The SWAC design features and operating experience

Author

Huskey, H.D. ; Thorensen, R. ; Ambrosio, B.F. ; Yowell, E.C.

Volume

19

Issue

2

fYear

1997

Firstpage

46

Lastpage

50

Abstract

In 1953, the National Bureau of Standards Western Automatic Computer (SWAC) was an ultra-high-speed digital computer utilizing a Williams tube memory, an auxiliary magnetic drum memory and a punched card I/O system. A general description of the functional organization of the computer is given, together with a brief description of the various commands and how they were executed. Some of the special engineering features of the computer are described, in particular those relating to the electrostatic and magnetic drum memories. Finally, a short survey of the types of problems the computer solved during 1953 is presented

Keywords

computer architecture; computer operating procedures; digital computers; history; magnetic storage; punched card equipment; National Bureau of Standards Western Automatic Computer; SWAC; Williams tube memory; auxiliary magnetic drum memory; command execution; design features; digital computer; electrostatic memories; engineering features; functional organization; history; operating experience; problem solving; punched card I/O system; survey; Acoustic pulses; Arithmetic; Computer aided instruction; Concurrent computing; Electrostatics; Fitting; NIST; Numerical analysis; Pulse circuits; Space vector pulse width modulation;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1058-6180

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/85.586072

Filename

586072