Broadway (microprocessor)

Broadway

IBM Broadway microprocessor from the inside of a Wii. The reference to Canada in the picture is related to where it was packaged i.e. by IBM Canada in Bromont.
Produced From 2006 to Present
Designed by IBM and Nintendo
Common manufacturer(s)
Max. CPU clock rate 729 MHz
Min. feature size 90 nm (2006-2007), 65 nm (2007-present)
Instruction set Power Architecture (PowerPC ISA 1.10)
Microarchitecture PowerPC G3
Cores 1
L1 cache 32/32 kB
L2 cache 256 kB
Predecessor Gekko
Successor Espresso
Application Wii
Variant

Broadway is the codename of the 32-bit Central Processing Unit (CPU) used in Nintendo's Wii video game console. It was designed by IBM, and is currently being produced using a 65 nm SOI process.

According to IBM, the processor consumes 20% less power than its predecessor, the 180 nm Gekko used in the Nintendo GameCube video game console.[1]

Broadway is being produced by IBM at their 300 mm semiconductor development and manufacturing facility in East Fishkill, New York. The bond, assembly, and test operation for the Broadway module is performed at the IBM facility in Bromont, Quebec. Very few official details have been released to the public by Nintendo or IBM. Unofficial reports claim it is derived from the 486 MHz Gekko architecture used in the GameCube and runs 50% faster at 729 MHz.[2]

The PowerPC 750CL, released in 2006, is a stock CPU offered by IBM and virtually identical to Broadway. The only difference is that the 750CL comes in variants, ranging from 400 MHz up to 1000 MHz.[3][4][5]

Specifications

External bus

Gallery

 
 
 
 
Broadway
39X6735, 2006
90 nm, 21×21 mm package 
Broadway A
43E4048, 2006-2007
90 nm, 21×21 mm package 
Broadway B
43E5070, 2007-2008
65 nm, 21×21 mm package 
Broadway-1
48J2662, 2008-present
65 nm, 15×15 mm package 
These images are illustrations and only approximately to scale.

References

  1. ↑ IBM (2006). "IBM Ships First Microchips for Nintendo's Wii Video Game System". Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  2. ↑ Wii Technical Specification, Wii
  3. ↑ "IBM Broadway RISC Microprocessor User's Manual, v0.6" (PDF). p. 61. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-04.
  4. ↑ "IBM PowerPC 750CL Microprocessor Revision Level DD2.x" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-06-03.
  5. ↑ "IBM PowerPC 750CL RISC Microprocessor User's Manual" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-15.
  6. ↑ http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=47873023&postcount=205
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