Apple Computer Custom IC Definitions

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A

  • Antelope. The Antelope IC is a custom IC containing the video CLUT (color look-up table) and DAC. The Antelope IC is pin and software compatible with the AC/DC custom IC used in the Macintosh Quadra 700 and 950, but does not support 24 bits per pixel or Apple convolution.
  • Ariel II. The Ariel II video chip provides a color lookup table (CLUT) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for driving an AudioVision monitor.
  • AWACS. The audio waveform amplifier and converter (AWACS) is a custom IC that combines a waveform amplifier with a 16-bit digital sound encoder and decoder (codec).

B

  • Bandit. The Bandit IC provides buffering and address translation between the processor bus and the PCI bus. The Bandit IC supports burst transfers, in both directions, of up to 32 bytes in length—the size of a cache block.
  • BART. The BART NuBus controller chip provides the data gateway between NuBus and the CPU bus. It acts as a CPU bus master, transferring one-cycle or four-cycle transactions.

C

  • Capella. The Capella custom IC provides the bus translation logic that bridges the 603e processor and the 68040-based custom ICs. It translates the 64-bit data from the 603e data bus into 32-bit data required by the 68040 bus and provides the necessary signals to maintain 68040 protocol.
  • Chaos, a custom IC that provides data bus buffering between the video subsystem and the processor bus
  • CIVIC. The Cyclone Integrated Video Interfaces Controller (CIVIC), used in the AV card, is a CMOS chip in a 144-pin package.
  • CLUT/DAC (color look-up table and digital-to-analog converter) IC developed by Apple and used in the Macintosh Display Card4•8, 8•24, and 8•24GC
  • Control, a custom IC that provides addressing and control for the video subsystem
  • Cuda. The Cuda IC is a custom version of the Motorola MC68HC05 microcontroller. It includes ADB, the programming interface for the DFAC II IC, real-time clock.
  • CudaLite. The CudaLite IC is a custom version of the Motorola MC68HC05 microcontroller. It provides several system functions, including ADB and PS2.
  • Curio. The Curio is a multipurpose I/O chip that contains a Media Access Controller for Ethernet (MACE), a SCSI controller, and a Serial Communications Controller (SCC).

D

  • DAFB (Direct Access Frame Buffer), an IC that connects directly to the system bus and controls the video RAM (frame buffer)
  • DFAC (Digitally Filtered Audio Chip), the sound input and filter IC first used in the Macintosh LC
  • DFAC II. The DFAC II custom IC contains the sound input processing devices. The DFAC II IC does not include the sound control logic and the input and output buffers; those are part of the PrimeTime IC.

E

  • EAGLE. The EAGLE gate array is a new custom chip that implements many functions that were provided by individual chips in earlier Macintosh computers. These functions include timing, video generation, memory mapping, sound, clock generation, and miscellaneous GLU (general logic unit) functions.
  • Enhanced ASC (Apple Sound Chip), a custom IC that replaces the Apple Sound Chip

F

  • F108. The F108 IC performs the system memory control functions. It also includes circuitry equivalent to the SCC and SCSI controller ICs.

G

  • Grackle. The Grackle IC functions as the bridge between the PowerPC microprocessor bus and the I/O and graphics devices on the PCI bus. It provides buffering and address translation from one bus to the other.
  • Grand Central. The Grand Central custom IC provides an interface between the standard Macintosh I/O devices and the PCI bus. A DMA controller in the Grand Central IC supports DMA I/O transfers through that IC’s internal I/O devices and through the Curio IC.

H

  • Hammerhead. A custom IC called Hammerhead controls the memory subsystem. The components of the Hammerhead IC are the system bus controller, the DRAM controller, the ROM controller, the second-level (L2) cache controller.

I

  • IOSB. The IOSB includes I/O data bus buffers, a SWIM2 floppy disk controller, VIA1 and VIA2. The IOSB IC provides the data bus services of the MC68030 that the MC68040 does not provide.

J

  • JDB (Junction Data Bus), one of two ICs making up the I/O Adapter, connecting the data signals from the system bus and the I/O bus

K

  • Kiwi. The Kiwi IC is a very large-scale IC that incorporates the functions of the YANCC IC used in the Macintosh Quadra 700 and 950 computers along with the bus transceivers and several driver ICs. The Kiwi IC provides an interface to the MC68040 on one side and a NuBus interface on the other side.

M

  • MCU (Memory Control Unit), a custom IC that connects to the system bus and controls regular and burst-mode data transfers to and from the main RAM and ROM
  • MEMC. The MEMC provides the control and timing signals for the ROM, RAM, and VRAM. It also includes the logic that controls the system bus arbitrations and the frame buffer controller that provides the video timing and control signals.
  • MEMCjr. The MEMCjr IC combines functions performed by several ICs in previous Macintosh designs. Control and timing signals for the ROM, RAM, and VRAM, a frame buffer controller for the video display.
  • MESH. The MESH IC is a custom IC that controls the SCSI bus to the internal SCSI devices. Because this bus does not have to drive a long external bus, it can operate at higher transfer rates than the external SCSI bus.
  • Mickey. The Mickey is a composite video encoder in a 28-pin advanced bipolar CMOS chip. It is used in the AV card.

O

  • O’Hare. The O’Hare IC is based on the Grand Central IC present in the Power Macintosh 7500 computer. It is an I/O controller and DMA engine for Power Macintosh computers using the PCI bus architecture

P

  • PrimeTime. The PrimeTime IC combines functions performed by several ICs in previous Macintosh designs. Data bus buffers for the internal I/O bus, SWIM II, interface adapters VIA1 and VIA2.
  • PrimeTime II. The PrimeTime II IC supports the I/O bus. It combines functions performed by several ICs in previous Macintosh designs.
  • PrimeTime III. The PrimeTime III IC supports the I/O bus and functions as the bridge between the 68040 bus and the I/O bus. It combines functions performed by several ICs in previous Macintosh designs (VIA1, VIA2, SWIM II).
  • PSX. The PSX IC functions as the bridge between the PowerPC 603e microprocessor and the PCI bus. It provides buffering and address translation from one bus to the other.
  • PSX+. The PSX+ IC functions as the bridge between the PowerPC 603e microprocessor and the PCI bus. It provides buffering and address translation from one bus to the other. The PSX+ IC also provides the control and timing signals for system cache, ROM, and RAM.

R

  • RaDACal, a high-performance digital-to-analog converter (DAC) used for the video stream to the monitor
  • Relayer, one of two ICs making up the I/O Adapter, controlling the bus buffers and providing bus arbitration logic

S

  • Sebastian. The Sebastian chip is a video color palette and video digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in a 100-pin CMOS configuration, used in the AV card.
  • Sixty6, an RGB-to-YUV converter and convolver for the second video output stream (on the Power Macintosh 8500 computer only)
  • Sonora is a new custom chip that integrates the functions of the V8 and SWIM chips used in the Macintosh LC II. These functions include timing, memory mapping, video and sound control, miscellaneous GLU (General Logic Unit) functions, and floppy disk control.
  • Spice. A custom IC called Spice combines several functions performed by individual ICs in older machines: memory mapping, VIA1/VIA2 registers, SWIM2.
  • Sporty, a custom IC that provides sound output amplification functions
  • Squidlet is a 28-pin chip that provides a set of synchronized system clocks for Power Macintosh computers.
  • SWIM (Super Woz Integrated Machine), the IC that supports the SuperDrive high-density floppy disk drive

V

  • Valkyrie. The Valkyrie IC is a custom IC containing the logic for the video display. It includes the following functions: display memory controller, video CLUT (color lookup table), video DAC (digital-to-analog converter).
  • Valkyrie-AR. The Valkyrie-AR IC is a custom IC containing the logic for the video display.

Y

  • YANCC (Yet Another NuBus Controller Chip), a custom IC that controls the NuBus interface


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