Advanced Micro Devices Inc, which has to be very careful what it says about them following that court ruling (CI No 1,486) is now shipping two new CMOS analogues of Intel’s 80287 maths co-processor, and says that they enable 80286-based computers to perform mathematical calculations up to 10 times faster than originally. The CMOS AMD 80C287 is software and pin compatible with Intel’s NMOS 80287, and this is achieved by using 80287 microcode that Advanced Micro Devices has licensed from Intel Intel claims that it was for internal use only. The 80EC287 is a low-power version designed for battery-powered laptops or notebook computers, and both are manufactured using 1.0 micron static process. The 80EC287 has a sleep feature which automatically turns off the co-processor when no instructions are executing to save further on the battery, and the company is claiming that tests show a 90% battery life saving compared to the NMOS 80287, and an 80% saving when compared with Intel’s CMOS 80C287A. The AMD 80C287 is installed by plugging it into the motherboard of an 80286-based personal computer. Both the AMD 80C287 and 80EC287 are available in 10MHz or 12MHz versions with prices starting at UKP85, and they are being distributed here by the Aldershot, Hampshire-based company Datrontech Ltd.
