As early as 2016, AMD and Tianjin Haiguang had reached a cooperation, the two sides set up a joint venture company to develop the processor. At that time, AMD had also ushered in a dramatic increase in stock prices. Two years later, The cooperation between the two parties seems to have been very mysterious and there is almost no sound.
Just recently, overseas media found a Zen processor-based processor file in the Linux kernel pudding. According to the exposed code, this processor is a new product that AMD and Haiguang have cooperated with.
In this code, there appears Hygon's Dhyana Family 18h processor, which is the Family 18h processor codenamed Dhyana by Hygon. Since Family 17h is AMD's Zen architecture processor, 18h It should have a very close relationship with it. It is AMD Zen-architecture processor that AMD authorized to jointly develop by Haiguang.
However, the specific model is not yet clear, but the patch file appears in the code, which means that it is not far from the official appearance of the product.
AMD's Dilemma and Counterattack
Some people may wonder why AMD will cooperate with domestic companies to authorize the Zen architecture patent?
In fact, AMD and Tianjin Haiguang's cooperation on the processor happens to be 2016. Of course, the two parties should have started negotiations before, but in the circumstances, AMD has been losing for at least six consecutive quarters, and the situation is in no hurry. If they can put Zen The architecture brought to China, then it is possible to occupy this huge market, to know that in the server market, Intel X86 architecture has more than 90% of the market share, and in the desktop processor market Intel is also a single, but the second The name is AMD.
According to the situation at the time, if AMD does not do anything, then although the second position will not be lost, but the market will not continue to be divided into Intel, AMD and others, but Intel and others, the situation is quite dangerous.
Fortunately, in the past two years, AMD's situation has continued to improve. In 2016, it achieved losses. According to the first-quarter financial report released this year, the company even completed a turnover of 1.65 billion US dollars, net income of 81 million US dollars. In addition to Zen architecture Outside the desktop processor, there has been a certain development in the processor such as the server. As a whole, it is just the time to counterattack.
Therefore, the cooperation between the two parties at this time had further news. Although it was not icing on the cake, at least it was good news. At that time, This news not only brought AMD more than 50% of the stock price growth, but also brought them about 290 million US dollars in licensing law and royalties.
In addition, the rapid development of mobile terminals not only makes AMD collapse in the field of mobile devices, even Intel has basically faded out of the SoC field, so the two desktop processor giants are looking for new ways and solutions, Intel will pack itself Into a data company, and through two large acquisitions in the future, and at the same time huge investment in the domestic exhibition, the same in the mobile SoC field. And AMD is relatively less able to take the route is not so broad But, but I am constantly trying new directions.
The complex mode of cooperation is to circumvent Intel
At that time, AMD spokesperson had explained the cooperation and said that the agreement with China is not in violation of the cross-license agreement signed between AMD and Intel in 2009.
Because the ownership structure of the joint venture company is different, all information transferred to China is in line with U.S. export regulations. . The joint venture established by Tianjin Haiguang and AMD can indeed modify AMD's CPU core and enjoy the X86 license in disguise. Haiguang can develop the server CPU by purchasing a CPU core developed by the joint venture company, but it is only limited to the Chinese market.
Some people are skeptical about this. Then how did the two parties work together to bypass Intel's patent restrictions and related laws? Let's take a quick look.
The first thing to say about the cooperation between the two parties involved at least four companies. Among them, AMD and Tianjin Haiguang Information Technology Co., Ltd. were the two main bodies. They established two new companies through joint ventures, namely Chengdu Haiguang Microelectronic Technology. Co., Ltd. and Chengdu Haiguang Integrated Circuit Design Co., Ltd., because of their similarity in names, we later replaced the names of the three companies with Tianjin Haiguang, Microelectronics and Integrated Circuit.
Haiguang Microelectronics' shareholder information is not disclosed but the actual number is not a secret
Among them, Haiguang Microelectronics is 51% owned by AMD Holdings and 49% by Tianjin Haiguang Holdings. Another integrated circuit design company is mainly controlled by Tianjin Haiguang with 70% and AMD with 30%. The former mainly enjoys authorized IP ownership and is responsible for chips. The production work, the latter is responsible for chip design and sales.
Haiguang IC is the main holding of Tianjin Haiguang
There are two reasons why this is done. The first is to circumvent the cross-license agreement between Intel and AMD signed in 2009. This agreement stipulates that X86 authorizations should not be transferred to third-party companies. Therefore, Haiguang Microelectronics, which was previously held by AMD 51%, is the reason for this, but For reasons related to policies and regulations, both parties had to establish a second company, namely Haiguang IC.
In general, Haiguang Microelectronics owns the authorization of AMD's Zen architecture, and then Haiguang integrated circuit purchases IP licenses from Haiguang Microelectronics to conduct chip design. Haiguang integrated circuit then entrusted the designed chip solution to Haiguang Microelectronics. Production, Haiguang Microelectronics can completely find the factory in the case of compliance with the tape, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Samsung, etc. After the completion of the packaged products can be bought back to Haiguang IC in the name of the company for marketing.
How to listen is not a bit circumvented. In simple terms, it is two companies AB, A handed over to B for design, feedback to A company after the design is good, A company went to foundry to produce products to B company, B company again Conduct formal marketing.
Although it is troublesome, it can only be so for the sake of the rules, but this solution can only be faced to the Chinese market, which means that the chips used for production cannot be sold to overseas markets. On the one hand, it may be limited to cross-licensing with Intel. Aspects may also be related to national laws.
Is this kind of operation in line with Intel's agreement signed with AMD? Since most of the contents of the agreement were not disclosed at the time, we have no way of knowing. We are inconvenient to comment on Intel. This means that Intel should be acquiesced or compromised. It is impossible for the cooperation between the two parties to be discussed. After all, the Chinese market is equally important to Intel. It should be the result of many compromises after weighing the pros and cons.
