PDA

View Full Version : What's the small graphic cast into CPU dies?

Über~PhLuBB
10-29-01, 10:20 PM
There is a small graphic on the lower right corner of this Athlon XP. I've seen this on several CPUs before, one of which is my old Celeron 300A.

What is this thing? Is it some sort of computer recognition code, a sort of 2 dimentional bar code? (A Barcode which is read side to side as well as up and down, as opposed to a single dimension barcode seen on retail merchandise labels, which can only be read side to side)

I saw a show on the Discovery Channel some years ago which depicted microprocessor "blueprints". It was a complete electrical diagram of a CPU core projected onto a wall, magnified many hundreds of times. Mentioned was a specific graphic (Which was zoomed in on to show clear detail) that was actually cast into the circuit when it was printed onto a silicon wafer, it was a microscopic picture of Donald Duck. One of the designers had some extra microns of space in the layout, and decided to put in a "signature" in the form of a graphic.

Is that similar to what this thing is on Athlon XPs and Celerons?
azhari
10-29-01, 10:35 PM
Looks like Bugs Bunny to me :D
Element-Xero
10-30-01, 04:05 PM
hey azhari that avatar is a little disquieting for the times we are in.....:eek:
azhari
10-31-01, 02:10 PM
Originally posted by Element-Xero
hey azhari that avatar is a little disquieting for the times we are in.....:eek:
Trust me, I've earned it ;)
killem1x1
10-31-01, 02:17 PM
Very interesting Phlubb, now you've got me wanting to rip all of my systems apart ;) I'll keep checking back on this thread to see if any1 knows!
Erick
10-31-01, 02:44 PM
I have no idea what it is but my slotA athlon has one right top part looks idectical excpet the dots are all in differents spot. I thnk you were right with it being some kind of 2d barcode.
Über~PhLuBB
10-31-01, 03:31 PM
Originally posted by Erick
I have no idea what it is but my slotA athlon has one right top part looks idectical excpet the dots are all in differents spot. I thnk you were right with it being some kind of 2d barcode.

Yup, my Athlon Classic has one too, again, dots in a different position.

The one on my Celeron appears smaller because the Celeron's die is about 3 times bigger, but I'm guessing it's the same size.

I'll take a wager and guess that the information contained in this code is the stepping information, stock multiplier, voltage settings, and any other pertinent data required to identify the chip.
Erick
11-01-01, 09:42 PM
Hey I just looked and my old p2-233 has on on the case and the actual core too. This weird any one else know anything about this.
keio
11-05-01, 01:13 AM
My Athlon 900 has the same logo on it.
-=HN=- Wild9
11-05-01, 09:18 AM
there is one on my 1.4tbird
nothing on my cyrix chip i have sitting there,
Ottoman
11-05-01, 04:13 PM
hmm,

my classic slot A has one,

but my AMD K5 PR75 cpu doesn't
nor does my AMD AM386 DX/DXL-33

but they have a different sort of "symbol" on the bottom corner...

looks like a 4 leaf clover on the 386, and a wierd sort of box, with a triangle in it, on the k-5
Über~PhLuBB
11-05-01, 04:17 PM
So they're everywhere, but nobody knows WHAT the hell they are!
Ottoman
11-05-01, 08:32 PM
it's a huge alien/govt joint conspiracy....
Vega
11-06-01, 01:04 PM
My 1.4 tbird has got it too

wierd, never noticed it b4

that wasn't really much help now, was it???
KLowD9x
11-06-01, 06:38 PM
Theres one right in the middle of the heat spreader on my celery
SPEED_KING
11-06-01, 06:45 PM
It's a picture of GOTENKS!
amok
11-06-01, 06:52 PM
i think i'll check with amd and see if i can find out what's goin on here
amok
11-06-01, 06:52 PM
i think i'll check with amd and see if i can find out what's goin on here cuz i got one on mine too
kobinger
11-06-01, 10:30 PM
Originally posted by azhari

Trust me, I've earned it ;)

azhari,

And how did you "Earn It"? If I may ask, I think now that Element-Xero brought it up we all want to know...

Kobi

Here on Planet Earth to Live, Not to get Nuked!!!!
Christoph
11-06-01, 11:17 PM
Speaking of artwork, has anyone got a link to some of those pictures in the chips? It makes me wonder what's inside my CPU.
Über~PhLuBB
11-07-01, 01:11 AM
Originally posted by IdeaMagnate
Speaking of artwork, has anyone got a link to some of those pictures in the chips? It makes me wonder what's inside my CPU.

I've been looking on and off since I first posted this thread, and I can't find anything.

Just picture any Donald Duck profile cast in solder. That's essentially what it was, only on a microscopic scale.

I'll keep looking though, but I havn't a clue what other key words to use.
NuclearFusi0n
11-07-01, 11:13 AM
my avatar 0wnz j00! ;) :D
Christoph
11-07-01, 11:14 AM
Originally posted by PhLuBB


I've been looking on and off since I first posted this thread, and I can't find anything.

Just picture any Donald Duck profile cast in solder. That's essentially what it was, only on a microscopic scale.

I'll keep looking though, but I havn't a clue what other key words to use.
Try "Mickey Mouse" and "Intel."
NuclearFusi0n
11-07-01, 11:20 AM
Found it!


http://microscopy.fsu.edu/creatures/images/daffy.jpg


http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/images/waldo.jpg

:D

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/
NuclearFusi0n
11-07-01, 11:22 AM
http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/~haasweek/99spring/990301/haashappens/dilbert.html
Christoph
11-07-01, 04:18 PM
Nice!
Vega
11-07-01, 05:07 PM
well them pics explain everything....................lol
Über~PhLuBB
11-07-01, 07:39 PM
Ain't that a trip? It made my head spin thinking about the sizes involved when I saw the show on TV.

There is a Donald Duck somewhere. On the second site you linked to, Nuclear, it lists Donald as one of the characters put in some CPUs or phones.

Excellent job tracking those down, Nuclear. I didn't have the patience to keep up the search.

There's still the matter of what the hell those external imprints are on CPU dies.