Microsystems International
Northern Electric |
Microsystems International Limited (MIL) was a
MIL is historically important as the producers of one of the world's earliest microprocessors, the MIL MF7114,[3] which was based on the design of the Intel 4004. MIL also produced a series of early microcomputers using this chip, including the MIL CPS-1, which may be the earliest example of a microcomputer system that was shipped in completed form, as opposed to a kit that had to be assembled. Several other upgraded models followed.
History
Electronic manufacturers were at that time forced to create custom integrated circuits due to the lack of industry standard ICs. MIL was an attempt to create a merchant company that could supply such standard devices as well as custom devices for Northern Electric products. Northern Electric entered the field partly at the urging of the Canadian federal government even though it had strong doubts of the viability of the company.[4]
MIL manufactured both
MIL was never able to show a profit and losses were exacerbated by the semiconductor market downturn in 1974. It was purchased and folded into Nortel's research arm Bell-Northern Research and later merged into Nortel.[4] MIL was purchased and folded into Nortel's research arm Bell-Northern Research in 1974.[6] The MIL fabrication facility continued to operate as the largest semiconductor fab in Canada until Nortel's bankruptcy in 2009.
Spinoffs
MIL's most lasting contribution is that it was the meeting place for the entrepreneurs
Another partnership formed at MIL was that of Dick Foss and Bob Harland who, on their return from the 1975 ISSCC conference where they had presented their paper on MIL's 4k DRAM,[7] found that they were no longer employed. They started MOSAID initially as a memory design house and branched out into other related areas such as reverse engineering, EDA software, and memory test equipment manufacturing. The reverse engineering business was spun off in 1989 as Semiconductor Insights, now TechInsights.
References
- ^ Ken Polsson. "Chronology of Events in the History of Microcomputers". Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2006-09-26.
- ^ Patterson, Anthony J. (1974-10-21). "Microsystem's misadventures prove costly". Ottawa Citizen. p. 72. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
- S2CID 16737817.
- ^ ISBN 978-0919493162.
- ^ ISBN 9781591841395.
- ISBN 9789052013701.
- .
External links
- Media related to Microsystems International integrated circuits at Wikimedia Commons
- Microsystems International Ltd. Collection at the York University Computer Museum
- Richard Kaußler. "Microsystems International ML709" (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-09. (operational amplifier manufactured by MIL)
- Richard Kaußler. "Microsystems International ML741" (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-28. (operational amplifier manufactured by MIL)