The introduction of early commercially produced IC's by companies such as Fairchild and Signetics et al placed several circuits on a small integrated circuit. Many such chips were then mounted on printed circuit boards. Within a very short time the discrete IC moved upwards and became a device containing many circuits and was called MSI (Medium Size Integration) and later LSI (Large Scale Integration). In 1969 the first Large Scale Integration (LSI) calculator, Sharp's QT-8, began production using IC chips made by Rockwell. The USA debut of this AC-powered, four function calculator, was at an engineering trade show in New York City in March 1970. Work continued between Sharp and Rockwell to reduce the size of the calculator towards a smaller portable unit.

In 1969 Busicom (Japan) contracted with both Intel (USA) and Mostek (USA) to develop ICs for an electronic calculator. Intel fulfilled the task with a single microprocessor chip, the famous 4004, which was used by Busicom for a desk-top electronic calculator - the Busicom 141-PF. The first microprocessor was born. Intel eventually bought back the rights to the 4004 for use in other devices. Meanwhile, Mostek developed a complete "calculator-on-a-chip" which was used in Busicom's first hand-held model in 1971.

                 CalTex

General Instruments was one of the minor manufacturer of calculator IC's

                  Electronic Arrays

Electronic Arrays could not compete within the semiconductor market, had financial difficulties and was finally bought by NEC in 1978

                 Mitsubishi

            Mostek

In 1969 Busicom (Japan) asked Intel and Mostek to develop ICs for an electronic calculator. Intel completed the task with a single microprocessor chip, the 4004, which was used by Busicom for the desktop electronic calculator 141-PF. Mostek developed a complete "calculator-on-a-chip" which was used in Busicom's first handheld model, the Handy LE-120. Sold in 1971, it was the world's smallest handheld calculator for at least a year;
Mostek produced chips for other calculator manufacturers and became the major supplier of integrated circuits for HP's scientific calculators. Hewlett-Packard soon became Mostek's largest customer

The MK5012 was sold by Radio Shack under the Archer brand name and was included in several popular 1970s handheld calculators. Its pinout is compatible with the Cal Tex CT5002.

In case of the Osaka factory, they brought the logic schematic, actually like a circuit schematic, to Mostek. Then Mostek developed the desktop calculators LSI--with two chips at first. Later they converted to one chip.

LSI Chip set

Mostek:  MK 6018, MK 6019

1970

see above

Mostek MK 6018, MK 6019

40 pin CERDIP

With its venture into electronics in 1968 Nippon Calculating Machine Corp changed its name to Business Computer Corporation, known as Busicom Corp. The above shown LSI chips were manufactured for a Busicom desktop calculator. Both are marked with a NCM logo which indicates the change in the brand name.

LSI Chip set

Mostek:  MK 6037 P, MK 6036 P, MK 6107 P, MK 6108 P, MK 6086 P
AMI:       7340 KBS, 7346 KPC

1973

HP-designed LSI Circuits; microprogrammed CPU, LSI ROM Microcode Store

                Omron Tateishi Electronic Co.

In response to the significant expansion of the desktop calculator market in Japan, Omron decided to enter IC-related fields as well. Various OMRON calculators gained tremendous popularity and had great influence on the calculator industry. It also triggered intense price competition, and Omron eventually withdrew from the calculator market. But LSI and other technologies Omron gained through the development of calculators became the bases for later work in advanced computation and control technologies.

Large Scale Integration (LSI) chips - Omron ALPHA1, ALPHA2, ALPHA3, date code mid-1971.
ALPHA1, ALPHA2, ALPHA3 were three MOS/LSI chips that were designed by its California subsidiary, Omron R&D, and fabricated by an undisclosed U.S. IC manufacturer which was later named as Nortec Electronics, Santa Clara, California.

Large Scale Integration (LSI) chip

                Rockwell

In the early 1970s Rockwell had a technical assistance agreement with Sharp and ICs with the same number can be seen with the Rockwell or the Sharp Logo. In some Sharp calculators a mixed set of ICs from both manufacturers could be found.
Sharp contracted with Rockwell as the fabricator for their LSI IC's. Sharp designed the logic and provided logic schematics to Rockwell. Then Rockwell did the circuit design. It was implemented with only four chips--including a clock. In 1970 Rockwell became the world's largest producer of advanced MOS/LSI circuits when Sharp signed a $30-million contract for these components.

LSI chip set (B) has four MOS/LSI chips and a clock generator. Each chip contains 900 MOS transistor equivalents. These chips have been declared as the first LSI integrated circuits used in a calculator. The clock-generator integrated circuit has a star-shaped heat-sink clipped on.

Rockwell 10869 A promotional chip opened top	promotional kit
42 pin ZIP	-

Promotional piece put out by Rockwell International back in the 70's. The display case includes a fully burned wafer of LSI (Large Scale Integrated) chips, a completed processor and a viewing piece. Also included is another handout that has 25 microchips. The division that this all came from was Rockwell International's Electronics division Fullerton California office. They worked on projects for both commercial and military development.

               Sanyo

               Sharp

see Rockwell

               Solitron ?

                Texas Instruments

               Toshiba