Two state-of-the-art quartz sensors, a 16-bit high precision analog-to-digital converter, a MOS-LSI chip set and a very efficient power unit made up the complete CADC. A team of more than 25 managers, engineers, programmers and technicians from AIResearch and American Microsystems labored for two years to achieve the design milestone of a completely state-of-the-art, highly integrated, digital air data computer. Previous designs were based on mechanical technology, involving precision gears and cams. Standard technology designed for rugged military environments, used commercially for the next five years, allowed this feat to be accomplished.
In 1971, Mr. Ray Holt wrote a design paper on MOS-LSI chip set design that was approved for publication by Computer Design magazine. However, the US Navy would not approve this paper for publication due to national security reasons. Mr Holt tried to clear the paper again in 1985 and the answer was again no. Ultimately, in April 1997, he started the process again and this time succeeded in getting approval for publication by April 21, 1998.
The complete contents of this original 1971 paper, “Architecture of a Microprocessor”, are provided here. The first public announcement of the F14A MOS-LSI microprocessor chip set was an article published by the Wall Street Journal on September 22, 1998. This paper and design details were first presented publicly by Mr. Ray Holt at the Vintage Computer Festival held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on September 26–27, 1998.
For historians who like claims, I present the following claims on the F14 MP944 microprocessor, respectively:
first microprocessor chip set
first aerospace microprocessor
First fly-by-wire flight computer
first military microprocessor
first production microprocessor
First fully integrated chip set microprocessor
First 20-bit microprocessor
The first microprocessor with built-in programmed self-test and redundancy
The first microprocessor in digital signal (DSP) applications
First microprocessor with execution pipeline
First microprocessor with parallel processing
First microprocessor with integrated mathematics co-processor
The first read-only memory (ROM) with a built-in counter.