Reborn since 1993

Chapter 163: Keeping the green hills, you don’t have to worry about running out of firewood

Li Dongling glanced at the faces of everyone in the conference room, "In the future, Dongxin Semiconductor can invest 40 million yuan in computer chip projects every year. It can give the project team three years for research and development. If it cannot develop a chip within three years, A commercially available computer chip, Dongxin Semiconductor will suspend this project!"

In three years, nearly 100 million yuan, or almost 15 million U.S. dollars, was invested in the computer chip project. This is definitely a massive R&D investment in China. If it cannot be developed in three years, there is no need to continue R&D. Now, you can just tear it down and start over!

The key is that the computer chip project is different from other chips. In this field, Intel has established its dominance. The most critical chip architecture in this industry has been almost unified by Intel X86.

Even other manufacturers such as AMD, IBM, and Motorola that can develop computer chips mostly license the X86 architecture from Intel.

Just the licensing step from Intel has stumped so many companies. Ever since Intel licensed the X86 architecture to AMD at the request of IBM, the troublemaker in the American technology industry, it has cultivated a young and sworn enemy. , they rarely license the X86 architecture to other companies, because they are afraid of cultivating another sworn enemy, and they are unwilling to license even outdated architecture patents.

Licensing the chip architecture is only the first step. Whether it can be developed in the future, whether it can be mass-produced, whether it can be sold after mass production, etc. are all difficult problems!

Therefore, the research and development of computer chips is definitely an industry with high risks and difficulty in research and development, but the rewards may not be obtained. Compared with the research and development of chips for Shenzhou phones, PHS phones, Silver Sable mice and other products, the risks and difficulties are infinitely greater. How many.

Li Dongling is willing to invest 40 million yuan in computer chips every year for three consecutive years, which is actually a waste of time.

Regarding Li Dongling's first condition, Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi both nodded in agreement. In fact, this has exceeded their expectations. The investment in research and development funds has exceeded their expectations. They can feel that Li Dongling really wants to This project was successfully developed.

In the previous life, Huang Lingyi led a team to develop the first domestically produced general-purpose computer chip for the company that raised only one million yuan in initial funding. In the later stage, it basically raised money while researching and developing, and could be shut down at any time due to funding.

In fact, the symbolic significance of this first computer chip is far greater than its actual significance. It cannot be sold at all. It is more of a substitute for the domestic technology industry. One day, Intel and other manufacturers will not sell chips to domestic companies. Yes, this chip can be replaced, but that's it. In fact, it may not be sold at all.

From the establishment of the R&D team to the development of the first chip, because the performance was not as good as Intel, AMD and other chips, basically no computer manufacturers were willing to purchase them, resulting in insufficient funding. In ten years, R&D funding was only about 400 million, and Most of the funds were funds and subsidies received after the first chip was successfully developed. The early team did not receive much funding.

No matter how confident they were, no matter how confident they were in their own technology and team, Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi would not think that the first computer chip they produced at Dongxin Semiconductor could challenge Intel!

"Second, while developing computer chips, Dongxin Semiconductor's other chip projects cannot be delayed. For example, chip development for PHS mobile phones and Silver Sable optical mice should be successfully developed on time, and should even be prioritized!"

Li Dongling's soulful question made Ni Guangnan and Ni Guangnan speechless immediately, and they couldn't say anything.

As soon as Li Dongling came out, Ni Guangnan obviously had something to say. Huang Lingyi also frowned. Li Dongling knew what they were going to say and said directly, "Only by keeping Qingshan here can we have a chance to make a comeback!"

"In the next few years, computer chip projects may be at a loss. Coupled with the lithography machine project, Dongxin Semiconductor needs more profitable projects such as "Sirius" to have the funds to continue research and development!

Only when Dongxin Semiconductor earns more revenue can it have funds to invest in the research and development of photolithography machines and computer chip projects. Even if it fails the first time, it can still fail a second time, a third time, or even more times. There is always a chance to stand up and compete with Intel and AMD! "

Now, Li Dongling has invested about 100 million in the computer chip team of Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi in the first three years. Compared with the R&D team led by Huang Lingyi in the previous life, the conditions are much better!

"If Dongxin Semiconductor successfully develops the first computer chip, can it compete with Intel's latest computer chip?!"

When Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi heard Li Dongling's words, they felt that Li Dongling's words did make sense. Money-burning projects like computer chips require continuous investment, just like AMD, which is constantly causing trouble for Intel, and has been around since the 1960s. In the past ten years, it has become a strong rival of Intel. This is enough to prove that only by living long can you have the chance to have the last laugh.

Wu Xinyi, the general manager of Dongxin Semiconductor, who was standing by, had a strange expression on his face. Li Dongling’s words were indeed high-sounding and hard to find fault with. The two technical experts Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi had obviously agreed with Li Dongling’s words. The remarks.

But as a manager, Wu Xinyi, who has been in the industry for many years and has drunk a lot of poisonous chicken soup, feels that Li Dongling is tying the safety of Dongxin Semiconductor to PHS mobile phone chips and other projects, as well as the computer chip project. The success or failure of the project makes Ni Guangnan, Huang Lingyi and the technical staff of Dongxin Semiconductor not pay attention to these projects!

It is said that there are three chapters in the contract, but the conditions proposed by Li Dongling are mainly these two. He can support Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi in developing computer chips, but other chip projects must not be left behind, especially mobile phone chip projects. Again, people need hope for support. For people like Ni Guangnan who have left fame and fortune behind, the belief in developing computer chip processors is the spiritual pillar that supports them in this industry!

If these technology giants are not allowed to develop computer chips for a long time, it won't be long before the scene that happened at Lenovo may happen at Tanglin Hi-Tech!

As for the research and development of computer chips, it is absolutely useful to Tanglin High-tech. Sooner or later, Tanglin High-tech will enter the computer industry. Now the research and development of chips is equivalent to making technical reserves.

Even if it fails, it still has accumulated experience. In the future, when Tanglin Hi-tech develops self-developed chips and attacks high-end computer brands, it will need top-notch chips. These experiences are all indispensable. Failure does not necessarily mean success. Mother, but it can indeed avoid a lot of detours, and the money will never be wasted!

It would be great if the research and development can be successful. Dongxin Semiconductor's first self-developed computer chip may not be too advanced in performance, but as a domestic self-developed computer chip, its emergence is definitely a milestone for the domestic chip industry. incident, Dongxin Semiconductor's domestic status will also skyrocket.

This chip cannot be installed on high-end computer brands, but it is no problem if it is installed on mid- to low-end computers. Taking the impulse route, Donglin Hi-Tech can also develop several new brands and initially test the waters in the computer industry, and wait until the time is right. At that time, Shenzhou brand computers were launched again, impacting the high-end computer brand market with the highest profits.

As a domestic computer chip, the computer chips produced by Dongxin Semiconductor may not be as good as Intel in terms of performance, but there is no need to worry about the security performance. There will be no backdoors like some chips and systems. As long as the technology and products mature, domestic satellites , machinery and equipment, etc., they will definitely be purchased, and there will be no problem in surviving.

As for making money, you definitely have to make commercial general-purpose chips, that is, sell chips for computers, mobile phones, etc. There is no way around it. Electronic products are an industry worth trillions of dollars every year. As long as you get into this industry and get a share of the pie, then Everyone can make a lot of money.

After the meeting, Li Dongling came to his office at Dongxin Semiconductor. Wu Xinyi, Ni Guangnan, Huang Lingyi and others all followed Li Dongling here.

After sitting down, Li Dongling took a sip of water and couldn't help but look out the window. He could see that there were still some low houses around Dongxin Semiconductor, but in a dozen years, this place would become a The high-rise buildings and the land purchased by Dongxin Semiconductor will become very valuable.

"Academician Ni and Professor Huang, do you already have ideas for the computer project?"

Li Dongling turned around and asked the two of them. They followed. Li Dongling knew that they must have something to talk to him.

Ni Guangnan and Huang Lingyi looked at each other, then nodded. Ni Guangnan hesitated, "I have some ideas and plans!"

Then, Ni Guangnan looked at Huang Lingyi, who also said directly, "To start the computer chip project, the most important thing at the moment is the chip architecture!"

"As you just said, Mr. Li, the first generation of computer chips we plan to develop may not be too advanced. They are currently positioned as mid-range chips and can reach the level of the 586 processor released by Intel two years ago!"

In the current computer chip industry, the most advanced processor is basically Intel's fifth-generation X86 chip, which is named the first-generation Pentium processor.

According to this plan, when Dongxin Semiconductor develops the first processor that is comparable to the first-generation Pentium, it will basically be one or two generations behind Intel. But there is no way. In such things as research and development, we can only slowly catch up. It would be great if it could be developed. Going from zero to one is much more difficult than going from one to one hundred.

"How to deal with the chip architecture?!" Li Dongling asked.

"In the future, we can develop our own chip architecture, but now, we need to buy it from abroad!"

Huang Lingyi said, obviously having discussed it with Ni Guangnan, "We are going to apply for authorization to use the MIPS chip architecture from MIPS, a subsidiary of American Silicon Graphics!"

(End of this chapter)