Pragmatic Semiconductor made a flexible version of the 6502 processor (2021)(pragmaticsemi.com)
pragmaticsemi.com
Pragmatic Semiconductor made a flexible version of the 6502 processor (2021)
https://www.pragmaticsemi.com/newsroom/press-releases/pragmatic-semiconductor-re-invents-the-iconic-processor-that-changed-the-world
8 comments
I can’t seem to find cost information for any of Pragmatic Semi’s parts, even their high volume RFID tags which are supposedly shipping.
The 6502 seems to be a technology demonstrator that has no commercial application, as there’s no corresponding low cost power supply for their parts. Because polymer semiconductors are only about 1% efficient, it takes way more power than an energy harvester could supply.
The 6502 seems to be a technology demonstrator that has no commercial application, as there’s no corresponding low cost power supply for their parts. Because polymer semiconductors are only about 1% efficient, it takes way more power than an energy harvester could supply.
There's also a flexible version of 32-bit ARM.[1]
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/23/22590001/arm-plasticarm-c...
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/23/22590001/arm-plasticarm-c...
16 years before that, I remember this: https://www.infoworld.com/article/2670067/seiko-epson-detail...
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Is it OK to flag posts of sites with ridiculous cookie consent UI?
They claim [1] to be able to make chips from a new design in only ~4 weeks compared to the usual 3-6 months required by anyone else, which is huge for R&D. They manage this by using an unusual relatively low-performance process (which is also what allows them to use plastic substrates), but it's arguably a worthwhile tradeoff (in return for slower larger transistors, you get significantly lower equipment cost and lead times). That the chips are flexible is almost an afterthought, I think, albeit a nifty one.
They've also announced efforts [2] toward open-sourcing their PDK, joining the growing movement toward open source chip design.
[1] https://www.pragmaticsemi.com/foundry [2] https://www.pragmaticsemi.com/newsroom/blogs/democratising-i...