Re: CELL sense tingling
You don't have to keep it secret. As there isn't a whole lot to say. And Toshiba has nothing on me
First off, each company is doing their own work with the processor, this means that IBM is doing the software and OS, Toshiba is trying ways to implement it in hardware and SCEI is coming up with ways of shoving it into PS3. This along with the engineers at Austin. Each company also has teams working on the chip for their own purposes too basically.
At Toshiba I was on a project which was along side of Toshibas own "Cell development center", this group was coming up with ways of and I quote "putting a super computer into a box the size of a DVD player"
Yes, noone knew what they were exactly working on, in the group I was in, as we never actually were told. Yes, the PS3 Cell project is incredibly secretive, and we were told to try and avoid contact with the other Toshiba engineers which were obviously working on the Silicon itself.
Re: CELL sense tingling
2nd part of PM, too long.
All we knew is that we were working on ways of implementing this "broadband microprocessor super computer" into devices, and thus we had to find out and think of ways in which we could handle the heat this thing would generate. Thermal issues.
Around 3 weeks later another job oppertunity came up at another company which featured more flexible hours and pay, I now help engineer small system LSI's such as something used in a calculator.
It never hit me what we were working on until after the fact. Maybe I should have kept the job?
Anyway. The Cell project is massive, and Sony and Toshiba ARE as we speak coming up with ways of putting the Silicon into the PS3. However, I do not know of the exact configuration of PS3 as I was not actually working on the silicon.
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 73
Re: CELL sense tingling
3rd part of PM
Alls I know is this coming from a conversation I eavsdroped on, the power SCE and Toshiba are planning to put into PS3 is on a order of magnitude higher than anything that the world has ever seen basically.
You are talking about some GIGANTIC chips that are going to be shoved inside this device, and Sony does plan to lose MAJOR cash per system sold. And I mean huge ammounts, it is of my personal belief that this is why PS2's are still so expensive. Sony is banking so they can lose cash on PS3 without breaking the bank.
Anyway.
Yes, the STI center which I understand to be where Toshiba, Sony, and IBM engineers worked (and still are?) on the Cell architecture. The software will be written by IBM of course as Sony or Toshiba isn't specialized in that particular field.
While you have the Austin work going on, there are also development groups within Toshiba, Sony and IBM working on the "chip" or architecture for their own uses. I was in the Toshiba group working on ways to put it into devices.