Intel 4004
The first commercial microprocessor, a complete 4-bit processor on a single chip, built for a Japanese calculator.
Busicom, a Japanese calculator maker, asked Intel in 1969 to build a set of chips for a line of printing calculators. Ted Hoff and Stan Mazor proposed a more general design built around a programmable processor. Federico Faggin led the chip design and Masatoshi Shima of Busicom contributed to the logic design.
Intel announced the 4004 in November 1971 as part of the MCS-4 family. It held about 2,300 transistors and ran at up to 740 kilohertz.
Why it matters
The 4004 showed that a general-purpose processor could fit on one chip and be sold as a product. Later chips, the 8008 and 8080, led to the Altair 8800 and the personal computer.
Key facts
- Announced in November 1971.
- About 2,300 transistors.
- 4-bit processor running up to 740 kilohertz.
- Designed for the Busicom 141-PF calculator.
Sources
- Campbell-Kelly, Martin, and William Aspray, et al. Computer: A History of the Information Machine. 3rd ed. Westview Press, 2013.
- Faggin, Federico. "The Birth of the Microprocessor." Byte, March 1992.
- Computer History Museum online collection catalog (computerhistory.org/collections).