Title
RCA 1800 microprocessor family, panel
Catalog Number
102740218
Type
Moving image
Description
Beginning in 1971, RCA—through a number of interesting, extenuating circumstances—developed the first CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) microprocessor family, the 1800 Microprocessor Series. The 1800 Series enabled a number of “firsts,” most notably very low power consumption and operation down to DC. It was viewed as the most robust, highest performance per joule of energy microprocessor of the 1970/1980 era. These characteristics propelled the first commercial usage in space and under-the-hood in automobiles. In 2017, CMOS technology remains the fundamental semiconductor technology used for microprocessors. This oral history describes the birth, design, and commercialization of the 1800 Microprocessor Series and why it continues to perform in space applications, 24 years after it was launched.
Date
2017-10-05
Participants
|
Ahrons, Richard, Interviewee
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|
Diamond, Stephen, Moderator
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|
Kucharewski, Nick, Interviewee
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Russo, Paul, Interviewee
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Sanquini, Richard, Moderator
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Publisher
Computer History Museum
Place of Publication
Mountain View, CA
Format
MOV
Category
Oral history
Subject
RCA; Microprocessor; Space mission
Credit
Computer History Museum
