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About the Chipdir

The Chip Directory in the real-world media

This Chip Directory was mentioned on or in the following the real-world media:

I have stopped asking for confirmation of the articles in this list, since it's too much work...
It's very appreciated however if you can confirm any of these articles or even can send (a scan or copy of) the text.
Please send it (and copy of the colofon of the magazine) to:
Jaap van Ganswijk, Huygensstraat 39, NL 9727 JA Groningen, Netherlands.
I'll send you a free Hitex CD-ROM (containing the complete ChipDir) for each confirmation... (Well at least every first confirmation...)

C'T

Chips news: Access to the information of the chip market offers Jaap van Ganswijks 'Chipdir' (www.xs4all.nl/~ganswijk/chipdir/). There one finds among others a list of contemporary components (CPUs, Controllers, drivers etc.), partly with data sheet, together with an overview with of abbreviations. A manufacturer list summarizes the via WWW accessible chip manufacturers and offers the appropriate links.

Original article in German.

Tom Burd's 'CPU* Info Center' was also mentioned...

Gateway

Original article in German.

Both articles are about the same, since both magazines are from the same publisher.

Elrad

IC-Index

What to do when the IC* number is weird, the data book lent out and no digest or master guide at hand? Designers with internet access are lucky, they just click into Jaap van Ganswijk's Chip Directory.

Main parts of that are two indices: First, one hits the 'Numerically ordered chip listing', which gives short descriptions of ICs by their number. As an example, this index shows the following information for the 'bingo number' 260: 260 MAX 260 filter uP* Programmable Universal Switch Capacitor Filter (Maxim*). Underlined words point to explanations, manufacturers addresses or further pages. This index is extended by an overview of parts that are known by a specific name -- Pentium for instance.

The second component, the 'Functionally ordered chip listing', takes another approach. Here one may look for specific categories like ADC* (A/D converter) via MCU* (microcontroller unit) to XMIT (transmitter). More information, among it common abbreviations, hints for selecting UARTs including links to relevant info texts (FAQs), external chip data (pointers to books, magazines, FTP servers, news groups, etc. dealing with electronics), information regarding package types, pinouts, relevant software (assemblers and the like) as well as specifications and hints concerning 'Chip spotting' (identifying of IC* labels) round of the offer.

Besides these main indices one finds an extensive address list -- links included if existing -- of manufacturers and at this time mostly Dutch distributors. An overview of logos helps identifying parts. The Chip Directory should be the first place to look for unknown ICs or 'silicon' addresses in the web.

Translation by Ernst Ahlers <ea@elrad.ix.de> also the author of the original.

Original article in German.

Personal Engineering and Instrumentation News

When searching for information online, the key to success is a good index.

My past few columns have covered facilities for locating engineering resources online. This month I'll wrap up the discussion by presenting additional indexes available to engineers that make seemingly unwieldy searches on the Internet more manageable.

A list of lists

Let's start off with a site operating under the auspices of the Stanford Univ branch of the IEEE. Residing at www-ee.stanford.edu/soe/ieee/eesites.html, the page consists of three primary lists. First, an index of engineering companies offers two methods of getting in touch with more than 180 corporations: an alphabetic listing gives contact information, while a yellow-pages listing links you to each company's homepage.

The second list provides a way of benefiting from research going on in the EE departments at major universities worldwide. Links range from the Alabama Microelectronics Science&Technology Center to the Washington Univ Center for Imaging Science, with intermediate stops at Italy's Univ of Catania Systems Control Group and the IIT Bombay Communications Group. These links provide a convenient way of learning about current research before it makes it into professional journals.

The third list indexes a range of engineering sites that don't fit into neat categories.

For example, an online directory of off-the-shelf ICs (--outdated URL removed--) allows you to look up chips by name or part number. However, the information available for different parts can vary dramatically because the directory depends upon the data each component vendor provides.

For instance, the entry for the Motorola 68000 includes links to a FAQ* (frequently ask questions) file listing such details as the differences between various members of the 680x0 family and a quick reference card illustrating the chip's pinout, instruction set and interrupt-vector locations. By contrast, the entry for the 80486 provides a FAQ* (actually a tech-support document from HP for its line of '486-based PCs); an article reprinted from the April 24, l995 issue of PC Week detailing Intel's plans to force clone vendors into switching to the Pentium by discontinuing production of the '486; and a price list.

Closing out the chip-directory page are indexes for obtaining contact information for chip manufacturers and distributors, vendors of tools for embedded-system development and companies making chip-fabrication equipment.

It's not completely correct, but it's a nice and very positive description...

On page 46 of the 199603 issue of Elektor Electronics in the article called 'Electronics on-line' you can find (besides some information about the Harris Semiconductor site at www.intersil.com/) the following text:

A totally different Internet site is the one from HiTools Inc., who are also based in the USA. HiTools are suppliers and manufacturers of microprocessor development systems. The www pages found at www.hitex.com/ bring you, among others, lots of demo software like an 8051 and an 80166 simulator. A highly interesting option offered by these pages is the link to the so-called Chip Directory, which enables you to trace the function and origins of unknown components.

The actual search operation is quite simple. All you have to do is enter the type number of an unknown IC*, and the program does the rest. If available in the database, the information appears on your screen after a short while.

A summary of the information at this www site may be found on the Development Tools CDROM. This CDROM contains a number of HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language) files which give the user information on 4,000 chips and 150 manufacturers. The CDROM also contains an 8051 and an 80166 simulator, an 80266 debugger and text versions of compilers. A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the 8051, 68HC11 and 68k families may help to reduce the complexity of developing applications for these processors. As a matter of course, the Chip Directory is also included on the CDROM. Although the CD contains an HTML browser, many users will prefer their own web browser like Netscape, Mosaic or Internet Explorer. Fortunately, that is possible!

Illustrations are WWW pages as shown by the Fresco browser:

• Main page of Harris' site.
• Design support page of Harris.
• Hitex Home Page from the top downwards.
• World Map page of the Chip Directory.
• Hitex Home Page from the bottom upwards

On page 61 of the 199603/04 issue of 'Microcomputer Journal' (The print forum for the Microcomputer professional and semi-professional), Jan Axelson <jaxelson@lvr.com> writes:

Tips for Searching

One of the great things about the World Wide Web is the ability to search for a word or combination of words using a search engine like Lycos or Yahoo. For tracking down data sheets, there's an even easier way, using the Chip Directory (Fig. 5) site devoted to cataloging information about integrated circuits.

Chip Directory is largely the personal project of Jaap van Ganswijk of The Netherlands, with help from many contributors. The directory has been on-line and growing since early 1995. An index of manufacturers lists names, addresses and telephone numbers, with links to the company's home page and FTP site, if they exist. When I checked, the directory listed 95 companies with Internet sites, plus contact information for many others not yet on-line.

If you know a chip's part number, you can search for companies that offer it. For example, a search for the 8032 microcontroller led me to links to Dallas Semiconductor, AMD, Intel and Philips. If you're looking for a chip to perform a particular function, you can search by function.

The parts listings aren't yet as complete as you'll find in The IC* Master (described below), but it's a simple and quick starting point. For example, a search for real-time clock chips turned up 56 entries, most from Dallas Semiconductor and Motorola. IC* Master also lists chips from Harris, Samsung, SGS-Thomson, Benchmarq, Toshiba and others.

Author: Jan Axelson <jaxelson@lvr.com>

Illustration: ChipDir's main page, with sections 'New' and 'Numerically ordered chip listings'.

.net

In about the February Issue of the Italian version on '.net'.

ICs are by now hard-to-do-without parts of all electronic circuits. Many are very similar in characteristics and in function and choosing between them is not an easy task. The documentation is costly, not easy available and very often incomplete. The "Chip Directory" is a useful compendium. The many hundreds of components are listed sorted by number or by function. It isn't a data book, but for each IC* are listed the type, the principal function and the manufacturer(s).

Grouping together all ICs by function may seem an impossible task, but the Web's hypertextuality offers a big help allowing the insertion of links to all needed references with an ease of use and searchability, incomparable to a paper counter part. Other useful pages contain a list of abbreviations, information about IC* packages and the pinning of some of them, the cross reference of manufacturers and of distributors, with a link to their site if available.

The main location of the Chip Directory is in Holland and there are mirrors in other countries: USA, Brazil, Australia and Italy. The italian site is located at the University of Udine, but we were unable to reach it at the address bbs.cc.uniud.it in spite of our many attempts. Is it possible for a reader living in Udine to give us further information?

The other sites, especially the Dutch one, are useful tools to consult because of the fairly good connection and the rational lay out of the contents. Very rich are the pages containing references and links to the electronic's world (text, magazines, specific software). The whole site is always under construction, but how can it be otherwise with a subject like this? Still it gives a complete enough overview of these kinds of electronic components.

Illustration: Photo of the starting page of the site.

(Translation by Paolo Mortillaro <mc2789@mclink.it> and Jaap van Ganswijk <ganswijk@xs4all.nl>)

The original text in Italian.

Vosko's Young Network Warriors Award

On 19960605, brand new professor Van Till presented after his oration (in Dutch) the newly instituted Vosko Young Network Warriors prize to the maker of the ChipDir.

More about this award can be found at:

The original article in Dutch.

Daily Planet

This free electronic newspaper (in Dutch) is published on the Internet by the Dutch Internet provider Planet Internet.
Its author is Francisco van Jole.
See: www.pi.net/ - Dutch

Chip Directory wins award

Jaap van Ganswijk has last week won the Net Warriors Award that the brand new Technical University of Delft professor Jaap van Till has instituted. Van Ganswijk is keeper and initiator of the Chip Directory, an extremely useful and extensive set of technical information about computer chips.

huizen.dds.nl/~vantill/award.html - (English version)
www.xs4all.nl/~ganswijk/

The original article in Dutch.

EET

server1.cmp.farm.barrnet.net/cgi-bin/cqcgi?CQ_SESSION_KEY=MTSEPEHWCGVZ&CQ_QH=128558&CQ_CD=1&CQ_TXT=Y
techsearch.techweb.com/cgi-bin/article?doc_id=EET19960812S0089

Computer Info

The article on page 58 mainly tells about Vosko's Young Network Warriors Award.

Electronic Design

The impact of the Internet on electronic engineering
by Liam Goudge, product manager with Advanced RISC* Machines.

Databases of embedded design sites such as Cera (www.cera.com/) and Chip Directory (margo.student.utwente.nl/~stefan/chipdir/) provide a simple way to locate manufacturers making a particular device type, as well as tool suppliers, applications support, and other useful services. Although most web sites are currently free to users, the future may well see such sites go to subscription charges as companies begin to realize their value to engineers searching for device data.

Chip Directory is an information service that is specialized in IC*'s. Various kinds of information are available about all kinds of IC*'s; The pinout or the identification number of an IC* can also be given to the search engine. There is a page with tips about getting obsolete chips, chips from the former Soviet Union and outdated chips. The addresses of many FAQ*'s (frequently asked questions), Internet newsgroups, mailing lists and other relevant information are given. The adresses of manufacturers can also be asked for.

The original article in Dutch.

EBN

Chip Directory

www.xs4all.nl/~ganswijk/chipdir/

Description: Searchable parts database

Access: Open

The Chip Directory, which gets 50,000 visitors each month, offers extensive IC* product listings organized by product number and by category. Users can also search the directory using traditional Internet search engines.

The site includes lists of chip manufacturers, controller embedding tools manufacturers, electronics books, CDROM's, magazines, and Web sites. There is a short description of each device, as well as a Web address and additional product information such as pinouts, registers, and instruction-set descriptions where available. The Chip Directory also includes an overview of chip manufacturers, system embedding tools manufacturers, chip distributors, and brokers by country, as well as explanatory text on chip-related subjects.

The directory, launched in January 1995, lists a variety of information -some of it directly from the manufacturers and some of it from other Web sites. Information is updated about once every couple of months. Users can judge how fresh the data is by looking at the "last updated" information at the top of each page.

Use and listings are free, although the site accepts paid advertising as well.

It's on the WWW as:
www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?EBN19970217S0026

Electronics Now

How to get information about electronics.

Many electronic component manufacturers have web pages; see the directory at (--outdated URL removed--), or try addresses such as www.ti.com/ and www.motorola.com/ (substituting any company's name or abbreviation as appropriate). Many IC* data sheets can be viewed online.

Chip Directory

(--Outdated URL removed--)
This site is, as you might have guessed, a chip directory that contains references to thousands of chips, all sorted by part number. You can log on and perform a search for a particular IC* by part number in the numerically ordered listing, or use the chip search engine if your browser sup- ports Java applications. If you want, you can download the entire site for your own use, and subscribe to the ChipDir mailing list as well.
There's too much more to list here and its all quite useful, so go and have a look for yourself.

Illustration: Screen shot of page local

electaus@magna.com.au