Harvard mark-I and the bug, Computer Engineering

Assignment Help:

The next important effort in the direction of devising an electromechanical computer was made at Harvard University mutually sponsored by IBM and Department of UN Navy, Howard Aiken of Harvard University created a system known as Mark I in 1944. Mark I was a decimal machine means that computations were performed employing decimal digits.

Some of you should have heard a term known as 'bug'. It is mostly used to denote errors in computer programs. This term was invented when one day a program in Mark-I didn't run accurately because of a moth short-circuiting the computer. Since then moth or bug has been linked with problems or errors in computer programming. So process of eliminating error in a program is termed as 'debugging'.

The common shortcomings of these electromechanical and mechanical computers were: 

  • Inertia/Friction of moving components limited speed.
  • Data movement using liners and gears was very unreliable and difficult.

Change was to have a storing and switching mechanism with no moving parts. The electronic switching device 'triode' vacuum tubes were used so first electronic computer was born.


Related Discussions:- Harvard mark-I and the bug

What are latches and flipflops, What are latches and flipflops? There a...

What are latches and flipflops? There are two types of circuits as follows: a. Combinational b. Sequential Flipflops and latches both come into the category of "sequen

How do you control instructions like branch, How do you control instruction...

How do you control instructions like branch, cause problems in a pipelined processor? Pipelined processor gives the best throughput for sequenced line instruction. In branch in

What is test factory, Rational Test Factory is a component-based testing to...

Rational Test Factory is a component-based testing tool that automatically produces TestFactory scripts according to the application's navigational structure. TestFactory is integr

Define a structure, Define a structure. A structure having an ordered g...

Define a structure. A structure having an ordered group of data objects. Unlike the elements of an array, the data objects within a structure can have varied data types. Every

arithmetic pipelines, Arithmetic Pipelines The method of pipelining ca...

Arithmetic Pipelines The method of pipelining can be applied to a variety of complex and slow arithmetic operations to speed up the processing time. The pipelines used for arit

How dreamweaver work in layout view, Q. How Dreamweaver Work in Layout View...

Q. How Dreamweaver Work in Layout View? Dreamweaver has two visual design views-Standard view and Layout view. You will start by working in Layout view, which allows you to dra

Discuss about os as system software, Discuss about OS as system software? ...

Discuss about OS as system software? OS is a large program or actually a collection of routines that is used to control the sharing of and interaction between various computer

What is accumulator register, Q. What is Accumulator Register? Accumula...

Q. What is Accumulator Register? Accumulator Register (AC):  This register is used to store data temporarily for computation by Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU).  AC generally c

What are the event key words in interactive reporting, What are the event k...

What are the event key words in interactive reporting? Event Keyword                                                 Event AT LINE-SELECTION         Moment at which the u

Computer, is data bus is bidirectional

is data bus is bidirectional

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd