CPU Shack: Quick article on the PPS-4

[CPUShack]

a rather under appreciated processor

http://www.cpushack.com/2013/05/06/cpu-of-the-day-rockwell-pps-41-the-other-4-bit-processor/

[yk]

Very useful info. I like rockwell chips, have 10660 and 12660, but I had been unable to distinguish them . Which one is more rare?

[CPUShack]

I think they are equally rare, and I could not track down the exact diff between them (I am guessing its a voltage or clocking difference though)

Both continued to be made into the 80s, so the rare ones will be pre-1980

[magictom]

According to Antiqutech:

"The original part number of the PPS-4 was the 10660. I selected the part
number very carefully. The part number appears on every mask layer, but I
"accidentally" left the metal off the top of the first zero. Under a
microscope the part number looks like "lubb0" which was as close to getting
my name on the chip as possible." Ray Lubow, 12-17-02



http://www.antiquetech.com/chips/PPS-4.htm

[yk]

my 10660 made in 1974 ,12660 made in 1976. 10660 have two kind bottom: gold or silver.

[CPUShack]

and here is a late production one (1986)

the ones with the metal bottoms are much more rare

[magictom]

Interesting they would have gone back to the original 10660 after 10 years, but perhaps some customer needed a batch with the original mask

[CPUShack]

yah entirely likely