 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware Computer software |
| Founded | 4 June 1993; 32 years ago (1993-06-04), inColchester, England |
| Founder | John Ballance Jack Lillingston Peter Wild |
| Defunct | 2018 (2018) |
| Successor | RISC OS Developments Ltd. |
| Headquarters | , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
| Products | Iyonix PC RISC OS RISC PC |
| Divisions | Tematic |
| Website | castle-technology.co.uk at theWayback Machine (archived 2006-02-15) |
Castle Technology Limited, named afterFramlingham Castle,[1] was a Britishcomputer company based inCambridge,England.[2] It began as a producer ofARM computers and manufactured theAcorn-branded range of desktop computers that runRISC OS.[3]
Following the break-up ofAcorn in 1998, Castle Technology bought the rights to continue production of theRISC PC andA7000+ computers under the Acornbrand.[4] Castle Technology later released theIyonix PC in November 2002,[5] the firstdesktop computer to use theIntelXScalemicroarchitecture and then bought the rights to theRISC OS Technology fromPace in July 2003.[6]
After Acorn withdrew from thedesktop computer industry in 1998, Castle Technology acquired the rights to produce theA7000,A7000+ andRISC PC using theAcorn brand.[7]
In 2001, development started on theIyonix PC (codenamedTungsten) as aset-top unit (STU) in secret by engineers atPace's Shipley campus along with a32-bit version ofRISC OS 4 (known as RISC OS 5). When management discovered the project the campus was closed.[8]
Castle Technology acquired the proposed designs and the original engineers from Pace to further develop the Tungsten into adesktop computer. Robert Sprowson, the original hardware designer, declined to join Castle Technology and so Peter Wild was recruited.[8] The Iyonix PC was released six months later. Although it was well received, it was not designed for long-term production and therefore used some components that were near obsolete when it was released.[8]
A problem for the Iyonix PC was that it usedleaded components which were outlawed with the adoption ofDirective 2002–95/EC in February 2003 by theEuropean Union. However, by this time Castle Technology was financially troubled and could not afford to re-engineer the Iyonix PC without the leaded components.[8] The remaining Iyonix stock were passed to Iyonix Limited which stopped distribution on 30 September 2008.[9]
In 2004, Castle Technology acquired Tematic to further development ofRISC OS inembedded systems.[10] In December 2005, Castle Technology moved its main office to the former premises of itssoftware development division,[2] following the migration of Tematic to a neighbouring premises in Signet Court,Cambridge.[11]
In 2018RISC OS Developments acquired Castle Technology Ltd including the Intellectual Property.[12]
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