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In 1971, Intel successfully integrated the arithmetic unit and the controller and launched the Intel 4004 microprocessor for calculators. In fact, it only integrated 2300 transistors, with a 4-bit word length and an operating frequency of 1MHz. Although this is too small compared to today's 3GHz Pentium 4 processor, it was very remarkable at the time. With a speed of 60,000 operations, instructions can be retrieved from semiconductor memory and a large number of different functions can be implemented. It kicked off the development of microprocessors. Note: The word length refers to the number of digits of the machine (binary number) supported by the arithmetic operator. A CPU with a longer word length has stronger computing power. The word length of 4004 was only 4 bits; later, the word length of microprocessors increased to 8 bits and 16 bits. The x86 series CPUs after 80386 all adopted a 32-bit word length; while the Itanium processor has a 64-bit word length; word length Size is an important characteristic of CPU generation.
At that time, a very famous person read about the I4004 in a scientific magazine and immediately wanted to use this CPU to develop an operating system for personal use. As a result, after some careful tossing, he found that the function of I4004 was too weak, and the system functions and Basic language he wanted to implement could not be implemented on it, so he had to give up. This person is Bill Gates, the current boss of Microsoft. But from then on, he paid great attention to the trends of Intel, and finally established Microsoft Corporation in 1975.
In 1972, Intel developed the I8008 processor after the I4004, integrating 3500 transistors; electronics enthusiasts applied it to less flexible terminal equipment called "TV typewriters" superior. This chip is actually relatively simple, and it didn't have much use, so it disappeared.
In 1974, Intel developed the 8080 processor, which integrated 6,000 transistors and performed 290,000 operations per second. 8080 is mainly used to control traffic lights. That year, Ed Roberts used 8080 as the core to create the first Altair 8800 personal computer, which caused a sensation in the electronics industry, and social media also reported on the matter. Altair8800 has 256KB of memory, no keyboard, mouse, monitor, data storage device, and no software. The input data is to record the code through the switch of the trigger, and the output is to use a flashing red light to give the answer to the binary code. Although it is very primitive, But it was still very popular at the time; but strictly speaking, such a computer was useless and just a toy.
Later, Intel, Motorola, and Zilog successively launched 8-bit microprocessors such as Intel 8085, MC6800, and Z80. These microprocessors integrate about 90,000 transistors and begin to replace electronic logic devices and are used in various application circuits and equipment. Motorola's 6800 series created another PC group represented by Apple Computer.
In 1977, Tandy Corporation and Commodore Business Machines Corporation installed monitors into personal computers and began using tapes to store data and programs. PC supporting software in its infancy also began to appear on the market: Microsoft's Basic (1974), word processing program (1975), spreadsheet (1979), database software (1980), desktop printing software (1983), coloring and painting software (1984), all of which required more powerful microprocessors.
In 1978, Intel launched the first 16-bit microprocessor 8086, and also produced the math coprocessor 8087 to match it. The two chips used the same instruction set. Later, Intel produced CPU, are compatible with it. Intel 8086 integrates 29,000 transistors and has a clock frequency of 4.77MHz. The internal data bus (the bus that transmits data inside the CPU) and the external data bus (the bus that transmits data outside the CPU) are both 16 bits. The address bus is 20 bits, which can be found Address 1MB of memory. Today's CPUs generally have built-in math co-processors, so you cannot buy (and do not need) the corresponding Pentium co-processor; however, due to technical limitations in the 1970s and 1980s, the math co-processor can generally only be made into another chip. For users to choose; this has the advantage of reducing manufacturing costs, improving yield, and reducing expenditures for speed-insensitive users: they can temporarily not buy a math coprocessor until they buy one and plug it into an IC socket when needed. Just inside.
The digital coprocessor is an additional processor responsible for cooperating with the CPU to perform mathematical operations (commonly known as floating point operations) such as logarithms, exponentials, and trigonometric functions. The floating point computing capability of the CPU mainly depends on the coprocessor. Floating point operations are crucial for computers to process 3D data. In the era of i8086/8, i80286 and i80386, the CPU and digital coprocessor were installed separately on the computer motherboard. Based on the 8086 architecture, more complex software can be developed; therefore, commercial PC computers are possible; IBM has actively contacted Intel Corporation, hoping to use the x86 CPU architecture to manufacture personal computers (Personal Computers). By 1979, Intel modified the packaging form of the 16-bit microprocessor 8086 and adopted a dual-in-line DIP package - which could be plugged into a DIP socket without soldering; and modified the external bus to the popular 8-bit one at the time (compared to 8086 was originally a degeneration), compatible with and controlled a large number of existing peripherals at the time, allowing a wider range of applications.
Finally in August 1981, IBM decided to use the 8088 processor and launched the IBM-PC (Personal Computer) microcomputer in conjunction with other equipment. The IBM-PC machine adopted an open modular design structure and had With great functional flexibility and compatibility, IBM has also fully disclosed its complete technical information (including system instruction codes), causing other manufacturers to develop and produce supporting peripherals and host devices. Since then, microcomputers using different microprocessors and equipped with different peripherals, with ever-increasing functions, have formed PC series such as 286, 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium II, Pentium III, and Pentium 4, leading us into a new era of PCs. era.
When the IBM PC was being developed, Microsoft was in dire straits. When Bill Gates heard the news, he immediately flew to IBM and asked for cooperation. But at the beginning, IBM was not interested in Bill Gates. They originally hoped that the pre-installed operating system (OS, Operating Systems) would be an OS called CP/M, but they could not negotiate the price with the other party; at this time Gates pestered the IBM people as a whole and came up with a free trick - Microsoft provided the operating system of the IBM PC basically free of charge. The temptation was really great, and in the end, the people at IBM reluctantly agreed to this small company; fortunately, business techniques such as background checks were popular at that time, otherwise Gates would have exposed the secret; because Microsoft actually does not have its own operating system , when Gates was almost talking about it, he quietly found someone to spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy a set and modify it according to the IBM PC architecture. When the IBM PC was launched, the random operating system was IBM PC DOS 1.0; Microsoft later released its own version of MS DOS; and made a fortune selling it to compatible machine manufacturers.
Intel released a less important CPU - 80186. This CPU was not adopted by PC manufacturers. It is said that it was abandoned mainly due to software compatibility issues; there is only a photo taken here as a souvenir.
The next year, in 1982, the American company COMPAQ launched the IBM PC compatible machine for the first time. In a short period of time, hundreds of companies producing IBM PC compatibles appeared around the world, and the CPU at the core of the first generation of PCs, the I8088, became more and more popular.
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In 1982, Intel launched the 80286 chip based on the 8086. The 286 chip has a 16-bit word length, integrates 143,000 transistors, and the clock frequency is gradually increased from the initial 6MHz to 20MHz. Its internal and external data buses are both 16 bits, and the address bus is 24 bits. Compared with 8086, 80286 has an addressing capacity of 16MB. It can use external storage devices to simulate a large amount of storage space, thus greatly expanding the working scope of 80286. It can also use the multi-tasking hardware mechanism to quickly switch the processor back and forth between various tasks. , to run multiple tasks simultaneously, its speed is increased by 5 times or more than 8086. IBM uses 80286 in AT machines with more advanced technology. Compared with IBM PCs, the external bus of AT machines is 16 bits (PC XT machines are 8 bits), and the memory can generally be expanded to 16MB, which can support larger The hard drive supports VGA display system, which is a significant improvement in performance compared to the PC XT machine.
But at this time, there were big differences within IBM: many people internally opposed the rapid switch to the sales of 286 computers, because the 286 PC would have an impact on IBM's minicomputers and the previous PC XT sales. , they want a slow transition. But Intel couldn't wait. The 80286 processor had already been mass-produced and could not be piled up in the warehouse waiting for IBM to slowly digest it. At this time, Compaq, which produced IBM-compatible PCs, took advantage of a loophole and quickly launched 286 PCs. , defeating IBM in one fell swoop and becoming the market leader. Microprocessors determine the performance and speed of computers. Whoever creates a high-speed CPU with excellent performance can lead the new trend of computers.
In the era of popularization of 16-bit microcomputers, although Intel's 8088/8086/80286 chips were very successful, at the same time, Zilog's Z8000, Motorola's 68000 and other CPUs all had good performance, and IBM, AMD is also developing X86-compatible CPUs, and Intel is always facing severe challenges. It is precisely because of the expanded capabilities of 80286 that GUI operating systems such as Windows have begun to become practical.
What is mentioned above is only the early stage of the development of Intel CPU, and due to space constraints, we will publish the rest one after another.