MOS Technology
| MOS Technology, Inc. | |
 |
|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Closed | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States |
MOS Technology, Inc. (Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) was an American semiconductor manufacturer. It is best known for creating one of the most popular CPUs in history, the 6502 processor. It was the primary CPU of the Commodore 64, the Nintendo Entertainment System (integrated into the Ricoh 2A03), the Apple II, the Atari 2600 and the Atari 8-bit.
In 1976, Commodore bought MOS in order to be independent (vertical integration) and produce numerous chips for their computers. By 1980, MOS had been renamed to Commodore Semiconductor Group (CSG), though Commodore's datasheets and chips changed only gradually from 1989 to 1990.
Hardware
Audio Chips
MOS switched manufacturing process a couple of times to reduce cost. On four-digit chips, the first digit reflects which process was used (in rare cases, incorrectly). The second and third digit stand for the purpose, including 8 for audio alone, and 6 for video optionally combined with audio. Often, an R and revision number follow. If a chip worked at 2, 3 or 4 Mhz, MOS added a single A, B or C, respectively. The last line begins with a four-digit date code (two digits for the week, two for the year).
| Release | Chip | Popular Devices |
|---|---|---|
| 1980-??-?? | 6560 (VIC) | VIC 20 (NTSC) |
| 1981-??-?? | 6561 (VIC) | VIC 20 (PAL) |
| 1982-0?-?? | 6581 (SID) | MAX MACHINE, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore 128D, Commodore 64C (early versions), SSI 2001 |
| 1984-0?-?? | 7360 (TED) | Commodore 116, Commodore 16, Plus/4 |
| 1984-0?-?? | 8360 (TED) | Commodore 116, Commodore 16, Plus/4 |
| 1985-07-23 | 8364 (Paula) | Amiga, Commodore CDTV, Amiga CD32 |
| 1986-??-?? | 8580 (SID) | Commodore 64C (later versions), Commodore 128DCR |
Audio Personnel
- Bob Yannes - Designer of SID.
Links
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology - Wikipedia.
- archive.org/details/bitsavers_mosTechnolTechnologyDataCatalog_9982851 - 1982–83 Data Catalog.
