Type an address to search for nearby blocks
Whitepaper
Explore More
Sign Up / Log In
Semiconductor History | Intel IDC2, Haifa, 1980 — The Math Chip That Made Floating Point Portable
· 1980
Personal memoryBy kevin · · updated · Report an issue
Search by address
Search
Loading...
Highlighted Moments
Featured Memories
Find memories left by people near you.
Distribute Bounty
Total to distribute
0 MR
Qualifying memories
0
This will distribute the bounty equally among all qualifying memories. This action cannot be undone.
Cancel Bounty
Refund amount
0 MR
Are you sure you want to cancel this bounty? The remaining amount will be refunded to your account.
Success!
Operation completed successfully.
Error
Something went wrong.
Back to map
Back
This memory is part of
Semiconductor History | Intel IDC2, Haifa, 1980 — The Math Chip That Made Floating Point Portable
kevin
1980
Listen
Directions
Forty silver pins run down the sides of this black ceramic package, whose faint top marking reads D8087 and carries Intel's 1980 copyright.
The chip came from Intel's young design operation in Haifa. Intel had opened the center in 1974, its first development facility outside the United States, after Dov Frohman argued that the nearby Technion offered a pool of engineers who otherwise had few local semiconductor jobs.
The first projects were deliberately modest.
By the end of the decade, the Haifa group accepted a much harder assignment: implement a numeric processor that could work beside the 8086 and 8088. Rafi Nave led the local design team, while Intel engineers in the United States worked on the mathematical architecture and the connection between the two chips.
The 8087 did not replace the main processor.
It watched the same instruction stream and responded when it encountered operations intended for the coprocessor. The arrangement let existing computers add fast floating-point arithmetic, square roots, logarithms, and trigonometric functions through a second socket instead of replacing the whole system.
Speed was only part of the achievement.
Computer makers then handled floating-point numbers, rounding, overflow, underflow, and exceptional results in incompatible ways. The 8087 implemented a broad, coherent set of data types and exception behaviors while the IEEE's floating-point standard was still being negotiated.
IEEE 754 was finalized in 1985, five years after the chip appeared.
The standard was not simply copied from one Intel product, but the 8087 gave important proposals working silicon and commercial reach. Its arithmetic and data formats became part of the foundation on which portable numerical software could depend across later processors.
That made the project a test of Intel's geographic strategy as well as a technical product.
A remote team that began with small assignments had delivered a component tied closely to the x86 architecture and to an industry standard. Haifa later contributed to the 8088, Centrino, and Intel Core generations, but the 8087 was the early proof that critical processor work did not have to remain in California.
The pin marks the IEEE milestone plaques on the outdoor path to Intel's IDC2 lobby in MATAM, a short distance from the original warehouse where the 8087 work began. The office park permits pedestrian entry subject to security screening; visitors should follow current access rules and remain in public or designated areas.
Photo: Henry Mühlpfordt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Related Memories
Memory Marks
You marked this memory as
InspiringHeartwarmingEnjoyableSolemn!
You have 0 Memory Marks left to give today
Nice work! You have given out all your memory marks today!
Come back tomorrow or own more Blox to get more daily Memory Marks!
Thank you for alerting us of this Memory. We will review within the next 24 hours.
Save to Collection
Semiconductor History | Intel IDC2, Haifa, 1980 — The Math Chip That Made Floating Point Portable
New Collection
No collections yet
Create one above to get started
0
Do you want to remove this memory from the collection?
Do you want to save
changes?
changes?
The changes you made have been saved
Root to Blockchain
Do you want to root this memory to IPFS with 1 Metablox Coin?
You currently have Metablox Coins
Root to Blockchain
You need 1 Metablox Coin to root this memory to IPFS.
You don't have enough Metablox Coins
Uploading to Blockchain…
Preparing your memory for IPFS. Please don't close this window.
Upload Failed
Something went wrong while connecting to IPFS. Your Metablox Coin was not deducted. Please try again later.
Push New Version
Create a new version of this memory, preserving its current state on IPFS.
Cost: 1 Metablox Coin
You currently have Metablox Coins
New Version is on its way to the Blockchain!
Your updated memory will be available on IPFS within 10 minutes.
Your Memory is on its way to the Blockchain!
You'll be able to access it on IPFS within 10 minutes.
Uploading your memories
Are you sure you want to
delete this memory?
delete this memory?
Are you sure you want to delete this memory?
Keep
Delete
Take Photo
Add your photos
Add more photos
Preview your memory
Uploading your memory
You have successfully preserved a memory!
We detected that you have a Blox in your crypto wallet! We will import the Blox into your account.
Click on done below to complete the import.
Welcome Back!
Sign in to preserve cherished moments
Don't have an account?
Welcome!!
Sign up and start preserving cherished moments
Password Recovery
Enter the email associated with your account
Check your inbox
Use the link in the email to reset your password
Would you like to level up
?
?
Cost
MetaRent
Would you like to level up
?
?
Cost
MetaRent
reached Level !!
MetaRent / day
Max Storage
Coins Earned
+
reached Level !!
MetaRent / day
Max Storage
Coins Earned
+
Add your
photos
Tell us about this
Moment
Description (Optional)
/140 characters
Where is this moment?
location
Try searching for: Golden Gate Bridge, Miami Beach, or an address.
Uploading your moment
You have successfully preserved a memory!
Your moment is now
on .
You have successfully preserved a memory!
Your moment is now
on .
Uploading
exoangel
Hidden in 85hrs
Global Blox
Aug 31, 2026
Sprouts sandwich
exoangel
Hidden in 60hrs
Global Blox
Aug 30, 2026
Sunday beach time
exoangel
Hidden in 61hrs
Global Blox
Aug 29, 2026
Weeekend scene
exoangel
Hidden in 38hrs
Global Blox
Aug 28, 2026
Feeding the birds
exoangel
Hidden in 15hrs
Global Blox
Aug 28, 2026
Shrimp fried rice
You marked this moment as
InspiringHeartwarmingEnjoyableSolemn!
You have 0 Memory Marks left to give today
Nice work! You have given out all your memory marks today!
Come back tomorrow or own more Blox to get more daily Memory Marks!
Choose your payment method
Buy with Metablox Credit
Do you want to mint Blox with Metablox Credit?
Which Crypto would you like to use?
Payment confirmed!
Your Blox is being minted on-chain. This usually takes under a minute.
Check your Metamask extension
Step 1: Click "Confirm" to give Metamask permission to access your crypto
Important: When the extension shows up, scroll down and hit "Confirm" to mint.
Important: You must change the suggested gas fee to High in order to process the transaction.
DO NOT refresh or close the page before seeing this.
We're processing your order...
This sometimes takes a few mins.
Please bear with us 💪
DO NOT refresh or close the page
Contact the Devs
We're very sorry this happened
Your transaction record has been submitted to our team. We'll solve this situation ASAP
Purchase Confirmed!
Your Blox is being minted on-chain and will appear in your profile shortly.
Log in or sign up to claim your Blox.
How many credits do you want to buy?
$100 USD = 1 Metablox Credit = 1 Blox.
Use Metablox Credit to mint any Blox you want on the map.
expand_more