The First Embedded Computer

• One of the first embedded computer systems was the Apollo guidance computer, which orbited the Earth on Apollo 7 in 1968 and was used during the first moon landing in 1969 aboard Apollo 11 and the lunar landing module. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration reports that the Apollo guidance computer weighed approximately 70 pounds.
  
  

The Microprocessor is Born

• In 1971, Intel introduced the Intel 4004, the world's first commercially available microprocessor, according to Embedded.com. The Computer History Museum reports that the Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were introduced in the '70s. With the commercial availability of microprocessors, the stage was set for the computer revolution and embedded systems were reaching mass production viability.
  
  Another milestone for embedded computers in the 1970s was the introduction of the first microcontroller, which is a microprocessor with memory and peripherals built into a single chip. The Intel 8048 was the world's first commercially available microcontroller.
  
  

The '80s

• In 1980, Intel released the 8051, a Harvard architecture, single-chip microcontroller. The 8051 and its descendants became one of the most widely used microcontroller families. The '80s also saw dramatic improvements in memory capacity, operating systems and software developments tools such as compilers.
  
  

The '90s

• Frequent reprogramming of embedded computers during development and testing, and occasionally in completed products, is common. Earlier technologies generally were limited to one-time write ROM or UV erasable PROMs, which made reprogramming cumbersome and slow. In 1993, Microchip introduced a microcontroller with EEPROM, which is electrically erasable, so software could be changed without having to use a new part or wait for a UV light erasing cycle. In 1997, Atmel introduced a microcontroller with flash program memory, which makes reprogramming even easier by eliminating the need for special programming or erasing voltages.
  
  

Embedded Computers Since 2000

• Since 2000, software development for embedded computers has become more disciplined with the advent of tools such as the Unified Modeling Language.
  
  In 2010, Atmel announced availability of the world's smallest microcontroller. The 8-pad UDFN package, used in ATtiny devices, is 2mm x 2mm x 0.6mm and weighs just 8 mg. With size decreasing and processing power increasing, the use of embedded computers will continue to expand into new areas.