Microprocessors
1969-1971 - Marcian Edward Hoff, Jr., Stanley Mazor, and Federico Faggin Invent the First Commercially Available Microprocessor
Marcian Edward Hoff, Jr., born October 28, 1937, Stanley Mazor, born October 22, 1941, and Federico Faggin, born December 1, 1941, all had a hand in creating the Intel 4004, the first commercially available microprocessor. A microprocessor is an electronic component that a computer utilizes to do its work. It is a central processing unit, packed onto a single integrated circuit chip. This microprocessor is able to carry out a computer's requested functions at incredible speeds. The Intel 4004 microprocessor came about when Busicom, a Japanese calculator manufacturer, asked Intel to build a chipset for high performance desktop calculators. Busicom's initial design consisted of 7 different chips, each with it's own job. Hoff, the lead engineer on the project at the time, believed that Busicom's design could be simplified down to four chips, each with a different job. Hoff also believed that the CPU could be integrated into a single chip, but because he lacked the technical expertise, that belief could not be tested. All of Hoff's information came to him from Stanley Mazor, a software engineer who reported to him. However, during 1969, Mazor and Hoff moved onto different projects, leaving behind their notes. In April 1970, Italian-born engineer Federico Faggin was hired by Intel to be the new project leader. Faggin was able to create a single chip CPU, much like what Hoff had dreamed up before. This new single chip CPU was made available to the public in late 1971.
Marcian Edward Hoff, Jr., born October 28, 1937, Stanley Mazor, born October 22, 1941, and Federico Faggin, born December 1, 1941, all had a hand in creating the Intel 4004, the first commercially available microprocessor. A microprocessor is an electronic component that a computer utilizes to do its work. It is a central processing unit, packed onto a single integrated circuit chip. This microprocessor is able to carry out a computer's requested functions at incredible speeds. The Intel 4004 microprocessor came about when Busicom, a Japanese calculator manufacturer, asked Intel to build a chipset for high performance desktop calculators. Busicom's initial design consisted of 7 different chips, each with it's own job. Hoff, the lead engineer on the project at the time, believed that Busicom's design could be simplified down to four chips, each with a different job. Hoff also believed that the CPU could be integrated into a single chip, but because he lacked the technical expertise, that belief could not be tested. All of Hoff's information came to him from Stanley Mazor, a software engineer who reported to him. However, during 1969, Mazor and Hoff moved onto different projects, leaving behind their notes. In April 1970, Italian-born engineer Federico Faggin was hired by Intel to be the new project leader. Faggin was able to create a single chip CPU, much like what Hoff had dreamed up before. This new single chip CPU was made available to the public in late 1971.
Justification - Marcian Hoff, Jr., Stanley Mazor, Federico Faggin and the microprocessor were included in this project for a good reason. The microprocessor started as Hoff's dream, which was then realized by Faggin. A microprocessor is a miniature CPU chip, which is what allows a computer to perform functions. This invention helped improve the world.