On 2023-Nov-21, at 1:03 AM, ED SHARPE via cctalk wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 7:01 PM ben via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>> On 2023-11-20 5:36 p.m., Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote:
>>> On Nov. 15, 1971 Intel commercially released the 4004 microprocessor which
>>> some consider to be the first. Nonetheless, even if not in agreement, it
>>> made possible the instrument which drives the classic-computing industry or
>>> at the very least our hobby!
>>>
>>> Happy computing.
>>>
>>> Murray 🙂
>>
>> https://retrocomputingforum.com/t/swiss-physicist-builds-complete-intel-4004-computer-out-of-smd-transistors/3738
>> THE DIY VERSION
>
> So what are the other contenders and what do they bring to table
A claim is made for the first microproc being the CADC processor of an early
flight-control system for the F-14, made by Garrett AiResearch ~ 1969. I
haven't looked into it in depth - or I don't know of detailed info being
available - but apparently it was a CPU made up of several LSI chips. In my
opinion that disqualifies it, but it's all into the mug's game of specifying
'first at what?'
There's also the TMS-1000 series of calculator chips which were single-chip
programmed processors and came in the same time-frame (measured in months) of
the 4004. IIRC, there's some argument there about development vs production vs
release vs availability dates.
Also to note, there were multi-chip programmed-processor calculator chip-sets
in that time-frame, not sure of the exact timing relative to the 4004.
The microproc was simply a development whose time had come. It was a
predictable, 'in-the-air' idea brought to fruition with increasing integration
capabilities.
In reality the 4004 was/would-be awkward to use for a general-purpose system.
The 4004 CPU was tailored for use with mask-programmed ROM chips and RAM chips,
all specific to the MCS-4 family. IO was also in those MCS-4 chips. To make a
system with off-the-shelf ROM/RAM/IO chips required going through other special
MCS-4 family chips for that purpose.
Or put another way, it was a multi-chip CPU by the time you tried to make a
system with standard RAM/ROM/IO chips.
I have two embedded systems using 4004s:
- an M900 PROM programmer.
This system does have interfacing for use of off-the-shelf ROM
(1702s) and RAM.
The manual for this includes the firmware source code listing.
- the remnants of the PLL control from an avionics transceiver.
An example of a 'proper' MCS-4 system, as it was intended to be used,
with 4004 CPU, 4001 ROMs, 4002 RAM & 4201 clock-gen.
http://madrona.ca/e/4004Monument/index.html
