F100-L - Ferranti’s Innovative 16-bit Microprocessor

Abstract

Ferranti had great experience in computers large and small. In the mid-70s they produced the F100-L, which was Europe’s first 16-bit microprocessor and one of the first in the world. The device enjoyed some success in military applications, enough for there to be a successor, but was never produced in high volume. We describe the technology and architecture of this unique microprocessor: bit-serial on the inside, with a parallel system bus connecting to coprocessor chips, and fabricated in Ferranti’s CDI technology, well-suited to military application.