The 4004 CPU of my youth

This article is a recollection of the development of the world´s first microprocessor, the 4004, as seen from Busicom Corp., the Japanese desktop calculator manufacturer where this author was working from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. In 1969, Busicom Corp. launched a project to develop LSI chips for a ROM-based, macroinstruction-programmable decimal computer system. At that time, Busicom was a successful Japanese manufacturer of electronic calculators with a reputation for innovation. Through the LSI project, Busicom and Intel Corporation succeeded in March 1971 in developing the world´s first 4-b microprocessor, the 4004, a product that was conceptually the exclusive property of Busicom.