Microsoft Recognizes Cirrus Logic for
Delivering First AGP Graphics Solution to Run on Memphis;
Laguna3D-AGP Demonstrated at Microsoft's Meltdown '97 Running on
Prototype AGP Hardware from Intel and Microsoft's Memphis Operating
System
Business Editors and High-Tech Writers
FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 1997--Cirrus Logic
Inc. (NASDAQ: CRUS) today announced its Laguna3D-AGP (CL-GD5465)
graphics accelerator is the industry's first hardware utilizing
Intel's Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) to run Memphis, Microsoft's
next-generation Windows operating system.
At its Meltdown '97 general session, Microsoft showcased
Laguna3D-AGP and AGP validation hardware from Intel running
host-based textures within the Memphis operating environment.
"In order for Memphis to deliver full AGP support, we challenged
Cirrus Logic and the other graphics suppliers to have working AGP
solutions by this time frame," said Ty Graham, IHV Evangelist at
Microsoft. "Cirrus Logic has certainly delivered, allowing us to
demonstrate the increased performance and functionality end users can
expect with the introduction of Memphis and AGP-based systems in the
second half of the year."
"Our participation with Intel and Microsoft at Meltdown
demonstrates Cirrus Logic's commitment to bringing advanced 3D
technologies to market," said Art Swift, vice president of product
marketing for Cirrus Logic's Graphics Company. "We wanted to provide
Laguna3D-AGP to Microsoft as soon as possible to help ensure that
Memphis will have full AGP support for its release later this year."
Laguna3D-AGP and TextureJet Architecture
Cirrus Logic was able to provide an AGP solution ahead of its
competitors, because the internal architecture of the Laguna3D family
is built around the AGP programming model. This model, a fundamental
element of AGP, enables the efficient use of system memory for
graphics data -- attaining higher performance while reducing system
cost.
The Laguna3D family is based on Cirrus Logic's TextureJet(TM)
architecture, a powerful texture-management scheme that addresses the
need to make 3D experiences more realistic through higher resolutions
and faster action. By implementing a hardware texture manager and a
sophisticated PCI/AGP bus mastering scheme, TextureJet architecture
enables the Laguna3D Family to display more complex textures with
fluid 30 (frames per second) motion.
While the bus master maximizes bus throughput, the hardware
texture manager significantly reduces overhead involved in moving
textures between system memory and the 3D graphics subsystem for both
PCI bus and AGP systems.
With this built-in hardware texture manager, the Laguna3D
architecture inherently supports Intel's AGP model. The Laguna3D
architecture also incorporates single-pass acceleration. In
addition, it is based on RDRAM frame buffer memory, which provides
scaleable bandwidth far outstripping that of synchronous graphics
memory.
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