5 ms·

MP944: The First Microprocessor (2014)

38 points by mmastrac 2y ago

dmitrygr 2y ago
Guess the website is hosted on it... "Resource Limit Reached" Here is a backup: https://web.archive.org/web/20240528075957/https://firstmicroprocessor.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20240528075957/https://firstmicr...
- rkagerer 2y ago
  Here's the Architecture Of A Microprocessor paper, authored in 1971 and declassified in '98: https://firstmicroprocessor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ap1-26-97.pdf https://firstmicroprocessor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/a... Was the word "computerational" in the second sentence intentional, or a misspelling of computational?
msla 2y ago
If you define a microprocessor as being a CPU on one chip, the MP944 wasn't it. > The CADC's MP944 chip set ran at 375 kHz, executing 9375 instructions per second. It contained six chips used to build the CADC, all based on a 20-bit fixed-point-fraction two's complement number system. They were the parallel multiplier unit (PMU) in a 28-pin DIP, the parallel divider unit (PDU) (28-pin DIP), the random-access storage (RAS) (14-pin DIP), the read-only memory (ROM) (14-pin DIP), the special logic function (SLF) (28-pin DIP), and the steering logic unit (SLU) (28-pin DIP). The complete system of 28 circuits consists of 1 PMU, 1 PDU, 1 SLF, 3 RASs, 3 SLUs, and 19 ROMs, enabled by 74,442 transistors.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- Pet_Ant 2y ago
  I think it might be the first very advanced logic integrated circuit maybe, but if it doesn't support conditional logic and stored programs I think it's hard to call it a processor. Processors already existed, if it doesn't do conceptually all the things a processor did, it's hard to call it one, and then you are just left with micro.
- detourdog 2y ago
  A central processing unit is a term that predates using the lithographic process for microprocessors. I have documentation trying to describe the signal processing of early inertial guidance system. The documents describe all the input and output be routed to what they call a central processing unit. This unit contained many boards but centralized the signal routing to single area and could be processed in a sequence.
- snakeyjake 2y ago
  There are very few engineers who wouldn't consider the POWER1 and POWER2 from IBM to be microprocessors. They are also multi-chip units. The POWER1 was multiple chips on a PCB and the POWER2 was multiple dies on a single module (like modern AMD and Intel CPUs, but 30 years ago). The word "microprocessor" was first used in 1968 by Viatron Computer Systems to describe its System 21, which had a multi-chip CPU spread across two boards.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
rkagerer 2y ago
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. Any further info about the redundancy and failover features?
certik 2y ago
Does anyone know how many transistors were on each chip? The complete system of 28 chips had 74,442 transistors. From that it follows that some chip had at least 74,442 / 28 = 2,659 transistors. But I am guessing some chips had less, and some chips had more. I am curious how many transistors the chips had on this computer, specifically what was the maximum amount per IC.
aswanson 2y ago
Completed in 2 years. Impressive.
coadytech 2y ago
For those interested, this YouTube video covers the MP944’s use in the F14 and arguments over what the first microprocessor was pretty well: https://youtu.be/YpruA5mC7wg?si=GC1mU5BO-DJyPW0V https://youtu.be/YpruA5mC7wg?si=GC1mU5BO-DJyPW0V

38 points by mmastrac 2y ago

Guess the website is hosted on it... "Resource Limit Reached" Here is a backup: https://web.archive.org/web/20240528075957/https://firstmicroprocessor.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20240528075957/https://firstmicr...

rkagerer 2y ago
Here's the Architecture Of A Microprocessor paper, authored in 1971 and declassified in '98: https://firstmicroprocessor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ap1-26-97.pdf https://firstmicroprocessor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/a... Was the word "computerational" in the second sentence intentional, or a misspelling of computational?

msla 2y ago

If you define a microprocessor as being a CPU on one chip, the MP944 wasn't it. > The CADC's MP944 chip set ran at 375 kHz, executing 9375 instructions per second. It contained six chips used to build the CADC, all based on a 20-bit fixed-point-fraction two's complement number system. They were the parallel multiplier unit (PMU) in a 28-pin DIP, the parallel divider unit (PDU) (28-pin DIP), the random-access storage (RAS) (14-pin DIP), the read-only memory (ROM) (14-pin DIP), the special logic function (SLF) (28-pin DIP), and the steering logic unit (SLU) (28-pin DIP). The complete system of 28 circuits consists of 1 PMU, 1 PDU, 1 SLF, 3 RASs, 3 SLUs, and 19 ROMs, enabled by 74,442 transistors.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Pet_Ant 2y ago
I think it might be the first very advanced logic integrated circuit maybe, but if it doesn't support conditional logic and stored programs I think it's hard to call it a processor. Processors already existed, if it doesn't do conceptually all the things a processor did, it's hard to call it one, and then you are just left with micro.
detourdog 2y ago
A central processing unit is a term that predates using the lithographic process for microprocessors. I have documentation trying to describe the signal processing of early inertial guidance system. The documents describe all the input and output be routed to what they call a central processing unit. This unit contained many boards but centralized the signal routing to single area and could be processed in a sequence.
snakeyjake 2y ago
There are very few engineers who wouldn't consider the POWER1 and POWER2 from IBM to be microprocessors. They are also multi-chip units. The POWER1 was multiple chips on a PCB and the POWER2 was multiple dies on a single module (like modern AMD and Intel CPUs, but 30 years ago). The word "microprocessor" was first used in 1968 by Viatron Computer Systems to describe its System 21, which had a multi-chip CPU spread across two boards.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]

rkagerer 2y ago

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. Any further info about the redundancy and failover features?

certik 2y ago

Does anyone know how many transistors were on each chip? The complete system of 28 chips had 74,442 transistors. From that it follows that some chip had at least 74,442 / 28 = 2,659 transistors. But I am guessing some chips had less, and some chips had more. I am curious how many transistors the chips had on this computer, specifically what was the maximum amount per IC.

aswanson 2y ago

Completed in 2 years. Impressive.

coadytech 2y ago

For those interested, this YouTube video covers the MP944’s use in the F14 and arguments over what the first microprocessor was pretty well: https://youtu.be/YpruA5mC7wg?si=GC1mU5BO-DJyPW0V https://youtu.be/YpruA5mC7wg?si=GC1mU5BO-DJyPW0V