Intel SDK-2920

Intel SDK-2920

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The Intel SDK-2920 was a notable vintage single-board computer system development kit centered around the Intel 2920 signal processor, which was groundbreaking as the first microprocessor capable of converting analog signals into digital data. This feature made it particularly important for applications in telecommunications and signal processing, marking a key advancement in bridging analog and digital computing realms. Though not a highly popular mass-market computer, its significance lies in serving engineers, university students, and system designers as a rapid development platform for exploring new signal processing capabilities in the late 1970s, thus holding an important place in the history of computing within technical education and research contexts.

• Manufacturer: Intel
• Type: Single-board computer
• Release Date: 1979
• Cost at release: CAD ~$3,000 (adjusted for inflation)
• MIPS: Analog signal processor

Hardware Specifications

• CPU: Intel 2920 Analog Signal Processor (Programmable DSP with integrated A/D and D/A converters)
• Clock Frequency: Approximately 4 MHz (typical for Intel 2920 processor)
• Memory: Supports PROMs, RAM modules configurable on the development kit (specific sizes depend on the kit configuration)
• Input/Output: Multiple I/O ports and interfaces for signal acquisition and control

Operating System & Programming Languages 

• Operating System:  Did not have a traditional operating system as seen in general-purpose computers, it was primarily programmed and controlled via firmware and development tools designed for signal processing tasks.
• Supported Languages: Assembly language specific to the Intel 2920 processor. Higher-level languages were less common but some support for specialised languages in signal processing environments and assembly-level programming was available through Intel’s development tools

Notables

• It was built around the Intel 2920, the world’s first microprocessor capable of converting analog signals such as sound or radio waves into digital data, marking a critical innovation in signal processing history.
• The SDK-2920 was one of the earliest single-board computer kits focused on bridging analog and digital computing, aimed primarily at engineers and researchers rather than mass-market users.
• This system was a pioneering platform for telecommunications and embedded systems development, contributing to advances in digital signal processing decades before DSPs became mainstream.
• It is notable for combining A/D and D/A converters internally with programmable signal processing on a single chip, an unusual integration for the time.
• While it lacked the fame and widespread popularity of personal computers, the SDK-2920 holds an important place in computing history as a specialised engineering development tool.