ATI

Presentation of the company

Founded in 1985 with the Canada by three Chinese immigrants, ATI started like company OEM, by conceiving integrated circuits graphic for PC.

In 1987, ATI becomes a manufacturer with whole share of graphics cards equipped with its chips.

In November 1993, ATI is quoted on the stock exchange for the first time, in Toronto Stock Exchange.

In July 1999, its annual sales exceed the billion dollar US.

In 2002, ATI widens its offer and returns in the markets of the components for the wireless telegraphy.

In December 2003, ATI makes party of the 100 companies of index NASDAQ-100. In 2005, it returns on the market of components for digital television.

In 2005, the company carried out a turnover of 2,2 billion $US (including 2,028 in the sale of integrated circuits) and is classified among the first five manufacturers of integrated circuits known as Fabless , behind its main competitor NVidia. See the classification of the first 20 manufacturers of semiconductors with the passing of years. In 2005, ATI employs close to: 3400 employees, divided mainly in North America, but also in Europe and Asia.

As a company Fabless , ATI conceives its chips in its centers of R & D to the Canada, but sub-contracted their production at other companies of large semiconductors as the founders which are Taiwanese TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.) or UMC (United Microelectronics Corp.).

July 24th, 2006, AMD announced its intention to acquire ATI for nearly 5,4 billion $US. It is expected that fusion is effective at the fourth quarters 2006. The repurchase must initially be approved by the shareholders of ATI and the regulating organizations American and Canadian.

History

Beginnings

Array Technology Industry, whose acronym ATI is much more used, was founded in January 1985 by Kwok Yuen Ho , a Chinese emigrant made at the Canada in 1984 with two others of its compatriots. The three men resulting from the computing world decide to base the company with Markham and equips it with a white logo on red bottom.

The beginnings very difficult, in particular because of the lack of were re-elected firm. But with the third quarters 1987, the company finalized EGA Wonder and VGA Wonder , its first two graphics cards. The result was more or less convincing: the company succeeds in nevertheless having a small place in the field of the expander cards.

A little later in 1989, ATI launches out in the consortium of the standard VESA, in order to establish new standards in graphic posting.

To the third quarters 1991, ATI presented its new chart: The Mach8 . This chart was equipped with extraordinary performances for the time (1024×768×256) (what means that the chip was able to post an image of 1024 pixels length on 768 pixels top 256 colors) and was able to work independently of the microprocessor.

In 1992, the Mach32 is born. Nice evolution of his/her big sister, it makes it possible all the same to increase in a phenomenal way the capacities to reach a 800×600 in: 65536 colors. This chart proposes even a light optimization of the reading MPEG (more fluid film reading). It is during the current one of this same year that ATI begins its universalization, with the opening of a branch with Munich.

In the month of November 1993, ATI is introduced with the Toronto Stock Exchange, for best, since this arrival makes it possible to the Canadian manufacturer to fly away in the graphic field.

In 1994, ATI continuous on its impetus and leave fantastic the Mach64 , able to leave the images in 1024×768 and: 65,536 colors, or even 800×600 in 16 million colors, which, for the time, was rather phenomenal.

The arrival of acceleration 3D

In January 1996, ATI launched the first chart 3D of the market: The 3D Rage , this chart was however not yet accelerating 3D (it was the manufacturer 3DFX which created the first of them, Voodoo, which was a true revolution in the world of the play in 3D).

In July 1996, ATI continued its decentralization with the opening of an Irish subsidiary company.

In September 1996, the manufacturer equipped his charts with an exit TV, then made irruption in the field of the laptops, with the mobile version of his 3D Rage, thus allowing the users to have access to plays using the 3D in a satisfactory way (for the time, let us recall it). At the same time, ATI gives birth to the concept of “ All in wonder ”, by equipping its charts with a tuner TV.

In autumn 1997, the firm left its chart Rage Pro . This chip was still not accelerating 3D, but allowed more the posting of graphics than correct. This chart, extremely accessible, had a good success near the private individuals.

In December 1997, in order to consolidate its position in the field of the 2D, ATI bought the company Tseng Labs .

During the year 1998, ATI calmed the exits of new chips and the various actions, to be satisfied to announce its next revolutionary chart, based on very an other chipset.

This new chart was born during the month of April 1999. Its name: Rage 128 . This chip, very promising on paper, was unfortunately sullied with problems of drivers, which made that success was not with the height of the technological exploit of the time. It was based on a drunk AGP 2× (and later 4×) and was the first to manage the Z-buffer on a depth of 32 bits, also proposing a material Accélération total for the reading of flow MPEG.

There ATI began a continuation from pilot nonin conformity with waitings of the consumers, because bugées and difficult of use. Thus the chart functioned badly with certain plays, which for a product whose play was the essential field of use, was relatively awkward. However, six months later, the firm left its Rage Mobility and its Rage 128 Pro . The receipt of the latter, a professional version, was simple: it was simply about the chip of the Rage overclockée and a little more memory, it such surfréquencée.

In January 2000, ATI continued on its bad impetus (if one can express oneself thus) while leaving the Rage Fury MAXX . This chart was certainly the largest failure of the graphic history. It was equipped with two graphics processors, where the conventional graphics cards contained one of them, and up to 128 [[Me]] of memory, whereas the limit was at the time of 64 Me. The idea to couple two processors thus seemed attractive, more especially as ATI proposed a new technology to benefit from this particular architecture: the AFR (Alternate Frame Rendering). This process consisted in making calculate an image on two with a graphics processor, then to give the second to be calculated with the second, and so on. Thus, one of the two graphics processors calculates all the even images, the others the odd ones. But, with final, graphic technology bi-processor and the AFR appeared both disappointing because the existing plays did not draw party from it, and the performances of this Rage Fury MAXX were present only on paper. Thus, only some professionals bought this chart out of price (because expensive to produce) for the pure performances which it offered in the occupational field. Nevertheless, the company started to re-examine the light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the repurchase of ArtX , company at the origin of the graphics chip of the Nintendo 64 and later of the GameCube, and made up talented engineers. Thanks to this repurchase, ATI realigned on its principal competitor nVidia. During the course of the summer 2000, ATI proposed finally an interesting chip, namely the news Radeon 256 . This chart, exit shortly after the Geforce 2 MX of its competitor, did not arrive in spite of very exceeding the performances of the latter in all the plays, but constituted an interesting alternative, more especially as ATI was (and is always) in front of nVidia in terms of video reading.

In March 2001, the company repurchased FireGL and thus signed its entry in the professional field. In July of this same year, it adapted Hydravision . These successive repurchases made it possible ATI to have more qualified personnel under his orders, and thus to be caught up with vis-a-vis nVidia.

If one makes an intermediate assessment of the places, one can see that 3DFX, the creative company of the first accelerating chart 3D, is not any more (it was repurchased by nVidia), S3 could not confirm, STMicroelectronics left Kyro II far from being exceptional and seemed in bad posture to create Kyro III able to compete with GeForce and other Radeon, and Matrox did not aim any more the market of the players. There thus did not remain large any more world on the scene of the graph general public. Only two heavy trucks claimed to still be able to fight battle, namely nVidia, very clearly in first position, follow-up of ATI , late always on the side of the drivers but laying out raftered, talented and motivated teams.

ATI in dominant position

The real increase of ATI came first of all from its Radeon 8500 , launched to the re-entry 2001. This chart, very powerful and competing without sorrow with GeForce3 of its competitor eternal, was nevertheless a success mitigated because (still!) of its drivers. Then, ATI left the free field to nVidia during the first part of the year 2002, leaving the firm to the chameleon to leave GeForce4, simple evolution of version 3. Contrary to its competitor, ATI developed, in collaboration with Microsoft, a very new graphics processor, resting on a new architecture and entirely benefitting from the last version of DirectX, DirectX 9. This GPU, whose code name was R300, was launched to the re-entry 2002, on the fort known 9700 Pro. This chip completely crushed GeForce4 of its direct competitor, as much in terms of performances that functionalities, and, with the passing, one can affirm that the 9700 Pro was, undoubtedly no, very advances some over his time. Hustled by this fulgurating and unexpected exit, and disgusted to see itself charming its place of giant of the 3D, nVidia retorted with GeForce FX left earlier than envisaged (some will say " bâclée") and with the performances less than the chart of Canadian. Charmed to see its coast going up near the general public, ATI repeated while leaving in April 2003 the chart which will be its greater sale: Radeon 9800 Pro. A simple evolution of the 9700, certainly, but before a a whole incredibly fast chart, finalized, quiet and frightening under DirectX 9. The 5900 Ultra one of nVidia will do nothing there, ATI will keep its place of leader of long months during. Moreover, the price of the 9800 Pro, originally of 400 € (price of a top-of-the-range chart at its exit), melted like snows with the sun to find itself very quickly in the neighborhoods of 200 €. This phenomenal fall was a true stroke of genius on behalf of the Canadian company: hundreds of thousands of charts ran out in a few weeks, everyone tore off it (literally, certain scenes were cocasses), true high-end at a price defying any competition, at such a point that the 9800 Pro gained the statute of " quickly; mythe" , and the best sale of graphics card ever seen since many years realized.

But nVidia was not left in difficulty very a long time. Thus, in April 2004, the two accomplices nearly simultaneously left their new generation top-of-the-range charts: ATI with its series of Radeon " X" (X800 first of all), a derivative of the 9800 Pro, themselves based on the 9700 Pro. nVidia, quite to the contrary, left a new architecture with its GeForce series 6 (the 6800 Ultra one is most powerful). Rough performances based on an old generation on behalf of Canadian against an architecture radically new and turned towards the future, to some extent. Nevertheless, the charts, once more, were equivalent in terms of performances (at equal price), and the two competitors carried out comparable scores of sale, declining grinds of them versions different their two new families from graphics processors (X800XT, Pro, XL, WP, X850XT EP, X700XT and Pro, X600XT and Pro, X300, SE, etc and 6800 Ultra, WP, IT, 6600 WP, 6600,6200,6200 TC… the products do not miss!).

nVidia left in June 2005 its new top-of-the-range ultra graphics processor: GeForce 7800 GTX, taking again the architecture of the 6800 (with the manner of ATI with the 9700 Pro and consorts). ATI preferred to defer in October 2005 the exit of its new chart, X1800, completely different from the preceding ones (to include/understand: new architecture, therefore possible risks). The best current chart coming from ATI names the X1950XTX which in CrossFire manages to compete vis-a-vis the nVidia Geforce 7950GX2 in Quad-SLI. ATI and its competitor nVidia claim both to provide " la" the most powerful chart of the market.

In spite of a bad reputation, the drivers ATI largely improved with the arrival of Radeon 9700 Pro, in particular under Microsoft Windows. Under Linux, the situation is less pink and the drivers are always somewhat lagging behind compared to those of nVidia although notable improvements arrive. With the arrival of pilots 8.42, the performances under Linux are comparable with those obtained under Microsoft Windows. Moreover these pilots allow to use AIGLX in order to obtain effects 3D.

ATI now extended its activities to the graphics processors for wandering digital televisions, cellphones and other solutions. It equips the successor with the GameCube , the Wii, of a graphics processor called " Hollywood". The Xbox 360, is equipped with a derived version from R520.

Repurchase by AMD

July 25th, 2006, AMD repurchases ATI for 5,4 billion dollars. AMD specified that the names of mark ATI and Radeon would remain. In July 2007, one will be able to notice all the same the departure of Dave Orton, president of ATI (appointed vice-president of AMD since the repurchase). This one then announces to want to turn to new projects. It is a notable loss for ATI because Dave Orton was the man responsible for the repurchase of ArtX by ATI, true event release for the firm.

Adrian Hartog and by Rick Bergman are had a presentiment of for the station. -->

Chipset S graphs

This list includes the families of the most important charts of the mark.

EGA/VGA Wonder - (1987)
Mach8 - (1991)
Mach32 - (1992)
Mach64 - (1994)
AlWonder Series - (1996)
Rage3D - (1996)
Rage/Pro - (1996)
Rage/128 - (1998)
Rage Fury MAXX - (2000)
Radeon Series - (2000)

Radeon: 7000,7200,7500 - DirectX 7.0, comparable with the GeForce 2
Radeon 8500 core: 8500,9000,9100,9200,9250 - DirectX 8.1, comparable with GeForce 3 and GeForce 4
Radeon 9700 core: 9500,9550,9600,9700,9800 - DirectX 9.0, comparable with GeForce FX
Radeon X Series: X300, X550, X600, X700, X800, X850 - DirectX 9.0, comparable with GeForce 6 Series
Radeon X1000: X1050, X1300, X1550, X1600, X1650, X1800, X1900, X1950 - DirectX 9.0c, comparable with GeForce 7 Series
Radeon HD2000: HD 2900, HD 2600, HD 2400 - DirectX 10, comparable with GeForce 8 Series
Radeon HD3000: HD 3850, HD 3870 (exit envisaged on November 15th, 2007) - DirectX 10.1 and engraving in 55 [[Nm]], NCV-Express train 2.0 and direct competitor GeForce 8800 WP

Mobility Radeon Series - a series of Radeon optimized for the use in laptops. The chipsets M10 and M11 brought to the world portables performances close to a personal computer of office. ATI has also X-series for portables with an interface NCV-Express train.
FireGL - (2001) - following the acquisition of FireGL Graphics.
Imageon - (2002) - conceived to bring the 3D to the ultra-portable field: cellphones, assistants of pocket… The current product is Imageon 2300 which includes in its possibilities: an engine 3D, decoder MPEG4, encoding and decoding JPEG and a circuit for a camera of 2 mega-pixel provided with 2 Me of ultra low-power SDRAM .
CrossFire - response of ATI to SLI of NVidia.
Flipper : the graphics processor of the console GameCube of Nintendo. It is given rhythm to 162 MHz.
Hollywood : graphics processor equipping the news Nintendo Wii. Evolution of Flipper, given rhythm with 243 MHz and integrating a sound processor.
Xenos : graphics processor equipping the Xbox 360. It is a derivative of R520, it is given rhythm to 520 MHz. Its performances are currently impossible to judge because the console is not comparable with the conventional data-processing circuit of a personal computer.

Chipsets of mother chart

Northern Chipsets (integrated graphic Acceleration)

CrossFire™ Xpress Series 3200,1600
Radeon Xpress Series 200,1100

Southern Chipsets

Series SB400, SB600, SB700…

See too

Article: 2D - 3D - CrossFire
Suppliers: NVidia - 3dfx - Matrox
Electronics component: Graphics card - Chipset - Computing memory
RadeonHD: Pilot 3D free of charts ATI for Linux

Bonds

ati.amd.com/fr - Official site ati.amd

Random links: