On 03/09/2016 09:28 AM, william degnan wrote:
Not a lot is said about early use of microprocessors in industrial
microcomputers. Everything you read about is so home computing
oriented, but I believe actual sales would have been greater in the
industrial space
Do you count that 1-bit MC14500 dingus as a microprocessor? :)
PLCs have used all sorts of microprocessors from 8080 to the latest
bleeding edge stuff. If you're doing archeology of MPUs, the PLC market
is a great place to start as the iron these things were attached to
(anying from PCB drills, EDM setups, turret lathes, etc.) are still
running. I recall an ex-in-law who bought himself an IMSAI 8080 and
used it to run his vacuum forming setup.
The NSC IMP16 was used in Sun Engine Analyzers, which must count as an
early application.
I suspect that the nuclear power industry is one place that you'll find
the oldest stuff, however, given the long regulatory approval process
for change.
--Chuck
