MIL MF7114 microprocessor
Dublin Core
Title
MIL MF7114 microprocessor
Subject
hardware: integrated circuits
Description
Historical context
(by Z. Stachniak)
The MF7114 was an early 4-bit single-chip microprocessor designed and built by Microsystems International Ltd. (MIL) of Montreal between 1970 and 1972. It was the first microprocessor designed and manufactured in Canada.
The MF7114 has its roots in the development of Intel's first single-chip central processing unit (CPU) -- the 4004. Before it was given the `MF7114' designation, the chip's general architecture was called the Intel 4005 and the purpose of its development was to backup the 4004's project, to fabricate a simpler general-purpose microprocessor in case of the 4004's fiasco.
When in early 1971 the design work on the 4004 chip resulted in silicon wafers with a sufficient number of fully-functional CPUs on them to permit the chips' fabrication at the target cost, Intel abandoned the 4005 project. MIL on the other hand, continued the 4005's development and, by mid 1972, had its own 4-bit microprocessor -- the MF7114.
MIL marketed the MF7114 as a CPU for stored program controllers. In 1973, the company designed an MF7114-based controller board to demonstrate the use of the chip to control the Singer Telerex 30 PMI Matrix Printer.
The company also used the MF7114 to design a 4-bit microcomputer -- the CPS-1 (also referred to as the CPS/1, MPS/1, and MC-1). The computer was offered in two versions. The first one was a single-board version. The board included the MF7114 CPU, clock, 4Kb of memory, and 16 I/O ports including a TTY interface. The second version was a modularly designed hardware that included a chassis with backplane bus for system's expansions, a CPU and memory board, a power supply, a programmer's console, and the PROM connector to the PROM programmer. Designed in 1973, the CPS-1 was the first microprocessor powered computer built in Canada.
References
(by Z. Stachniak)
The MF7114 was an early 4-bit single-chip microprocessor designed and built by Microsystems International Ltd. (MIL) of Montreal between 1970 and 1972. It was the first microprocessor designed and manufactured in Canada.
The MF7114 has its roots in the development of Intel's first single-chip central processing unit (CPU) -- the 4004. Before it was given the `MF7114' designation, the chip's general architecture was called the Intel 4005 and the purpose of its development was to backup the 4004's project, to fabricate a simpler general-purpose microprocessor in case of the 4004's fiasco.
When in early 1971 the design work on the 4004 chip resulted in silicon wafers with a sufficient number of fully-functional CPUs on them to permit the chips' fabrication at the target cost, Intel abandoned the 4005 project. MIL on the other hand, continued the 4005's development and, by mid 1972, had its own 4-bit microprocessor -- the MF7114.
MIL marketed the MF7114 as a CPU for stored program controllers. In 1973, the company designed an MF7114-based controller board to demonstrate the use of the chip to control the Singer Telerex 30 PMI Matrix Printer.
The company also used the MF7114 to design a 4-bit microcomputer -- the CPS-1 (also referred to as the CPS/1, MPS/1, and MC-1). The computer was offered in two versions. The first one was a single-board version. The board included the MF7114 CPU, clock, 4Kb of memory, and 16 I/O ports including a TTY interface. The second version was a modularly designed hardware that included a chassis with backplane bus for system's expansions, a CPU and memory board, a power supply, a programmer's console, and the PROM connector to the PROM programmer. Designed in 1973, the CPS-1 was the first microprocessor powered computer built in Canada.
The MF7114 Specifications
- data bus - 4 bit, bi-directional
- address bus - 12 bit
- communications bus: (COMBUS) 21 bit, included 16 lines of data and address buses plus 5 control lines
- clock speed: 0.9 microseconds per cycle
- on-chip registers: accumulator (AC, 4 bit), program counter (PC, 12 bit), data pointer (DP, 12 bit), overflow register (OF, 1 bit)
- virtual (working) registers: eight 4-bit and eight 12 bit registers
- number of instructions: 58, executed in three to five cycles
- supporting chips: the MF1601 ROM and MF7115 RAM
- packaging: 24-pin DIP
Museum Holdings
A promotional paperweight with a 7114 chip set consisting of an MF 7114 CPU, an MF1601 ROM, and an MF7115 RAM.References
- MF8008 Central Processor Applications Manual, MIL,
Bulletin 80007, 1974. - Stachniak, Z. The MIL MF7114 Microprocessor. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing,October-December 2010 (vol. 32 no. 4) pp. 48-59.
- MIL CPS-1 Emulator: Design Notes and Programmer's Guide, Version 2.2, York University Computer Museum, 2021.
Creator
Microsystems International Ltd. (MIL)
Date
1971-1975
Contributor
John Freeman, John Hackman, Kelly Hamilton, and Zbigniew Stachniak
Contribution Form
Online Submission
No
Files
Citation
Microsystems International Ltd. (MIL), “MIL MF7114 microprocessor,” York University Computer Museum Canada, accessed November 21, 2024, https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/items/show/117.