Motorola MC68040 - 32-bit Microprocessor - XC68040
About this Artwork
This artwork is a mixed-media display featuring the Motorola microprocessor. This artwork includes four major elements. It has a large image of a Motorola 68040 chip die. On the back is a narrative describing the artwork, the 68040, and the artist’s signature. Also included is an actual Motorola XC68040RC40M chip.
The Motorola MC68040, released in 1990, was a significant milestone in the evolution of microprocessors. The 32-bit MC68040 was important due to its considerable performance boost, advanced features, and backward compatibility. With a clock speed of up to 40 MHz and integrated floating-point and memory management units, it offered enhanced processing power for demanding applications. Its compatibility with previous 68000 processors ensured seamless software transition. The MC68040's impact extended beyond personal computing, finding extensive use in embedded systems. Its reliability, performance, and broad adoption made it a crucial milestone in microprocessor development. It enabled the creation of some of the most powerful and significant computing devices of the time.
The Motorola MC68040 was used in several notable computer systems and workstations during its time. Here are a few examples:
Apple Macintosh Quadra series: The MC68040 was featured in several models of the Apple Macintosh Quadra series, which were high-performance workstations released by Apple in the early 1990s. These systems were widely used in graphics design, multimedia production, and other professional applications.
Commodore Amiga 4000: The MC68040 was utilized in the Commodore Amiga 4000, a high-end multimedia computer that was released in 1992. The Amiga 4000 was renowned for its advanced graphics and multimedia capabilities, and the MC68040 provided the processing power necessary for those tasks.
NeXT Computer: The NeXT Computer, created by Steve Jobs' company NeXT Inc., featured the MC68040 processor in its higher-end models. NeXT workstations were popular in the academic and research communities for their advanced operating system and development environment.
Sun Microsystems SPARCstation 10 and 20: While Sun Microsystems primarily used their own SPARC architecture, they offered an optional CPU board called the SuperSPARC that was based on the MC68040. The SuperSPARC powered the SPARCstation 10 and 20 workstations, which were well-regarded in the UNIX workstation market.
Silicon Graphics Indigo series: The Silicon Graphics (SGI) Indigo series workstations, introduced in the early 1990s, utilized the MC68040 as part of their processor options. These workstations were renowned for their advanced 3D graphics capabilities and were widely used in the visual effects and computer graphics industry.
These are just a few examples of the systems that incorporated the Motorola MC68040. The processor was favored in high-performance workstations and specialized computing systems of the time, contributing to their capabilities and performance.
Framing:
The artwork is framed in an 11"x14" black shadow box frame, with glass. All framing materials are acid-free. A narrative about the artwork that includes the artist’s signature is placed on the back of the artwork.
Please note: The look of the artifacts in the artworks may vary; each piece is unique.