Monolithic Memories, Inc. (MMI) produced
bipolar PROMs,
programmable logic device
A programmable logic device (PLD) is an electronic component used to build reconfigurable digital circuits. Unlike digital logic constructed using discrete logic gates with fixed functions, a PLD has an undefined function at the time of manu ...
s, and logic circuits (including
7400 series TTL).
A team of MMI engineers, under the direction of Ze'ev Drori and headed by
John Birkner
Programmable Array Logic (PAL) is a family of programmable logic device semiconductors used to implement logic functions in digital circuits introduced by Monolithic Memories, Inc. (MMI) in March 1978. Introductory advertisement on PAL (Progr ...
and H. T. Chua, invented the class of devices known as
Programmable Array Logic
Programmable Array Logic (PAL) is a family of programmable logic device semiconductors used to implement logic functions in digital circuits introduced by Monolithic Memories, Inc. (MMI) in March 1978. Introductory advertisement on PAL (Progra ...
(PAL).
MMI was founded in 1969 by former
Fairchild Semiconductor engineer
Ze'ev Drori
Ze'ev Drori ( he, זאב דרורי; born in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli-born American technology entrepreneur currently residing in California. Drori was the founder and Chief Executive of Monolithic Memories, before the company merged with Advanced ...
, later the President and CEO of
Tesla Motors
Tesla, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles (electric cars and trucks), battery energy storage from home to grid- ...
. In 1987, under the stewardship of President
Irwin Federman, it was merged with
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Santa Clara, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. While it initially manufact ...
in a $442 million stock swap to become the world's largest integrated circuit manufacturer.
[Los Angeles Times: "Monolithic Will Combine With Advanced Micro: $422-Million Stock Swap Will Create World's Biggest Integrated Circuit Maker" by NANCY RIVERA BROOKS]
May 01, 1987 AMD later spun off their programmable logic division as Vantis, which was then acquired by
Lattice Semiconductor
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation is an American semiconductor company specializing in the design and manufacturing of low power, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Headquartered in the Silicon Forest area of Hillsboro, Oregon, the company ...
.
See also
*
Bit-slice processor
Bit slicing is a technique for constructing a processor from modules of processors of smaller bit width, for the purpose of increasing the word length; in theory to make an arbitrary ''n''-bit central processing unit (CPU). Each of these com ...
(MMI 5700/6700)
*
Programmable Array Logic
Programmable Array Logic (PAL) is a family of programmable logic device semiconductors used to implement logic functions in digital circuits introduced by Monolithic Memories, Inc. (MMI) in March 1978. Introductory advertisement on PAL (Progra ...
(PAL 22V10)
References
External links
*
Electronics companies of the United States
Superfund sites in California
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