Ray Holt is an American computer designer who, at 23 years old, led the logic design of the Central Air Data Computer (CADC), a classified chip set Garrett AiResearch built between 1968 and 1970 for the F-14 Tomcat's flight control system. Working with his brother Bill Holt and colleague Steve Geller, he helped design a multi-chip processor architecture, fabricated by American Microsystems, that computed the aircraft's flight parameters in real time, a design some historians credit as the first working microprocessor, roughly a year ahead of Intel's commercially released 4004. Because the CADC's military classification kept the project secret, Holt received no public credit for the design until it was declassified in 1998. He later co-founded Microcomputer Associates, designed early microcomputer boards including the Jolt and the SYM-1, and continues to work in engineering education as president of the nonprofit Mississippi Robotics. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Connections
Associated With
Designed one of the earliest microprocessors, the MP944, for military avionics.
In Field
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Held Differently
The Microprocessor, Inventions Why this is disputed. Holt led the design of Garrett AiResearch's classified Central Air Data Computer chip set, built 1968 to 1970 for the F-14 Tomcat, which computed flight parameters on a multi-chip processor architecture roughly a year before Intel released the 4004. The CADC's military classification kept it secret until 1998, so Intel's commercially available 4004 became the design most popular histories of computing credit as the first microprocessor.
Source The World's First Microprocessor: F-14 Central Air Data Computer (Hackaday)Hackaday staff
Long-Form Articles
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Ray Holt (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationCareer section
Ray and his brother Bill Holt were on the Garrett AiResearch's small design team that developed what he claims is the world's first microprocessor chip set, the 20-bit Central Air Data Computer (CADC), for the F-14 Tomcat
Lead section
Born 1944 in Compton, California
Garrett AiResearch paragraph
From 1968 to 1970, Ray and his brother Bill Holt were on the Garrett AiResearch's small design team that developed what he claims is the world's first microprocessor chip set, the 20-bit Central Air Data Computer (CADC), for the F-14 Tomcat.
View the Source The World's First Microprocessor: F-14 Central Air Data Computer (Hackaday)
Hackaday staff, HackadayCADC Declassification section
wrote an article for Computer Design magazine that was naturally immediately classified by the Navy until released to the public in 1998
Invented: The Microprocessor, CADC vs 4004 section
The Tomcat was the first aircraft to use a microprocessor-driven flight system, as well as the first microprocessor unit (MPU) ever demonstrated, beating the Intel 4004 by a year.
View the Source A History of Technology
Charles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors, Oxford University Press, 1954- In Category: Engineer
- In Field: Computer Engineering
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.