Weitek
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Semiconductor design |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Ex-Intel engineers |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Fate | Acquired by Rockwell Semiconductor Systems |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Floating-point units, math coprocessors, frame buffer technology, graphics chipsets, microprocessors |
Weitek Corporation was a U.S.-based semiconductor design firm established in 1981 by ex-Intel engineers, focusing on floating-point units (FPUs) compatible with multiple CPU platforms. Throughout the 1980s, Weitek’s FPUs were integral to high-performance commercial processors and parallel supercomputing systems.
The company created math coprocessors for Motorola 68000 series (models WTL 1064 and 1164) as well as Intel i286-based systems (WTL 1067). When Intel’s own i386 FPU fell behind in performance, Weitek introduced the WTL 1167 as an add-on daughtercard, which was subsequently consolidated into a single-chip solution named WTL 2167. The WTL 3167, released in 1988, targeted Intel 80386 CPUs, followed by the WTL 4167 in 1989 that supported Intel 80486 processors with increased clock rates and enhanced throughput (approximately 4 MFLOPS in single precision).
Weitek also engineered FPUs designed for early SPARC processors (3170 and 3172 models), employing a register-file structure and memory-mapped input/output distinct from the traditional x87 architecture. As the supercomputing sector expanded, Weitek confronted production limitations caused by an outdated fabrication facility. Collaborating with Hewlett-Packard provided access to advanced manufacturing plants, enabling Weitek to participate in HP’s PA-RISC CPU development and to market the embedded XL-RISC 8200 processor, which found application notably in laser printers under the "HyperScript Processor" label.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Weitek diversified into frame buffer technology for Sun Microsystems workstations and launched the SPARC POWER μP—a pin-compatible SPARC microprocessor operating at 80 MHz. This chip doubled previous clock speeds and delivered up to a 60% performance increase; however, this strategy was not pursued for later SPARC models.
Capitalizing on its frame buffer know-how, Weitek entered the PC graphics arena during the early 1990s with the "POWER" series SVGA chipsets. The P9000 graphics processor and VideoPower 5x86 output chip were implemented in VESA Local Bus configurations. The P9001 evolved into the PCI-based Viper chipset, which was adopted by companies such as Diamond Multimedia and Orchid Technology. The last iteration, P9100, combined earlier components into a unified chip. Although these graphics products found success during the early Intel i486 period, their market share declined due to competition from more affordable alternatives. Certain versions also supported the Amiga’s ReTargetable Graphics framework.
With CPUs incorporating integrated FPUs during the early 1990s, Weitek sought to re-enter budget CPU and graphics segments through W464 (486) and W564 (Pentium) chipsets that utilized system memory as frame buffers to lower manufacturing costs. By 1995, Weitek’s presence in its markets had significantly waned. Ultimately, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems acquired Weitek’s assets in late 1996, resulting in the company’s closure.