John Murphy (engineer)
Inventor of ARCNET, the first commercial networking system.
John A. Murphy, an American inventor and computer engineer, is recognized for creating ARCNET in 1976, which became the first commercial networking system. At the time, he was employed by Datapoint Corporation. His professional background is documented by the IT History Society.
Murphy originally came from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and earned a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1965. Before joining Datapoint, he worked at IBM, Motorola, Telex, and Singer Business Machines. At Datapoint, he led the design of ARCNET. The company’s R&D function, established by Victor Poor, was considered industry-leading; Poor and Harry Pyle had co-created the architecture that later became the Intel 8008, the first successful microprocessor.
ARCNET, short for Attached Resource Computer NETwork, was introduced in 1976 as the first widely available networking system for microcomputers. Datapoint had already pioneered microprocessors, and the network solved the problem of efficiently transmitting information between different machines. In an interview with Len Shustek for the Computer History Museum, Murphy said Datapoint moved ARCNET from concept to reality in “under a year and probably very much under a year.” Although it was the first commercial local area network and found early success, Datapoint’s internal corporate struggles slowed its adoption in the 1980s compared to alternatives like Ethernet. Techopedia notes that ARCnet was the first simple networking solution to handle all types of transmission, regardless of the medium or computer type.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- John Anthony Murphy
- Birth Date
- 1943
- Birth Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
- Education
- University of Notre Dame
- Occupation
- Inventor, Engineer, Computer Scientist
- Employer
- Datapoint, Telex, Performance Technologies
- Known For
- Developer of ARCNET, the first commercial local area network
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
John A. Murphy graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1965 with a B.S. in electrical engineering. He worked at IBM, Motorola, Telex, and Singer Business Machines before joining Datapoint Corporation, where he led the design of ARCNET. At Datapoint, Victor Poor had established the R&D function as industry leading; with Harry Pyle, Poor co-created the architecture that was ultimately implemented in the first successful computer microprocessor, the Intel 8008.
ARCNET was developed in 1976 and was the first widely available networking system for microcomputers. Datapoint had pioneered microprocessors, and the challenge ARCNET addressed was how to facilitate efficient transmission of information between different machines. In an interview with Len Shustek for the Computer History Museum, Murphy noted that Datapoint took ARCNET from concept to reality in 'under a year and probably very much under a year.' As the first commercial local area network, ARCNET found early success, but corporate struggles at Datapoint led to slower adoption in the 1980s relative to other commercial alternatives like Ethernet.
Reader's Guide
John Murphy's invention of ARCNET in 1976 is historically significant as the first commercial local area network, providing a foundational solution for microcomputer networking. According to Techopedia, 'ARCnet was the first simple networking based solution that provided for all kinds of transmission regardless of the transmission medium or the type of computer.' Despite its early success, corporate struggles at Datapoint caused ARCNET to be adopted more slowly in the 1980s compared to alternatives like Ethernet. Murphy's work at Datapoint built on the company's pioneering microprocessor efforts, which included the architecture that led to the Intel 8008. His biography is recorded by the IT History Society, and his interview with the Computer History Museum documents the rapid development timeline of ARCNET.
Did You Know?
- John Murphy invented ARCNET in 1976 while working at Datapoint Corporation.
- ARCNET was the first commercial networking system for microcomputers.
- According to Techopedia, ARCNET was the first simple networking solution that worked regardless of transmission medium or computer type.
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