Throbac: THrifty Roman numeral BAckwards-looking Computer

 (mitmuseum.mit.edu)

17 points | by rfarley0413 hours ago

2 comments

  • schlauerfox12 hours ago
    How can they only have one low resolution picture and only pictures of the outside?? What display tech does it use? I can't imagine there are Roman Numeral Nixie tubes. https://www.kuenzigbooks.com/pages/books/28672/claude-e-shan... I see Clear Lower, Clear KBD, Clear Upper. 7 'digits' display, but wow if anything needed a manual...
    • roywiggins11 hours ago
      The document is available on IEEExplore: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5311583

      I've reproduced here: https://pdfupload.io/docs/13f78f9d

      • schlauerfox11 hours ago
        Amazing, thank you for the link! There's an entire 'collected papers' on the IEEE website. I'm going to miss my college library accounts now i'm graduated!
    • wolfgang4210 hours ago
      After staring at the linked PDF for a while, I think the display was a collection of lightbulbs (presumably behind a mask plate), probably arranged something like this:

           Upper dial   V XV
     (Quotient)    III
  
     Lower dial LLLVV
  (Accumulator) XXX X
                   IIII
      • schlauerfox9 hours ago
        Yeah, it's a relay counter like a score motor in a pinball machine, but each rotor is different since the I is mod 5, the V is mod2 and the LX is mod 80, directly connected to the lights. The principles discussion is well done. Wow I love old tech documentation! I still don't have a good visualization of what the display 'dial' looks like
  • mmastrac13 hours ago
    Claude Shannon was the Fabrice Bellard of his time (or is it the other way around?). If he were around today, his projects would constantly be on HN.

    I am curious to know if there's a gene for these incredibly driven, very intelligent people that also _finish projects_.

    • Sesse__12 hours ago
      One of my lecturers at university (in information theory) once talked about the conference where he had met Shannon. Shannon was already a legend, and didn't show himself much, so there was a lot of whispering, and someone figured out it would be nice to have him deliver a speech at the dinner. The room was buzzing with anticipation when Shannon got up from his chair; what wisdom would he impart upon the crowd?

      “I haven't prepared anything to say. But I could always juggle a bit.” So he took out five balls and showed off his juggling. And that was that :-)

      (Interestingly, said lecturer also mentioned this Roman numeral computer; this is the only time I've seen an actual picture of it!)

    • 13 hours ago
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