard with RDRAM
memory.
Computer users who believe they are
affected should
contact their manufacturers, or they can
check Intel's Web site, where they can
download the
MTH
ID Utility to test for the presence
of the hub.
The MTH support site also includes
additional
information on the problems.
"We believe less than 1 million boards with the MTH have been
shipped to
customers," an Intel spokesman said. However,
"since we have determined no root cause on this issue, we have
decided to
offer
a replacement."
Barry Ma <[email protected]> on 05/10/2000 07:12:33 PM
Please respond to Barry Ma <[email protected]>
To: EMC-PSTC <[email protected]>
cc: (bcc: Paul J Smith/Bos/Teradyne)
Subject: Chip noise halts Intel 820 motherboard
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20000510/tc/chip_noise_halts_intel_820_produ
ction_1.html
INTEL will replace motherboards using its 820 chip set due to noise
caused
by
simultaneous switching of signals.
------------
Can anybody be more specific or just make a speculation by using EMC
language?
Another question is irrelevant to EMC. I am wondering why it took so
long -
five
months from field failure report to recreating the problem inside
INTEL? See
quotation below:
First noted in November
"Intel began shipping the MTH last November. The problem was brought
to
light by
an Intel customer who observed the problem.... Intel followed up on
the
report
and observed the problem in its own tests earlier this month."
Barry Ma
[email protected]
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