5 SEP 85

POKEY STATUS

WALLIN/BRODREICK TELL ME THAT ATARI GAMES BOUGHT A LARGE LOT OF POKEY
WAFERS FROM ATARI CORP. FOR $.50 A DIE. APPARENTLY THESE ARE STILL AT 
THE WAFER LEVEL. AS WE NEED THEM, THEY HAVE BEEN SENDING THEM OUT TO
BE PACKAGED.

	CURRENT INVENTORY OF DIE:	54,000+
	CURRENT PACKAGED PARTS:		     0
	DIE AT VENDOR:		             ?

PAAUW RECENTLY EXAMINED 1 WAFER AND NOTICED THAT ONLY 25% OF THE
DIE WERE GOOD - THE OTHER 75% HAD A "RED DOT" INDICATING A FAILED PART.

IF THIS YIELD HOLDS FOR ALL THE WAFERS THEN WE REALLY HAVE 54000/4=13500 DIE.

LOOKS LIKE WE NEED TO:
	1) VERIFY DIE YIELD
	2) CHECK WITH ATARI CORP ON AVAILABILITY OF MORE POKEY DICE.
	3) DESIGN IN A NEW SOUND CHIP IN ALL DESIGNS NOW ON PAPER, EG.
	   SYSTEM 3D AND BEYOND
COMMENTS??

5 SEP 85

POKEY STATUS - REVISED

Well, when we went to verify POKEY die yield, we found that Atari Games has
54,000+ GOOD die. Dan Van has recommended that no further action is required
at this time on POKEY or a replacement thereof.

Here is a edited tabulation of various suggestions just for the record:

Brad Fuller: Hope we don't use POKEY too much longer: most SFX are now done
	  	on YAMAHA. Would like to see either (2) YAMAHAs per game or
		(1) YAMAHA and AMY.
Vickers (via Fuller): We have ability to make a new POKEY...we share rights 
		to it with Atari Corp. is their recollection.

Rivera: We could do our own simple version of POKEY with just the shift 
		registers, control latches  and square wave output and 
		maybe get 8-12 channels (instead of 4) 1n a smaller (24-pin?) 
		package. then the investment in RPM would still be useful.

At any rate, I agree with Dan - no need to worry at this time with 54,000
good die in inventory.  We will need to re-visit this in 9 months
or so (6/86) when POKEY supplies will have been depleted by the GAUNTLET
Production run!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the original VAX message for reference:

	CURRENT INVENTORY OF DIE:	54,000+

PAAUW RECENTLY EXAMINED 1 WAFER AND NOTICED THAT ONLY 25% OF THE
DIE WERE GOOD - THE OTHER 75% HAD A "RED DOT" INDICATING A FAILED PART.
IF THIS YIELD HOLDS FOR ALL THE WAFERS THEN WE REALLY HAVE 54000/4=13500 DIE.
LOOKS LIKE WE NEED TO:
	1) VERIFY DIE YIELD
	2) CHECK WITH ATARI CORP ON AVAILABILITY OF MORE POKEY DICE.
	3) DESIGN IN A NEW SOUND CHIP IN ALL DESIGNS NOW ON PAPER, EG.
	   SYSTEM 3D AND BEYOND