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Sun releases new UltraSparc design details

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
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Stephen Shankland

Sun Microsystems released new details on Wednesday about its UltraSparc T1 "Niagara" processor. The details are in a document called the OpenSparc T1 Microarchitecture Specification, Sun's Dwayne Lee said on his blog.

According to the Sun download site, the specifications include detailed descriptions of processor components' functions, those functions' designs, and the signals the components use to communicate.

Sun released the T1 design as open source governed by the General Public License (GPL). The move is part of the company's effort to turn around its image as a proprietary technology company.

Sun has been trying to outdo rivals with its aggressive open-source moves. IBM on Tuesday said at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo that making an open-source design out of a chip such as its own Power processor can create compatibility problems.