Eniac Project
Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC)
The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) stands as a monumental achievement in the history of computing. It was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, designed and built during the 1940s. This pioneering project marked the beginning of the digital age, revolutionizing the way calculations were performed and laying the groundwork for future developments in computing technology.
Development and Design
The ENIAC was developed by John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania for the United States Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory. The primary goal of the project was to calculate artillery firing tables, which were essential for accurate targeting in military strategy during World War II.
Construction of the ENIAC began in 1943 and was completed in 1945. The machine was a behemoth, occupying roughly 1,800 square feet and containing about 18,000 vacuum tubes, 1,500 relays, and hundreds of thousands of resistors, capacitors, and inductors. This massive assembly required significant electrical power to operate.
Architecture and Functionality
ENIAC employed a decimal (rather than binary) system and was capable of performing complex sequences of operations. Its architecture was primarily the work of John von Neumann, who introduced groundbreaking concepts that would later be formalized into the von Neumann architecture. This architecture became a foundation for most modern computers, characterized by a stored-program concept where instructions are stored in memory.
The machine could be programmed to perform a variety of tasks by physically reconfiguring the wiring, a process that was labor-intensive and time-consuming. Despite this, ENIAC could execute about 5,000 operations per second, a phenomenal speed for its time.
Programming and Operation
The programming of ENIAC was performed by a team of six women: Kathleen Antonelli, Jean Bartik, Ruth Teitelbaum, Frances Spence, Betty Holberton, and Marlyn Wescoff. These programmers played a crucial role in the operation and success of the ENIAC project, developing methods to translate complex mathematical problems into machine instructions.
Impact and Legacy
The success of the ENIAC project demonstrated the feasibility and potential of electronic computing, leading to further developments in the field. It influenced subsequent projects such as the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) and the IAS machine, both of which incorporated stored-program architectures inspired by von Neumann's work.
The First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC by Herman Goldstine, a security officer on the ENIAC project, and John von Neumann, was pivotal in shaping the future of computing technology. This document laid out the principles of stored-program computing, which would become a standard in computer architecture.
ENIAC's legacy is seen in its influence on later computers and its role in establishing the foundations of the computer science field. It also inspired a new generation of computer scientists and engineers who continued to push the boundaries of what was technologically possible.