There are a lot of Filipino geniuses in various fields and professions. But did you know that many created impressive stuff that changed the world or how things work? One example is Dado Banatao, the Pinoy investor who created the 16-bit microchip!
Who Invented the Computer Chip Set?
The first chip set was invented by Marcian (Ted) Hoff, Federico Faggin, Stanley Mazor, and Masatoshi Shima in January 1971. They were the team of logic architects and silicon engineers who made what was called as the “4004” which was originally described as a 4-bit microprogrammable CPU.
They made this for Japanese calculator manufacturer Busicom.
Who Invented the 16-Bit Microchip?
Though he wasn’t the first to work on chip sets, it was Filipino inventor by Diosdado “Dado” Banatao who made the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator in 1972. It was a microprocessor-based calculator he invented for Mostron, the company he was working for at the time.
But it wasn’t the only invention that this innovator created.
He also made the first 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS Media Access Controller (MAC) as well as the Physical Layer (PHY) Chip, the first system logic chip set for the PC-XT and the PC-AT.
He also created the first Windows Graphics accelerator chip for personal computers.
Together with his team, he also made the GPS (global positioning system) easily accessible to ordinary people. It was previously a technology that was only available to the military until it was declassified.
Plus, he also invented the local bus concept for PCs.
How Did Diosdado Banatao Inventions Impact The Society?
Sometimes dubbed as the Bill Gates of the Philippines, Banatao was able to make computers work a lot faster and more efficiently with his inventions.
But what’s more important is that these faster yet smaller microchips he created enabled computers to become smaller, more compact, and more affordable, too. Thanks to his inventions, more people were able to have personal computers at home.
It is believed that Banatao’s inventions make up as much as 30% of today’s computers.
Is Dado Banatao A Billionaire?
Banatao grew up as a farm boy but his impressive inventions made him become a billionaire. He’s estimated to be worth $5 billion.
