bit slice chips (was Re: Harris H800 Computer)

[Jon Elson]

On 04/23/2016 05:46 PM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
> On 04/23/2016 02:34 PM, Brent Hilpert wrote:
>
>> I was surprised by the early date code on the 7490s when I ran across
>> them in a piece of test equipment.
> What was surprising to me is how quickly the industry standardized on
> the TI 7400/5400 parts.   Early (ca 1967) Moto databooks had MTTL I,
> MTTL II and MTTL III that were essentially sui generis.  By 1969, the
> MC7400/5400 had pretty much taken over.  Things moved really quickly
> back then.
>
>
Lots of designers and system manufacturers were VERY leery 
of adopting anything single-source.
When a number of chip makers (Nat Semi, Motorola, Signetics, 
Fairchild) all jumped onto making compatible 7400 parts, the 
industry had the confidence that parts in the series would 
be available for a long time.  Back in the late 60's, early 
70's the industry was moving at a breakneck pace, and chip 
families had very short lifetimes before their makers hopped 
onto the next new thing. (Oh, yeah, you said the same thing 
in the last sentence!)

Jon