How It Was Made: THE COMMODORE 64 factory tour

Retro Recipes2 minutes read

The Commodore 64, launched in 1982, was the best-selling home computer ever with over 17 million units sold, and its manufacturing process involved cutting-edge technology and precision to create millions of transistors on a single silicone plate. Companies like Commodore used chip technology independently to enable high integration and precision at low prices.

Insights

  • The Commodore 64, launched in 1982, holds the title of the best-selling home computer, with over 17 million units sold, marking a significant milestone in the history of personal computing.
  • The intricate manufacturing process of the Commodore 64 involved cutting-edge technologies like photo masking, chemical treatments, and electronic function testing, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail and security measures implemented to protect trade secrets and ensure high-quality production standards.

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Recent questions

  • How many units of the Commodore 64 were sold?

    17 million units

  • What inspired the limited series using archive footage?

    Canadian CTV show "How It's Made"

  • Who played a significant role in the creation of the Commodore 64?

    Jack Trammell

  • What technology replaced electron tubes in the Commodore 64?

    Transistors

  • How were the chips for the Commodore 64 manufactured?

    Silicon wafers from sand

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Summary

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"Commodore 64: From Concept to Creation"

  • The Commodore 64 computer was launched 40 years ago in January 1982, becoming the best-selling home computer ever with over 17 million units sold.
  • Archive factory footage from commodore.ca was used in a limited series inspired by the Canadian CTV show "How It's Made," translated from German and restored using machine learning.
  • The vision of a future with home computers began in the 1950s and 60s, with Jack Trammell producing electronic calculators and typewriters, leading to the creation of the Commodore 64 in 1982.
  • Transistors, tiny electronic switches, replaced electron tubes like those in the Colossus, offering more efficiency and affordability, allowing for millions of transistors on a single silicone plate.
  • Companies like Commodore used their chip technology to design tailor-made chips independently of the global market, enabling high integration and precision at low prices.
  • The manufacturing process of the Commodore 64 began with silicon wafers made from sand, with each wafer containing thousands of circuits drawn into computer-aided design software.
  • The production involved creating production masks, recording digitized chip construction plans on magnetic tape, and closely guarded security to protect trade secrets.
  • The wafers underwent processes like photo masking, chemical treatments, diffusion furnace heating, ion implantation, and electronic function testing to create the microprocessor.
  • The chips were then tested, separated into individual chips, housed in ceramic or plastic, connected with gold threads, inspected, and sorted based on characteristics before being packed.
  • The chips were assembled onto the Commodore 64's motherboard in production facilities in Asia and Germany, undergoing rigorous physical and software testing before final assembly, testing, and packaging.
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