MOS Technology

Tokafondo · Posted: Wed May 15, 2002 12:54 am Post subject: MOS Technology

I had a bit of research in Commodore story. MOS Technology developed most of the chips used in Commodore computers.

I've understood that MOS became Commodore Semiconductors Group, and when Commodore broke down, a company called GMT Microelectronics bought CSG technologies, patents, and so.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT ALL I AM SAYING COULD BE IN ERROR. IF SOMEONE HAS CORRECTIONS TO DO, PLEASE DO IT!

Well, the question is:

- Who builds now the SIDs that are used in SidStation and HardSid?
- Who owns the patents and design references for SID and the other chips?
- Could that company create a redesigned SID with the size of 0,5 cm. by side that could fit in a mobile phone? (see my "Siemens C64" post, earlier)

The MeatBall · Posted: Wed May 15, 2002 7:34 am Post subject:

Quote:

- Who builds now the SIDs that are used in SidStation and HardSid?

MOS Technologies or CSG, you simply use an old SID-chip, they are not especially made for HardSid/SidStation.

Quote:

- Who owns the patents and design references for SID and the other chips?

GMT Microelectronics I guess, if the company still exists (and the design references for the SID etc exists!)

Quote:

- Could that company create a redesigned SID with the size of 0,5 cm. by side that could fit in a mobile phone? (see my "Siemens C64" post, earlier)

If the design references existed and someone was willing to put up the money for a redesign of the chip, yes, but chances for this to happen = 0 I'm afraid. The world just isn't interested in the C-64, they want PS3/Xbox2/GameCube2 etc.
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Akira · Guest

Tokafondo wrote:

- Who builds now the SIDs that are used in SidStation and HardSid?

Nobody. SIDs have been out of production for years now. read teh SidStation site, they will tell you they havea limited number of SIDs left. Once they run out of SIDs, it's gameover time for Sidstations. And when you buy a HardSID they recommend you buying one without a SID chip, so you provide yoru own. Ordering one with a SID could take eons to arrive while they search for a SID chip for your card.

Quote:

- Who owns the patents and design references for SID and the other chips?

GOOD question

Quote:

- Could that company create a redesigned SID with the size of 0,5 cm. by side that could fit in a mobile phone? (see my "Siemens C64" post, earlier)

I dont know, but Jeri Ellsworth has designed a SuperSID chip from scratch, that keeps the functionality of the old one and improves it. She's gonna sell that soon, I suppose, as soon as the Commodore One project is finished.

ready. · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 12:16 pm Post subject:

actually many things have changed since the last post on this thread (for example SIDstation is not being produced anymore), but the request for SIDs is still strong. Prophet64 and Messiah came out and people want SID chips. Stocks of SID chips are drying up. I don't know much about IC making, but I know there's a team who opened the SIDs and took shoots of the dies (http://mail.lipsia.de/~enigma/neu/6581.html).

I was wondering what kind of an effort it would take to start a production of SIDs nowadays. Would the final answer be that it would not be econommically convenient, or maybe there could be a way to do it?

Ready.

groepaz · Grandmaster of C64 Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 1997

Quote:

Would the final answer be that it would not be econommically convenient, or maybe there could be a way to do it?

making custom dies in small quantities (read: less than 100000 pieces) is way too expensive.

also there are no more manufacturers who still use nmos or hmos process, so you will end up with a super expensive chip, which doesnt sound like intended =P
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Kong Daddy · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 1103

Interesting, I don't think you could make a copy of a SID today and have it sound quite the same. Maybe 99% similar who knows but I don't think it will ever be identical.

So you might as well hassle Jerri to build us this super SID you talk of Smile

I will bring this up on her forum actually to see if a super SID and DTV combo would ever be possible and if so how financially feasible is it.

ready. · Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 12:27 pm Post subject:

what happened to the equipment used to produce the SID?

clockmeister · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 1:27 am Post subject:

ready. wrote:

what happened to the equipment used to produce the SID?

http://users.on.net/~clockmeis...G-Auction/

Moloch · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:50 am Post subject:

... and details about the actual site, for a while was an EPA SuperFund location.

http://epa.gov/reg3hwmd/npl/PAD093730174.htm
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Kong Daddy · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 1103

Yeah I smell a rotten fish covered in rotten eggs thinking about the whole EPA thing with the MOS plant.

Probably some payoff by someone high up in a rival company to make this happen and shove the final nails in the C= coffin.