Computers on a chip: the origins

THE MOTHER of all single chip computers was the Motorola 6801,a processor which for the first time included all elements of a computer - central processing unit (CPU), Random Access Memory (RAM), Read only Memory (ROM), Control Unit and system clock - on a single slab of silicon. It was also known for many years as a microcontroller or Micro Controlling Unit (MCU). The name which stuck was microprocessor or microchip.

The first big market was in the automobile industry : in 1968, Volkswagen used a microprocessor for the first time in its fuel injection system. Today's technology driven cars use a number of embedded chips to monitor over a dozen parameters including transmission control, electronic throttle, antilock braking, climate control and engine control.

Dedicated CarPCs - separate from the inbuilt computer applications - are a development of the last two years, and provide voice activated assistance for navigation and fault finding. The next wave of Car computer technology is expected to be ``Fly by Wire'' - where the physical link between the steering wheel and the car wheels is replaced by a ``virtual'' link - a computer chip. This is expected to provide automatic collision avoidance.

An embedded system implies a fixed set of functions programmed into a non volatile memory ( ROM or Flash memory) while a general purpose PC can be programmed to do any number of different jobs. In recent years, mass consumer PC peripherals like printers, scanners and cameras have benefited from the development of system-on-a chip devices which perform the functions hitherto allotted to a full printed board of chips and transistors. The development of a scanner on a single chip by National Semiconductors resulted in the sharp fall of PC attachable scanners which today can be had for around Rs 4500. A.P.

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Section  : Science & Tech
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