AM2764DC - Is that gold in the EEPROM window

[slumba]

I am sure I am showing my newbie-ness here - I was going through some old ISA boards and came across a MIDI controller that has this chip on it with the sticker already removed.

Beside it is a larger socketed chip made by Signetics under license from Intel I guess (says (c) Intel 1980).

Is that really gold under the window?

[Chiefish]

if I could see it I might be able to tell you yes or no.

[slumba]

This is the best I could get via webcam ... does it have enough detail?

[JAC]

I think that thing under the die is called a "die attach" to mount the die into the cavity.

Is it gold.. no.

And it is not an EEPROM, it is an EPROM.
The extra E is for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory.


From wiki...

Comparison with EPROM and EEPROM/Flash

The difference between EPROM and EEPROM lies in the way that the memory programs and erases. EEPROM can be programmed and erased electrically using field electron emission (more commonly known in the industry as "Fowler–Nordheim tunneling").

EPROMs can't be erased electrically, and are programmed via hot carrier injection onto the floating gate. Erase is via an ultraviolet light source, although in practice many EPROMs are encapsulated in plastic that is opaque to UV light, and are "one-time programmable".

Most NOR Flash memory is a hybrid style—programming is through hot carrier injection and erase is through Fowler–Nordheim tunneling.

[CPUShack]

and the signetics under it is a 8031 or 8051 MCU

[johnorun]

[doccybrown]

Is fools gold lol

[CPUShack]

EPROMs have very little gold
some times the bonding wires are gold plated, but its a very small amount

[slumba]

[doccybrown]

lol ok no offence here just the name of
"false gold"
Although there could be indeed a very small
amount of gold in the coating. But manufacturers
learnt very fast to do gold coatings as thin as possible
so probably if gold only a few atomlayers thick....

[JAC]

[doccybrown]

Hehe, yeah thats good advertising! But would be only
true for old gold-plated stuff to be honestly....
However this is how you can earn some bucks
to refinance your hobby! Got somthing by €150 on
ebay some time ago for a similar lot of golden contacts plus
some board cuts. I am not sure if it was worth so much....

[Guest]