Have you ever seen a part that looks like this? - While looking for more info about this part, I came across a datasheet for NEC’s uPD65000¹ , a 3-micron CMOS Gate Array. Potentially, that means that the D54304 was from an earlier series of gate arrays, but I have yet to find a datasheet or other resource to confirm that 100%. The datasheet for the uPD65000 that I found is from 1985, so it's possible that the D54304 is even older. - The uPD65000 has a diagram that shows the rough layout for how the gate array is structured, and it’s very similar, if not identical looking to the D54304. The datasheet for the uPD65000 also describes how these parts would have been designed. They also boasted a 8-12 week turnaround time for custom gate-array masks. - In principle, there is a base template gate array that has all of the possible components placed. With the help of NEC’s CAD software, a custom mask would be created that connects or disconnects certain spots on the base template. This allows customs designs to be quickly and easily created, and I would assume that the CAD support made iterating through designs very simple.  - As I mentioned in the previous Reel about this part, I used a burr-tipped insert for a Dremel. Instead of soldering the top metal lid to the ceramic body like in many other components, this part uses “parallel gap resistance seam welding” to secure the lid in place. The welder uses two tips that roll along the seam on opposite sides from each other, while passing a large current through the seam to weld it in place. - Sources:  ¹ NEC D65000 Datasheet (PDF, alldatasheet) - #ComponentsCloseUp #electronics #technology #tech #techtok

I recently took a look at the Hybrid ceramic modules from inside an HP83000 IC test system. There are lots of interesting integrated circuits on these modules. If you want to see more of them under the microscope and at 4K resolution, check out the full video over on my YouTube channel! #ComponentsCloseUp #electronics #technology #techtok

Can you find Waldo on this chip? - #ComponentsCloseUp No. 200: 64-bit MIPS Processor - *** Quick Facts! *** Manufacturer: MIPS/NEC Part Number: MR-4401A-200 Process node: 0.35 μm CMOS (4 layers) Transistor Count: Over 2 million - This multi-chip module (MCM) from NEC utilizes the MIPS R4400 64-bit processor core with a total of 10 externally mounted SRAM chips. These 10 chips equate to a total of 1MB of L2 cache (with ECC). According to the R4400 datasheet, this L2 cache could be up to 4MB max. This particular implementation of the R4400 runs at 200MHz, while other versions typically run at 150MHz. - One article I found claims that these were only used in NEC computers, including the NEC RISCstation 4400 MIPS workstation, and NEC RISCserver SMP servers. It is also believed these processors were also used in the parallel supercomputer NEC Cenju 3. The VR4400 from NEC is the same size as the MR4401, but has all of the pins for the L2 cache interface broken out so they could be connected to SRAM chips on a circuit board, instead of on the module. - #technology #tech #techtok #CPU #whereswaldo

This is a hybrid ceramic circuit module from Teledyne. Inside are 22 individual silicon chips. 16 of these parts appear to be 2,048-bit SRAMs, potentially making this a 32Kb SRAM module. What do you think? #ComponentsCloseUp #electronics #tech #technology #techtok

It’s a little late for Christmas, but here’s a Christmas-themed display that I recently bought from Chipscapes. - The tree in this display is based on the outline of a Christmas tree silicon doodle located on the DS1485 RAMified Real Time Clock silicon chip. This display includes a section of a DS1485 silicon wafer as a present underneath the tree. I was able to look through the glass of the display with the microscope and view the silicon doodle. - In addition to the DS1485, there are many other silicon chips and wafers used on this design. Plenty of interesting chips to look at with the microscope. If you like these types of displays and want to get this or something similar for yourself, I’d recommend checking out the chipscapes website. There are lots of interesting displays available. - #ComponentsCloseUp #techtok #technology #electronics #tech