The M6100 PICA is a system logic chipset designed by Acer Laboratories introduced in 1993. ''PICA'' stands for ''Performance-enhanced Input-output and CPU Architecture''. It was based on the

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

architecture developed by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

and supported the

MIPS Technologies MIPS Tech LLC, formerly MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. and MIPS Technologies, Inc., is an American Fabless semiconductor company, fabless semiconductor design company that is most widely known for developing the MIPS architecture and a series of Re ...

R4000 The R4000 is a microprocessor developed by MIPS Computer Systems that implements the MIPS III instruction set architecture (ISA). Officially announced on 1 October 1991, it was one of the first 64-bit microprocessors and the first MIPS III imp ...

R4400 The R4000 is a microprocessor developed by MIPS Technologies, MIPS Computer Systems that implements the MIPS III instruction set architecture (ISA). Officially announced on 1 October 1991, it was one of the first 64-bit microprocessors and the f ...

microprocessors. The chipset was designed for computers that run

Windows NT Windows NT is a Proprietary software, proprietary Graphical user interface, graphical operating system produced by Microsoft as part of its Windows product line, the first version of which, Windows NT 3.1, was released on July 27, 1993. Original ...

, and therefore used ARC

firmware In computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, h ...

to boot Windows NT. The chipset consisted of six chips: a CPU and secondary cache controller, a buffer, a I/O cache and bus controller, a

memory controller A memory controller, also known as memory chip controller (MCC) or a memory controller unit (MCU), is a digital circuit that manages the flow of data going to and from a computer's main memory. When a memory controller is integrated into anothe ...

, and two data buffers. PICA was used by Acer in its Formula 4000 personal workstation, which NEC sold under the OEM name RISCstation Image.

References

* "Acer Launches Set For Building R4400 NT Machines". (29 March 1993). ''

Computergram International ''Computergram International'' was a daily, pre-Internet newsletter covering enterprise information technology, published in London by APT Data Services from 1984. It eventually merged into the electronic ''ComputerWire'' service, and is now owned ...

''. * PICA PICA MIPS architecture {{compu-hardware-stub

See also

References