4004 and IC history / was Re: Vintage computer photogallery

[Brent Hilpert]

dwight elvey wrote:
> 
> > From: cclist at sydex.com> > On 12 Oct 2007 at 23:02, Brent Hilpert wrote:> > > Can't testify to it's accuracy but one of my favorite quips about the 4004> > is the reason it had that multiplexed 4-bit bus/machine cycle was to squish> > it into a 16-pin package because management didn't want to tool up for larger> > packages.> > Sounds like an urban legend to me. 24-pin packages were around in > the Intel line then, I believe. In any case, the 8008 followed suit > with an 18-pin package. I suspect that multiplexing didn't matter > much to the overall speed of the thing.
> 
> Hi
>  This was what Federico Faggin had stated at a talk he gave at the CHM.
> Packaging was expensive and they'd made volume deals on 16 pin
> packages. Faggin stated that his design could have been a few times
> faster had he not been restricted to the small bus.

Here it is, straight from FF: http://www.intel4004.com/qa4004.htm, under the
question "Q.: Was there anything unique about the 4004?" or search for "16-pin".