AMD: not authorized to release the follow-up chip design joint venture THATIC
During Computex Taipei (Computex 2019), AMD CEO Lisa Su (Lisa Su) media outside Tom's Hardware confirmed that the company did not release further chip design licensed to the Chinese joint venture. This means that Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in the establishment of the Chinese joint venture THATIC (Tianjin sea of light) to develop follow-up products, will stay in the first generation Dacentrurus (Ryzen) and Xiao Long (EPYC) depends Zen architecture.
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(Title figure Via Tom's Hardware )
2016, when, AMD for $ 293 million, and to authorize its development rights THATIC x86 chip and SoC IP, and private partners, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The two sides hope that through this cooperation, AMD booming market in China to provide assistance.
Foreign media reported that this cooperation allows China access to critical x86 technology, and this is where there is a significant technology gap between China and the US. As for the details of the transfer of technology, the outside world is not known.
Under the agreement, the domestic server manufacturer Sea Ray (Hygon) can spend the custom processor design based on AMD Zen architecture, which is AMD Dacentrurus (Ryzen) and basic design Xiao Long (EYPC) processor.
Part of the custom chips, including dedicated customer specified encryption element, the first batch of products, including sea light Dhyana x86 processors, it is much like the twin brother of AMD EPYC data center processor.
Foreign media were told that there are other custom chips specifically for the Chinese market architecture design optimization (details unknown). It is said that the dawn of domestic server makers (Sugn) plans to launch a secondary basis Zen quadrillion 2 supercomputer, but the progress of the project is unknown.
In fact, AMD chip development with Chinese joint venture to carry out, is not new. Because another chip giant Intel, Tsinghua University and also work together Montage, set up a joint venture to develop custom chips Xeon company.
It should be noted that Intel did not open access to its core IP licensing, sea and light (THATIC) can access the local Zen microarchitecture deeper level.
Earlier reports said, AMD joint venture able to access Zen's Register Transfer Level (RTL), but later AMD made to clarify that the joint venture can only modify certain parts of custom chips for the Chinese market is.
Finally, foreign media Tom's Hardware to Lisa Su asked whether AMD will continue to light the sea (THATIC) in cooperation with, she responded that during the Sino-US trade friction:
The joint venture will continue to operate it, but AMD will not discuss any additional technology transfer. In addition most of the work is THATIC doing, AMD aspects is not much involved.
The reason is that cooperation with the sea of light, involving only then that generation of technology licensing, and does not include additional technology licensing. But Lisa Su did not clarify decided not to continue the transfer of technology, whether it is a direct result of the Sino-US trade friction.
In this way, at least in the foreseeable period of time, THATIC customized products, will only stay at the level of the first generation Zen-based architecture. After all, as an American company, AMD had to comply with the relevant provisions of the United States.