What were the electronic components of the world’s first computer?

The electronic component of the world's first computer was the "electronic vacuum tube". The world's first computer was the "Atanasoff-Berry Computer", often referred to as the ABC computer, which used electronic vacuum tubes as electronic components; the computer circuit system was equipped with 300 electronic vacuum tubes to perform digital calculations and logical operations. The machine Capacitors are used for numerical storage, and data input uses the punch card reading method, and the binary system is also used.

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 7 system, Dell G3 computer.

The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (often referred to as the ABC computer) was the world's first electronic computer. Designed by the American scientist Atanasoff in 1937, it is not programmable and is only designed to solve linear equations and was successfully tested in 1942. He is recognized as a computer pioneer and laid a solid foundation for the development of today's mainframes and minicomputers. Two other scientists, Mauchly and Eckert, borrowed and developed his ideas to create the first digital electronic computer, ENIAC. But the design idea of ​​ENIAC is actually derived from Atanasov's previous design: reusable memory, logic circuits, based on binary operations, and using capacitors as memory. This computer was recognized as one of the IEEE Milestones in 1990.

Performance characteristics:

• First, uses electrical energy and electronic components, that is, electronic vacuum tubes;

• Second, use binary system;

• Third, use capacitor as memory, which is reproducible and avoids errors;

• Fourth, perform direct logical operations instead of usual numerical arithmetic.

ABC computer is a combination of electronics and electrical appliances. The circuit system is equipped with 300 electronic vacuum tubes to perform digital calculations and logical operations. The machine uses capacitors for numerical storage, and data input uses holes. The card reading method also uses the binary system. Therefore, the design of ABC has included the four most important basic concepts in modern computers. From this perspective, it is a truly modern electronic computer.

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The battle for the first electronic computer

Ata Nassoff and Clifford Berry's computer was not recognized until 1960 and was involved in a conflict over who was the first computer. At that time, ENIAC was generally regarded as the first modern computer. However, in 1973, the U.S. Federal District Court revoked the ENIAC patent and concluded that the inventor of ENIAC had learned from Atanasoff. Inherited the main design concept of electronic digital computers. Therefore, ABC is recognized as the world's first computer.

Atanasoff's "Atanasoff-Berry Computer" (ABC) model machine is right on the threshold of analog computing and digital computing. Since Babbage designed the Difference Engine and Analytical Engine, in the second half of the 19th century, some physicists began to develop analog computing devices. In 1876, L. Kelvin, who discovered the second law of thermodynamics, and his brother developed a "tidal harmonic analyzer" that could calculate Fourier coefficients. In 1887, American physicist Michelson, who together with E. Morley denied the existence of ether, developed a more accurate analyzer. In 1930, American scientist and educator V Bush and others developed a differential analyzer. When using it to calculate the firepower table, it was dozens of times faster than manual calculation. Starting from ABC, human calculations progressed from analog to digital. And "ENIAC" marks the official entry of computers into the digital era.

On October 19, 1973, after 135 hearings, a district court in Minnesota, USA, publicly announced the verdict: “Mauchly and Eckert did not invent the first computer, but only used Atanasoff. Conception in the invention." and ruled that the patents of Mauchly and Eckert were invalid, and the ENIAC patent was derived from the invention of John Atanasoff. The reason is that Atanasoff told Mauchly his preliminary idea for the computer as early as 1941. There was no appeal against this decision. However, the University of Iowa, where Atanasoff worked, did not apply for a patent for the ABC computer, and the lawsuit was not filed by several computer designers themselves, but by two computer companies, Honeywell and Sperry Rand.

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