General-purpose electronic analog computing: 1945-1965

Author

Small, James S.

Author_Institution

Kapittellaan 13C, Maastricht, Netherlands

Volume

15

Issue

2

fYear

1993

fDate

6/15/1905 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

8

Lastpage

18

Abstract

An account of the development and commercialization of general-purpose electronic analog computing in Britain and the United States of America from 1945 to the mid-1990s is presented. It is argued that the principal influence on the growth and maturation of postwar commercial analog computing was the demand for aids to calculation in aeronautical design. The drive to develop military aircraft, guided weapons, and ICBMs provided the primary motivation and funds to develop analog and subsequently hybrid computer systems. The transition from mechanical to electronic analog computing, the formative and pioneering firms, and the commercialization of in-house computing systems are described.<>

Keywords

DP industry; analogue computer programming; analogue computers; history; ICBMs; aeronautical design; commercial analog computing; commercialization; electronic analog computing; guided weapons; history; hybrid computer systems; in-house computing systems; military aircraft; Aerospace electronics; Analog computers; Commercialization; Drives; Harmonic analysis; History; Military aircraft; Military computing; Tides; Weapons;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1058-6180

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/85.207740

Filename

207740