TheAMD–Chinese joint ventureis theagreementbetween the American semiconductor companyAdvanced Micro Devices(AMD) and China-based partners to license and buildx86-compatibleCPUsfor the Chinese-based market.[1][2]China has been unable to produce a CPU based on its own technology;[3][4]This is significant because the joint venture was negotiated and agreed to well before the 2018trade war between the US and China[1]and the international chip shortage of the early 2020s. Unlike Taiwan, China does not have an established or lucrative microchip industry or even capabilities for that matter. It is similar to theZhaoxinjoint venture supported byVIA Technologies.[5]Unlike other industries in which China naturally excels, the microchip industry requires significant research and development.[6]
Structure
editAMD has received permission from the US Department of Defense and Department of Commerce to export theZen 1 core designto China.[7]Due to legal restrictions AMD has set up multiple companies to allow licensing ofx86technology to China. The overarching joint venture is theTianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co. Ltd.(THATIC).[1]THATIC is owned by "AMD and both public and private Chinese companies, including theChinese Academy of Sciences":[1]however its major share is reportedly owned by AMD itself.[7]
The joint-venture set up Haiguang Microelectronics Co. Ltd. (HMC) and Chengdu Haiguang Integrated Circuit Design Co. Ltd. (Hygon), with controlling stakes being held by AMD and THATIC respectively.[1][7]HMC owns the local intellectual property and subcontracts manufacturing for the chip, while Hygon designs the chip and markets and sells the processors.[1]
History
editThe joint venture was announced by AMD in 2016.[1]The first processor was released in 2018.[1]At theComputex2019 trade show, AMD CEOLisa Suconfirmed that the licence will be limited to the original Zen architecture, and would not be extended to Zen 2.[8]
On June 24, 2019, the U.S. government placed one of the parent companies, and thus the joint venture, on its export controlEntity List,[9][10]which bans further technology transfers from AMD and possibly[citation needed]hampers its existing operations. The opinion of Anandtech is that further AMD involvement in the joint venture will be minimal due to the ban.[7]
Microprocessors
editHygon SOC
editThe initial microprocessor created in 2018 is theHygon Dhyanasystem on a chip.[1][2]It is noted to be a variant of the AMDEpycand is so similar that "there is little to no differentiation between the chips."[1]It has been noted that there is "less than 200 lines of new kernel code" forLinuxkernel support, and that the Dhyana is "mostly a re-branded Zen CPU for the Chinese server market."[2]
Testing in 2020 suggested that "integer performance is essentially identical, however the floating point andRDRANDandRDSEEDinstructions' performance has been reduced "from the equivalent Zen 1 processor.[7]The cryptography extensions likeAEShave been replaced by Chinese versions called SM2,SM3andSM4which are according to Anandtech are very similar toECC(-based),SHA-256andAES-128algorithms respectively.[7]AVX/AVX2was also disabled, but the research has suspected that it happened due to a bug rather than was done intentionally.[7]
See also
edit- Hygon Information Technology
- Zhaoxin– a similar joint venture to produce x86 processors betweenVIA Technologiesand Chinese partners
- Epyc– the AMD processors that the Hygon Dhyana is based on
References
edit- ^abcdefghijAlcorn, Paul (July 6, 2018)."China Finds Zen: Begins Production Of x86 Processors Based On AMD's IP".Tom's Hardware.RetrievedJuly 9,2018.
- ^abcLarabel, Michael (June 9, 2018)."Hygon Dhyana: Chinese x86 Server CPUs Based On AMD Zen".Phoronix.RetrievedJuly 9,2018.
- ^Clark, Don (April 21, 2016)."AMD to License Chip Technology to China Chip Venture".The Wall Street Journal.RetrievedApril 24,2018.
The VIA/Shanghai Zhaoxin KX-5000 series of x86-compatible CPUs will never be sold outside of China to avoid an Intel lawsuit. ","...will use the technology to develop chips for server systems to be sold only in China
- ^Wu, Yimian (May 23, 2018)."China Supports Local Semiconductor Firms By Adding Them To Government Procurement List".China Money Network.RetrievedMay 31,2018.
- ^Gallagher, Sean (July 9, 2018)."China producing x86 chips nearly identical to AMD server processors".Ars Technica.RetrievedJuly 11,2018.
- ^Ravi, Sarah (2022-09-16)."American Semiconductor Research: Leadership Through Innovation".Semiconductor Industry Association.Retrieved2023-01-13.
- ^abcdefgCutress, Ian; Wilson, Wendell (February 27, 2020)."Testing a Chinese x86 CPU: A Deep Dive into Zen-based Hygon Dhyana Processors".AnandTech.RetrievedSeptember 29,2020.
- ^Alcorn, Paul (June 4, 2019)."AMD Not Conducting Further Technology Transfers of x86 IP to China JV".Tom's Hardware.Retrieved4 June2019.
- ^Alcorn, Paul (June 21, 2019)."U.S. Will Add AMD's China Joint Venture to Entity List, Cut Access to U.S. Technology (Updated)".Tom's Hardware.RetrievedOctober 20,2019.
- ^84FR29371