The Chip Letter

The Chip Letter Substack delves into the history and evolution of computing technology, focusing on microprocessors, integrated circuits, and the impact of companies and architectures like Nvidia, Intel, ARM, and RISC-V. It covers historical developments, current technological innovations, industry strategies, and the pivotal role of specific technologies in the computing landscape.

History of Computing Microprocessors and Integrated Circuits Computing Industry Strategies Technological Innovations Computer Architecture Corporate Histories in Computing

The hottest Substack posts of The Chip Letter

And their main takeaways

Huang's Law

6115 implied HN points • 18 Jun 25
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Computing Silicon Performance
  1. Huang's Law suggests that the performance of AI chips is improving much faster than what we used to call Moore's Law. It claims chips double their performance every year or so, which is a big leap forward.
  2. This new law emphasizes performance improvements related to AI, unlike Moore's Law, which was mostly about the number of transistors. It's all about how quickly these chips can process complex tasks.
  3. However, some experts think Huang's Law might not last as long as Moore's Law. While it's exciting now, it's still uncertain if this rapid improvement can continue in the future.

The End of Simplification: Intel Abandons X86S

2402 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Computing Semiconductors Software Engineering Innovation
  1. Intel has introduced APX, which includes several new features to improve its architecture. This means that Intel is aiming to enhance performance and efficiency.
  2. The company planned to simplify its architecture by removing some older features with X86S. However, they decided to abandon this simplification due to the importance of maintaining backward compatibility.
  3. Backwards compatibility is essential, as it allows older software to run on new systems. This decision shows Intel's commitment to supporting their users and legacy applications.

Learning Assembly for Fun and Profit

12886 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Programming Software Hardware Computing Education
  1. Learning assembly language can help you understand how computers work at a deeper level. It's beneficial for debugging code and grasping the basics of machine instructions.
  2. There are retro and modern assembly languages to choose from, each with its own pros and cons. Retro languages are fun but less practical today, while modern ones are more useful but often complicated.
  3. RISC-V is a promising choice for learning assembly language because it's growing in popularity and offers a clear path from simple concepts to more complex systems. It's also open-source, making it accessible for new learners.

The Engine

8299 implied HN points • 05 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Computing Literature History Innovation
  1. Jonathan Swift's 'Engine' in Gulliver's Travels resembles a modern language model, using a setup to create phrases like today's AI would. It's an early version of computing that predicts how machines can generate language.
  2. The 'Engine' is set up to show how books can be made easier to create. It suggests that anyone could write on complex topics, even without talent, a concept similar to how AI helps people produce text now.
  3. Swift's work critiques the idea of replacing human creativity with machines. It humorously shows that while technology can produce text, true creativity still involves deeper human thought.

The Nvidia Way

8736 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
💼 Business Tech Companies Entrepreneurship Corporate culture Innovation Leadership
  1. Nvidia became a leader in AI chip technology by focusing on developing powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) that meet market needs. This success was not just luck; it stemmed from smart investments and a clear strategy over many years.
  2. The company's culture, driven by CEO Jensen Huang, emphasizes risk-taking and execution. Nvidia's approach combines hardware and software innovation, allowing them to stay ahead of competitors and adapt quickly to market changes.
  3. While Nvidia has built a strong market position, questions remain about its future leadership and strategy. The book suggests that the company's core strengths and Huang's influence will be crucial in maintaining its success.
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Back to the Future with Gordon Moore

5897 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Semiconductors AI Innovation Computing Industry Trends
  1. Technology changes rapidly, but some issues, like how to effectively use computing power, seem to stay the same. This means we often find ourselves asking similar questions about the future of tech.
  2. Gordon Moore's insights from years ago still apply today, especially his thoughts on competition and applications for technology. He pointed out the need for practical uses of increased computing power.
  3. Concerns about technology making us 'stupid' remain relevant. However, it's more about using computers without losing understanding of basic principles than about being incapable of learning new skills.

Qualcomm RISCs, Arm Pulls: The Legal Battle for the Future of Client Computing

8736 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Computing Semiconductors Licensing Legal issues Market Trends
  1. Qualcomm and Arm are in a legal battle over chip design licenses, which could significantly impact the future of smartphone and laptop computing.
  2. Qualcomm recently acquired a company called Nuvia that designed high-performance chips, but Arm claims that this violated their licensing agreement.
  3. The outcome of this legal dispute could decide who dominates the chip market, affecting companies and consumers who rely on these technologies.

Qualcomm’s RISC Pays Off; Arm’s Dogs Don’t Bark

4149 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Legal issues Corporate strategy Market Competition
  1. Qualcomm won the legal battle against Arm, as the jury decided Qualcomm did not breach any licensing terms. This means Qualcomm can continue using technology from its acquisition of Nuvia without additional legal issues.
  2. Arm claimed Qualcomm's actions would hurt their licensing fees and market control, but the jury didn't agree with Arm on key points. This suggests Qualcomm's strategy was successful.
  3. The trial was complex, and the outcome was unexpected for many observers, indicating that there might be more legal and business implications in the tech industry as companies navigate these licensing agreements.

Innovation, Customers and Scale: A Positive Vision for Intel's (Foundry) Future

4586 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Innovation Manufacturing Business strategy Market Trends
  1. Intel might need to split its foundry and product divisions to succeed better. This way, each part can focus on its own goals and customers.
  2. For Intel to compete effectively, it has to be innovative and meet customer needs. Keeping an eye on emerging tech trends and demands is crucial.
  3. The success of Intel Foundry hinges on attracting big clients and delivering quality products on time. If they can impress customers, there's a chance for future growth.

Wafer Scale - Trilogy Systems: Part 2

4149 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Computing Startups Innovation Integration Capital
  1. Trilogy Systems, founded by Gene Amdahl in 1979, aimed to revolutionize the mainframe market with a new technology called Wafer Scale Integration, which promised to be faster and cheaper than existing solutions. However, the company struggled with technical challenges and internal issues.
  2. As delays mounted and financial troubles grew, Trilogy abandoned its mainframe plans and, ultimately, its Wafer Scale technology. Distractions like personal tragedies and a lack of cohesive vision contributed to the company's downfall.
  3. After losing credibility and facing mounting losses, Trilogy merged with Elxsi, but that too did not lead to success. Amdahl felt a deep personal responsibility for the failure, which haunted him even after the company's collapse.

Demystifying GPU Compute Software

6989 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Computing Programming Hardware Frameworks Development
  1. GPU software ecosystems are crucial and as important as the GPU hardware itself.
  2. Programming GPUs requires specific tools like CUDA, ROCm, OpenCL, SYCL, and oneAPI, as they are different from CPUs and need special support from hardware vendors.
  3. The effectiveness of GPU programming tools is highly dependent on support from hardware vendors due to the complexity and rapid changes in GPU architectures.

A Year In Chips

8736 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Programming Languages Hardware Microcontrollers
  1. The Chip Letter had 75 posts, over 500,000 views, and gained over 7,000 new subscribers in 2023.
  2. Highlighted posts included the story of Erlang at WhatsApp, the disappearance of minicomputers, and a celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Integrated Circuit.
  3. 2024 will bring posts on the history of microcontrollers, Moore's Law, the Motorola 6800, '8-bit', GPUs, TPUs, and more, with a 20% discount available for new annual subscriptions.

Introducing Chiplets

6770 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Semiconductors Innovation
  1. The newsletter is introducing 'Chiplets,' shorter and more varied posts for the readers.
  2. Readers have the option to opt-in to receive 'Chiplets' in their inbox to avoid filling it with too many emails.
  3. The 'Chiplets' will cover a mix of historical and current topics in a more informal and fun way, offering a new format for readers.

Eight More 8-Bit Era Microprocessors

4368 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Design History Innovation
  1. Designs that were not commercially successful can still be interesting and hold value for learning.
  2. Intel's 8085 microprocessor, while not a bad design, was overshadowed by Zilog's Z80 due to lack of major improvements.
  3. Signetics 2650 microprocessor faced limitations such as delayed time to market and segmented memory, showing the importance of timely releases and memory efficiency.

100 Years of 'IBM'

1965 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Computing Companies History
  1. IBM has had a significant impact on the development of computer systems over 100 years.
  2. IBM's influence extends to technologies like mainframes, personal computers, and databases.
  3. The history of IBM shows both positive contributions to technology and darker aspects like the association with controversial events.

Nvidia and the Longevity of Technology Moats

2839 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Tech
  1. Nvidia is a major player in AI technology with a market cap over one trillion dollars.
  2. The longevity of technology moats like Intel's x86 and IBM's System/360 can provide insights into maintaining dominance in the industry.
  3. Comparing Nvidia's position with these examples can help understand the sustainability of its competitive advantage in the long term.

Sustaining Nvidia's Long Game

2402 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Innovation AI Hardware GPU Computing
  1. Nvidia's success is attributed to strategic management and positioning.
  2. There is a narrative suggesting Nvidia's success is partly due to luck in benefiting from the AI boom.
  3. Jensen Huang is credited for creating his own luck, but there is still debate over the fairness of this perception.

The Arm Story Part 3 : Creating A Global Standard

3494 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Innovation Semiconductors Global Market Business strategy
  1. Arm's success was built on strategic partnerships and a unique licensing business model.
  2. The development of Thumb instruction set allowed Arm to address code size and attract key customers like Nokia and TI.
  3. Arm's growth and financial stability were further solidified by partnerships with companies like Samsung and the creation of the StrongARM line.

Chip Letter Links No. 16 : Gordon Moore's Notebooks, Nvidia on Acquired, Assembly Language, Jeff Hinton, RISC-V on Jupyter

2839 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Tech news Computer History Programming Podcasts Artificial Intelligence
  1. Gordon Moore's notebooks from Fairchild provide a unique insight into his work and research in the early days of computing.
  2. Assembly language, especially 8-bit, was more popular and necessary in the past compared to modern 64-bit architectures.
  3. Nvidia's survival and success were closely tied to their alignment with Moore's Law in the GPU industry.

Arm at Amazon

2184 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing
  1. Arm has found a place in the biggest cloud at Amazon.
  2. The importance of power efficiency in datacenters favors Arm designs due to lower power consumption.
  3. Arm has faced challenges in entering the server market, with various attempts by partners falling short over the past decade.

Morris Chang, TSMC and Japan

1092 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Semiconductors Manufacturing Japan
  1. The opening of TSMC's new fab in Kumamoto, Japan is a significant update in the semiconductor industry.
  2. There was a captivating report shared by Kevin Xu's 'Interconnected' Substack about this development.
  3. The expansion of TSMC's operations into Japan underlines the company's global growth strategy.

The Arm Story Part 2 : Archimedes to Advanced RISC Machines

2839 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🕹 Technology History Computers Innovation Startups Mobile
  1. Acorn built a fast microcomputer called ARM but struggled to sell it, leading to Apple acquiring the technology and creating a separate company - ARM.
  2. The Acorn team focused on keeping manufacturing costs low for ARM, making it affordable and power-efficient compared to other designs at the time.
  3. The Archimedes, powered by ARM chips, received positive reviews for its speed and performance, offering a cost-effective alternative to other computers available.

The Arm Story Part 3 : Creating a Global Standard - Supplemental

1747 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🕹 Technology History Books Startups
  1. The post discusses a book called 'Culture Won' by Keith Clarke, which details the success of Arm from a startup to a global technology phenomenon.
  2. The book offers insight into the business culture that contributed to Arm's success, making it a recommended read for those interested in startups and business culture.
  3. The post also includes links to interviews with ARM founders, executives, engineers, and a bonus clip featuring Steve Jobs on the Newton for paying subscribers.

Demystifying GPU Compute Architectures

210 HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning
  1. Understanding GPU compute architectures is crucial for maximizing their potential in machine learning and parallel computing.
  2. The complexity of GPU architectures stems from differences in terminology, architectural variations, legacy terminology, software abstractions, and specific dominance by CUDA.
  3. Examining the levels in GPU compute hardware - basic units, grouped units (Streaming Multiprocessor or Compute Unit), and final GPU architecture - reveals a high level of computational power compared to CPUs.

John C. Dvorak on Intel's First Neural Network Chip

95 HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Chips Neural Networks Machine Learning
  1. Intel's first neural network chip, the 80170, achieved the theoretical intelligence level of a cockroach, showcasing a significant breakthrough in processing power.
  2. The Intel 80170 was an analog neural processor introduced in 1989, making it one of the first successful commercial neural network chips.
  3. Neural networks like the 80170 aren't programmed but trained like a dog, opening up unique applications for analyzing patterns and making predictions.

Motorola's 6809 : The Best 8-Bit?

17 HN points • 03 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Operating Systems Video Games Memory management Computer Architecture
  1. Motorola's 6809 microprocessor series evolved to become a major player in the 8-bit era, competing with the likes of Intel and Zilog.
  2. The architecture of the 6809 was designed with 'source code' compatibility with the 6800, allowing programs written in 6800 assembly language to run, but with changes in machine code.
  3. Despite its advancements, the 6809 faced limitations due to the rise of more advanced processors like the 68000, leading to it being seen as an evolutionary rather than revolutionary design.

Google's First Tensor Processing Unit : Origins

1 HN point • 25 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Hardware Cloud Computing Machine Learning Data Centers
  1. Google developed the first Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) to accelerate machine learning tasks, marking a shift towards specialized hardware in the computing landscape.
  2. The TPU project at Google displayed the ability to rapidly innovate and deploy custom hardware at scale, showcasing a nimble approach towards development.
  3. Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) showcased significant cost and performance advantages in machine learning tasks, leading to widespread adoption within Google and demonstrating the importance of dedicated hardware in the field.

Intel APX

1 HN point • 25 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Computing Hardware Software Architecture Innovation
  1. Intel announced APX, the next evolution of Intel architecture, with improvements in registers and performance
  2. The introduction of APX includes doubling the number of general purpose registers, new instructions, and enhancements for better performance
  3. Intel also revealed a new vector ISA, AVX10, to establish a common vector instruction set across all architectures