Analog Computing

314 Pages·2013·28.975 MB·English

by  Bernd Ulmann

Analog Computing
von
Prof. Dr. Bernd Ulmann
Oldenbourg Verlag München
Dr. Bernd Ulmann is a professor for business informatics at the FOM in Frank-
furt/Main, Germany. His main area of interest is that of analog computing. He not
only collects and restores old analog computers, but also works actively on future
applications of analog computing for high performance computing and low power
applications.
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TomybelovedwifeRikka.

Acknowledgments
Thisbookwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthesupportandhelpofmanypeople.
First of all, I would like to thank my wife Rikka Mitsam who not only did a lot of
proofreading and a terrific job in preparing many of the pen-and-ink drawings but
alsonevercomplainedaboutbeingneglectedalthoughIlivedthelastmonthsmoreor
lessinseclusionwritingthisbook.
I am particularly grateful for the support and help of Jens Breitenbach who did a
magnificent job at proof reading and provided many suggestions and improvements
enhancing the text significantly. He also suggested to use the Kp-fonts and spotted
manyLATEX-sinsofminethusimprovingtheoverallappearanceofthisbookconsider-
ably.
Inadditiontothat,IwouldliketothankBenjaminBarnickel,ArneCharlet,Daniela
Koch, Theresa Szczepanski and Dr. Reinhard Steffens for their invaluable help in
proofreading.
Additionally,IwouldliketothankToreSindingBekkedalwhotookthepictureshown
in figure 8.32, Tim Robinson who built the incredible Meccano-Differential Analyzer
shown in figure 2.19, Tibor Florestan Pluto who took the photo shown on the title
page, Robert Limes who took the picture shown in figure 9.3, and Bruce Baker who
donatedthepicturesshowninfigures11.41,11.43,and11.44fortheirpermissionsto
usetheaforementionedpictures.
WithoutthecontinuousencouragementofDr.habil.KarlSchlagenhaufandhisin-
valuablesuggestionsthisbookmightverywellnotexistatall.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Giloi, Prof. Dr. Rudolf
Lauber,Dr.AdolfKley,andProf.Dr.GünterMeyer-Brötzforsharingtheirmemo-
riesoftheearlydaysofanalogcomputingatTelefunkenetc.
ThisbookwastypesetwithLATEX,usingKp-Fonts;mostschematicsweredrawnusing
EAGLE and Arno Jacob’s wonderful analog computing symbol library, other vector
graphicswerecreatedwithxfig.
Registered names, trademarks, designations etc. used in this book, even when not
specificallymarkedassuch,arenottobeconsideredunprotectedbylaw.

Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Outline................................................................... 1
1.2 Thenotionofanalogcomputing ......................................... 2
1.3 Directandindirectanalogies ............................................ 3
2 Mechanicalanalogcomputers 5
2.1 Astrolabes................................................................ 5
2.2 TheAntikytheramechanism............................................. 5
2.3 Sliderules................................................................ 6
2.4 Planimeters .............................................................. 8
2.5 Mechanicalcomputingelements......................................... 11
2.5.1 Functiongeneration...................................................... 12
2.5.2 Differentialgears......................................................... 14
2.5.3 Integrators ............................................................... 14
2.5.4 Multipliers............................................................... 17
2.6 Harmonicsynthesizersandanalyzers.................................... 18
2.7 Mechanicalfirecontrolsystems.......................................... 21
2.8 Differentialanalyzers .................................................... 23
3 Thefirstelectronicanalogcomputers 31
3.1 HelmutHoelzer ........................................................ 31
3.1.1 The“Mischgerät” ........................................................ 32
3.1.2 Hoelzer’sanalogcomputer.............................................. 38
3.2 GeorgeA.Philbrick’sPolyphemus...................................... 44
3.3 Electronicfirecontrolsystems ........................................... 47
3.4 MIT ...................................................................... 53
4 Basiccomputingelements 55
4.1 Operationalamplifiers................................................... 55
4.1.1 Earlyoperationalamplifiers ............................................. 59
X Contents
4.1.2 Driftstabilization........................................................ 61
4.2 Summers................................................................. 64
4.3 Integrators ............................................................... 67
4.4 Coefficientpotentiometers............................................... 70
4.5 Functiongenerators...................................................... 73
4.5.1 Servofunctiongenerators................................................ 74
4.5.2 Curvefollowers .......................................................... 75
4.5.3 Photoformers ............................................................ 76
4.5.4 Varistorfunctiongenerators ............................................. 76
4.5.5 Diodefunctiongenerators ............................................... 77
4.5.6 Inversefunctions......................................................... 79
4.5.7 Functionsoftwovariables ............................................... 79
4.6 Multiplication............................................................ 80
4.6.1 Servomultipliers......................................................... 80
4.6.2 Crossed-fieldselectron-beammultiplier ................................. 80
4.6.3 Hyperbolicfieldmultiplier .............................................. 81
4.6.4 Timedivisionmultipliers ................................................ 83
4.6.5 Logarithmicmultipliers.................................................. 83
4.6.6 Quartersquaremultipliers............................................... 84
4.6.7 Othermultiplicationschemes............................................ 85
4.7 Divisionandsquareroot................................................. 85
4.8 Comparators............................................................. 85
4.9 Limiters.................................................................. 87
4.10 Resolvers................................................................. 87
4.11 Timedelay............................................................... 88
4.12 Randomnoisegenerators ................................................ 90
4.13 Outputdevices........................................................... 90
5 Analogcomputeranatomy 93
5.1 Analogpatchpanel ...................................................... 93
5.2 Functiongenerators...................................................... 95
5.3 Digitalpatchpanelandcontrols......................................... 96
5.4 Readout.................................................................. 97
5.5 Control .................................................................. 98
5.6 Performingacomputation ...............................................100