Difference between revisions of "FLIP CHIP"

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'''FLIP CHIP''' was [[DEC]]'s trade name for a lengthy series of small cards used to build computers, and devices for them. (It should not be confused with the generic technology term [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_chip 'flip chip']; the DEC version, properly spelled with all capital letters, as in the trademark filing, got its name from the fact that some early FLIP CHIPs used flip chips.)
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{{DEC-HW-stub}}
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[[Image:B Series Flip Chip.jpg|thumb|300px|A B series Flip-Chip]]
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'''Flip-Chip''' was a [[DEC]] registered trademark, named after the "flipchip" component mounting technique which quite rapidly faded from fame. The name was retained although the majority of Flip-Chips never really were flipchip-mounted as it became apparent that the flipchip mounting technique was highly unreliable.  Flip-chips were used in the DEC [[PDP-7]] (Referred to in documentation as the "FLIP CHIP"), [[PDP-8]], [[PDP-9]] and [[PDP-10]], beginning on August 24, 1964.
  
They were introduced as a cost-reduction measure; a FLIP CHIP plugged directly into a 144-pin connector block with wire-wrap pins on the back side; automatic Gardner-Denver [[wire-wrapping]] equipment could wire the connector blocks to produce larger functional modules.
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In practice, they performed generic, simple functions, similar to an integrated circuit.  They were approximately 4 inches long and 2.5 inches wide.  Each had 36 connectors, 18 on each side.
  
Early FLIP CHIP modules were [[DEC card form factor|single-height]], normal-length modules with contact fingers on one side of the [[PCB]] only (the so-called 'solder' side); the contact pads were 'numbered' from the [[DEC Alphabet]].
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== Naming ==
  
The earliest FLIP CHIPs, introduced in 1964, used discrete transistors. FLIP CHIPs incorporating [[IC]] technology soon followed, and the limited number of contact pins eventually became a problem, so that eventually contact fingers were added on the other ('component') side as well.
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There appeared to be some confusion inside DEC at the time, as various manuals refer to it as "FLIP CHIP", "Flip Chip", "FLIP-CHIP", "Flip-Chip" and "Flip Chip", with trademark and registered trademark symbols.
  
The following FLIP CHIP families ('series', in DEC terminology) were
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==Flip-Chip families==
introduced over the years:
 
  
* R-Series (red handles); intended to be easy to use, and used diode gates and diode-capacitor-diode circuits
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[[Image:FlipChips.jpeg|thumb|250px|Flip-chips in different forms and a rainbow of colours, in a [[PDP-8]].]]
* S-Series (also red handles); first developed for the original [[PDP-8]]; same basic technology as the R-Series, with component variations for greater speed
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The various families were colour-coded, and the first letter denoted a colour, which was also visible on the handle.
* B-Series (blue handles); first used on the [[PDP-7]], and later in the famous KA10 [[PDP-10]] CPU, they used silicon transistors
 
* A-Series (amber handles); analog cards
 
* G-Series (green handles); specialized modules that are part of a specific larger system
 
* W-Series (white handles); input/output to external circuitry
 
* K-Series (blacK handles); industrial control applications
 
* M-Series (magenta handles); carried the then-new [[TTL]] chips, first used in the [[PDP-8/I]]
 
  
DEC continued to use the name up into the period when [[DEC card form factor|extended-length quad-height]] cards started to appear, e.g. in the [[KA11 CPU]]. However, although these special-purpose cards are labelled 'FLIP CHIP's, they are generally not considered to be 'true' FLIP CHIPS; the name is generally only used to refer to the smaller, general-purpose cards.
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===A series===
  
==External links==
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''See the list of [[List of DEC part numbers#A series|DEC parts]].''
  
* [http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gbell/Computer_Engineering/00000134.htm In the Beginning] and linked subsequent pages
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The A stands for Amber. The A series were used for analog functions - ADCs, DACs, amplifiers etc.
* [http://www.soemtron.org/pdp7flipchips.html Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-7]
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* [http://so-much-stuff.com/pdp8/flipchip/flipchip.php FlipChip Modules]
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===B series===
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The B stands for Blue. The B series were used as core logic in the higher-end CPUs.
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===G series===
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The G stands for Green. The G series were used for "anything with non-standard voltages", I think.
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===M series===
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''See the list of [[List of DEC part numbers#M series|DEC parts]].
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The M stands for magenta. Part of this line is simple TTL-level logic, while later on, it became quite complex, see [[list of DEC part numbers]]. They replaced the R series which used discrete transistors with integrated circuits.
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* Power supply: 5 V
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* Operate at up to 6 MHz
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===R series===
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The R stands for Red. Slower logic than the B series, but cheaper. Used extensively in the I/O circuitry of computers.
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* Slower logic than B series, cheaper
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* Used in a variety of systems, e.g. [[PDP-8]]
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* Power supply 10 and -15 volts
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* Operational to 2 megahertz
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* Signal level 0 volts, logic 0 and -3 volts, logic 1
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* Typical price $20 to $30
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=== S series ===
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The S series is identical to the R seriese except that its transistors switch faster and lower resistance resistors, allowing more cards to be wired in series and operate somewhat faster.
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===W series===
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The W stands for White. These are components that plug into Flip-Chip sockets, but have no logic of their own.

Revision as of 19:39, 29 July 2017