Dec 07, 2025 15:30:00

What is the world's first microchip, 'MP944,' which was kept secret for nearly 30 years?

The world's first consumer microprocessor is said to be

the Intel 4004, developed by Intel and Visicom in 1971. However, including military microprocessors, the MP944, which was installed in the F-14 jet fighter, appeared slightly earlier. However, because the MP944 was for military use, it remained classified for nearly 30 years.

World's First Microprocessor | 50th Anniversary 2020
https://firstmicroprocessor.com/

The World's First Microprocessor: F-14 Central Air Data Computer - YouTube


The MP944 was a microprocessor for the Central Airborne Data Computer (CADC) installed on the US Navy's F-14 Tomcat fighter jets, and was developed between 1968 and 1970 by a team led by Steve Geller and Ray Holt of Garrett AiResearch, an aerospace company.

The MP944 was a MOS-LSI with 20-bit pipeline and parallel processing, operating at 375 kHz and capable of executing 9,375 instructions per second, far superior to competing products at the time and boasting a processing speed approximately eight times faster than the Intel 4004.

The CADC, equipped with the MP944, received data from five sources: static pressure sensors, dynamic pressure sensors, aircraft temperature probes, and analog and digital pilot inputs. It then used this data to calculate Mach number, altitude, airspeed, and other parameters in real time, precisely controlling the F-14's control surfaces, including the variable wing system, maneuvering flaps, and globe vanes, which are key to its flight performance. The CADC also controlled the cockpit displays of information such as Mach speed, altitude, airspeed, and vertical speed.

To meet the stringent requirements of military aircraft, the MP944 was designed to be durable enough to operate in a wide temperature range of -55°C to 125°C. As a manned flight system, safety was also of paramount importance, and the system constantly performed self-diagnostics during flight. If a fault was detected, a redundant system was built in, switching over to an equivalent backup unit as standard within 1/18th of a second, ensuring high reliability.

Developer Holt attempted to publish a paper on the MP944 in 1971, but it was rejected by the U.S. Navy for national security reasons. His re-application in 1985 was also denied, but it was finally granted declassification in April 1998. This revealed the MP944's advanced capabilities, including the fact that it was essentially the 'world's first microprocessor.'

In addition, the F-14's 50th anniversary website , which opened in 2020, states that in addition to being the world's first microprocessor chipset, the MP944 also holds numerous record-breaking 'world first' titles, such as 'first aerospace and military microprocessor,' 'first fly-by-wire flight computer,' 'first 20-bit design,' 'first chip with self-diagnostic function,' 'first digital signal processing (DSP) application,' and 'first microprocessor with pipeline execution and parallel processing capabilities.'