Motorola Inc’s Microprocessor Products Group is close to an agreement with Edge Computer Corp of Scottsdale, Arizona that will allow it to offer the Edge 68020-compatible custom and semi custom gate array processors to its customers where there is a danger that they will otherwise desert the 68000 camp for a RISC processor at the top end. Motorola has already lost Sun Microsystems and Apollo Computer because it could not offer the high-end performance they needed in the 68000 line, and other 68020 and 68030 users are likely to defect. Edge told Computer Systems News that it was about to close a deal with Motorola, but would not say more ahead of signing. Edge has two 68020 compatible CPUs, one rated at 6 MIPS, the other at 16 MIPS. It configures the low-end one into the Edge 1100 and dual Edge 1200, and the high-end one goes into the Edge 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2400, a one- to four-processor family delivering up to 55 MIPS. The move by Motorola is seen as a stop-gap measure until the 68040 and subsequent versions of the chip are available, and while at present thought to involve only the Microprocessor Products Group, may well be extended to the company’s system level divisions as well. Edge has a $25m three-year agreement with Olivetti for its processors, and is tipped to sign two more major European OEM cuctomers and one US customer in the next few weeks.
Content from our partners
