SCIENCE

SAN JOSE, CA -- Schlumberger Semiconductor Solutions, a business unit of Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB), today announced that AMD (NYSE:AMD) has purchased the ITS9000ZX system, a high performance system that will be used to test the HyperTransport(TM) I/O Link data bus technology. This advanced test system, the newest in the Schlumberger ITS9000 series, is expected to help speed development of AMD's next generation "Hammer" family of processors that employ HyperTransport technology. The new Schlumberger ITS9000ZX system targets companies that are developing HyperTransport technology-enabled products. The ITS9000ZX offers a 1.6Gbps data rate, true differential pin electronics, an integrated source synchronous timing solution, and configuration flexibility. More than 180 companies throughout the computer and communications industries are currently working with the HyperTransport technology. On Tuesday, several industry leaders announced the formation of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium, which will manage specifications and drive the development of HyperTransport Technology. "It is important for all consortium members to have chip verification of HyperTransport technology-enabled devices," said Gabriele Sartori, president of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium. "The Schlumberger ITS9000ZX system is one of the newest tools designed and developed to test HyperTransport technology." "Schlumberger has extensive experience in high performance digital test and, like AMD, a long record in driving technology at the leading edge," said Roger Pineiro, director of Product and Test Engineering at AMD. "HyperTransport technology poses one of the industry's most significant test challenges," stated Doug Cutsforth, vice president and general manager, Test Systems, Schlumberger Semiconductor Solutions. "The ITS9000ZX is the fifth generation of the industry's highest performance testers. Its rich set of innovative features provides unmatched flexibility in a system capable of testing this advanced technology." The ITS9000ZX test system is reportedly the most comprehensive and flexible test solution for next generation digital bus interfaces, including HyperTransport, InfiniBand(TM), RapidIO(TM), DDR and high-speed datacom. It is the only system in the industry to provide an integrated source synchronous timing solution combined with high performance differential pin electronics, 1.6Gbps speed and the high accuracy demanded by these interfaces. In addition, the ITS9000ZX test system offers “unmatched” timing and configuration flexibility to meet the user's varying needs. It is the only system that provides the time set and period switching on-the-fly capability required to characterize device-operating speed over a range of voltage, current and temperature conditions. The integrated source synchronous timing solution, available only on the ITS9000ZX, eliminates the need for complex loadboard circuitry. This greatly simplifies the device interface since all necessary hardware and software is already built into the system. The ITS9000ZX provides the user-selectable option to run with or without source synchronous timing and reduces test times by performing all tasks in a single pass test. About HyperTransport(TM) technology HyperTransport interconnect technology is a new high-speed, high-performance, point-to-point link for integrated circuits, developed to enable the chips inside of high-performance compute devices, networking and communications devices to communicate with each other faster than with existing technologies. HyperTransport technology's bandwidth of 12.8GB/sec represents up to a 48-fold increase in data throughput, compared with existing system interconnects that typically provide bandwidth up to 266MB/sec. HyperTransport is designed to complement externally visible bus standards like the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), as well as emerging technologies like InfiniBand and 10Gb Ethernet. For further information visit www.slb.com/semiconductors