Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
The Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) is a notable example in the history of computing, recognized as one of the earliest electronic computers. Its development marked a significant phase in the evolution of computing technology, following the footsteps of its predecessor, the ENIAC, and introducing concepts that would become foundational to modern computer architecture.
Development and Design
The EDVAC was developed at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, part of the University of Pennsylvania, under the leadership of John von Neumann, who was instrumental in conceptualizing the stored-program architecture. This architecture is commonly referred to as the von Neumann architecture, a framework that allows instructions and data to be stored in the same memory space.
The design of the EDVAC began in August 1944, influenced heavily by the advancements made in the ENIAC project. However, unlike ENIAC, which was a decimal system, EDVAC was a binary computer, utilizing the binary numeral system for its arithmetic operations. It was founded on the principle of processing variables electronically and automatically, which was a leap forward from the mechanical and electro-mechanical machines of the time.
Technical Specifications
The EDVAC's architecture employed a binary serial design, with capabilities for automatic addition, subtraction, multiplication, programmed division, and self-checking. Its memory system was based on an ultrasonic delay line, specifically mercury delay lines, providing a storage capacity of 1,024 44-bit words. In modern terms, this equates to approximately 5.6 kilobytes of memory.
Physically, the computer was an assembly of several components, including vacuum tubes, mercury delay lines, and a central arithmetic unit, all housed within a large frame indicative of early computers' massive size and complexity. The use of vacuum tubes was typical of the era, preceding the advent of the transistor and subsequent miniaturization of components.
Impact and Legacy
The EDVAC was an integral step in the transition from experimental computing machines to practical, general-purpose computers. Its design influenced subsequent computers, notably the EDSAC in the United Kingdom, which adopted and adapted the stored-program concept.
Furthermore, the EDVAC's development influenced the academic and industrial study of computer science and electronic engineering, laying groundwork that would support the burgeoning field of computing technology. The concepts and practices introduced by the EDVAC project have persisted, evolving into the complex and sophisticated electronic systems utilized today.