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4 unusual facts about Ross Technology


HyperSPARC

The hyperSPARC, code-named "Pinnacle", is a microprocessor that implements the SPARC Version 8 instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by Ross Technology for Cypress Semiconductor.

Ross Technology

The company's stock fell during this period, and there were several warnings from NASDAQ in 1997 that the company would be delisted, which Ross avoided until 1998, when the company's stock fell below NASDAQ requirements.

It was an emergency engineering-wide Ross hyperSPARC upgrade which enabled Steve Jobs' Pixar to complete and deliver their animated movie Toy Story to Disney on schedule after the existing Sun Microsystems machines were overwhelmed in the late product development stage by Pixar's demanding new technology.

Original board members included Dr. Ross and well-known figures as Dr. T. J. Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor, John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Venture Capital, and L. J. Sevin of Sevin Rosen Venture Capital, who also served as Board Chairman.



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