Texas Instruments came up with a three-chip design, but came up with a single-chip CPU after Datapoint pointedly asked, "Can't you build it on one chip like Intel?" This chip became the TMX 1795. Datapoint gave TI the specifications and told them to go ahead.
Texas Instruments started building a CPU for Datapoint around April 1970.Ī Texas Instruments salesman at Datapoint learned that Intel was building a processor for Datapoint and asked if Texas Instruments could build them one too. Meanwhile, a Texas Instruments salesman found out about Datapoint's CPU project with Intel and wanted to see if TI could fulfill Datapoint's needs. Thus, Datapoint wasn't particularly interested in the 8008 any more.įirst description of the Intel 8008 processor in print. Meanwhile, Datapoint built a switching power supply for the 2200, which eliminated the heating concerns, and was planning to start producing the 2200 with the processor board of TTL chips. You might expect there was a race to build the first microprocessor, so you may be surprised that both the 40 projects were put on hold for months. During this time, there was a mention of future 8008 chip in Electronic Design (below)-I suspect I've found the first public mention of the 8008. Intel developed a functional specification for the chip by June 1970 and then put the project on hold for six months. In any case, Intel ended up agreeing to build a CPU chip for Datapoint using the architecture of the Datapoint 2200. but Noyce initially rejected the idea, thinking that a CPU chip wouldn't have a significant market.
ĭatapoint's story is that Datapoint founder Gus Roche and designer Jack Frassanito suggested to Intel's co-founder Robert Noyce that Intel build a single-chip CPU with Datapoint's design. Intel engineer Stan Mazor told Datapoint that Intel could not only do that, but could put the whole 2200 processor board on a chip. Intel's story is that Datapoint asked if Intel could build memory chips for the processor stack that had an integrated stack pointer register. Datapoint met with Intel in December 1969, and what happened next depends on whether you listen to Intel or Datapoint. While building the Datapoint 2200, its designers were looking for ways to make the processor board smaller and generate less heat. The 8008 was built to replace this board. The processor board from the Datapoint 2200.
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