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

Explain in detail about the random scan display, Explain in detail about th...

Explain in detail about the Random Scan Display   This device using CRT directs the electron beam only to the parts of the screen where a picture is to be drawn. This kind of d

Specify the goals of parsing, Specify the goals of parsing. Goals: ...

Specify the goals of parsing. Goals: a. To check the validity of source string b. To agree on the syntactic structure of a source string. For invalid string this rep

Personal computer software, Personal Computer Software     The perso...

Personal Computer Software     The personal computer software market has burgeoned from the past decade. Spreadsheets, Word processing, computer graphics, database managemen

Predicates, Fred, Barney and Ralph belong to the La Trobe Mountain Club. Ev...

Fred, Barney and Ralph belong to the La Trobe Mountain Club. Every member of the Club is either a skier or a hiker. Anyone that doesn't like snow does not like skiing. No hikers li

Example to show directory in doc, Q. Example to show directory in doc? ...

Q. Example to show directory in doc? Like a file name, the directory name may also have up to eight alpha-numeric characters. The directory name can also have an extension

Illustrate what is a crest, Q. Illustrate what is a crest? Answer:- ...

Q. Illustrate what is a crest? Answer:- In electromagnetic waves or else ocean waves for that matter a crest is the peak or maximum height of the waveforms. A channel is t

Data parallel model - parallel programming model, In the data parallel mode...

In the data parallel model, many of the parallel work focus on performing operations on a data set. The data set is usually organized into a common structure, such as an array or a

Macroscopic and microscopic approaches - thermodynamics, Macroscopic and Mi...

Macroscopic and Microscopic approaches - Thermodynamics: Thermodynamic studies are undertaken by following two different approaches.  l. Macroscopic approach (Macro mean big)

Binary, 8:1 Mux for a given function, f=S (0, 1,5,7,9, 13)..

8:1 Mux for a given function, f=S (0, 1,5,7,9, 13)..

.., consider an open circuit pn junction.sketch curves as a function of dis...

consider an open circuit pn junction.sketch curves as a function of distance across the junction of space charge ,electric field and potential

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