Processors have been in development since the 1960's with several various iterations being designed and produced, but most consisted of large modules and boards and were referred to as a system, or commonly, a microcomputer. It wasn't until 1971 that the market was introduced to Intel's microsized refined 4 bit processor semiconductor device, the i4004. The design team for the device, which was packaged in a small ceramic case with 28 pins, was headed up by Federico Faggin. The i4004 became a popular success with various customers who soon developed and demonstrated amazing uses for the programmable device. Many previous designs, based on modules, transistors and general logic, were being upstaged by the capabilities of competing products using the new miniature processors, which soon resulted in an industry transition getting underway, realigning itself with the Central Processing Unit or CPU, as a solution.
Over the next 30 years, a plethora of microprocessors were developed; available in different types of packages, speed, voltages, bits and functions. The microprocessor race had begun.
Although memory maker Intel had released their first device, the i4004, with great success, they soon followed up with the release of the 8 bit version, the i8008. It wasn't long before other processors from other companies began to be released that out-performed these first generation devices. Motorola, after a two year development cycle, released the 6800 in 1974. A powerful compact device that enjoyed quick market uptake for its easy to implement in designs. In 1975 MOS released their 6502 processor (after a turbulent start to entering the market with a Motorola 6800 copy, which MOS willingly withdrew). The 6502 had the timely release, at the right price and performance, to attract Steve Wozniak, who was looking for a cost effective replacement to the expensive 6800 device for his up and coming design, the soon to be Apple I.
In 1976, Intel introduced an updated i8080 device, the 8085. In the same year, Texas Instruments (TI) entered the market with the TMS9900, and industry legend, Zilog, released their Z80.
From here, United States companies Intel, Motorola, MOS, IBM and TI blazed their way into processor history defining the defacto processing standards for super computers and personal computers alike, whilst competing with each other through device updates and company buy outs. In 1978, Intel released the soon to be industry classic, the i8086, and the cost effective version, the i8088, in 1979. IBM entered the market in 1979 as well, with their RISC device, the 801. Zilog and Motorola, in the same year, also released their new and improved devices, both destined to be industry legacy devices, the Z8000 and the MC68000 respectively.
From there, up until current times, most new processors were improved versions or derivatives of these devices. Low cost, low power, wider bits, smaller footprints and extra registers were just some of the key improvements that compatible devices went through to attract and enable new markets. Most devices had always been sold as tangible items, shipped in tubes, trays and reels suitable for standard assembly processes around the world. It wasn't until the dawn of early programmable devices, such as Xilinx LCA's (Logic Cell Array), that led to the creation of high density FPGA's (Field Programmable Gate Array), that an alternative solution to processors could be realised. In 2001, the soft processor was born. Living inside the fabric of a modern FPGA, downloaded from the internet in only a few seconds, the cost effective soft CPU performed all the tasks and functions of their tangible counterpart processors, but for a fraction of the cost. The potential end to a long day in the market place for hard processors was being predicted, and the sun was starting to set on fixed CPU devices.
