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Difference between revisions of "relay computer"
(The Harwell computer was only know as the WITCH after it was donated to Wolverhampton University. (Wolverhampton Instrument for Teaching Computing from Harwell)) |
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{{title|Relay Computer}} | {{title|Relay Computer}} | ||
| − | [[File:Harvard Mark I.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The {{ibm|Harvard Mark I}}, a [[relay logic|relay-based]] computer, one of the earliest, made by [[IBM]] in 1944.]] | + | [[File:Harvard Mark I.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The {{ibm|Harvard Mark I}}, a [[relay logic|relay-based]] computer, one of the earliest, made by [[Howard Aiken]] with the help of [[IBM]] in 1944.]] |
| − | A '''relay computer''' is a computer system built primarily using [[relay]]s and [[relay logic]]. | + | A '''relay computer''' is a computer system built primarily using electromechanical [[relay]]s and [[relay logic]]. Obsoleting most of the earlier [[mechanical computer]]s, relay were a short-lived technology during the late 1930s to early 1950s. By the late 1950s technology has shifted almost exclusively to [[vacuum tube]]s. From the mid 1950s onward, [[vacuum tube computer]]s superseded relay logic. |
== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
{{expand section}} | {{expand section}} | ||
| − | The idea of using [[relay]]s to realize [[logic circuit]]s was not new even in the 1920s. However it was not until the late 1930s that actual full-scale computers and calculators were developed. | + | The idea of using [[relay]]s to realize [[logic circuit]]s was not new even in the 1920s. However it was not until the late 1930s that actual full-scale computers and calculators were developed. It was not until the end of [[wikipedia:World War II|World War II]] that a large number of systems were built. |
The choice of using relays instead of [[vacuum tube]] boiled down to cost and availability. Standard telephone relays were already in wide use and were considerably cheaper than any other alternative, albeit slow and power hungry. Since most of the early relay computers were developed by independent individuals such as [[George Stibitz]] and [[Konrad Zuse]] and without a large budget, using relays made the most sense. | The choice of using relays instead of [[vacuum tube]] boiled down to cost and availability. Standard telephone relays were already in wide use and were considerably cheaper than any other alternative, albeit slow and power hungry. Since most of the early relay computers were developed by independent individuals such as [[George Stibitz]] and [[Konrad Zuse]] and without a large budget, using relays made the most sense. | ||
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| {{bell|Model III}} || || [[Bell Labs]] || 1,400 || 1944 || | | {{bell|Model III}} || || [[Bell Labs]] || 1,400 || 1944 || | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [[Harvard Mark I]] || [[Howard Aiken]] || [[IBM]] || 3,500 || 1944 || |
|- | |- | ||
| {{bell|Model IV}} || || [[Bell Labs]] || 1400 || 1945 || | | {{bell|Model IV}} || || [[Bell Labs]] || 1400 || 1945 || | ||
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| {{bell|Model V}} || || [[Bell Labs]] || 9,000 || 1946 || | | {{bell|Model V}} || || [[Bell Labs]] || 9,000 || 1946 || | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | | [[Harvard Mark II]] || [[Howard Aiken]] || || || 1947 || |
|- | |- | ||
| {{ibm|SSEC}} || || [[IBM]] || 21,400 || 1948 || [[vacuum tube]]s & [[relay]]s hybrid | | {{ibm|SSEC}} || || [[IBM]] || 21,400 || 1948 || [[vacuum tube]]s & [[relay]]s hybrid | ||
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|- | |- | ||
| [[BARK]] || || [[Matematikmaskinnämnden]] || 8,000 || 1950 || | | [[BARK]] || || [[Matematikmaskinnämnden]] || 8,000 || 1950 || | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[WITCH|Harwell Computer (WITCH)]] || || [[Atomic Energy Research Establishment|Harwell]] || 480 || 1951 || Made with 480 [[relay]]s, 828 [[Dekatron valves]] for math | ||
|- | |- | ||
| {{etl|Mark I}} || || [[Electrotechnical Laboratory]] || || 1952 || | | {{etl|Mark I}} || || [[Electrotechnical Laboratory]] || || 1952 || | ||
Latest revision as of 06:45, 9 March 2021
The Harvard Mark I, a relay-based computer, one of the earliest, made by Howard Aiken with the help of IBM in 1944.
A relay computer is a computer system built primarily using electromechanical relays and relay logic. Obsoleting most of the earlier mechanical computers, relay were a short-lived technology during the late 1930s to early 1950s. By the late 1950s technology has shifted almost exclusively to vacuum tubes. From the mid 1950s onward, vacuum tube computers superseded relay logic.
Overview[edit]
 |
This section requires expansion; you can help adding the missing info. |
The idea of using relays to realize logic circuits was not new even in the 1920s. However it was not until the late 1930s that actual full-scale computers and calculators were developed. It was not until the end of World War II that a large number of systems were built.
The choice of using relays instead of vacuum tube boiled down to cost and availability. Standard telephone relays were already in wide use and were considerably cheaper than any other alternative, albeit slow and power hungry. Since most of the early relay computers were developed by independent individuals such as George Stibitz and Konrad Zuse and without a large budget, using relays made the most sense.
Relay Systems[edit]
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
| System | Developer | Company/Institution | Relay Count | Year Complete | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model K | George Stibitz | Bell Labs | 1937 | ||
| Model I | George Stibitz | Bell Labs | 400 | 1939 | |
| Z2 | Konrad Zuse | 600 | 1939 | ||
| Z3 | Konrad Zuse | 2,000 | 1941 | ||
| Model II | Bell Labs | 440 | 1943 | ||
| Z4 | Konrad Zuse | Zuse Apparatebau | 2,500 | 1944 | |
| Model III | Bell Labs | 1,400 | 1944 | ||
| Harvard Mark I | Howard Aiken | IBM | 3,500 | 1944 | |
| Model IV | Bell Labs | 1400 | 1945 | ||
| Model V | Bell Labs | 9,000 | 1946 | ||
| Harvard Mark II | Howard Aiken | 1947 | |||
| SSEC | IBM | 21,400 | 1948 | vacuum tubes & relays hybrid | |
| Baby Atlas | CSAW | 1949 | Used for the debugging of the Atlas computer | ||
| Model VI | Bell Labs | 1950 | |||
| BARK | Matematikmaskinnämnden | 8,000 | 1950 | ||
| Harwell Computer (WITCH) | Harwell | 480 | 1951 | Made with 480 relays, 828 Dekatron valves for math | |
| Mark I | Electrotechnical Laboratory | 1952 | |||
| Z5 | Konrad Zuse | Zuse KG | 2,500 | 1953 | |
| FACOM 100 | Fujitsu | 1954 | |||
| Z11 | Konrad Zuse | Zuse KG | 1,665 | 1955 | |
| Mark II | Electrotechnical Laboratory | 22,253 | 1955 |
See also[edit]
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This article is still a stub and needs your attention. You can help improve this article by editing this page and adding the missing information. |