MICROELECTRONICS NEWSLETTER
July 24, 1976

AMI
Glen Pennisten has been out of the main stream of the semiconductor industry for a few years, but he hasn't lost touch. Presumably this sabbatical has given him the opportunity to gain perspective on the future course of the industry, especially from a user point of view. We would expect AMI to become more perceptive of coming application trends, to formulate a firmer policy on custom vs standard products, and to decide upon AMI's role in the microprocessor boom. AMI to date has seemed unable to couple its custom circuit "handholding" ability with microprocessor applications the two could be meshed to AMI's benefit.

HEADHUNTER PLOYS
We will attempt to get another side of this through Vactec. Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Engineering-Executive Consultants (EEC) is still insisting that it has been recruiting for a "major semiconductor firm" moving to Phoenix. The story is regarded with great suspicion locally; if not true, it will be another example of gross lack of ethics in the business.

INTERSIL FRAGMENTATION
Unfortunately for Intersil, all too true.

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS
Motorola has been involved all along, especially with Chrysler. National's interaction is with Ford in this case, but it's probably true that Motorolais competing aggressively.

RAM PINOUTS
In spite of the apparent agreement on the 16K-bit RAM pinout (16 pins), some differences in the function on the pins exist. The industry has not learned its lesson from the 4K confusion.