Faggin's Career Path and the Development of the Intel 4004
Federico Faggin's interest in science led him to study physics, which provided him with a deep understanding of the universe's basic workings.
His early career at SGS Fairchild in Italy was marked by the invention and development of silicon gate technology, a crucial innovation that enabled the creation of tiny, rapidly switching transistors.
Faggin's expertise caught the attention of Intel, and he was recruited by Les Vadez to work on a secret project, which would ultimately become the Intel 4004 microprocessor.
Initially designed for a Busicom calculator, Faggin envisioned a broader potential for the chip, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the computing industry.
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"My major contribution was to figure out a way to integrate all the complexity of a central processing unit [CPU] into a single chip, which had never been done before," said Faggin. "It required a new methodology."
After helping the 4004 evolve into a multi-purpose, programmable processor for devices beyond the Busicom calculator, Faggin went to work on the 8080 processor, which was an 8-bit CPU used in early minicomputers several years prior to the first IBM PC.
"I did the architecture and directed its development, and the 8080 was the first high-performance microprocessor in the market," he said. "It really opened wide the application field for microprocessors."
In 1974, a few months after the 8080 hit the market, Faggin left Intel and started Zilog, where he conceived the Z80 microprocessor.
"The Z80 is one of the most successful microprocessors ever produced," he said. "It is still in high-volume production today, more than two decades after it debuted."
Before retiring a few years ago, he founded and was CEO of three start-up companies. At one of his start-ups, Synaptics, he helped bring the human touch as a way to interact with computers. Synaptics produces human-to-computer interface products using neural networks and mixed-signal technology, and is best known for capacitive sensing touchscreens and the TouchPad, which is used on many laptops today.
Retirement has allowed him to return to his passion for science, philosophy and design, and exploring the role of technology in our lives.
"Since I retired from business a couple years ago, I have started a non-profit foundation for the study of consciousness," said Faggin. "Consciousness, in my way of looking at it, is the new frontier. It is what defines a human being, and distinguishes it from a machine.
"They [computers] will allow human beings to recognize what makes them human and people will recognize how much more powerful a human being is than a machine."
He believes that quantum computers could fundamentally change the nature of computing beyond the capabilities of today's mechanical computer.
"As for whether computers that are quantum or not can rival human intelligence, I have my doubts," said Faggin.
Does Faggin believe that computers can replicate human intelligence or consciousness?