Chuck Peddle
Encyclopedia
Charles Ingerham Peddle (born 1937) is an American electrical engineer best known as the main designer of the MOS Technology
6502
microprocessor; the KIM-1
SBC
; and its successor the Commodore PET
personal computer, both based on the 6502.
Born in Bangor, Maine
USA
, he worked in a radio station while in high school and joined the Marine Corps in 1955. He attended the University of Maine
and afterward went to work for General Electric
working with time sharing
systems. Later, he worked at Motorola
from 1973 on the development of the 6800
processor.
Peddle recognized a market for an ultra-low-price microprocessor and began to champion such a design to complement the Motorola 6800. His efforts were frustrated by Motorola management and he was told to drop the project. He then left for MOS Technology
, where he headed the design of the 650x family of processors; these were made as a answer to the Motorola 6800
. The most famous member of the 650x series was the 6502, developed in 1976, which was priced at 15% of the price of an Intel 8080
, and was subsequently used in many commercial products, including the Apple I
, Apple II, Commodore VIC-20
, Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES), Atari 8-bit computers, Oric computers and BBC Micro
from Acorn Computers
.
The 6502 microprocessor design was also modified to support other computers while maintaining backwards compatibility. One such example was the 6510 used in the Commodore 64
.
Peddle left the company in 1980 together with CBM financer Chris Fish to found Sirius Systems Technology
. There, Peddle designed the Victor 9000 personal computer/workstation.
MOS Technology
MOS Technology, Inc., also known as CSG , was a semiconductor design and fabrication company based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is most famous for its 6502 microprocessor, and various designs for Commodore International's range of home computers.-History:MOS Technology, Inc...
6502
MOS Technology 6502
The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch for MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced, it was the least expensive full-featured microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin, costing less than one-sixth the price of...
microprocessor; the KIM-1
KIM-1
The KIM-1, short for Keyboard Input Monitor, was a small 6502-based single-board computer developed and produced by MOS Technology, Inc. and launched in 1976...
SBC
Single-board computer
A single-board computer is a complete computer built on a single circuit board, with microprocessor, memory, input/output and other features required of a functional computer. Unlike a typical personal computer, an SBC may not include slots into which accessory cards may be plugged...
; and its successor the Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
personal computer, both based on the 6502.
Born in Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he worked in a radio station while in high school and joined the Marine Corps in 1955. He attended the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
and afterward went to work for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
working with time sharing
Time-sharing
Time-sharing is the sharing of a computing resource among many users by means of multiprogramming and multi-tasking. Its introduction in the 1960s, and emergence as the prominent model of computing in the 1970s, represents a major technological shift in the history of computing.By allowing a large...
systems. Later, he worked at Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
from 1973 on the development of the 6800
Motorola 6800
The 6800 was an 8-bit microprocessor designed and first manufactured by Motorola in 1974. The MC6800 microprocessor was part of the M6800 Microcomputer System that also included serial and parallel interface ICs, RAM, ROM and other support chips...
processor.
Peddle recognized a market for an ultra-low-price microprocessor and began to champion such a design to complement the Motorola 6800. His efforts were frustrated by Motorola management and he was told to drop the project. He then left for MOS Technology
MOS Technology
MOS Technology, Inc., also known as CSG , was a semiconductor design and fabrication company based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is most famous for its 6502 microprocessor, and various designs for Commodore International's range of home computers.-History:MOS Technology, Inc...
, where he headed the design of the 650x family of processors; these were made as a answer to the Motorola 6800
Motorola 6800
The 6800 was an 8-bit microprocessor designed and first manufactured by Motorola in 1974. The MC6800 microprocessor was part of the M6800 Microcomputer System that also included serial and parallel interface ICs, RAM, ROM and other support chips...
. The most famous member of the 650x series was the 6502, developed in 1976, which was priced at 15% of the price of an Intel 8080
Intel 8080
The Intel 8080 was the second 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel and was released in April 1974. It was an extended and enhanced variant of the earlier 8008 design, although without binary compatibility...
, and was subsequently used in many commercial products, including the Apple I
Apple I
The original Apple Computer, also known retroactively as the Apple I, or Apple-1, is a personal computer released by the Apple Computer Company in 1976. They were designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak. Wozniak's friend Steve Jobs had the idea of selling the computer...
, Apple II, Commodore VIC-20
Commodore VIC-20
The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
, Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES), Atari 8-bit computers, Oric computers and BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
from Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers Ltd. was a British computer company established in Cambridge, England, in 1978. The company produced a number of computers which were especially popular in the UK. These included the Acorn Electron, the BBC Micro, and the Acorn Archimedes...
.
The 6502 microprocessor design was also modified to support other computers while maintaining backwards compatibility. One such example was the 6510 used in the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
.
Peddle left the company in 1980 together with CBM financer Chris Fish to found Sirius Systems Technology
Sirius Systems Technology
Sirius Systems Technology was a personal computer manufacturer in Scotts Valley, California. It was founded in 1980 by Chuck Peddle and Chris Fish, formerly of MOS Technology and capitalized by Walter Kidde Inc. In late 1982 Sirius acquired Victor Business Systems from Kidde and changed its name...
. There, Peddle designed the Victor 9000 personal computer/workstation.