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_production_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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