Inqubekelaphambili kumaprosesa izokwehla, i-Apple izonweba isitobhi kunqubo yokukhiqiza ye-7nm

Ngasekupheleni kwesonto eledlule, izinhlelo zesikhathi esizayo kanye nokuqagela kwe-TSMC enkulu yaseTaiwan, ekhiqiza amaphrosesa e-Apple (kodwa nezinye izinkampani eziningi), kwaqala ukuvela kuwebhu. Njengoba kubonakala, ukuqaliswa kobuchwepheshe bokukhiqiza besimanje kusazothatha isikhathi, okusho ukuthi sizobona ukuwela ingqopha-mlando elandelayo yezobuchwepheshe eminyakeni emibili (futhi lokho esimweni esinethemba elikhulu).

Kusukela ngo-2013, i-TSMC enkulu ibe ngumkhiqizi okhethekile wamaphrosesa wemikhiqizo yeselula ye-Apple, futhi inikezwe ulwazi oluvela ngesonto eledlule, lapho inkampani imemezela ukutshalwa kwezimali kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-25 zamaRandi ukuze kusetshenziswe inqubo yokukhiqiza ethuthuke kakhulu, akubukeki noma yini okufanele ishintshe kulobu budlelwano. Kodwa-ke, kuvele ulwazi olwengeziwe ngempelasonto oluchaza ukuthi kuyinkimbinkimbi kangakanani ukuqaliswa kwenqubo entsha yokukhiqiza.

I-CEO ye-TMSC imemezele ukuthi ukukhiqizwa kwemishini emikhulu nokuthengisayo ohlelweni lokukhiqiza lwe-5nm ngeke kuqale kuze kube sekupheleni kuka-2019 no-2020. Ama-iPhones nama-iPads okuqala analawa maphrosesa azovela ekwindla ka-2020 ekuqaleni. okungukuthi eminyakeni engaphezu kwemibili. Kuze kube yileso sikhathi, i-Apple kuzofanele "ivele" yenze inqubo yamanje yokukhiqiza ye-7nm yemiklamo yayo. Ngakho-ke kufanele ibe sesikhathini samanje ezizukulwaneni ezimbili zamadivayisi, okujwayelekile ngokwentuthuko yeminyaka yamuva.

Izizukulwane zamanje zama-iPhones ne-iPad Pro zinama-A11 kanye ne-A10X processors, akhiqizwa kusetshenziswa inqubo yokukhiqiza eyi-10nm. Umanduleli ngendlela yenqubo yokukhiqiza engu-16nm futhi kwathatha izizukulwane ezimbili zama-iPhones nama-iPads (6S, SE, 7). Izinto ezintsha zalo nyaka kufanele zibone ukushintshela kunqubo yokukhiqiza yesimanjemanje, engu-7nm, kokubili esimweni sama-iPhones amasha kanye nakuma-iPads amasha (i-Apple kufanele yethule kokubili okusha ekupheleni konyaka). Lolu hlelo lokukhiqiza lwaluzosetshenziswa futhi esimweni semikhiqizo emisha ezofika ngonyaka ozayo.

Ukushintshela kwinqubo entsha yokukhiqiza kuletha izinzuzo eziningi kumsebenzisi wokugcina, kodwa futhi nokukhathazeka okuningi kumkhiqizi, ngoba ukuguqulwa nokudluliselwa kokukhiqiza kuyinqubo ebiza kakhulu futhi enzima. Ama-chips okuqala enziwe ohlelweni lokukhiqiza lwe-5nm angase afike ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo. Kodwa-ke, kunesikhathi okungenani sesigamu sonyaka lapho ukukhiqizwa kucushwe kahle futhi kwenziwa izinguquko ezidingekayo. Kule modi, izimboni zikwazi kuphela ukukhiqiza ama-chips anezakhiwo ezilula futhi ezingakabi kumklamo othembeke ngokuphelele. I-Apple ngeke neze ibeke engcupheni ikhwalithi yama-chips ayo futhi izothumela amaphrosesa ayo ekukhiqizweni ngaleso sikhathi lapho yonke into isilungele ukuphelela. Ngenxa yalokhu, cishe ngeke sibone ama-chips amasha enziwe ngenqubo ye-5nm kuze kube ngu-2020. Kodwa kusho ukuthini lokhu ekusebenzeni kubasebenzisi?

Ngokuvamile, ukushintshela kunqubo yokukhiqiza yesimanjemanje kuletha ukusebenza okuphezulu kanye nokusetshenziswa okuphansi (okungaba ngokwezinga elilinganiselwe ngokuqoqiwe noma ngokwezinga elikhulu ngakunye). Ngenxa yenqubo yokukhiqiza ethuthuke kakhulu, kungenzeka ukufaka ama-transistors amaningi kakhulu kumprosesa, ozokwazi ukwenza izibalo nokufeza "imisebenzi" eyabelwe yona yisistimu. Imiklamo emisha imvamisa iza nobuchwepheshe obusha, njengezinto zokufunda zomshini i-Apple ezihlanganise nayo ekwakhiweni kwe-A11 Bionic processor. Njengamanje, i-Apple isele ngamamayela amaningi ngaphambi komncintiswano uma kuziwa ekwakhiweni kweprosesa. Njengoba i-TSMC isemaphethelweni okukhiqiza ama-chip, mancane amathuba okuthi kukhona ozodlula i-Apple kulokhu maduze nje. Ukuqala kobuchwepheshe obusha kungase kube kancane kunalokho obekulindelwe (ukuma ku-7nm bekufanele kube indaba yesizukulwane esisodwa), kodwa isikhundla sika-Apple akufanele sishintshe futhi ama-processor aku-iPhones nama-iPads kufanele aqhubeke nokuba ngcono kakhulu kumakhalekhukhwini. inkundla.

Umthombo: Appleinsider