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] _______________________________________________________________________ Why pay when you don't have to? Get AltaVista Free Internet Access now! http://jump.altavista.com/freeaccess4.go _______________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: [email protected] Michael Garretson: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: [email protected] Michael Garretson: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: [email protected] Michael Garretson: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected]
