Electronic Arrays, Inc.
FormerlyMcMullen Associates (until 1967)
IndustryElectronics
FoundedUnited States
FounderJim McMullen
Defunct1978
FateAcquired by NEC
ProductsSemiconductors

Electronic Arrays, Inc. was a United States integrated circuit (IC) manufacturer of the 1960s and 70s. The company originated when Jim McMullen and other employees of General Microelectronics left to form McMullen Associates, which was later renamed Electronic Arrays, Inc. in 1967.

They were best known for their series of electronic calculator chipsets, starting in 1970 with the EAS100 four-function calculator.[1] Implemented in six chips, rapid improvements in semiconductor fabrication allowed them to progressively combine them in versions with five, four, two and finally a single chip. Although the EAS series was successful for a time, other vendors with more advanced processes entered the market and introduced single-chip systems before Electronic Arrays' own versions. They lost market share to companies like Mostek and Texas Instruments, and later to a slew of Japanese companies entering the market, including Hitachi, NEC, and Toshiba.[2]

The company attempted to change markets with the Electronic Arrays 9002, an 8-bit NMOS logic microprocessor released in 1976.[2] The company struggled with production issues and gave up marketing the design in November 1977.[3][4][5] The company was sold to NEC in 1978.[6]

References

  1. ^ "U. S. fires first shot at Japanese calculator lead" (PDF). Electronics. McGraw-Hill. 44 (4): 37–38. February 15, 1971.
  2. ^ a b Cushman, Robert H. (September 20, 1975). "2-1/2 Generation μP's – $10 Parts That Perform Like Low-End Mini's" (PDF). EDN. Cahners Publishing. 20 (17): 36–42. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  3. ^ "Electronic Arrays". Microelectronics Newsletter. Integrated Circuit Engineering Corporation. September 18, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved June 12, 2018 – via Smithsonian Institution.
  4. ^ Hoefler, Don C. (September 18, 1976). "Setbacks". Microelectronics News with Manager's Casebook. p. 4 – via Smithsonian Institution.
  5. ^ Cushman, Robert (November 20, 1977). "EDN's Fourth Annual Microprocessor Directory" (PDF). EDN. p. 45. Retrieved June 23, 2018. EA9002—The project staff at Electronic Arrays associated with this μP has been disbanded and the marketing effort closed down. The firm entered the market too late and was too small to mount a competitive sales effort.
  6. ^ "Nippon Merges U.S. Arms, Forms NEC Electronics". Computerworld. Vol. 15, no. 16. April 20, 1981. p. 78.

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