Scribd
Upload
54 views22 pages

Lecture 2

The document discusses the history of computing devices from mechanical and electromechanical machines through successive generations of electronic computers using different technologies such as vacuum tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, and microprocessors. It also covers topics like Moore's Law, performance enhancements, and classifications of computers.

Uploaded by

jpatr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
54 views22 pages

Lecture 2

The document discusses the history of computing devices from mechanical and electromechanical machines through successive generations of electronic computers using different technologies such as vacuum tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, and microprocessors. It also covers topics like Moore's Law, performance enhancements, and classifications of computers.

Uploaded by

jpatr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 22

History Of Computing

History Of Computing Outline


 History and evolution of computing devices

 Generations of computers

 Classification of computers

 Evolution of the Intel x86 processor

 Performance enhancements

Refs: Ch 2 Burd, Chp 1 Englander


http://www.intel.com/intel/intelis/museum/
http://vmoc.museophile.sbu.ac.uk/
History of computing

Basic computer functions can be implemented using


variety of technologies:

 Mechanical
 Electrical
 Optical

 Current research trying to implement processor


using quantum particles.
 Mechanical and electromechanical devices
preceded the electronic computer.

 Charles Babbage (1830,s): the analytical


engine, and Augusta Ada Byron, the first
programmer.
The analytical engine
of Charles Babbage
Electro-mechanical devices

 Hollerith (1890’s): electrical tabulating machine,


and foundation of IBM (1924).

 Aiken’s Mark 1. (1944) based on Babbage’s original


design - built at IBM labs, electro-mechanical,
weighed 5 tons. Admiral Grace Hopper worked as
programmer on this computer, and coined the term
'bug' for a computer fault.
Electronic computers

 To increase speed and reliability, the mechanical


components of these early devices were replaced
by electronic equivalents.

 These fully electronic devices became known as


the first generation of computers.

 Successive generations of electronic computers


have greater speed, smaller size, larger memory.
1st generation (1940-50s):

 Vacuum Tubes used as switching and storage


components.
 Atanasoff & Berry (1939) first electronic digital
computer.
 Turing (1943) Collossus machine built to
decode encrypted messages. (*Turing Test)
 ENIAC (1946) first general purpose computer.
(decimal not binary machine)
 UNIVAC (1951) first commercial computer -
commissioned for 1950 US census.
ENIAC
 Problems with vacuum tube machines:
 severe overheating,
 manual setting of each instruction,
 use of machine language only.

 Magnetic core used for memory, punched


cards and later magnetic tape for
secondary storage.

 Computers used for scientific and


government purposes.
 Early computers (1st gen) had only one function- to
change function had to ‘rewire’. In 1945 John von
Neumann proposed the ‘stored program concept’,
with memory to store both data and instructions.

 Loading a new program into memory then allows a


new function for the computer.

 In Von Neumann’s basic design, the program is


executed in a sequential manner. Whilst still the
model for most conventional computers, parallel
processing has recently challenged this aspect of
the traditional computing device.
Transistors - 2nd generation

 1959-1964. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes. Far


smaller, faster, more reliable, and required less
energy.

 Development of symbolic languages to simplify


programming - eg ADD instead of 00000101, and
later high level languages such as Fortran and
Cobol.

 Provision of system software (OS).

 Computers used by military, government and big


business.
 Problems: 100’s of 1000’s of transistors required
for powerful machines - expensive and
cumbersome.

 This problem was solved by the invention of the


integrated circuit.
3rd generation: (1965-1970). Integrated
Circuits.

 Complete electronic circuit on single


silicon chip, smaller than single
transistor.

 1000’s of components on one chip.(SSI


to MSI)

 cheap, fast and reliable.

 used by small business


4th generation: (1971-now). Microprocessors

 Microprocessor contains ALL elements of CPU on


one chip (Intel’s 4004, 1971).

 Progressively greater integration (from LSI to VLSI)


- 100,000’s to millions of components per chip.

 Inc. complexity of instruction sets, inc. no of bits


handled at once, inc. amount of memory
addressed.

 Advent of personal computers and other


microprocessor controlled devices.
Intel’s 4004 microprocessor
Moore’s Law

 In 1965 Gordon Moore graphed data about growth in


memory chip performance.

 Realized each new chip roughly twice capacity of


predecessor, and released within ~2 yrs of it =>
computing power would rise exponentially over
relatively brief periods of time.

 Still fairly accurate. In 30 years, no. of transistors on


a chip has increased ~20,000 times, from 2,300 on
the 4004 in 1971 to 42 million on the Pentium® IV.
Moore’s Law
Evolution of Intel Desktop Microprocessors

Name 8008 80386 Pentium Pentium 4

Year 1972 1985 1993 2000

Instruction
set 66 154 >300 >400

Data Bus 8 32 64 64

Clock <1mh 33mh 133mh 1.3GH


speed
Performance enhancements
Computer performance has been greatly enhanced by
the following :
 Faster clock speed

 Overlapping and parallel instruction processing

 Wider, faster data paths (buses)

 Faster disk access

 More and faster memory, including advanced cache


technology
Classification of Computers.

 Microcomputers – designed for single user. May


include palms, notebooks, desktop.
 Workstations
 Network computers

 Minis
 Mainframes
 Supercomputers

 Classification becoming less useful because of


rapid evolution of technology. Microcomputer of
today as powerful as minicomputer of few years
ago.
Computer System Classes

You might also like