The world's first microprocessor was a U.S. government project, page 1
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Topic started on 20-4-2005 @ 06:30 PM by beyondSciFi
The F14 CADC, from F-14A Central Air Data Computer, designed by Steve Geller and Ray Holt of Garrett AiResearch Corp. and completed in June 1970, was the world's first multiple-chip microprocessor. The MOS-LSI chipset was developed for the US Navy's F-14 Tomcat fighter jet.

***The Intel 4004, released on 15 November 1971, was the first single-chip microprocessor. However, the 4004 was a simple 4-bit CPU, without pipelining and other 'luxurious' facilities, and hence was much less capable than the CADC.***


Source:
en.wikipedia.org...

This site describes the design work for a MOS-LSI microprocessor chip set designed starting June 1968 and completed by June 1970. This highly integrated computer chip set was designed for the US Navy F14A "TomCat" fighter jet by Mr. Steve Geller and Mr. Ray Holt (Ray's Biography) while working for Garrett AiResearch Corp under contract from Grumman Aircraft, the prime contractor for the US Navy. The MOS-LSI chips were manufactured by American Microsystems, Inc of Santa Clara, California.

The MOS-LSI chip set was part of the Central Air Data Computer (CADC) which had the function of controlling the moving surfaces of the aircraft and the displaying of pilot information. The CADC received input from five sources, 1) static pressure sensor, dynamic pressure sensor, analog pilot information, temperature probe, and digital switch pilot input. The output of the CADC controlled the moving surfaces of the aircraft. These were the wings, maneuver flaps, and the glove vane controls. The CADC also controlled four cockpit displays for, Mach Speed, Altitude, Air Speed, and Vertical Speed. The CADC was a redundant system with real-time self-testing built-in. Any single failure from one system would switch over to the other. Two state-of-the-art quartz sensors, a 20-bit high precision analog-to-digital converter, a 20-bit high precision digital-to-analog converter, the MOS-LSI chip set, and a very efficient power unit made up the complete CADC. A team of over 25 managers, engineers, programmers, and technicians from AiResearch and American Microsystems labored for three years to accomplish a design feat never before attempted, a complete state-of-the-art, highly integrated, digital air data computer. Previous designs were based around mechanical technology, consisting of precision gears and cams.

In 1971, Mr. Ray Holt wrote a design paper on the MOS-LSI chip set design which was approved for publication by Computer Design magazine. However, because of national security reasons the U.S. Navy would not approve this paper for publication. Mr. Holt attempted again in 1985 to have the paper cleared and the answer again was no. Finally, in April 1997, he started the process again and this time was able to receive clearance for publication as of April 21, 1998.


Source: www.microcomputerhistory.com...

Link to the published papers on the project: www.microcomputerhistory.com...

Just goes to show you how much more advanced the government is then any civilian technology. Not only where the able to produce a microprocessor before the Intel 4004 but it was much more powerful. Makes you wonder how many years ahead they are now with computer components.

(Is it just me or is the font a little different...?)

[edit on 20-4-2005 by beyondSciFi]



reply posted on 21-4-2005 @ 09:36 PM by Civil44
I'm skeptical about the government having micro proccessors 30-50 years more advanced than the civilian populace. The government would be hard pressed to build the fabrication plants to build the processors and for them to have one running at 1 Gig back in '75 they would have to have been working on it for at least 5 maybe 10 years prior. It took a lot of breakthroughs in cpu design just to it 1 ghz period. Not to mention 100 mghz or 500 mghz. Really id say it'd be pretty amazing if the technology to hit 1 ghz even existed in 75.

I know the military has specially designed hardware for there computers that are made for specific tasks. Such as air traffic control and battle field deployment tracking systems but there cpu speeds would still be throttled by current technologies. The military does have special cpu's designed to do a certain task more efficiently than any normal cpu would do and they have motherboards with many more layers than what we have now(for whatever reason i don't know). As the cpu speeds of our day increased so did our manufacturing proccesses. Intel pioneered the processes needed to increase the cpu speed and attributes.

The government has more money and resources than anyone else. But for them to be able to build a theoretical cpu that could operate at speeds of oh say 50-100 ghz(w/e you want I'm just compensating for moores law and the years going by) then they'd be making them out of diamonds or some other unknown material that could dissipate heat in much the same way as diamond can. Because a cpu made of silicon running at those speeds more literally require N20 to cool it(liquid nitrogen) or it would melt anything that it touched and burn up into a smoldering pile of technological crap. And really you'd need something a little more intense than even N20 cooling it.

So after all that rambling(i know u love me) and in conclusion. Unless the government were making cpu's out of diamonds or some material that could dissipate heat in an amazing and really almost impossible way. Unless the government created large and very noticeable Fabrication factory's for there special cpu's. And unless the government bought computers and had super computers built for them for nothing and just to cover up the fact that they had these super fast cpu's. I doubt it.

I'm not knocking you by the way beyondscfi. I just read a lot about these type of things and i know how our current cpu's and some of our future ones work and how there built(or at least in what way). The government doesn't have cpu's that run at 50-100 ghz. But they do have huge server farms of cpu's dedicated to certain tasks which would equate to being much more powerful than what we have today. You might wanna check out www.top500.org and I'm sure that they don't list everything they've got but it gives you a good picture of where were at.


reply posted on 22-4-2005 @ 01:32 PM by beyondSciFi
Originally posted by Seraphim_Serpente
No duh - HELLO the company is called "Intel" & what, that is just like a
"Co-Incidence"? Yeah & "RAND" is not Really the CIA & DarpaNet (the "Packet" idea) was no Big Deal really!


Intel is not really "Intel". Intel stands for Integrated Electronics. See logo:


"Intel" doesnt get its name from the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) as some people think, maybe your just reading too much into everything. Just because its a coincidence doesnt mean what your saying is right.

[edit on 22-4-2005 by beyondSciFi]
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