HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSOR

The 4004 was Intel's first microprocessor.

This breakthrough invention powered the
Busicom calculator and paved the way for
embedding intelligence in inanimate objects
as well as the personal computer.

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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSOR

The invention of the microprocessor started

modestly, when Japanese manufacturer
Busicom asked Intel to design a set of chips
for a family of high-performance
programmable calculators. At the time, all
logic chips (which perform calculations and
execute programs, as opposed to memory
chips, which store instructions and data) were
custom-designed for each customer’s
product. That was all about to change.
Busicom’s original design for their calculator
called for at least 12 custom chips. But Intel
engineer Ted Hoff rejected the unwieldy
proposal and instead designed a single-chip,
general-purpose logic device that retrieved its
application instructions from semiconductor
memory.
This historical project lead to the development
of the Intel 4004 and invention of the NCR 18-16 (Busicom Junior)
microprocessor..
Source:
http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/BACKGRN 2
D/CN71898A.HTM
HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSOR

Part I: The Intel 4004, the first (Nov 1971)

The first single chip CPU was the Intel 4004, a 4-bit processor meant for
a calculator. It processed data in 4 bits, but its instructions were 8 bits
long. Program and Data memory were separate, 1K data memory and a
12-bit PC for 4K program memory (in the form of a 4 level stack, used
for CALL and RET instructions). There were also sixteen 4-bit (or eight
8-bit) general purpose registers.
The 4004 had 46 instructions, using only 2,300 transistors in a 16-pin
DIP. It ran at a clock rate of 740kHz (eight clock cycles per CPU cycle of
10.8 microseconds) - the original goal was 1MHz, to allow it to compute
BCD arithmetic as fast (per digit) as a 1960's era IBM 1620.
The 4040 (1972) was an enhanced version of the 4004, adding 14
instructions, larger (8 level) stack, 8K program space, and interrupt
abilities (including shadows of the first 8 registers). Should Pioneer 10
and Pioneer 11 ever be found by an extraterrestrial species, the 4004
will represent an example of Earth's technology.

Great Microprocessors of the Past and Present (V 12.2.0)

John Bayko 3
HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS

1971: 4004 The 8080 become the brains of the

The 4004 was Intel’s first first personal computers – the
microprocessor. Altair, allegedly named for a
destination of the Starship
1972: 8008
Enterprise from the Star Trek
The 8008 was twice as powerful as
television show.
the 4004.
Intel updated the design with the
1974:8080 8085 (1976), which added two
The 8080 become the brains of the instructions to enable/disable three
first personal computers – the added interrupt pins (and the serial
Altair. I/O pins), and simplified hardware
by only using +5V power, and
adding clock generator and bus
controller circuits on-chip.

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THE FIRST PERSONAL COMPUTER

Popular Electronics Magazine, January 1975. 5

HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS

1974: 6800
The Motorola 6800 was released shortly after Intel introduced the
8080. It had 78 instructions. The 6800 evolved into the Motorola
6801 and 6803.

1975: Z80
Introduced by ZiLOG and designed by ex-Intel engineers, the
Z80 was an impressive processor for its time. The original Z80 (a
2MHz part) was a souped-up version of the then-popular Intel
8080 processor. While compatible with the 8080, the Z80 offered
many new features: new instructions, new addressing modes, two
index registers, faster execution, high performance peripheral
chips, and a clever interrupt scheme. Soon, Z80s were available in
higher speed grades (4MHz and 6MHz). For many years, the Z80
was the king of 8-bit processors.

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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS

1975: 6502
Shortly after Intel's 8080, Motorola introduced the 6800. Some of the
designers (notably Chuck Peddle) left to start MOS Technologies (later
bought by Commodore), which introduced the 650x series which included
the 6501 (pin compatible with the 6800, taken off the market almost
immediately for legal reasons) and the 6502 (used in early Commodores,
Apples and Ataris).
Apple designer Steve Wozniak described it as the first chip you could get for
less than a hundred dollars (actually a quarter of the 6800 price) - it
became the CPU of choice for many early home computers (8 bit
Commodore and Atari products). The 6502-based Apple II line became the
longest running PC line.
Great Microprocessors of the Past and Present (V 12.2.0)
John Bayko

1976: Intel 8048 Microcontroller

Intel introduces the MCS-48 microcontroller. 251,000 units was
shipped that year.

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ERA OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS

Atari Personal Computer

Radio Shack TRS80 Apple II

Z80A, 4MHz
64 KB RAM
6502, 64 KB RAM
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 HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS

1978,79: Intel 8086 & 8088, Motorola 68000,

Zilog Z8000
The Intel 8086, released in 1978, was based on
the design of the 8080/8085 (source compatible
with the 8080) with a similar register set, but was
expanded to 16 bits.
The 8088, a successor, and cheaper version of the
8086, was released in 1979. The 8088 became
the microprocessor that power IBM first PC
(1981). IBM decided to use the Intel 8088 chip - a
16/8 chip - instead of the true 16-bit 8086 chip,
saving a few dollars in production cost, but
slowing the system down.
The 68000 was a 16-bit processor and was used
IBM PC/XT
in the Apple Macintosh in 1984.
8088, 4.7 MHz
The 16-bit Zilog Z8000 was a great design but
512KB RAM
the company struggled to provide good support
with only a few hundred staff compared to Intel
who has over 10,000 staff.
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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS

1980: Intel 8051

Intel introduce the 8051, an 8-bit microcontroller with on-board
EPROM memory. They ship 22 million (compared with 251,000 MCS-
48's in 1976) and 91 million in 1983.

1982: Intel 80286, Motorola 68010

The IBM AT uses the 80286 microprocessors.

1984: Motorola 68020

A CMOS 32-bit microprocessor with
200,000 transistors, 100 times
Apple Macintosh introduced
more transistors than the 4004.
in 1984 uses the 68000.
1985: Intel 80386
A 32-bit microprocessor with 275,000 transistors. It was the best
performing processor at this time. In 1986, Compaq became the first PC
company to push out the 80386 PC.

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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS

1985: Intel 80386

A 32-bit microprocessor with 275,000 transistors. It was
the best performing processor at this time. In 1986,
Compaq became the first PC company to push out the
80386 PC.
1986: 486
First processor that offers a built-in maths co-processor.
1993 Pentium
The Pentium processor allowed computers to more easily
incorporate the real world data such as speech, sound,
handwriting and photographic images.
1995: Pentium Pro
Featured 5.5 million transistors
1997: Pentium II
Incorporates MMX technology for multimedia processing.

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EVOLUTION OF MICROPROCESSORS

Changing density of microprocessors.

From 2,300 transistors in the 4004 to 7.5
million transistors in the Pentium II. The
P4 has about 42 million transistors.

4004 Pentium II
2,300 Transistors 7,500,000 Transistors

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EVOLUTION OF MICROPROCESSORS

Changing form of physical size of

microprocessors. From the simple DIP
(Dual Inline Package) of the 4004 to the
PGA (Pin Grid Array) of the Pentium.

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OTHER PROCESSORS – THE POWERPC

In 1981, IBM introduced the IBM

Personal Computer (IBM PC), which was
built around an Intel 8088
microprocessor. Ever since, the Intel
family of microprocessors has reigned
supreme with a 75% market share in
the $8-billion-a-year microprocessor
market.
In October 1991, Apple, IBM, and
Motorola joined forces to develop the
new PowerPC architecture and a family
of microprocessors, which they believe
The PowerPC initiative
are the foundation for a new
represents the first
credible assault of Intel’s
generation of personal computing.
dominance in the personal
computer arena.
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MOORE’S LAW

In 1965, Gordon Moore was preparing a speech and made a memorable

observation. When he started to graph data about the growth in memory
chip performance, he realized there was a striking trend. Each new chip
contained roughly twice as much capacity as its predecessor, and each
chip was released within 18-24 months of the previous chip. If this trend
continued, he reasoned, computing power would rise exponentially over
relatively brief periods of time.

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OTHER APPLICATIONS OF MICROPROCESSORS

The SuperTracker hand-held

device carried by FedEx
Point-Of-Sale Terminal
collection and delivery
agents uses a Hitachi 6303
8-bit microcontroller. It has
a 32K PROM and extended
RAM for program and data
storage.

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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS – A REVIEW

1. Who are the two founders of Intel? Which company were they working
in before founding Intel? What does the name Intel suppose to mean?
After incorporation, the founders discovered that another company has
a similar name to Intel. What was the name of that company?

2. In which year did Intel introduced their first product? What is this
product?

3. Late 1969, a Japanese company engaged Intel to design a set of

customised chips for its calculator. What is the name of this company?
Instead of designing a set of chip for the calculator functions, who
decided that Intel could build a single chip to do the work?

4. The result was the invention of the Intel 4004, the first
microprocessor. The 4004 was the brainchild of three engineers. Who
are they?

5. While the 4004 became the first microprocessor, the Intel’s package
consisted of four chips. What are they?

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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS – A REVIEW

6. An article in the ElectronicNews heralded the release of the Intel 4004

back in 1969 as one of the most revolutionary products in the history
of mankind. What speed was the 4004 running at then?

7. The breakthrough moment in microprocessing came in 1974 with the

Intel 8080 processor. The chip features a more complex instruction
set. By this time, competitors such as RCA, Honeywell. Motorola and
Fairchild had also come out with microprocessors with superior
performance. What was the name of the Motorola family of
microprocessors. Former Intel engineer Faggin and Busicom engineer
Shima had too started a microprocessor company. What is the name
of this company and what was this microprocessor that received rave
reviews at that time?

8. The 8080 also became the first processor to be used in the design of
a personal computer. What is the name given to this personal
computer? In 1981, IBM chooses to use an Intel microprocessor for
its IBM PC. The success of this processor propelled Intel into rank of
Fortune 500. Which Intel processor is that?

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HISTORY OF MICROPROCESSORS – A REVIEW

9. In April 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. What was
their early contribution in the days of the 8-bit personal computer?

10. In June 1975, MOS Technology introduced their 8-bit microprocessor

which was used in many personal computers, such as the Apple II, at
that time. What did they named this processor?

11. IBM required that Intel find a second source for the processor used in
the IBM PC. Intel turned to AMD, signing a licensing agreement that
effectively help create its lead competitor today. Why does IBM require
a second source? Who is the founder of AMD? Which company did he
work for prior to founding AMD?

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FURTHER READING

For more insight to the history of microprocessors, read Tim

Jackson’s “Inside Intel”. How are the three companies, Intel,
Fairchild and AMD related?

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